I’m the luthier behind JPI Guitars — building custom instruments in Ontario with modern feel and classic soul. Each build balances engineering discipline with hand-finished detail for tone you can trust on stage.
I’ve spent my career solving hard problems in the real world — leading service and technical advisory work across large industrial and nuclear sites throughout the world. That discipline — clear specs, clean process, and zero-compromise safety — naturally shaped how I build guitars. JPI started as a personal obsession for great feel and reliable tone and has grown into a boutique shop focused on purposeful, player-first instruments.
I’m based in Markham, Ontario, and often travel for long technical projects — guitars get designed on hotel desks, refined in notebooks, and then brought to life in the shop back home. My family is part of the story: my wife Jali keeps me grounded and gives me great design tips and ideas, and my son Ieuan is a drummer and frequent collaborator — you’ll see his GreenPop build in the gallery.
Modern feel, classic soul. I prefer neck-through designs for rigidity and resonance, zero fret for their abiltity to allow for cosistant fretting and low action, select tonewoods like wenge, maple, walnut, and responsibly chosen exotics, and spec hardware that simply doesn’t drift: EVO Gold frets, GraphTech components, rock-solid bridges (Babicz FCH, Leo Quan when appropriate), and pickups chosen to the player — Corrigan and others by request. Finishes are either durable UV-cured or hand-rubbed, always serviceable, and tuned for stage use.
I love diverse briefs — a minimalist headless custom, a stage-ready GreenPop for Ieuan, a “Daily Driver” that just does everything well, a walnut-rich bass with piano-like sustain, or a commissioned piece for a working pro like Quincy Bullen. Every instrument is designed with the player’s hands and gig in mind.
My day job as a Senior Service Manager / Technical Advisor means I’m often at sites for months at a time. That rhythm taught me to document, plan, and iterate — so when I’m back in the shop the work moves efficiently: templates are dialed, fixtures are ready, and each step earns the next. The result is a guitar that feels intentional — balanced on a strap, resonant against your ribs, and finished.
JPI will keep evolving — tighter processes, better photography, and a growing library of signature shapes. Long-term, we’re planning seasons between Canada and Malaysia, with a compact, well-equipped workshop that travels with us. However life shifts, the mission stays the same: build instruments that make you want to play more.
If you’ve connected with my approach or seen something in the gallery that inspires you, I’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re looking for a one-off instrument, a stage-ready workhorse, or just want to talk ideas and materials — reach out anytime.