Jeffrey Yong
Jeffrey Yong | |
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![]() Jeffrey Yong playing at The Seismic | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Jeffrey Yong |
Born | Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia | 29 November 1958
Occupation(s) | Luthier |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, harpguitar, ukulele, sapelele, bass guitar |
Years active | 1985–present |
Website | Official website |
Jeffrey Yong (born 29 November 1958) is a Malaysian Luthier best known for his use of local Malaysian wood, such as monkeypod, rengas, mango, rambutan and Malaysian blackwood. The use of non-traditional wood to build musical instruments has not only placed Jeffrey Yong guitars (JY Guitars) in international markets but also as one of the top luthiers in the world. Jeffrey has gained international recognition and has been invited to exhibit his instruments in several international conventions.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Jeffrey_Yong_Seismic.jpeg/220px-Jeffrey_Yong_Seismic.jpeg)
Biography
Jeffrey Yong started out as a guitar instructor and examiner in 1976. Nonetheless, Jeffrey's love to arts and music led to the building of his first maiden guitar in 1985 from a DIY kit. Jeffrey also traveled abroad to further improve his guitar-making skills. However, it all started when he was questioned by a local overseas luthier why he was sourcing material from overseas when Malaysia exports good quality wood. This conversation inspired him to look into non-traditional wood as building materials for musical instruments. Since then it has led to a chain of events.
As an artisan who was reluctant to remain just another guitar-luthier, Jeffrey continued to innovate and find his niche. Jeffrey has constantly pushed himself to acquire other forms of knowledge and experiences which has led to his extensive knowledge in wood especially those in tropical regions.
He founded the Guitar Institute Malaysia (GIM) in 1993 specializing in teaching various genres of guitar playing and guitar construction. He has also taught at the Luthier School International in California. His skill in luthiery has been mostly self-taught. In 2006, his full monkeypod OM Guitar won the Blind Listening Test at the Guild of American Luthier's convention as the best sounding guitar in terms of tonality, timbre and sustain. With two of his guitars in the top three. Other's in this category were notable luthiers like, Erwin Somogyi.
Jeffrey's guitars have been exhibited at Healdsburg Guitar Festival, Shanghai Music Festival, and Montreal Guitar Show. At the Montreal Guitar Show 2011, He premiered his JJ Blackie as well as his innovation "Seismic" a JJ shaped 10-string, (as shown in the picture above) which was featured by Premier Guitar Magazine.
Year | Conventions & Festivals | Place | Achievements |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Guitar Institute Malaysia (GIM) | Malaysia | - Founder |
1998 | Guild of American Luthier's (GAL) Convention | Tacoma, Washington, USA | - Introduction of Malaysian Blackwood internationally |
2006 | Guild of American Luthier's (GAL) Convention [1] | Tacoma, Washington, USA | - Introduction of Monkeypod wood (Samanea saman or Rain Tree)
- OM Guitar won the Blind Listening Test - Best sounding guitar in terms of tonality, timbre and sustain |
2011 | Montreal Guitar Show [2] | - JJ Blackie & Seismic was featured by Premier Guitar Magazine | |
2012 | Kirov Moscow International Guitar Making[3] | Moscow, Russia | - Classical Guitar Tioman III won first price |
2012 | Sound Messe Osaka [4] | Osaka, Japan | |
2013 | Malaysian International Guitar Festival (MIGFEST) | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
2013 | Healdsburg Guitar Festival [5] | - Featured on Guitar Player Editor | |
2013 | Tokyo Handcrafted Guitar Show | Tokyo, Japan | |
2014 | Malaysian International Guitar Festival (MIGFEST) [6] | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
2014 | Guild of American Luthier's (GAL) Convention [7] | Tacoma, Washington, USA | |
2015 | Osaka Music Festival | Osaka, Japan | |
2016 | Shanghai Music Festival | Shanghai, China |
Year | Media | Title |
---|---|---|
2009 | The Star Newspaper | Jeffrey Yong promises to teach how to make a guitar in two weeks |
2012 | The Straits Times Newspaper | Strum a Mango |
2014 | The Star Newspaper | Guitar Gods of A Different Sort |
2016 | Create with Malaysia | A Luthier's Song |
2017 | Sin Chiew Newspaper | Making Musical Instrument with Non-Traditional Wood |
Types of Non-Traditional Woods
Malaysian Blackwood
- Jeffrey's extensive knowledge in woods has led to the introduction of the Malaysian Blackwood in international waters during the 1998 GAL convention in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Since the inception, the popularity of Malaysian Blackwood has grown tremendously. The Malaysian Blackwood carries many premium qualities for musical instruments making that are unparalleled. Today, the Malaysia Blackwood has established it position firmly at the level of premium tonewoods in the musical instruments making industry.
