Here is some background for those who wanted to know more about me and my instruments. There are links to some music below.

I grew up in Alaska in a homestead house that my father, Andreas Brauchli, made of Sitka Spruce. My father was a natural musician and could play any instrument by ear. And of course, being Swiss, he was culturally bound to play the accordion, yodel and climb the highest mountain in North America.

When I was about 7 we got a $15 mail order archtop guitar that quickly became the most popular pastime on a homestead with no television.

I moved to Australia with my family when I was 13. I left home shortly after and ended up playing lead guitar and doing backing vocals with various singers and bands. Within the next few years I was also performing on fiddle, banjo, mandolin and flute.

I made my first instruments when I was 17 and over the following years I made heaps of fretted instruments with help and input from numerous makers. As a multi- instrumentalist I was always interested in instruments from different cultures and periods. I loved blending ideas to design new instruments like the talamar that I still play.

I was invited to the first Australian Luthiers Convention in the late 70s. Among the makers I remember was Bill May, jazz musician and creator of Maton guitars. He also made his first instruments at about 17. Also present was Greg Smallman who was working with Peter Biffin. Greg and Peter have been my greatest source of inspiration.
Here is more info on instrument designing

Slide Guitar

I had not heard of a Weissenborn guitar until I was watching my son's Ben Harper DVD. I was totally fascinated by the slide guitar Ben was playing and decided that it would be fun to play one. As I don't like to copy instrument designs, I spent the next two months designing an original hollow neck lap steel. The instrument was totally addictive and I have continued to develop and fine tune the design since then.

Although there is a ready market for Weissenborn copies, I prefer to produce my own carbon braced design as I feel this is a valid addition to the family of acoustic slide instruments. I would even suggest that it has captured the best qualities of both Dobros and Weissenborns.

Through the Past Darkly

This is a poster from the early 90's. I used my middle name Warner as I decided Brauchli wasn't a name for a blues player. I had become obsessed with telecasters after doing a support for Tommy Emmanuel, so I made this one out of spare parts.



My unusual right hand technique comes from fact that when I was a kid sitting in a chair with a big guitar on top of me, it was the only way I could reach the strings.
This technique allows me to use my thumb in both directions. It is a style common in Africa, but is also used for lute and balalaika.

Wild Zinnias

I performed with the celtic rock band 'Wild Zinnias' for about 6 years. The material we played blended songs by Dubliner, Willy McElroy (foreground) with my own instrumental pieces usually combined into medleys. Drumming on the following pieces is by percussion wizard Matt Goodwyn (left). Willy sings and plays rhythm guitar. (mostly DADGAD) He also plays didge and bodhran. I play fiddle, bass, bouzouki, flute and anything else you hear.

Some tracks from the Wild Zinnias album "Stand on your own two feet"

Sweet Jane - Noisy Miner * Belfast Breathes - Reel McCoy * Half of It * Midnight Waltz
Christmas Tree * The Pathway * King Tide

I made this one piece Eucalypt guitar from a plank of wood that cost me $8. I played this guitar with the Zinnias and I still use it. It is what got me interested in Tasmanian woods.
Here is a live sample from an early 3 piece version of the Zinnias.

The Present

Here is a slide and a guitar piece from a performance accompanied by Kate Case.
There are more performance recordings on my audio page

Canberra Folk Festival 2010 with shortscale Blackwood top guitar


Kate and I are now living on a beautiful farm in Northern Tasmania.
Below is our new state of the art weed deterrent.