Gloves Off

Known for its finely made production-led UK builds, PJD Guitars is now aiming for the mainstream with a range of Indonesian-made solidbodies and its lowest price points yet

- Words Dave Burrluck Photography Phil Barker

It’s hard to keep up with York-based PJD Guitars. Only recently it restored one of its original models as the Carey Classic to celebrate the company’s 15th anniversary, but behind the scenes Leigh Dovey and Josh Parkin have been working on a new project: finding a partner in Indonesia that could replicate their UK craft at a considerably lower price point.

Now, this is no unique vision. Manson Guitar Works, as just one example, has successfully outsourced builds to Indonesia alongside building an increasing number of all-UK-made models, and plenty of UK-designed brands bypass any kind of UK building and go direct to Asia. The ‘offshore’ model for the big boys goes back decades, of course, but many of those, not least Fender and Gibson, are aiming to replicate very well-known heritage Models. As good as the brand is, and with an ever-increasing fanbase, PJD is still a small fish in a big pond.

The Indonesian-made guitars will fall under the 'Origin Series' title, with these two Pro models, which aim to clone the UK Elite models, topping the initial new range. We can look forward to PJD's other shapes, the York and Woodford, plus St John and Carey, appearing as the new Standards at £599 in solid gloss colours, while the Carey and St John Apprentice will start things off at £499.

As to the UK, well, the customisable Elite models will stay the same at £3,199. There will be new Vintage models (Valhalla, York, Woodford, St John and Carey) with gloss NOS nitro finishes, while the St John and Carey Classic models, with their chambered swamp ash bodies, will replace the current Standard models at £1,899. A new, more modern-rock design called the Romulus will be £1,899 with vibrato, and the fixed-bridge version will be the new start point of the UK range at £1,699. What's that song? When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

In Build