The story of JTal Guitars

It was the late fall or early winter of 2020. Given the nature of that year for everyone, you can forgive me if I don’t remember exactly.

I remember dropping by a local music shop as restrictions on in-person retail visits had relaxed a bit in my area. It’s home to several trusted friends who have decades of experience in the retail music instrument business and are exceptional musicians themselves.

I had been thinking about building guitars and had started making prototypes, so I dropped by to show off a few early models.

We chatted for about 30 to 45 minutes. I shared the news that I had decided to start a business building custom guitars and restoring, modifying, and upgrading vintage guitars out of my home in Elkhorn, Nebraska.

It wasn’t going to be my full-time job — at least not yet. But I was sharing the news with the first people outside my immediate family.

I’ll never forget the one response I got that day.

He replied to my statement, “I’m going to turn this into a business,” with: “Selling guitars? You are?

“Well… good luck!”

Uncle Rex’s 1982 Telecaster

My uncle was a massive influence on my life.

Starting piano at age 4 and guitar at age 7, I have spent over 35 years playing an instrument of some kind.

I have played in bands in bars, outdoor events, and churches. I have recorded with, taught, and worked on guitars for friends for decades.

My love of the electric guitar can be traced back to a few places, but none more significant than my Uncle Rex.

That silver-face Twin Reverb and his 1982 Telecaster were it for me from day one. I remember the first time I heard it plugged in and played. I have vivid memories of about 20 times throughout my life when we plugged that thing in and created a moment that got etched into my brain forever.

Fast-forward to early 2020. My late uncle had left his guitars to me. One of those was that special ’82 Tele. Unfortunately, the nut slot had broken off the beautifully aged neck. I had done my fair share of guitar repair in the past because I enjoyed it, and I had a reputation among some friends as someone who could make their guitars play better.

But it had been years since I had dabbled in any of that.

Here I was with an instrument that meant so much to me, and I wanted to bring it back to life.

I didn’t have the time, with work travel upcoming, so I bought a Fender replacement neck and a few new parts. I wanted to replace the pickups since the originals needed attention, which would be a whole other story. This bag of parts got dropped at a fantastic local shop, and I got the guitar back in a few weeks. They did a wonderful job — I want to emphasize that.

But there was just something missing.

I started obsessing over the little things — like where the string tree sat next to the Fender logo. Then one of the bridge pickups went microphonic (that was on me — it was due to a fracture in the wax potting that could be traced back to removing them from the original packaging too roughly). The finish was also in dire need of repair, and I wanted to do it right. I could hear my uncle saying, “Let’s make it look cool — don’t make it look like s#%!”

Next thing I know, I had invested in a larger-than-expected set of tools, HVLP spray guns for nitrocellulose lacquer, and I was dusting off wax-potting knowledge I hadn’t accessed in probably 20 years.

To make a long story short, I got the pickup back to pristine-sounding order without the microphonic squeals, did a Fiesta Red refinish that would have made my uncle happy, and repaired a long list of other issues. That experience got me thinking about doing this for more than just my own guitars.

What I wanted JTal to do

Before I started the business, I wrote down three things I wanted to get right: customer service, setup and playability.

People spend thousands of dollars on a guitar. The communication and support should reflect that. I’ve also heard from beginners who felt intimidated about walking into a guitar shop because they expected to be made to feel like an idiot. I wanted someone buying their first guitar to get the same attention and respect as someone buying their twentieth.

Setup mattered just as much. I’ve picked up expensive guitars in shops that were difficult to play because nobody had given them the attention they needed after shipping. Every guitar that leaves JTal is set up to the player’s specifications, including tuning, string gauge, action, relief and intonation.

I’m a guitar player first and a builder second. I’ve played vintage instruments and owned guitars at a wide range of prices. Price and appearance alone don’t tell me how well an instrument will work on stage or in the studio. I want each guitar to feel right in the player’s hands and do the job they bought it for.

Building guitars in Elkhorn

JTal Guitars started in my home workshop in Elkhorn, Nebraska, in 2020. Each custom order still starts with a conversation about what the player needs. You can see past builds and demonstrations on the site, and read what the owners have said on the customer reviews page.

If you’re thinking about a build, email john@jtalguitars.com with your ideas. The custom order page explains the estimates, payments and updates. If a project is outside what I can do, I’ll say so and do my best to suggest a shop that can help.