In 2013, Co-Founder and CEO Silvan Kueng introduced the first groundbreaking innovation in the world of electric guitars. The Lucerne-based company Relish designs and develops handcraft, premium and high-end electric guitars that allow guitarists to swap pickups in two seconds and enjoy unparalleled playability and tone range. Thanks to the revolutionary innovation, the company has already snatched 1% market share of the global market of premium electric guitars. The overall market size of electric guitars is worth over 1.2 billion USD in exports globally. The market size of premium instruments costing over 1000 USD/guitar is approximately about 120 USD million. Within 6 years, the brand has established itself as one of the top boutique electric guitar brands in the industry.
The company’s success is driven by a range of patented innovations incorporated in its guitars. For instance - The instant pickup swapping, which allows modifying multiple guitar sounds within 1 guitar, Bent Neck manufacturing process for an unbreakable one-piece guitar neck, Bamboo fretboard solution on the neck is harder than every tropical wood allowing for greater sound, and it is a more sustainable resource. Relish boasts over its Sandwich Construction technique of its Swiss Made guitars, enabling a hybrid guitar output for acoustic and electric guitar sound. Moreover, its ‘Touch Control Solution’ allows mixing the guitar sounds offering over 60 options instead of just a 3 or 5-way sound mix positionioner. This solution is perfect for finding the right sound frequency within a band combination.
The demand for more premium guitars is globally growing. To date, the company has sold over 1600 units of its premium guitars exporting to countries such as the USA, Japan and within Europe. By 2020, it had reached one million USD revenue, bringing it to its breakeven point. Relish has already secured external investment, and a new round is planned this year to boost growth. The company is currently employing five people, and soon, a former Gibson Manager will join as COO.
Commenting on the company’s goals, Silvan said: “Relish will allow other guitar manufactures/brands to implement their patented pickup swapping. The goal is to bring this innovation to more guitarists and make the solution interchangeable among multiple guitars. This potentially will open up a completely new ecosystem in our industry. If we achieve this, Relish will have set new standards in an industry.”(RAN)
Photo: Silvan Kueng with the Nr. 1000 Swiss Premium Made guitar built in 2020.
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