James Collins is a Master Luthier. He studied at the Galloup School of Lutherie in Michigan. Before becoming a luthier, James spent fifteen years in the music business; he then went on to build his own brand of hand-built boutique guitars that he regularly exhibited and sold all over the world. He is now an owner and tutor at Guitar Tech Courses, where he teaches guitar-building courses to novices, amateurs and touring techs. James has also spent the last fifteen years, owning and running a successful repair business, 12th Fret Ltd, one of the five Gibson service centres in the UK. He works and lives in the beautiful Sussex countryside with his wife Tiffany and daughter Amelie, as well as their dog, Harry.