Ali Kat is the brand name of Dave Gartland. Dave trained as a sheet metal work in England and had a business making custom motorcycle exhausts. Following emigration to Australia in 2008 he began to make metal versions of stringed instruments - starting with a double bass made from aluminium. The brand name Ali Kat seemed appropriate, as Ali is the short term for Aluminium these basses were going to be Kool Katz.

Being a fan of Rock n Roll and Rockabilly music Gartland soon moved on to building Gretsch style hollow bodies. Since then he has made designs based on fifties cars and even motorcycle gas-tanks. Each instrument is hand made - welded, polished, painted and assembled by hand.