SINGAPORE — What began as an attempt to make an old bass guitar look less ordinary has turned into an international business for Singaporean entrepreneur and product designer Julia Becker.
Becker, 24, is the founder of ThreeStools, a Singapore-based business creating custom and 3D-printed guitar and bass pickguards featuring unconventional designs—including her now-famous cats.
Her creations have attracted customers from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina. According to CNA, Becker has sold more than 1,000 pickguards, while her Etsy storefront currently lists more than 1,000 sales and a 4.9-star rating from hundreds of reviews.
And perhaps the most surprising part of the story is how it started.
An old bass guitar sparked the idea
Becker’s journey began while she was studying at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
After joining a university band that needed a bassist, she bought a used bass guitar on Carousell for S$700. The instrument had originally been worth around S$4,000, but its paint was cracking and Becker disliked its appearance.
Instead of replacing the instrument, she decided to redesign it.
She hand-painted a new pickguard with a floral design.
Friends noticed the transformation—and soon began asking her to make custom pieces for their own instruments.
By 2023, Becker was offering custom pickguards on Carousell for about S$50 and had landed her first paying customer.
What looked like a small creative side project was quietly becoming a business.
Then the cats changed everything
Becker initially experimented with unusual designs, including animals and quirky illustrations.
The turning point came when she began using 3D printing to create more complex shapes.
In 2025, she posted one of her cat-themed pickguards to a guitar community on Reddit.
The response was immediate.
The post reportedly received about 3,700 likes, while at least 30 people directly expressed interest in buying the design. Becker subsequently opened an Etsy shop—and said she received 30 orders in her first month, essentially converting the Reddit interest into actual customers.
The concept also caught the attention of the international guitar press.
Guitar World featured ThreeStools in November 2025, highlighting Becker’s custom cat-shaped pickguards and the story behind the business. The publication reported that the Etsy shop had expanded beyond cat designs into custom 3D-printed pickguards and guitar accessories.
From bedroom workshop to international orders
By Christmas 2025, CNA reported that Becker was receiving more than 120 orders a month for ready-made designs, with most coming from the United States.
The demand became so intense that her original setup could barely keep up.
At one point, she was working from her bedroom with a single 3D printer and said she had to wake up every two hours to start the next print.
She has since expanded her operation to two 3D printers and a laser cutter.
The business has continued to evolve.
ThreeStools’ current online catalogue includes cat-themed pickguards for instruments such as Fender-style Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, basses and other guitar models. The company also sells accessories such as cat-paw knobs and switch covers.
Why are people buying them?
For Becker, the appeal isn’t simply decoration.
A pickguard is a replaceable panel fitted to the front of many guitars and basses. Its traditional function is to help protect the instrument from scratches caused by playing, but it can also become a major visual element of the guitar.
Becker sees customising the pickguard as a relatively accessible way for musicians to give a familiar instrument a distinct identity.
Her current products demonstrate just how far that idea has gone.
Her catalogue includes designs featuring cats, pandas, rabbits, fish, sharks and other animals, with products made for specific guitar and bass models.
Her current website lists several cat pickguards starting at around S$66, with some designs priced higher depending on the instrument and finish.
Even metal guitarists are buying the cat designs
Perhaps the funniest twist is that Becker’s playful designs have found an audience among musicians who might not immediately seem like the target market.
CNA reported that around 70 per cent of her customers are men and that some metal guitarists have purchased the cat designs.
For some, the contrast between aggressive metal music and a cute cat-covered instrument is precisely the appeal. For others, Becker said, they simply love cats.
Her designs have also appeared on stage, including an octopus-themed pickguard used by Singapore metal band Sangriento bassist Nic Wong.
Behind the cute designs is an engineering mind
The viral success of ThreeStools isn’t simply an art story.
Becker studied engineering product development at SUTD and describes herself professionally as a mechanical engineer, product designer and maker. Her LinkedIn profile also lists ThreeStools among her professional experience.
That combination of engineering and art became central to the business.
Instead of merely painting designs onto existing pickguards, Becker uses digital modelling and 3D printing to produce pieces with unusual silhouettes and detailed designs.
The result is a product that sits somewhere between musical equipment, functional replacement hardware and personal artwork.
Some commissions carry a deeper meaning
Not every customer simply wants a funny cat on a guitar.
CNA reported that about half of Becker’s custom commissions are connected to people’s memories of deceased pets.
One recent commission came from a Canadian customer who wanted a pickguard commemorating a miniature schnauzer that had died.
That gives the business a more personal dimension: what appears to be a quirky guitar accessory can sometimes become a permanent reminder of a beloved companion.
The business is growing—but Becker isn’t abandoning design
ThreeStools has grown far beyond the original Carousell side hustle.
Its current website features dozens of products, while its Etsy storefront shows more than 1,000 sales and a strong customer rating.
Becker is also preparing for another major chapter.
She is due to move to London in September 2026 to pursue a two-year Innovation Design Engineering master’s programme jointly offered by the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London.
She plans to continue running ThreeStools while studying overseas.
And that may be the most interesting part of Becker’s story.
She did not abandon engineering for art—or abandon art for engineering.
Instead, she found a way to combine the two.
A battered second-hand bass guitar led to a hand-painted pickguard. That led to friends asking for their own. Then came Carousell, Reddit, Etsy, 3D printing, international customers and viral social-media posts.
Now, a Singaporean designer who once wondered how to make an old guitar look better has customers around the world putting her creations on instruments they take on stage.
The lesson may be bigger than the cats: sometimes the business opportunity isn’t in inventing something completely new—it is in taking something ordinary and giving people a reason to make it their own.
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