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

History
I started out as a professional diver which lasted for some 15 years but several episodes of ear problems resulted in periods off work and the beginning of a full time hobby of guitar making and general botching around with guitars which lasted between diving jobs for several years. My first guitar was a Strat style thingy which actually turned out quite nicely but was subsequently used as a test bed over the following years and was unfortunately finally destroyed in the sake of research and development when I jumped on the neck to experiment in strength levels of a Strat neck and neck joint and how to repair such severe damage!... Oh well!
I was asked by many people to carry out work on their guitars, but until I was satisfied with the results of my efforts, I resisted the temptation until, in 1988, I became confident that my work was of an acceptable standard and I started to carry out repairs, re-frets and set-ups by request.
It was not long before I realised there was a big market for my services and in 1990 established "SGL Guitars" which has and still is the first choice for musicians for miles around... and many from opposite ends of the country. I finally finished diving in 1993 and concentrated solely on the guitar business which has flourished beyond my wildest expectations.

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!

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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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