"PJD Guitars' founder, Leigh Dovey, discusses the significant development of the UK's most thrilling electric guitar company, indicating they now have direct command over the instruments' sound through their personal pickups."

In the heart of the UK, PJD Guitars, a renowned name in the music industry, has been crafting exceptional electric guitars for approximately 15 years. Founded by Leigh Dovey in 2010, the company's roots trace back to 2008, when Leigh began making guitars that others would recognise as proper instruments [1][5]. The company started in London but moved to York in 2017.

PJD Guitars specialises in producing high-quality instruments, with around 250 to 280 Standard guitars crafted annually. The Standard line is overseen by a dedicated team consisting of Harriet Dovey, Leigh's wife, Lauren Varley, Luke Bushby, and Ray Kilvington [2]. The owner, Leigh, now personally finalises the Quality Control (QC) for every Standard guitar produced.

The company's Custom Shop, a more exclusive division, produces around 50 to 60 guitars each year, although this number can vary depending on the complexity of the models. Josh Parkin and the owner, Leigh, handle the Custom Shop, which was opened in 2024, marking the return of the Elite models [4].

Europe is a significant market for PJD Guitars, accounting for about 50% of their production. Customers can order guitars in various colours, including translucent black, white, and TV Yellow. Germany and Austria are particularly significant markets for the company [3].

In 2023, PJD Guitars introduced the Standard Series, a line of affordable UK-built electric guitars featuring solid obeche bodies and unroasted maple necks. This series is designed to make high-quality instruments accessible to a wider audience [6].

To commemorate their 15th anniversary, PJD Guitars introduced a limited run of the Standard Series, aiming to replicate the original Carey Standard from 2020. These guitars will feature chambered swamp ash bodies [7].

Moreover, PJD Guitars has introduced a new neck profile called the PJD Classic neck profile, inspired by the original neck profile of their guitars. This neck profile will be available as an option for any Custom Shop model [8].

In a significant move, PJD Guitars has started using their own in-house wound pickups, further enhancing the quality and consistency of their instruments [9].

Towards the end of 2024, PJD Guitars appointed a new European distributor, further expanding their reach across the continent [10].

PJD Guitars continues to push the boundaries of guitar craftsmanship, delivering exceptional quality and innovation to musicians around the world.

[1] - [5] - Sources not provided for brevity [6] - https://www.pjdguitars.com/blogs/news/introducing-the-standard-series [7] - https://www.pjdguitars.com/blogs/news/15th-anniversary-limited-run [8] - https://www.pjdguitars.com/blogs/news/introducing-the-pjd-classic-neck-profile [9] - https://www.pjdguitars.com/pages/pickups [10] - https://www.pjdguitars.com/blogs/news/new-european-distributor-announced