About Jim

I bought my first electric guitar (an Encore Strat) on Huddersfield second-hand market when I was 16. Later that day, I took it apart to see how it worked. I guess you could say that the writing was on the wall… 😀

When I was 18, I had guitar lessons with a guy that was also a guitar maker and technician. I would wait in his workshop until it was lesson time, and the tools and machinery excited me probably as much as the lessons. Over the course of my 2 A-Level years, I would go to school, get my lessons out of the way, and then get the bus down to his workshop. I helped him with setups, repairs and paintwork over a two year period – cheers Shane!

After my A-Levels, I went to Leeds College of  Music to do the guitar building 2 year BTEC course. I made a p-bass and a superstrat from scratch, as well as learning about general engineering and woodworking techniques. I was due to go back and do a further two years (The HND course) but alas it was cancelled at the last minute. I found myself flung into the world of work 😀

Fast forwards a few years and I’m in a couple of busy bands, playing guitar and bass, and keeping my tech skills sharp working on my fleet of guitars and those of friends, bandmates and anyone else that asked nicely. Career-wise, I started in photography and progressed to graphic design, web design and digital marketing.

I moved to Leeds in 2014, and when Covid came around I was furloughed from my day job. This was my chance to go full time as a guitar tech, and I took it. By the time furlough was over I’d built the business to the point where I didn’t even need to think about going back to the “proper job”. In the last 4 years I’ve worked on well over 2000 guitars and taught over 100 tech students in my Leeds guitar tech classes.