Meet The Makers: Johannes Hans Geerdink of JHG Guitars

Johannes Hans Geerdink of JHG Guitars is more than just a pair of hands putting a guitar together. From his workshop in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, the master builder chases “the edge of attainable” with a fervour – wholly embracing modern solutions to the age-old craft.

For over 25 years, Geerdink has relied on a mix of vintage and modern tools and techniques to handbuild his instruments. Employing CAD software, he says he has the opportunity to be truly meticulous in his craft – refining nuances from the placement of pickups, to the precise cutting and shaping of woods, to the subtle details that visually set his guitars apart.

Needless to say, the master builder is an ardent experimenter. Over the years, he’s developed his keen understanding of the craft through creating. He’s built everything from manouche guitars, to thinline T-styles, and even a self-described oddity known as the Strelecaster.

Geerdink’s guitars have been featured in numerous trade shows and have found their place in the hands of veteran musicians like John F. Klaver and Peter Alexius. For Geerdink, the pleasure is all his, as he describes the experience of hearing his creations in the hands of a great guitarist as: magic.

After years of building custom guitars for others, Geerdink finally decided to make one for himself – introducing his very first standard model, Jasha. True to Geerdink’s goal of helping guitarists find “their dream guitar”, it’s essentially customisable to a tee.

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