The history behind Ares Custom Guitars
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Robert Sahrling, owner and founder of Ares Custom Guitars, made his first guitar
in 1980. Made is a strong word here, he put together a kit from Mighty Mite.
Many kits passed his hands thru the years until 1985 when he first came to USA
The reason why he came to USA was that he had made a bass amplifier he named
RSL. He ended up at Valley Arts Guitar in Studio City, CA, trying to sell
the amps.
At Valley Arts they were making Guitars!
Robert spends all spare time at the guitar workshop, fascinated.
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Robert spent a couple of weeks every year between 1985 and 1991 at Valley Arts.
Mike McGuire, one of the owner and responsible for the guitars, teaches him
how to put together a guitar, lacquer and finishing, do the final setup.
Robert went back to Sweden and formed his own company, Ares Custom Guitars,
in 1987. The name Ares are the signature of Robert Sahrling, RS, pronounced
in English. It happens to be the name of a Greek war God, but when Robert
discovered that, the name was established. The War God Ares is not the nicest
guy in the Greek mythology, but...
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1993 Robert designed his first own guitars, Ares SC and DC. But the real
kick came 1994 when Robert got a phone call from Mr. Abraham Laboriel, USA. He asked
him if he would make him a 6-string bass. He told Robert about his CTS
problems (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and asked for a smaller neck. This was
a Thursday afternoon and Robert asked him when he wants it ready. Abraham
replied "I'll be in Sweden on Tuesday next week for a tour with Koinonia".
YES! Right...
The bass, an Ares DCBNT, was ready on Saturday, four days after Abraham's arrival.
Abraham is still using the bass occasionally.
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There was a time, a couple of years from the end of the 90's to the
beginning of the 2000, when making guitar was less fun. Robert decided to
do something else. What would a guy in the late 40's do when he feel low
and don't know what to do? He goes to school and learn about Computers. So did
Robert. He became a teacher in Linux and finally headmaster of a school of IT.
After five years he quit and decided to go back to guitars. Robert moved from
Motala to Vallvik, 2006, after he met me. We got married
and now he works fulltime with guitar and amp repair.
And he make guitars and basses...
Maria Svanerud Sahrling
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