Monkeypod Wood (Samanea saman or Rain Tree)[8]
- Formally known as Albizia saman and previously only used for aesthetic purposes, monkeypod was pioneered as a tonewood by Jeffrey Yong and has recently been applied by other luthiers such as Bamburg guitars.
- Up to 99% of this guitar was built using hardwoods. Its presence at the 2006 GAL convention was evidently heard and felt during an acoustic guitar blind-test listening session. This non-conventional built has triumphed over the other acoustic guitars in the session. The tonal characteristic was unique and impressionable to everyone who was present. Eventually the audience has unanimously regarded the Monkeypod guitar as the one that possessed the most desired tonal characteristics.
- While using Monkeypod wood to build guitar isn't new but it has never been regarded as a premium tonewood in the musical instruments making industry. The showdown in 2006's GAL convention has certainly illuminated its profile. The popularity of this unique wood has been never stopped growing since.
Guitar Models
All instruments build in Jeffrey's workshop are by hand excluding the regular hardware and electronic parts that are pre-purchased and installed. Jeffrey's guitars are made with 99 percent local woods, the remaining 1 percent accounts for the maple veneer used in the bindings. Monkeypod wood is used as a standard for all Jeffrey Yong guitars. The braces designs and layout are influenced by the Martin's X-scalloped braces patterns, Torres Fan bracing and the Smallman Lattice bracing.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/JJ_Monkey_Pod.gif/220px-JJ_Monkey_Pod.gif)
Steel String Guitars
- JJ (Jeffrey Jumbo) Guitar
- Body hape is a cross between a Jumbo and a Classical Guitar.
- OM Guitar
- Seismic Guitar [9]
- 10-String Acoustic Guitar.
- Presented it in Montreal Guitar Show in 2011.
- Influenced by the tragic March 2011 earthquake in Japan.
- Body - Monkeypod
- Fretboard and bridge - Blackwood
- Headstock - half-slotted, half-pegged design
- Soundhole, back, and bottom strap button are appointed unevenly representative of a seismic shift.
- To get a chimey sound, its D and G strings have octave pairs, and the B and high E have unison strings.
Classical Guitars
- Tioman I (Nylon String)
- Torres bracing and body design
- Tioman II (Nylon String)
- Torres body shape with modified lattice bracing
- Tioman III (Nylon String)
- Khono design body shape (larger body) with modified lattice bracing
JJ (Jeffrey Jumbo)
The JJ is a hybrid of a classical guitar and a jumbo, it has uses a scallop "x" bracing, and a unique bridge which offers more mass than the conventional bridge.
Other interesting features are:
- Cutaway bevel offers more excess to higher frets without sacrificing air mass in the body.
- Soundport to bring the in-body sound closer to the player.
- Thumb Scallop helps the player utilise the over the thumb technique with ease.[10]
List of Artists
Don Alder
Farid Ali
Kent Nishimura
Hiroshi Masuda
Shun Ng
Wayan Balawan
Dan LaVoie
Okapi
References
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20120120222403/http://www.alliedlutherie.com/weekly4.htm
3. http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2011/Sep/Masterpieces_From_Montreal_Montreal_Guitar_Show_2011.aspx?Page=4
4. http://www.shunng.com
5. http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/7/29/central/4318755&sec=central
6. http://www.vintageandrare.com/builder/Jeffrey-Yong-Guitars-508
7. http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2011/Jul/GALLERY_Montreal_Guitar_Show_2011.aspx?Page=17&
- ^ "2006 GAL Convention - Exhibition". www.luth.org. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Masterpieces From Montreal: Montreal Guitar Show 2011". Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Jeffrey Yong Guitars". Jeffrey Yong Guitars. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Guitaring Passionately". cadam7777777.blogspot.my. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ GuitarPlayerEditors (20 August 2013), Jeffrey Yong at the 2013 Healdsburg Guitar Festival (with Barry Cleveland), retrieved 13 January 2018
- ^ "Malaysian International Guitar Festival - MIGFEST 2014 - Classical Guitar Asia". Classical Guitar Asia. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Untitled Document". www.luth.org. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Jeffrey Yong Guitars". Jeffrey Yong Guitars. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Masterpieces From Montreal: Montreal Guitar Show 2011". Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Yong the master guitar man | Malay Mail Online". Mmail.com.my. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.