The luthier community has lost a great man today

[Halcyon/Tinker]

I am very sad to hear that.

[Martin Keith]

So sad.

So gifted. So good. So young.

So sorry.

I feel very lucky to have met Gustav the few times that I did.
His instruments were as unique as they were outstanding.
I wish we could have seen more of them, and more of him.
Jason, thanks for being the bearer of such weighty news.

[OddManOut]

Very sad. My thoughts and prayers out to his loved ones.

[RotemarGuitars]

I went to school with Gustav, at musikinstrumentakademin, for the first year, before he went of to be an apprentice with Ervin Somogyi. I got only good things to say about him most of all that he was an extremly generous man, always happily sharing his knowledge about all kinds of things, as he was the smartest guy I ever met, even though he was only 27 at that time.

After ( and during) our first year it became more and more evident that he was way ahead of us classmates as a luthier and we were all very proud of him when got accepted as Somogyis new apprentice. It kind of gave us a feeling that he was representing Sweden in the great world of luthiere.

A few months or so after he left for California, he sent a big signed poster of Ervins andamento guitar, with a note saying something like : " Just got this done during my first day at the shop, it was hard work but I did it!"
That is just one good example of his great sense of humor.

Altough I haven't met him in nearly 3 years, these news came like a chock to me and I'm very sad that he is gone. He will be missed.

[vicov]

I am privileged to have known Gustav for a few short years. The beautiful guitar he built for me carries the inscription "for my friend Vic".

Such a sad loss.

V

[Fsgeek]

This is sad news.
Gustav was a brilliant builder and a kind person.
I remember him upgrading the courier service at his own expense just to expedite the shipment of my guitar.
He always gave scientific explanations and intellectual answers to my queries.
I was just exchanging emails w/ him a few days ago...
I am terribly shocked and emotional.
Prayers to his family and loved ones.

[steveh]

Shocking news. For anyone to take their own life is a tragedy, but especially so when young and gifted.

I corresponded with him a few times when he was setting up business after leaving the USA and have enjoyed several of his guitars, which I hold in very high regard.

Depression is a terrible illness, much misunderstood. I guess the often solitary working life of a luthier doesn't help either; too much time to dwell on things and no alternative points of view if you're working alone.

Cheers,
Steve

[Oxwood_Handmade]

So saddened to hear this. dont even know what to say. Thanks for letting us know, Jason.

[Larry Pattis]

Thank you, Gustav...

[Trevor M]

And another acoustic and aesthetic work of art.

[nashmore]

Wow... my deepest condolences to family and friends. We lost a pure talent. Thanks for spreading the word Jason.

[Joel Teel]

Though I never had the opportunity to know Gustav, this news brings back painfully sad memories from my past. Early in my life, I had a friend, who was like a brother to me. I was shy, and had moved to a new town just days before the new school year had begun. I was at the bus stop, waiting for the school bus to pick me up and carry me to my first day of high school.....scared to death. Wayne was also there, and he walked over and introduced himself. We instantly became friends, and over the course of many, many years, we grew to be like brothers.....I even call his parents Mom and Dad to this day.

From what I have learned in this short time about Gustav, It appears that God had created them both from flitch-matched boards cut from the same tree. Wayne was the most gifted guitarist that I have ever met, had a personality like a candle flame (drawing everyone within its light towards him), and as Gustav, was beyond brilliant. As we grew older, I watched as he became increasingly tormented by the unseen forces inside of his being. I tried to help, tried to reach out as he withdrew into himself.....but ultimately, whatever it was that had hold of him, pulled him under.....and he never returned to the surface. I was heartbroken when his brother-in-law called and told me.....and cried like I have never cried in my life.....because I had lost my brother.

I was asked by his (our) parents to be a pall-bearer, and without a thought said yes. Even with the unbearable grief that I was feeling, I couldn't help but be burdened by the weight of that which they had to be carrying. I wanted to sooth their hearts in some way, so I asked "Mom" if I could present his graveside eulogy. So, here I was, 25+ years beyond that shy boy, scared to death of his first day of high school in a new town, now standing over my deceased brother, yearning to comfort his Mom and Dad as they waited to see their son be lowered into the ground. To this day, I cannot explain what happened next. In my feeble attempt to put it into words, all I can say is that I stepped out of the way and allowed God to use my words to comfort his grief-filled family. I only remember looking up to them, and seeing them smile.....and at that moment I realized that life had come full-circle. Their son had comforted me years before, and though I wasn't able to give him comfort in his struggles with depression, I was able to comfort his parents when he chose to give up the fight.

It's tough to watch someone that you love battle with depression. I've battled it myself, and feel fortunate to be one of the lucky ones who've won the fight. But I also understand how debilitating it can be, and how it can exhaust a person to the point of giving up. I'm sitting here with tears running down my face, reliving the loss of my brother after all these years.....and heart-broken for the friends and loved ones who have to put the pieces back together during the coming years because Gustav's flame burned out long before it should have. I hope that all who love him will learn to find peace, but will still be able to cry about him years from now.....because we will always love them.....forever.

[Ted Åstrand]

I had the privilege to spend a year with Gustav in lutherie school. He was a great person, talent, artist and his approach to guitar making was exceptional.

The luthier community has indeed lost a great man.

[mesa]

Martin Tallström on a Fredell XS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL_hgxrlNMU


Vila i frid, Gustav.

[Simon Fay]

Just noticed this thread -- Gustav and I corresponded a few times over the past couple years. I greatly admired his unique aesthetic and am glad I got the chance to tell him so. While my interaction with him was brief, he was one of those individuals I was very much looking forward to meeting -- reading these posts, it is also apparent that his charismatic personality had a similar effect on others as well. A sad day indeed ...