“They were trying to sell the guitars to distributors who had no idea who I was, like, ‘Who is this YouTube guy?’” Ola Englund on why he decided to set up his own guitar company

Ola Englund palying a Solar Relik Series guitar in 2025.

When Ola Englund launched Solar guitars in 2017, he branched away from a successful music career with the Haunted to pursue his passion for electric guitars in a whole new way. His new business was a risk. But he had his reasons – and it paid off.

“It stemmed from frustration with the guitar industry,” he tells Rick Beato of his decision to start his own guitar company. “I've been with several brands before – I had a signature guitar with Washburn, which was a dream come true because Dimebag is one of my main influences. I had a Randall signature amplifier, and I was very stoked.