– about  –

Kevin bourque

I was born in Toronto, Canada and I've been repairing things for about as long as I can remember. You could likely ask someone who knew me at any age if I was fascinated with how things worked or why they didn't and they'd tell you it was more than fascination, it was a drive. Toys, TV's any busted thing I could try and fix I'd drag home. I think the garage had 17 clock radios in it at one point (I'm not that young). Back then I had more luck than skill but it still helped me to develop logical approaches to repairing things. I mean, you couldn't just poke around aimlessly, could you!

Repairing and restoring things not only catches my interest, but it also fits in very well with my core belief of conservation and keeping things out of landfill. I’ve had this itch since a very young age, and I’ll try and fix anything from leather boots to washing machines to vehicles! On a planet with finite resources I despise cheap throwaway culture and even in my career have watched wood supplies dwindle around the world.

Back to 11-year-old Kev playing the drums and starting to get into bands and one thing is for sure; everyone’s stuff is terrible and nobody really knows how to look after it. I learned how the guitars, basses, drums, and whatever else worked so we could keep playing. Pretty soon, others were asking if I could help with their gear as well and it was an enjoyable way to make a living while playing music as much as possible. I got my first proper guitar shop job in 1997 by buying the carcass of a '71 Gibson SG Pro from the guys at Retrotown Music in Canada. I slowly bought the parts to complete it as I could afford them. Although far from what I can do now, it was good enough for Darwin to give me a Saturday job cleaning and polishing any instruments. Drums, guitars, Hammond organs, you name it! By the time he trusted me enough to let me change the strings and adjust the intonation on his favorite 1963 Stratocaster, I was loving fixing instruments as much as playing them. That was well over 20 years ago and I still love repairing things. Maybe it's a condition? Was electrocuted one time too many? Who knows! Since then I have worked directly with bands, in studios, toured, and had the chance to work with many fine luthiers and technicians around the globe. The thirst for knowledge combined with the opportunity to put my skills to practice and the invaluable experience gained over the last few decades has helped formed my unique approach that looks beyond the instrument alone and brings the player’s interaction into focus as well. 

As true then as it is now; every single instrument, guitar, bass, or otherwise, is gently treated with the care and respect they deserve. Something I learned long ago :)

Gary chandler-honnor

A London original and an awesome dude; you’ll often see my most excellent colleague Gary in the workshop helping me out. Gary has been involved in the music and live events scene for most of his life and is a very talented guitar player to boot (better than myself, for sure) He’s a BIM Alumni and has played and been a technician for countless bands, events, and venues over the years, hence his finely honed eye for details. He’s a hard-working guy that believes that any job worth doing is worth doing right and that's why you’ll find him arm-deep in instruments so often! Gary also is a most excellent professional photographer, builds incredible sounding high-quality instrument cables, and on top of that manages to deal with a neurotic luthier who’s inhaled too much sawdust over the years! (yours truly)