Simon Jones
- the founder of SGL Guitars
The handsome
dude on the left is not a film star as you might imagine but is
yours truly... Simon Jones.... probably the best luthier alive today!
(I had to doctor the picture a bit... because my head was TOO BIG
to fit the page!)
Seriously
though....
I have been making, repairing, customising
and servicing all types of stringed instruments for around 19 years
but intensively for the past 18 years. In that time I have probably
repaired/serviced some 13,500 instruments ranging from guitars, basses and double basses... electric and acoustic, mandolins, violins,
bazoukis, classical guitars, Welsh harps, cellos, banjos and many
more.
The
bulk of my work is with electric and acoustic guitars and basses
with between 60 and 80 instruments passing through the workshop
in a typical month.
The top
four instruments that consistently take up the workbench are probably
electric guitars, acoustic guitars, electric basses and classical
guitars
Workplace
For those who have visited me, I am probably well known for my one-to-one
customer service, an abundance of unlimited advice, a huge motorcycle,
one cute cat who hates kids (recently gone to the great cat litter
in the sky I'm afraid), one vicious one who hates everyone... and
one giant one who loves guitarists (but couldn't eat a whole one!)... she also sadly passed away recently,
(See Duffy The Cat) Not to mention a fiery wife to deal with anyone who turns up at
11pm from the pub to show me their new guitar!... She's a typical
nurse (RGN) too... no sympathy when I hurt meself!
My customers
used to be primarily based in the South Wales area but word seems
to travel and SGL Guitars has gone very much National with referrals from professional and amateur musicians
all over the UK. The website has played a particularly helpful role in that respect. This is very important
as most of my work has been, and still is through referral and this
can only be achieved through reputation alone...
... the secret is that I insist on using only the best parts and
materials available and constantly strive for perfection in my work
and offer an abundance of useful technical advice on offer to all
who meet me... whether they want it or not!
So why do
I have a website?
An new workshop is being planned for late 2008 which will make it easier for me to commit my resources to a wider variety of work requirements, including a new re-finishing shop... something I have always had the skills and facilities to do but have lacked the workshop environment to carry out all-year-round. Due to re-organisation and investment in my workshop I have been able to offer my services on a national basis with mail order facilities now available. Most repair and service work is turned around in a 48 hour period (plus carriage time if mail order of course). This has proved more successful than I anticipated... which is good innit?!
I am trying to gather a selection of example stories of "what happenned in the workshop today" and interesting "quick stories" which will be updated monthly or fortnightly depending on how much time I have. This, I think will be really interesting to those who want to know what goes on behind closed doors of a guitar tech's workshop and will be added to the left of the homepage. (See the Humor Page).
By the way.... I often get
asked... what does the "SGL"stand for?...
... give me a call and I might tell you...
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