Swede Dreams – Ola Englund Bids Farewell to Washburn Guitars to Forge His Own Path

Metal guitar genius and all-around nice guy Ola Englund announced in July that he and instrument manufacturer Washburn were parting ways. This was a bit of a surprise to us, as it probably was to many. Was there a falling out with US Music Corp? Was Ola hanging up the guitar in favor of the euphonium?

 

Englund, as always, was extremely classy in his presentation of the situation.

“These four years I have been with Washburn have been incredibly awesome, and it’s a time I’m very proud of…I felt that I have been a part of a legacy, and it’s been a true honor to have been part of such an historic brand,” Englund said.

“To be completely honest, I would probably not ever have left Washburn for another guitar brand, unless it was my own brand,” Englund continued. Check out the entire story here.

 

We here at TheToneKing.com wish Englund nothing but the best with his new venture. The dream of a signature guitar, much less an entire company, is a common one among us gear-minded axe slingers. We all have visions and ideas of how we would run things and what we would do to improve the lot of our fellow guitarists (at least when it comes to inspiring gear). We think Englund has the right combination of skill, knowledge, and personality to make it great. We’re also glad to hear that there is no ill will between Englund and U.S. Music Corp. We also love what Washburn and Randall do and are certain that the void will be ably filled in the future by new, killer gear.

We just hope that England’s new venture is prepared to take the field with the juggernaut that is Wylde Audio. Zak Wylde’s brainchild seems to have invaded every possible inch of retail space, edging out the big traditional brands and smaller boutique builders alike. Forget the black-and-white stripes of a certain Sunset Strip legend and his three-letter brand; the bullseye is everywhere.

Or maybe not? Honestly, we’re not sure if Wylde Audio has a made splash worthy of it’s namesake. Some of the guitars seem to be available online (though many come up as used, blemished, or open box) and we have yet to actually see one in a music retailer other than Guitar Center. We’re obviously huge fans of Wylde and what he’s doing and hope the strange shortage of Wylde Audio products ends soon, but it does illustrate one of the challenges the accompanies the launch of a brand new product line.

We hope that Englund’s new venture has an auspicious beginning. There’s little doubt among us here at TheToneKing.com that he’ll bring some new flavor and thoughtful design to the gear market. Englund has been showing off a few prototypes of his new line on his YouTube channel and it’s looking pretty badass so far.

Ola – from us to you – GOOD LUCK BROTHER!  Wishing you nothing but the  best!

What do you think we’ll see from England’s new brand? Holler at us in the comments section!

 

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About the Author: Hello. Welcome to TheToneKing.com! My name is Louis, but in name of good fun & entertainment - I call myself The Tone King. This website was born back in 2008, to compliment the videos I started uploading to YouTube on guitar & related gear (guitar, amps, pedals, etc.). It has since grown, thanks to the thousands that tune in, making it what it is. If you subscribe to TheToneKing.com, you can expect lots of Guitar, Amp, Pedal Reviews & Shoot-Out videos. I also have monthly Live Webcasts, perform Artist Interviews, and try to get all the juicy coverage Backstage and at trade-shows like NAMM. The cherry on top is that there are no shortage of How-To Videos & TTK Killer Deal Alerts getting you the most knowledge & gear into your hands & mind! Thanks for stopping by to check out my website! Rock ON!

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