Molotov Bros. logo Next Level Guitar Setup, Repair and Modification
We don't know how to work on your guitar…
We only know how to transform it.
inlay flower
 

"When he took the strings off, my heart sank…
I knew my guitar was f**kin' toast!".

(more about Hugh's adventure below)
 

Why do Southern Cal's best musicians trust Bernie
and Molotov Bros. with their guitars?

 
From: Bernie Tusko
Thursday, 6:52 PM

Dear Friend and Guitarist,

For years my company, Molotov Bros, has been working with local and not so local musicians to help them take their guitars (and in turn their playing) to levels far beyond what they've imagined.


"I had gotten to the point in my career where I just figured, this is how my guitars are going to play. Over the years I've tried many guitars, and been to dozens of guitar techs, all of who would make an honest attempt to help, and when they couldn't, they'd tell me I needed to change my playing style! I mean what's the fooking point of being a musician?!

I had just come to accept that I was going to break 3-4 strings per night (a huge momentum killer for a live show as you could imagine), as well as the constant tuning, intonation and setup issues that always had me preoccupied during my shows. Now the last thing on my mind is whether my guitar is going to make it through the show. My mind is where it should be... On making music...

I'm thankful for the day that Bernie came and introduced himself after one of my shows and offered to help. Since then, Bernie has come up with innovative solutions for all of my guitar issues. I don't know what I'd do without him".

Jason Feddy - Award winning UK Songwriter and performer - 2006 O.C. Music Awards Artist of the Year


In working with musicians of such a wide variety of skill levels and experience - from the passionate beginner, to the seasoned, 5 nights a week pro - it's been interesting to find that, despite the different back-grounds and musical goals, they seem to have a common characteristic: They are at the point with their playing where they want to be absolutely certain that their equipment isn't holding them back. They want to eliminate any guitar issues (hidden or obvious) from the equation. They're looking for that extra bit of something to elevate their playing.

In some cases, a person may bring in their favorite guitar, which they think really plays well, but has a minor repair issue, and upon evaluating it further, I will make some setup and/or design suggestions that will take it far beyond where it's at. In every case they are blown away by how much more performance we were able to get out of it.


"...just wanted to let you know that I just played the guitar, and it's fantastic! It feels unbelievable, it sounds unbelievable… I'm thrilled! Once again… I can't believe you've taken it to the next level - beyond the level you had already taken I to. I can't believe how much more you've gotten out of this guitar".

Mike Baas, So Cal Musician and songwriter


Optimum guitar performance can't be created by a machine within a factory environment, and rarely can a guitar shop take your instrument to optimal levels of performance. Why? Because in most cases, it's blindly assumed that the design and construction parameters that were set at the factory are optimum, when really, they are either set by tradition (this is how it's always been done...) or by the whatever-gets-it-done-fast guitar production environment. We don't care how it's always been done.

I often get the question, "what do you charge for a setup?" And it's something that I'm not able to give a quick answer to. A setup out there, and a setup at Molotov Bros are an apples and oranges comparison.


Back to Hugh's story:

"When he took the strings off the guitar, my heart sank… I knew my guitar was f**kin toast!".

"I could see it was bad. With little effort, the head on my guitar bent backwards about 45 degrees. it was hanging on by a thread. The guitar had what I though was a minor tip-over, and I didn't think much of it until I noticed a crack running clear through the neck.

My name is Hugh Lehane, I am an Irish born musician now living in California. I had heard stories about Bernie, and his company Molotov Bros' setup and repair magic - he came highly recommended by many other pro musicians who will only take their guitars to him - and at this point I knew he was my only shot at saving the guitar.

When I got there, He took some time to map out what needed to be done, and came up with a brilliant method to repair it. It was like watching a f**king surgeon at work. Incredibly, just a few hours later, not only was my guitar neck fixed (a completely invisible repair!), that same night I played a show with it. And on top of that my guitar sounded and played better than it ever had before!!! I must've seemed like a panicked father in the emergency room, but right before my eyes Bernie had literally brought my guitar back from the dead.

This was only the beginning, Bernie has since done more extensive work on both my acoustic and electric guitars and the results are astounding.

