How do Snakes compare to Guitars???

Thought I would throw out a little bit of an unusual plug for my new friend Brian Barczyk and his reptile business BHB Enterprises.

Two reasons for really wanting to make this post; not only am I also a proud snake owner myself, but Brian's enthusiasm and passion for his craft really makes a comparison to the vibe Combat has, as a custom hand-made guitar maker. 

Read on.

Brian owns and runs BHB, which he built from the ground up, and it is now one of the largest Snake Breeding facilities in the world. He is also the host of a weekly Web-Show, which he posts on YouTube, called SnakeBytes TV. Their YouTube channel is here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SnakeBytesTV

Because of the increasing popularity of SnakeBytes TV, BHB Enterprises has now also caught the interest of a certain major TV Network. I hear they are now in the filming stages of pilot episodes that, we all hope for Brian and BHB, will turn out to be one hell of an informative and entertaining TV Series.

I have also recently discovered from my new friend that he actually used to play bass in, the Detroit based Alternative Rock act, SPONGE. (As well as a few others, he notably adds.)

If you want to keep a reptile, like a snake as a pet, you don't really need much of an explanation as to why a captive bred animal is a much better choice than a wild caught animal. Not only are these snakes healthy, parasite and disease free, but are also well on the way already in the taming process. I say this, not just to help my new friend out with a friendly plug, but because it also makes a very relative comparison to why a Hand-Made guitar is so much better than a factory-made, or "ready-made" instrument. The quality of the final product is superior because ALL THAT GOES INTO IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, (the care, the skill, the passion, the professionalism), is also superior. 

(To learn more about why Hand-Made is better, please read my May 7 and May 10 Blog posts)   

The passion that Brian and his team have for their business, their industry, and their craft is really inspiring to me here at Combat. It really reminds me of how much time, care, and professionalism we put into each and every individual project we undertake.

Brian started out in his bedroom as a kid, breeding his snakes and built himself quite an impressive Empire. This goes to show all of us not to despise the days of small beginnings. With a contagious amount of passion, motivation, and determination, we too here at Combat strive to be the best at what we do TODAY. All this mixed with time can only make our small business grow even further into the future.

Since my previous blog post was, coincidentally, about Slayer, isn't it fitting that I show you pic of Brian with the man himself, Kerry F***kin' King! (Who is, coincidentally again, also well known to be quite a snake breeder himself!)

This one is of me and my baby ball Python, "Caramel". I gotta tell ya, a snake tonguing your ear tickles a lot more than that beard! (Just ask Kerry!) 

Just like Brian, Combat started out as "hobbyists". In our industry though, we were regarded as "a garage maker". It was just two or three aspiring Luthiers making copy guitars of various existing models. We had no exposure, no accountability, and no one knew who we were. 

Combat has since grown to a team of over 20 people. We are now recognized in the industry by the big companies as a serious and competitive guitar maker. We still hand-make each and every instrument, custom ordered, though the number has multiplied drastically. We are a regular and respected name here in Japan, though we now also find ourselves selling our instruments to people all over the world. We are featured monthly in all the major distributed Guitar Magazines, and a wide range of major artists, both here in Japan and world-wide, are increasingly choosing to add a Combat Guitar to their arsenal as we continue to meet -and exceed- the demands of even the most serious and professional musician.  

Our company continues to grow, as we gratefully find more and more people taking a serious  note of this small, yet serious threat, called COMBAT. Though, our growth will never equate to compromise. Just like BHB, we strive, not be the largest, but the BEST at what we do. Our reputable past is a testament to how we conduct our business on a DAILY basis. Always striving to create the highest quality instruments, putting in the same amount of care and professionalism into each and every individual under-taking. This is what made us get to where we are today, and I look forward to seeing where it will take us into tomorrow. 

Cheers guys,

and cheers Brian!

-Combat Colin.

BHB Enterprises Official Website:

http://www.bhbreptiles.com