Ultimately, it's the dedicated people of JS Technologies, Inc. who work with an incredibly strong sense of pride and fierce passion that makes who we are as a company building some of the finest guitars and amplifiers on the planet. Yes, we've got the facility, the state-of-the-art machines and technology, the nicest raw materials that money can buy, and, of course, we have one-of-a-kind guitar and amp designer and builder in John, but the supporting staffs of managers and craftsmen are the people who make it all happen and keep the wheels turning. From the vision and design and building artistry of John Suhr, to the CNC programming and efficient business management of John's partner, Steve Smith, to the passionate marketing & sales work and friendly and knowledgeable customer service of Ed Yoon, to the all-encompassing shop and production management of Mike Ponce, to the immaculate master-built craftsmanship and set-up work of Kenny Gin, to the superb assembly and electronics work of Jay Madore, to the efficient management of the shop floor work flow by Nathan Conrad, Suhr Guitars has talented and experienced workers dedicated to one mission: building the very best possible electric guitars and amplifiers the world has ever known. It's a tall order and that mission has its daily challenges, but it's a challenge our staff members take on with gusto day after day, day-in and day-out.
Suhr Guitars is a true team of extremely complementary members who all have different strengths to add to a greater whole. Drawing from well over a hundred years of combined experience in the industry from the management members and master builders, the Suhr staff has coalesced into a streamlined and technologically savvy team that respects the time-tested traditions of the past while fearlessly moving towards the future with innovation, technology, forward-looking ideas and open-minded vision. We work hard, we play hard, we study hard and we are driven by a natural curiosity and the desire to constantly improve the quality of our products, our processes, our customer service, and the well-being of our employees. This spirit is alive and thriving amongst the staff of Suhr Guitars and it shows in the products we design, manufacture and market to a very demanding and discriminating crowd of dedicated musicians and guitar enthusiasts – you! When you play Suhr products, it's not simply the design genius of John Suhr or the best materials the world has to offer or the best craftsmanship; it's the collective dedication and passion of every employee at Suhr Guitars. We simply love what we do!
Management
John Suhr Top
John is the president of Suhr Guitars & Amps, aka JS Technologies, Inc., and John wears many hats in the company as the chief R&D guy, the final QC tester, and the all-around master builder filling in wherever necessary – from the paint booth to the pickup winding room to working on the Plek machine to sanding the neck shape to doing the fretwork to wiring an amplifier: John simply does 'em all.
John also maintains close relationships with many artists and working on their gear needs. Although John is one very, very busy chief executive of a fast-growing company, he remains very open to talking to customers one on one regarding technical support and customer service. John also donates a significant amount of his time to answering questions about Suhr products and about gear in general on the Internet discussion groups.
A working musician himself in the 70's, John has the keen ears, the sensibilities, and the love for music to understand the needs of musicians and discriminating guitar players. A constant tinkerer who's always trying to improve the performance of an instrument or the processes involved in making one, John has a rare talent of combining a master luthier's various old-world craftsmanship abilities with savvy control over high-tech equipment such as the Plek and the Universal Laser Systems machines and various types of CAD software. It's this all-encompassing control and understanding that John has over every aspect of the design and building process that filters down through every employee in the company. Now entering the creative phase of his career, John will now focus more and more of his time on designing new instruments and amplifiers in the years ahead. Read more about John Suhr »
Steve Smith Top
Steve partnered with John to form JS Technologies, Inc. in 1997 and oversees the business operations of Suhr Guitars. Steve is the engine that keeps the company running and moving forward, managing the finances, purchasing, payroll, operations, materials, and personnel. Steve also comes from a professional CNC programming background and does all of the programming on the two state-of-the-art Haas CNC machines at Suhr Guitars. Steve graduated from Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego with a B.S. in business. Steve started his own business in 1982 as a 29-year-old and owned one of the first CNC routers in Southern California. Steve became an expert in CNC programming and produced a variety of wooden products ranging from toys to furniture and gaming tables.
Selling his first business in 1989, Steve started his own CNC consulting company in 1991, working with companies such as JBL Speakers, Steelcase Mfg., Olhausen Billiards and World of Leisure Pool Tables and other furniture companies. In 1996, Steve consulted Rickenbacker and reprogrammed all of their CNC machines and the programs for all of their guitars. In 1997, Steve did some consulting work for Fender and that's when he met John Suhr. John and Steve quickly struck up a friendship and soon the idea was hatched to start Suhr Guitars. John knew how to draw the products in CAD but didn't know how to get them cut on a CNC. Steve advised John, "If you can draw it, I can cut it." In October of 1997, John and Steve formed JS Technologies, Inc. and the rest is history!
Not a player himself, Steve keeps the company's footing firm in the realities of running a growing business. With a strong educational background in business management, the experience of having run his own companies, knowledge of CNC technology and manufacturing operations, and a hard work ethic, Steve is a key driving force in the growth and success of Suhr Guitars now and in the years ahead. Suhr Guitars is poised for strong growth with many new exciting products in the future and Steve will be the man who makes John's creations a reality for guitar enthusiasts all over the world.
