In July 2024, our CEO Ulf Zandhers announced that he is stepping down as CEO of the company after over 8 years as active in the company, of which 6 years as CEO. We met Ulf to hear a bit about the plans.

Hi Ulf, what’s going on?

Hey, not really anything dramatic at all. I have been CEO for quite some time and feel it is time for someone else to take over. But I will not disappear from the company, but will continue to be one of the co-owners and will also be active in the company as a Senior Adviser.

What will your role entail?

I will focus on some future projects that we have not dealt with today, certainly some strategic issues and will certainly be a sounding board in various situations that arise.

You have been active in the company for a long time, what are you most proud of and do you have any special memories you would like to share with us?

Wow, that’s a lot of memories and things I’m proud of! The first memory that comes to me is when Ulf Zackrisson asks in 2017 if I want to join in and take the next step for the company that was started several years earlier as a brilliant idea by the genius Anders Thidell and Paul Guy as a driving force. Their focus and enthusiasm for improving an instrument that dates back to the 13th century rubbed off on me and I realized from the start that the invention as such, making a guitar tune across the neck, is absolutely fantastic. But I also saw the difficulties ahead of us in reaching out and convincing a whole world of guitarists that unfortunately their instruments are not optimal, and we’ve come a long way on that journey. Both Ulf Zackrisson and Anders Thidell passed away too soon, but are very much with me and in the soul of the company, R.I.P.

I am proud that we created our frets in stainless steal together with Trestad Laser in Trollhättan, almost indestructible and very much appreciated by our customers even if we still casting some frets for a few customers.

There are many things that I am proud of on this trip but that we, the whole gang, managed to start up a guitar factory in Trollhättan, Sweden with all that entails and today produce guitars for strandberg Guitars, Mattisson Bass and Freak Guitar Lab, in addition to our own necks and fingerboards, I am extremely proud of and there are many people with me within the company who should feel the same pride. There were many who doubted that we would make it through that journey, and even if everything is not perfect yet, we are well on our way to succeeding in the art of serially producing artisanal guitars of really good quality in little Sweden, it is almost 50 years since Levin moved its production from Sweden to Asia and we are making that trip the other way round, I am very proud of that.

Other memories that I will carry with me are all the contacts that have been made, here in Sweden and abroad, as everyone who believes in us now and at an early stage, no one mentioned no one forgotten, has been and is very valuable to me personally and absolutely for the company, most of whom I will certainly have continued contact with even if my role will now be different.

Yes, a lot has definitely happened and we thank you for this time with you at the helm and see what the future has to say, thank you very much!

Thank you, all the employees, suppliers and customers I had the honor of working with!

Ulf has been and is a great asset to the company and we have full respect for his choice of change. With Ulf stepping down as CEO, Anders Nicklasson will take over that position. You can reach them at the respective email addresses: ulf.zandhers@truetemperament.com and anders.nicklasson@truetemperament.com if you have any questions or just want to say hello.