Happy New Year! A preview of the year 2026!

Three days late, but still – I wish you all the best for the new year. With a lot of luck and hard work, it will probably be better than 2025. So much for that. I must confess that, although almost half a century old, I still don't see the point in giving a change of date as much attention as is common in many parts of the world. But I'm happy for anyone who finds meaning in it. So much for that. Let's take a brief look ahead to 2026. Here's a preview of 2026. I'm restructuring my product range a bit; for most products – and the range will expand considerably over the course of the year – I'm focusing on one-of-a-kind items. I'm only keeping a few products (some candle holder models, headphone and guitar stands, picks, T-shirts, etc.). I had also planned my own video format or video blog, and I'm still struggling with the temptation to present my handcrafted electric guitars to a wider audience. Speaking of celebrations, today John Paul Jones (real name John Richard Baldwin) is celebrating his 80th birthday. Happy Birthday! For those who don't know him, he became famous as the bassist and keyboardist of the British band Led Zeppelin. Unlike his bandmates, there's hardly anything typically rock 'n' roll about him. His bandmates did everything he didn't drink, smoke, or jump on, and he himself is still considered a down-to-earth perfectionist. I can well imagine that it wasn't so inconvenient to have at least one band member still in his right mind. But enough about Mr. Baldwin; let's take a quick look at how this man shaped the history of rock 'n' roll.

Led Zeppelin Rock ´n´ Roll (live Madison Square Garden)

Happy birthday again! Now let's turn to the second birthday celebrant of the day. Ross "The Boss" Friedman was born in the Bronx in 1954. As a guitarist, he played a significant role on the first six albums by the American metal band Manowar. After what I consider to be the band's best album, " Kings of Metal," the guitarist and the band parted ways, not least at the urging of Joey DeMaio, who had a different musical future in mind than Ross the Boss. But be that as it may, he can still claim to have given the music world some of the best albums of all time, not single-handedly, but his contribution is undeniable. I hope you enjoy the following sample.

Manowar Gloves of Metal

So much for Ross the Boss. Back to the outlook, where I already hinted that I'll soon be launching with handmade electric guitars, I'd like to introduce you to my new project.

Korpus, Hals und Fretboard

An Hardware nur das Beste

The body and neck are made of cherry wood from Upper Austria, while the hardware, with the exception of the active humbucker (which is American), is entirely German. I chose Thomas Derrick, a British gentleman from the late 16th century, as the namesake. Since I assume very few people are familiar with the name, I'd like to briefly introduce him. Thomas Derrick was a British executioner who, while condemned to death, accepted the job offer of an executioner, thus saving his life. During his career at Tyburn, he sent approximately 3,000 people to their doom. However, he didn't only make a name for himself by dispatching villains. He also worked on the construction of cranes, the basic principles of which are still used today (for example, the Derrick crane can still be found on oil rigs). When it came to hangings, he was an absolute expert. Quite different when it came to beheading; he wasn't exactly a star in that department. His savior, the Earl of Sussex, had to learn this the hard way. After the nobleman instigated a rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I in 1601, he was sentenced to death by beheading, and Thomas Derrick was handed over to carry out the sentence. Derrick had to strike the condemned man's neck several times with his axe before the head finally separated from the body. So, now I've fulfilled my educational mission and will move on to the next topic. In 1973, Alice Cooper launched his career with a new interpretation of "Hello Hooray." The song is still considered one of the most powerful openers in music history. Don't believe me? Then see for yourself.

Alice Cooper Hello Hooray

It's pretty amazing what you can do with a folk song, but then again, Alice Cooper isn't just anyone.

That's it for today, stay tuned, until next time.

Prost!