Ed Yoon Top
Ed is the Director of Marketing, Sales, & Customer Service at Suhr Guitars and is the person responsible for servicing the dealers, artists, and customers throughout the world. Ed's background in the industry includes holding various QC, operations, and procurement posts over 10 years at Fender Musical Instruments Corp. and as a former owner and manager of Tone Merchants, a boutique guitar gear shop through which he developed a close working relationship with Suhr Guitars. Ed sold the Tone Merchants business and joined Suhr Guitars in July, 2005 with the goal of adding a marketing sheen, brand image, and a level of customer service that matches the quality of the products we build. Since joining Suhr Guitars, Ed has overseen the expansion of the Suhr dealer base all around the world – especially in the international markets, adding key artists to the ever-growing roster of world class guitar players playing Suhr guitars and amps, the debut of a Suhr booth at the Winter NAMM in 2006, and the construction of the new Suhr website.
Ed's enthusiasm and passion for the electric guitar and amplifier, experience culled from working at the largest guitar company in the world and running a high-end guitar shop, and strong analytical skills combined with a natural talent for writing made him an ideal fit for Suhr Guitars. Ed has freed John and Steve to focus on their strengths and devote their time to what they're really good at – building great products and keeping the company running smooth. Ed connects with the customers and the market with enthusiasm, friendly demeanor, knowledge, and experience. His goal is to make owning a Suhr instrument a completely satisfying experience for the customer from the beginning to as long as one owns a Suhr guitar and/or amplifier.
Now a key management member who will determine the marketing direction of the company, Ed adds: "I'm a firm believer in what John does and what this company stands for. I feel fortunate to be in a position to help this company get to the next level in growth and worldwide recognition as the builder of some of the finest instruments out there. We've got long, long ways to go and that's what's so exciting. The journey itself is what's going to be so fun. We have a very clear vision of where we want to go and of how to get there. The thing that's so great about working with John and Steve is that we are so complementary; it's as though each one of us are pieces in a puzzle and we all do exactly what we want to do and what we're good at. We'll be doing a lot of very exciting things in the future. Keep an eye on us. We're just warming up and we've got loads of cool new gear in the pipeline!"
Master Builders
Mike Ponce Top
Mike is the shop floor manager, all-around master builder, and the guy who keeps things flowing day-in and day-out at Suhr Guitars. Mike is the consummate all-around guy who knows how to do 'em all. Having honed his craft at the Fender Custom Shop from 1992 to 1999, Mike's responsibilities at Fender included winding pickups, building set-neck guitars, building the plywood top of D'Aquisto guitars, supervising the neck construction department, and finally becoming a Master Builder. From 2000 to 2002, Mike moved onto Rickenbacker to start their acoustic line and worked as their factory manager and purchaser.
At Suhr Guitars, Mike manages the workflow in the factory and makes sure all of our craftsmen and other master builders are busy. Considering that every guitar is unique with myriad options and different specs, it's a daily challenge to be on top of all that's going on at a given moment on the shop floor. From buffing guitar bodies to working on the frets, from working on the Plek machine to wiring a pickguard assembly, from working on the repairs of pre-owned Suhr guitars to installing the SSC System, Mike is the guy who's all over the place getting the job done.
Kenny Gin Top
Kenny started out in 1982 building homemade neck-thru-body guitars and doing guitar repair work for some local guitar shops. Kenny also spent a few years helping out Gene Baker. Kenny joined the Fender Custom Shop in 1991 and worked as a Master Builder until he joined Suhr Guitars in 1999. Kenny has been with Suhr Guitars ever since and is the Master Builder who determines the playability with set-up work on every custom Suhr guitar.
Kenny's extensive experience in working with guitars and doing set-up work assures you get an exceptionally well-playing guitar on a consistent basis.
Jay Madore Top
Jay's experience includes 13 years at Fender, starting out as a builder on the main production line. A little later, Jay did tune-testing work there and soon joined the Fender Custom Shop to tune-testing work for the Philip Kubicki basses. Soon Jay became a tune-tester for Fender Custom Shop guitars and basses and also worked in purchasing and inventory control there before joining Suhr Guitars.
Here Jay does the assembly and building work as well as being the guy who does all the tricky custom electronics wiring work. Jay's expertise assures you play a superbly crafted and well-put-together guitar.
Production
Nathan Conrad Top
Nathan's background in the industry starts out as the woodshop supervisor at G&L Guitars and as part of their "Custom Creations" team from 1994 to 2004.
Having joined Suhr Guitars in 2004, Nathan is the supervisor who oversees and approves all the work on the bodies and necks throughout the woodshop, sanding, and paint departments. Nathan is the guy who makes sure our Master Builders get the primo bodies and necks for building and final assembly work.
Craftsmen Top
Amps Department Top
