Career
Jeffrey Yong started out as a guitar instructor in 1976. He made his first guitar in 1985 from a DIY kit. 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. 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.
Formally known as Albizia saman and previously only used for aesthetic purposes, monkeypod was pioneered as a tonewood by Jeff Yong and has recently been applied by other luthiers such as Bamburg guitars. Steel String which shape is a cross between a Jumbo and a Classical Guitar. Member of the Order of Merit (Steel String)
Tioman I (Nylon String)
Tioman II (Nylon String)
Tioman III (Nylon String)
Jeffrey"s guitars are made with 99 percent local woods, the 1 percent is the maple veneer used in the bindings.
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.
