The Gurdo Rapt series from Tjanting collection G&B Guitar on stage at Rise of Asia Forum 2016 (Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
Brilio.net/en - Indonesia was host to the first and biggest music and digital event ever in Asia last week, with Viral Fest Asia coming to Bali. Thousands came for the main event, but the opening Rise of Asia Forum was a mini-show all on its own.
Opening the event on July 15 was Malaysias renowned master guitarist Roger Wang, who played a solo acoustic song in front of hundreds of Asias top digital entertainment players in the Ballroom of the Golden Tulip Bay View Hotel in Jimbaran, Bali.
The batik pattern on his guitar is a part of the G&B Tjanting Guitar series by G&B Guitar and was hand-painted in Yogyakarta. Behind it is an incredible tale of hard work and devotion to a craft.
Roger Wang performing in Rise of Asia Forum 2016 with G&B Guitar (Photo: Victoria Tunggono)
With Roger Wang and Fred Chong, before the performance at Rise of Asia Forum 2016. (Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
Labor of love
The founder of G&B Guitars, Haryo Sasongko, began the long journey when he tried to customize his own guitar with batik motifs. At first Kongko, as he is known, created a seamless bass guitar out of a wood log given to him by a friend. The bass was later modified by adding a joint made by Daman, a guitar maker from Sosrowijayan in Yogya. Ten years after it was first made the new look was complete in 1964.
The first ever hand-painted batik guitar from G&B
(Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
Then Kongko tried something different with his bass. He asked Anton Wahono, the owner of batik studio Sanggar Punakawan in the Bantul neighborhood of Yogya, to paint batik pattern on it. This labor of love was arduous, with plenty of problems on the way. It took the team 30 years, supplying, designing and continually repairing the instrument to perfect the first batik guitar ever.
The batik process for a wooden guitar
(Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
The hard work was not in vain. After its completion in 1994, admiration and requests for more guitars flooded in to Kongkos family and colleagues. Soon enough Kongko started building his guitar empire. He personally designs each guitar and makes sure they are comfortable to play and meet professional standards.
The exhibition at Affandi Museum, Yogyakarta, in 1999.
(Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
In 1999, he took part in a guitar-making exhibition at the Affandi Art Museum in Yogyakarta as the museum welcomed a trade and culture delegation from Seattle in the United States. Over the following decade, Kongko was busy researching and developing guitar production.
Finally, in 2011, he established the company PT Gitar Batik Produkutama and legalized G&B as their brand, that stands for Great Sound & Beautiful Batik.
Kongko with chief of the creative economy agency (Bekraf) Triawan Munaf and chief of Indonesian Batik Guitar Association
(Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
The first batik guitar was launched to the public in the G&B Tjanting Guitar collection. The feedback was positive and they received greater demand for the G&B Tjanting Bass, which has kept Kongko and his team busy producing more. Over the following years, they held a number of exhibitions and famous musicians started playing them on tour, including Setiawan Djody, Masri, and Gugun of Gugun Blues Shelter.
Haryo Winarso, Indonesian education and cultural attache ambassador for USA, presented the Perisai Atjeh guitar to President Obama.
(Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
The batik guitar was also made an appearance at the Java Jazz Festival 2012 in Jakarta at the invitation of the Trade Ministry. G&B even got the support from Bekraf, the Indonesian Agency for Creative Economy, which helped get one of the guitars, the Perisai Atjeh into the hands of US President Barack Obama. Two guitars and a bass reside at the Music Museum of Indonesia in Malang, East Java.
The Beatles apron merchandise showing the St. Basils Cathedral and the copied image on G&B guitar.
(Photo: Document of G&B Guitars)
Right now G&B is trying to replicate the image of Moscows St. Basils Cathedral from The Beatles merchandise that Kongko saw on a visit to Liverpool Museum earlier this year. He is now applying the image to the guitar body for G&Bs next series. Kongko is also working on a book called Gitar Batik G&B to usher in Batik Day on October 2.
Source: gnbguitarsand company profile sent by email (courtesy of Aldio)
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