A passion for the best sound possible
Julien was interested in music from an early age. While some kids wanted to be firemen or astronauts, Julien wanted to build a guitar for his great idol, James Hetfield of Metallica. But first, as a teenager, he needed to let off a lot of steam in the punk scene in the French countryside. Punk wasn't something you could buy, especially not in the middle of rural France, you needed to make it yourself. Most things had to be customised, repurposed or reimagined. He has remained true to the DIY mentality of the punk scene to this day. Meanwhile, the sound of his guitars has become more and more refined. The crafting too has come a long way. His first guitars were designed out of a small old pool house – a far cry from the woodworking mecca that Wild Custom Guitars has become today.
I’ve always followed my path and believed in my projects.
Never lose sight of the dream
Julien's shop came into being in 2008. That’s when he teamed up with his buddy Renaud Sauzedde. A lot has changed since then, all of which is the result of long hours and hard work. Julien advises everyone to never give up and to believe strongly in their own goals - as big and farfetched as they may seem. Although too modest to say it himself, he's proof that it pays to work hard on your own vision. Today his instruments have found their way into the hands of some of his greatest idols. Richard Fortus from Guns N Roses owns one of his guitars, Mike Dirnt from Greenday calls a bass his own. He even designed a signature model for Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP.
So, from self-made punk rocker to hand-made instruments. It seems the path to Julien's dreams has always been in taking matters into his own two hands, making things himself and letting his vision go from there. All it takes, is belief. The rest, is rock'n'roll.
The Art of Drive
Discover inspiring and educational insights from true visionaries of our time.
