Musicians Hotline is excited to introduce one of Europe's premier high-end guitar manufacturers, Andreas Pichler from Andreas Guitars by Infeld. Andreas Guitars are manufactured in the Carinthia region of southern Austria, right next to the beautiful Tirolian Alps, in the small village of Dollach. Maybe as important as anything else is that Andreas is only 26 years old, yet has been making guitars of his own design since he was 14. His current lineup of Shark guitars and basses are unique within the guitar industry, featuring a proprietary soft coat finish, ergonomically shaped body, and a flair for modern design, yet retaining vintage tone.

MH: Andreas Pichler, being of Austrian descent, tell us how and when you got your start in guitar building.
AP: I was 14 years old when I started my training to be a luthier. This school was a four-year program and was oriented towards acoustic instruments. We built guitars, violins, lutes...mainly traditional instruments.

MH: Can you recall the very first instrument that you designed?
AP: I designed my first instrument when I was 16 years old. It was a steel-string acoustic guitar, which I still play on a daily basis. I'm still very proud of this instrument.

MH: Your father was a master woodworker in Austria, what influence did he
have on you?
AP: When I was four years old, I started to carve wood, which I learned from my father. He invested a lot of time in teaching me the correct way to carve wood. To have a good command of this artistry was an immediate advantage for me, because it allowed me to carve pictures of their likeness for my first girlfriends. Soon my pictures were hanging on the walls of almost all the houses in town. My father recognized my talent, and when I turned 14, he proposed that I undergo the training to become a luthier. To this day, I am very thankful to him for that.

MH: Tell us about your current product line of guitars and basses, and please describe each.
AP: The product line includes two guitar models and one bass model available in different versions. There is the Andreas Shark guitar, the Andreas Infeld guitar, and the Andreas Shark bass. The Shark guitar is available in two different versions. The more all-around version is the S-type which has two single coils, a humbucker in the bridge position and an Alder body. The H-type version has a humbucker pickup configuration and a mahogany body and is more geared towards rock. The Infeld guitar is my interpretation of a Strat, with the only difference being a P90-like pickup in the bridge position for a fatter tone. The bass has top-quality hardware, is very lightweight and has a really good fundamental tone with many modern tone-shaping possibilities.

MH: Andreas Guitars has a recognized shark body design - tell us how this unique body style transpired.
AP: The Shark is my baby and was the first electric guitar which I designed and put my inspiration into. When I began dealing with electric guitars, I always noticed how uncomfortable the shape was. I thought that the instrument should conform itself to the player, so that the player and the instrument can become one. That was the notion behind the instrument and thus the guitar was already completed in my head, and the Shark was born.

MH: What do you feel are the most unique characteristics of your guitars
and bass?
AP: 1. Andreas soft coating finish 2. Ergonomically shaped body 3. Vintage tone with modern looks.

MH: Tell us about your manufacturing facility in Austria and any special equipment utilized to produce your guitars.
AP: We have a very beautiful facility, which is surrounded by the highest mountains in Austria. Production is very organized and outfitted with modern manufacturing equipment. We have a 5-axis CNC machine and three co-workers in the production. A very important and time-consuming part of the manufacturing process is the quality control, which is done by multiple specialists. We only use selected, uniformly dried woods, which are stored in a custom-made dry-room. The finish is applied using a special process and is one of the trademarks of our instruments.

MH: You are looking for a few select dealers here in the states; will you accept custom and direct orders as well?
AP: We are a small company with a production capacity of up to 30 guitars per month. We want to work together with selected dealers in the USA in carefully introducing our instruments into the most important market in the world and offer high-quality customer service. We will not be selling directly to customers.

MH: In your opinion, what are the main reasons players should check out Andreas Guitars? How do you perceive Andreas Guitars carving their niche in today's higher-end guitar marketplace?
AP: Andreas Guitars should inspire players to try out our innovations, experience the quality of our instruments, and most of all, have fun doing it. For someone looking to change their image and convey their music with a piece of artwork, then an Andreas guitar is a step in the right direction. Innovation with maximum quality, sound, and craftsmanship, as well as the love for details are what characterizes Andreas Guitars.

MH: Tell us about any strategic partners that will be assisting the launch of Andreas Guitars here in the states.
AP: Andreas Guitars is distributed worldwide by the Trademark Infeld. Infeld is an innovative branch of the String Company Thomastik-Infeld-Vienna. Infeld stands for music, art, and innovative products. The synergy between the two companies leads to new products and new ideas, the first of which are the guitars and strings.

MH: Is there any particular type of player you are targeting with this line of guitars and basses?
AP: Andreas Guitars are targeted towards open-minded musicians with desire for something new.

MH: In closing, what are the future aspirations for Andreas Guitars?
AP: I would like to open an outlet in L.A. in cooperation with Infeld in order to be able to be closer to the American market.

Information:
For either dealer or consumer information regarding Andreas Guitars (a nice brochure is available at no charge), please contact Blue Book Publications, Inc. at 1-800-877-4867 and ask for Zach, zachf@bluebookinc.com. Or go online at: www.infeld.biz