When I was looking for a luthier to carry out restoration work on my Les Paul, it didn’t take long—thanks to many recommendations from people around me—to decide to bring it to Norman.

With great dedication and genuine interest, Norman asked about my ideas and wishes regarding the work on my guitar. I was immediately given a tour of the workshop where Büchele Instruments are built, including an impressive collection of various (and to me, previously unknown) types of wood and hardware. It was instantly clear to me: here, instrument making and craftsmanship are driven by real passion. What fascinated me in particular was the conscious focus on using locally sourced wood.

With full confidence, I left my instrument with Norman, went home — and soon after, I was holding my guitar in my hands again: all the work was flawlessly done, and the setup left nothing to be desired. What I was especially looking forward to: I was given the chance to test my freshly optimized instrument with the various amp prototypes from Büchele Instruments.

In front of me stood the Büchele amps Comtesse, Baronesse, and Solus Rex, just waiting to be explored. And that’s good! Familiar enough not to be irritating, but inspiring from the very first sound. The dynamic response of the amps to my playing immediately felt very pleasant… and that’s when the fun really started:

"What does this control actually do?!"

Norman was able to explain in detail all my questions about the technical features of the controls and push/pull pots. Musically, though, it’s up to the players to experiment. My first impression: the amp designs encourage creativity when playing and shaping sounds.

In short, I encountered three unique amp designs that invite exploration. Like many guitarists, I’m used to both the modeling world and the classic analog world, where you usually start with a fairly clear idea of the sounds you expect. Büchele amps, on the other hand, offer a lot of room for sonic discovery—and just as many opportunities for subtle stylistic and personal nuances in your playing.

I’m excited to see where this journey will lead!