Ola Englund / Solar Guitarsdiscussed
Solar Guitars (founded 2017) -- DTC guitars, basses, pedals and accessoriesMetal/rock guitar media -> DTC instrument brand
Creator Fund Weekly — Aug 18, 2026Sam Lessin, Eddie DeDomenico, Jack Raines, Megan Lightcap, Caroline Singer
Ola Englund / Solar Guitars: the metal-guitar creator who built a DTC instrument brand
4:30
from 17:13 in the recording
Creator Fund call, Aug 18 2026 (Riverside)
Swedish guitarist (The Haunted, Feared) who is the creator for metal and rock guitarists: a huge, still-growing YouTube channel of gear reviews, demos and artist interviews. He founded Solar Guitars in 2017 as a direct-to-consumer instrument brand (guitars, basses, pedals, accessories) after the channel was already big, which Caroline reads as a sign he understood the audience before productizing. Niche but high-spend community, global draw (heavy European influence, international shipping) and less crowded than the traditional/custom guitar space. Sam asked for the single frame on why fans love it; Caroline: they love him -- he's an insider who brings on credible names, including a fast-rising French rock band that rarely does interviews. Megan and Eddie both want the conversation; Eddie wants to be on the call. (Caroline thought he was likely US-based; he is Stockholm-based.)
Things We Like
- The reference creator for metal/rock guitarists -- reviews, demos and artist interviews on a large, growing channel
- Built the product company (Solar Guitars, 2017) after the audience existed, not alongside it -- Caroline reads this as proof he understood what the audience would buy
- Full-stack platform: guitars, basses, pedals and accessories -- everything the player needs, sold DTC
- Niche but high-spend, global (strong European draw, international shipping) and less crowded than mainstream/custom guitar
- Insider credibility: high-flying names play his guitars and come on the show, including a blowing-up French rock band that rarely gives interviews
Key Questions
- Sam's frame question: do people love him, or the metal/rock space? Caroline's answer: him -- he's the insider who knows everyone
- How crowded is the creator-founded guitar brand space really? (Megan suspects several people do this; nobody on the call had looked)
- Where is he actually based? Caroline said likely US; he is Stockholm-based, so the international-creator bar applies
- Caroline to keep digging and set up a call; Eddie wants to join it
Conversation Quotes
- “He built the guitar business after the platform had started to get big. So it wasn't built alongside, which I think is a great indicator that he really understood his audience”Caroline
- “If you had to put a single frame on what makes the people who love this love it, what do you think it would be?”Sam
- “I would like to be on that call as well. I'm very curious”Eddie