Here are just some of the highlights of the work Bernie has done with my guitars:

(Electric guitar) I haven't broken a single string since Bernie worked on it, (Electric guitar) Now I can tune my electric (and my acoustic) guitar once at the start of a show and it stays in tune the whole night. The overall sound of the guitar has improved greatly, it's fuller, sweeter, more even. Up and down the neck every note is clear and in tune. It's literally like playing a brand new high dollar pro guitar. Also, before Bernie worked on my electric, I had been suffering from painful hand fatigue, at times I could barely hold down barre chords. I'm now happy to say that since Bernie worked on my guitar, the hand fatigue has completely disappeared. One of the more interesting things that I've found: Recently, a number of people have commented on my guitar playing. I guess the energy I was wasting worrying about my guitar problems is now going into my playing, and people are noticing.

(Acoustic guitar) I know this is going to sound strange but when I plug in my acoustic guitar now it really sounds like an acoustic!? The evenness to the sound of each string is very noticeable and the sustain is remarkable. At last I have dynamics that I've been looking for in my acoustic playing. Like my electric guitar up and down the neck the tuning is now perfect even when using a capo up high. Also the output level from the built-in pick up has quadrupled. I can't wait to record with it.

Bernie is meticulous and extremely thorough in his work. I have never met another guitar engineer as knowledgeable or skilled as him. To me he is ‘the professor', once you work with him you'll see why.

Apart from his own insight and expertise, Bernie takes the time and works closely with you to zero in on what is your ideal guitar setup. It's impossible for him to charge enough for the level of focus and detail he puts into you and your guitar.

Bernie has taken my guitars to the highest level possible, I strongly recommend you let him take your guitars there too”.

Hugh Lehane - Irish Performer / Songwriter


I could go on forever with stories of happy musicians, but I won't. I could get into the specific/scientific details of what we do - the Advanced Intonation process we've pioneered alone could fill a book - but that's not as important as the results we can get for you and your music.

There's a reason why Southern Cal's hottest musicians will only let Molotov Bros touch their guitars.

Just ask:

  • Jason Feddy
  • Bob Hawkins
  • Steve Wood (Kenny Loggins musical director, IMAX film composer)
  • Alec Bridges (L.A. Music Awards artist of the year)
  • Poul Pedersen (Missiles of October)
  • Beth Wood
  • Rob Eller
  • James Grey
  • Warren Sellers
  • Too many to list…
We've always kept a stealthy profile. No advertising. By referral only. On a need to know basis.

In order to keep the quality and attention to detail at this high a level, we have to limit the number of guitarists that we work can with. But we're willing to open up the schedule to a broader group of musicians.

Your next step? Call or email for a free guitar evaluation. Maybe we can work together to elevate your playing.

MolotovBros@cox.net

949-212-3356

Still not sure what we can do for you?

I had just finished a guitar for Beth Wood, an amazingly talented musician. She and her husband, Steve Wood, a truly gifted musician* with a golden ear had owned the guitar for decades. Despite numerous attempts to have it set up to play and sound great it had always, up to that point, been a disappointing guitar. When Steve picked up the guitar he called and left a voice mail to express his amazement and gratitude. He took the guitar to the studio with him the next day. It hasn't left since. She'll never see it again.

*Steve Wood was Kenny Loggins' musical director for 9 years and has written many songs with Loggins including "If You Believe." He composed the instrumental interludes for Loggins' "Return to Pooh Corner." He has played with artists such as The Pointer Sisters, Michael McDonald, David Crosby, and Graham Nash. Woods' music has also appeared in other films such as Why Me? starring Christopher Lloyd, Boiling Point starring Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper, and Greedy starring Kirk Douglas. He also worked with Stevie Wonder on a Clio-award winning television spot for Hansen's Soda. His vast experience scoring films started with Five Summer Stories in 1975. Since then, he has worked on over a dozen IMAX films including The Living Sea, Discoverers, To Fly!, The Magic of Flight, Everest, Dolphins, and most recently Adventures in Wild California. Steve worked with Sting on both The Living Sea and Dolphins, and worked with George Harrison on Everest.

© 2006 Molotov Bros.