On Guitar Restorations and the Revenge of Analog

A close-up of my Fender Stratocaster, one of my favorite analog devices.

Submitted for your approval (with apologies to Rod Serling) are two rather neat and interesting items I came across on my Internet voyage this week.

First up is YouTuber Studio Asyl, who provides a meditative and detailed look at electric guitar repair and restoration. You don’t have to be a musician to appreciate his incredible skill and craftsmanship. Studio Asyl lovingly repairs and restores badly beat up, broken down electric guitars and gives them a second life.

Each guitar restoration is meticulously captured from start to finish, and includes all related ambient sounds that accompany the process. Not only are Studio Asyl’s videos a visual feast for the eyes, it’s a delight for the ears (Recommendation: wear a good set of headphones).

My next pick is “The Revenge of Analog”, an introspective documentary that celebrates the world of analog tools, through the lens of an eccentric Austrian scientist who saved the world’s last Polaroid factory, just as Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone.  

The film looks at the challenges of relaunching a once-popular brand that was essentially left for dead, during a time where digital tools were taking firm root, while also providing a closer look at the beauty, appeal, and humanity of analog tools. Highly recommended.

-Krishna