Dunable guitars: interview with founder Sacha Dunable

Dunable guitars are built for players who like their music loud, heavy and unapologetic. Founded by Intronaut frontman Sacha Dunable, the brand was born from a hands‑on search for something better — guitars that could survive punishing shows, deliver crushing tone and still feel inspiring night after night. That quest began in a converted Los Angeles garage, fuelled by years of real‑world touring and recording experience.

What started as a personal passion project quickly grew into a respected boutique brand with a devoted following. Today, Dunable instruments have become a go‑to choice for doomers, prog riff‑smiths and anyone chasing something a little different, offering electric guitars and basses that look wild, feel alive and sound massive.

Here at Andertons, we’re proud to stock the Dunable DE Series — delivering the bold designs and attitude of the USA models in a more accessible package. We caught up with Sacha Dunable himself to talk about his beginnings, inspirations and what makes Dunable guitars so special..

10 questions with Sacha Dunable

What first pushed you to start building guitars?

I spent most of my twenties balancing life as a member of a band that played around 100 shows a year with the reality of working whatever soul‑sucking service‑industry job would have me in between. Neither life was very lucrative during that time, and at a certain point I decided that I wanted to at least be able to maintain and repair my own guitars — since I could hardly pay to have that work done when I needed it.

That would have been around 2009 and quickly escalated to my new career path. I worked in a few guitar shops in Los Angeles, did some guitar tech gigs on tour and in studios for all kinds of bands and producers, then eventually started making some guitars in my garage with the idea that I could sell one or two a year. I could also theoretically afford a good guitar if I made it myself!

Within a couple years, I think around 2014, I was getting enough calls for those guitars that I didn’t need to go to my “regular” job anymore and dove into building guitars headfirst. I’ve been fascinated with the electric guitar (and the music you can make with it) since I was a little kid, and still am. The long days of work for those first few years were just as much fun as they were stressful.

How did your years touring with Intronaut influence your guitar designs?

I think the experience taught me what reliability means in relation to a guitar. We probably averaged 150 shows every year from 2006-2016, so I had all the gear horror stories happen to me. Broken headstocks, electronics crapping out, finish damage from drastic changes in temperature, weird setup issues, airline staff, etc. I was using a Les Paul for drop B tuning, so I was fighting for my life out there in every sense. I learned the value in simplicity, but also that perceived guitar design simplicity must come from someone overthinking it at some point, so you don’t have to.

I also absorbed a lot doing tech work for other bands and working repair in guitar stores, discovering what I liked about other designs, brands, hardware, pickups and general setup standards. Plus, I learned what a ton of players valued too, from beginners all the way up to extremely successful, iconic musicians. Being immersed in and exposed to so many different guitars over a bunch of years taught me so much.

What do you feel truly sets Dunable guitars apart?

I never know how to answer this because I rarely think about what we do compared to other guitar makers. The guitars were meant to embrace the things I love about other instruments, but with adjustments that make them suited better for the type of music I like.

Like, as a player, I want the essence of this sick guitar from 1974 that I saw in a pawn shop. But that guitar’s also 50 years old and doesn’t play great anymore. It was also designed before distortion in amps existed. We all made that kind of thing work for us when we had to, but what if that spirit could be captured and kind of reimagined with the perspective 50 more years of guitar design progress has given us?

It’s hard to know what I think sets us apart in the eyes of guitar players, but I think I understand it more as time goes on. I think players, or just people in general, pick up on what is coming from a cool place and what is BS. I don’t think there was really something that was so truly “for us” in the guitar world before Dunable happened. And I guess that’s why it happened! I just couldn’t afford a new guitar.

There was no intention of this ever becoming a real business. And even though that’s changed, I still do this solely because I’m having fun and want to keep improving our guitars. And also because guitars, riffs and having good times with your friends are the best things on earth.

Which styles of music do Dunable guitars excel at?

I think they would excel at any style of music. But they were made for heavy, loud riffing — especially if you tune down!

There have been big pop acts that show up on stage with our guitars, and I’ve ended up in rooms that, by any sound logic, I had no business being in.

What are Dunable DE Series guitars & where are they made?

The DE Series guitars are made in South Korea. We introduced that line in 2021, and it offers most of the same models that we make here in the US, but at a more accessible price point.

How does the DE Series differ from your USA & custom instruments?

They have the same standard core specs as our USA models in terms of scale lengths, tonewoods and overall design. The biggest differences would be the lacquer finishes on the USA guitars versus poly finishes on the DE models, while the pickups and hardware in DE guitars are sourced in Korea. USA models have our own in-house pickups, electronics and super high-quality hardware.

Which core Dunable features were non-negotiable for the DE Series?

Basically, all of them! The set neck combined with the 25.5″ scale length for standard guitars, 27.5″ for baritones and a 35″ standard bass scale are the most baseline specs that make these special. But we share as many specs as we possibly can between the two shops. Jumbo fretwire, Luminlay side dots on most models, more instruments with locking tuners and keeping it fun by mixing things up with small batches of unique colourways, along with the mainstay production iterations.

Do you have a favourite Dunable model at the moment?

I’m almost always a Yeti or Gnarwhal guy, in either the 25.5″ standard scale or the 27.5″ baritone. I also love our Gnarwhal VI with a 30.75″ scale. On bass, I always go back to the Thunderclapper or Cyclops.

Have any unexpected artists embraced Dunable guitars?

Lots for sure. In a way, they’re still all unexpected to me. And in another way, I expect everyone to embrace our guitars because they are the best. Ten years ago, I never would have expected that bands in the more hardcore realm of heavy music would be so into them. That world was dominated forever by some other big (and in my opinion, also great) guitar brands. But there have been big pop acts that show up on stage with our guitars, and I’ve ended up in rooms that, by any sound logic, I had no business being in.

There have been Dunables used to record albums by huge bands with other brand endorsements, so I can’t even tell anyone. But that kind of stuff has always been a great secret to keep and has really helped boost my ego in times that I’ve felt like an impostor in this business.

What can fans expect from Dunable in the near future?

Likely, more guitars and basses. Plus, more cool artist collabs later this and next year, and maybe some new or first-time models. There’s lots of fun stuff to come!