James Fry has been a luthier and guitar technician for 27 years. He is certified as a gold level warranty technician by Martin, Taylor, Fender, Gretsch, Jackson, Charvel, and Squire. James learned his trade in the greater Chicago area of Valparaiso, Indiana at Front Porch Music. He now resides in Calgary, Alberta and has been an integral part of the guitar repair scene there for over two decades.
Studying repairs and guitar construction with Roberto-Venn graduates Mark Dillon and the late Greg Kent, James went on to further his soundboard bracing techniques during an onsite hands-on workshop with Master Luthier Ervin Somogyi. James has also participated in learning workshops with Frank Ford, Judy Threet, Bill Collings, Bryan Galloup, Joe Glaser, Dan Erlewine, and others through various guitar symposiums over the years. He has visited and trained on multiple occasions at the Taylor guitar factory and the Martin guitar factory and has spent learning days in the repair departments of Gruhn's Guitars and Glaser Instruments.
James’ acoustic and electric guitars that he has built over the years are played all over North America and the UK. Two of his custom builds are electric slide guitars for Canadian bluesmen, Brother Ray Lemelin and the late Tim Williams.
James has shared his repair expertise by teaching at guitar clubs in Alberta, teaching a class on guitar repair at Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alberta and a Guitar Maintenance Workshop at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
In 2011 James co-founded Guitar Repair Shack with Dougie McLellan, and left in 2023 to pursue other ventures. James left the repair industry for a break and to study at Bow Valley College in Disability Studies. He currently works as a guitar tech at Long and McQuade Chinook .
