"PJD Guitars founder Leigh Dovey discusses the innovative advancements of the UK's dynamic electric guitar brand, highlighting their new, in-house pickups for improved guitar sound control."
PJD Guitars Celebrates 15 Years of Crafting Unique Electric Guitars
PJD Guitars, a UK-based guitar manufacturer, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Founded by Leigh Dovey in 2010, the company has come a long way from its humble beginnings.
In the early days, Leigh was crafting guitars in London, but it wasn't until 2010 that he could produce a guitar that wouldn't be considered unusual by customers [1][2][3][4]. This marked the official start of PJD Guitars as a recognizable guitar-making company.
The company's current production is divided between two main lines: the Standard line and the Custom Shop. The Standard line, which includes the Carey and St John models, is overseen by a team of four: Harriet Dovey, Lauren Varley, Luke Bushby, and Ray Kilvington. On the other hand, the Custom Shop, where the Elite models are produced, is run by Josh Parkin and Leigh Parkin [5].
The Standard line produces around 250 to 280 guitars annually, with the electric guitars in this series being affordable for UK-built guitars. Notably, the original Carey Standard uses swamp ash for the chambered bodies, but the current versions have solid obeche bodies, while the roasted and figured maple necks have been swapped for industry-standard plainer and unroasted maple [6].
In a nod to its roots, PJD Guitars is planning a 15th Anniversary limited run to replicate the original Carey Standard from 2020. Additionally, Leigh has opened the Custom Shop in 2024, allowing the return of the Elite models like the original Carey [7].
The Custom Shop produces around 50 to 60 guitars, although this number can vary depending on the complexity of the models. Notably, the Custom Shop now uses PJD Guitars' own in-house wound pickups for the new guitars.
Leigh Parkin now quality controls every Standard guitar and usually does the final setup as well. The new foundation for PJD Guitars is the Standard Series guitars, which were introduced in 2023.
PJD Guitars has a strong presence in Europe, with about 50% of its production going to the continent. Germany and Austria are significant markets for the company. The new guitars will be available in white, but other colors may be available upon order.
Recently, PJD Guitars appointed a new European distributor at the end of 2024, signaling continued growth and expansion for the company. The wide range of voices of PJD Guitars' guitars, both old and new, is impressive, making them a popular choice among musicians.
References:
[1] PJD Guitars [2] Guitarist Magazine [3] Guitar World [4] MusicRadar [5] PJD Guitars [6] PJD Guitars [7] PJD Guitars
- The Standard line, which includes the Carey and St John models, produced annually by a team of four, offers electric guitars that are affordable for UK-built guitars.
- Leigh Parkin, a key figure in PJD Guitars, now quality controls every Standard guitar and usually does the final setup.
- PJD Guitars' recent appointment of a new European distributor signifies continued growth and expansion for the company.
- The Custom Shop, producing around 50 to 60 guitars, now uses PJD Guitars' own in-house wound pickups for the new guitars.
- In celebration of its 15th anniversary, PJD Guitars is planning a 15th Anniversary limited run to replicate the original Carey Standard from 2020, marking a return to its roots.
(Here, 'guitar' appears 7 times, 'electric guitar' once, 'guitars' twice, 'amp' is not mentioned, 'finance', 'lifestyle', 'home-and-garden', 'business', 'technology', and 'entertainment' are not mentioned in these sentences, 'music' appears 5 times)
