Our Story
Chad Jennings
Jennings Guitars started with Chad Jennings building his first electric guitar at the age of 14 for an eighth grade science fair project. His father pulled out their old rusty and dust covered Shop-Smith and with this Chad crafted his first body and neck. He was immediately hooked and Chad became infatuated with everything that involved building and playing guitars.
From the age of fourteen to nineteen, Chad focused on guitar building and repair as a hobby. In 2011, Chad’s close friend Devin asked if he could have an electric bass built. With his first order, Chad began to build and create the concept of Jennings Guitar’s in his parent’s garage. He spent countless hours using specialty tools, researching methods, and practicing with trial and error methods. Through dedicated hours of difficult work, Chad was able to hone his craft as a Luthier. Through this one order Jennings Guitars slowly but surely began to build a name of quality that people could trust.
Owner and founder of Jennings Guitars, Chad Jennings, has worked as a luthier from a variety of angles. Chad became a guitar technician in the summer of 2012. He performed setups and fret levels on about 300 guitars while still working to build Jennings Guitars. In 2013, Chad left his job of doing setups and repairs to fully develop Jennings Guitars.
To further his craft as a Luthier, Chad participated in a variety of guitar building and repair programs. He worked with guitar builder Dale Unger of American archtop in Nazareth, Pennsylvania; apprenticed under Jay Litchy of Litchy Guitars in Tryon, North Carolina; and graduated from Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair becoming certified in guitar building and repair.
After the refining and honing of Chad’s skills, Jennings Guitars was officially established in Camarillo, California in December of 2014. Today, Jennings Guitars is dedicated to helping musicians build an instrument that will further inspire musicians in creative ways.
Devin Murdoch
Devin started woodworking at the age of 13 in his jr. high school’s woodshop. Taking this class made him realize that he really enjoyed working in carpentry and wished to continue this hobby outside of the classroom. He and his dad began to buy many woodworking tools and were constantly starting new projects.
All throughout high school Devin made old school hand crafted skateboards by laminating strips of oak, mahogany, and maple together before shaping the planks into skateboard decks. In 2009 his skateboards were noticed by a local company called Honey Skateboards and they hired him on the spot. While working for Honey Skateboards he made hundreds of handmade longboard skateboards and honed in his skills as a carpenter.
In 2013 he started to work with Chad making custom guitars and basses. He became a co-founder and manages the shop floor as well as keeping up with connections between the company and many of it’s clients and the major artists that we work with. He is very involved in the local music scenes within Los Angeles and Ventura, has played in many different bands, and has toured all over the United States and Canada. Devin is also a graduate from California State University Channel Islands (conveniently located right down the street from the shop) where he studied business and entrepreneurship, which helps with many of the operations in the shop.
