In the heart of hougang lies an acoustic tone-master... ... and his name is Jarvis Wong.

Can you describe what is it exactly that you do regarding acoustic guitars?

I help owners setup their guitars correctly with new handcrafted FMI saddle/nuts…it stands for Fossilized Mammoth Ivory. The material used in the making of the saddle can influence those vibrations and contributes to the resulting tone of the guitar. Among the most popular saddle materials used for professional-level guitar is fossilized mammoth ivory. These saddles are not made out of actual fossils (i.e. rock). Rather they are made from ivory tusks that have started the mineralization process which ultimately turns them into fossils. These are legal ones that I have in stock.

Some of the other services I provide..installation of pickups, repairs, Refret, rectifying problems associated with high humidity. My philosophy is to treat the main cause of the problems and not the symptoms of it( which many do). This takes a bit more time as you will need to normalize the guitar then take corrective action to do whatever nessasary to make the guitar right.

In a sentence ….How to improve/maximise/optimize the tone and playability of your guitar that will bring out the best of your musical abilities? When the guitar is setup correctly..the tone is optimized…it inspires the musician to play better..the expression of the musician is being push a couple of notches upwards. We have all been there ..if I passed you a good sounding guitar that plays very well..there and then..whatever you play is going to be effortless..you are able play something ..a tune or a piece that fully expressed it in a way you always wanted but only on this guitar..That’s my ultimate goal and purpose. To make you fall in love with you guitar and make you better expressive player.

The other thing is I’m also a guitar player. Having played live in many situations, venues like Indoor Stadiums, Hotels, small venues..in large crowds from 8000 people down to small groups..I can understand what a musician require, needs, expect and also the problems they face amplifying the tone of their guitar. I have been there so I’m here to consult with them and make sure they don’t make the same mistakes that I have gone through.

At this moment I’m also doing demos of guitars and gears on YouTube.

I understand that you work in the Healthcare industry as a day job - how exactly did you start out doing what you do?

I was working with a day job..so this guitar thingy was a hobby. I always wanted to ensure that I got the best out of every guitar. So I experimented with different materials from Tusq, Bone then down to FMI. I started out doing it for free for the people around me..then there was a cost involved..word got around and then everyone wanted it free and these stuff cost money. So I started charging a low fee to cover some of the cost involved.

Who are your influences/idols/mentors?

I have many influences in my life. One of them is my father..he was very strict and while bringing me up when I was helping him out fixing his scooter in the 70s..I was just not putting any effort in helping him…he turned to me sternly and said “son if you want to do a job…either you do it well if not don’t even try to do it” wow!!! I guess that statement stayed with me in my heart all the way..that is why I strived to be the best in whatever I seek to do. That thinking is applied to guitars and playing them.

The other person is my Pastor Joseph Prince. http://www.josephprince.org/

My life have been never been the same since I have heard his messages of Grace and Peace. His messages inspires you.

Lastly my wife ..the supportive one..without her…all my success is nothing and worthless.

Playing influences would be Lee Ritenour, Tommy Emmanuel, piano players like Dave Grusin, David Benoit and many others from the Jazz Scene.

Luthiers- The father of voicing the guitar..Ervin Symogyi..currently I’m reading his two books The Responsive Guitar and Making the Responsive guitar and his Dvd on Voicing the Guitar. This was given to me as a birthday gift from a close friend of mine.

Is your end-goal to become a luthier?

I had always wished to become a luthier. However due to my family/work commitments I prefer to do what I’m doing now. To further improve on what has been done.

A luthier primarily build guitars…but a guitar tech may have more experience in repairing, modifying , improving the playability of guitars much more than a luthier. Why is this so?..its the real life experience…education or a certification is good..but it can only take you that far…some things in life are not found in books..you have to experience it and learn from it…improving from your last work. I have seen some of the work that our local guitar techs from the shop churned out which was way better that some being done by qualified ones. I applaud them.

What are your more popular services?

Almost everyone that sends in their guitar goes for at least a FMI saddle upgrade then a FMI nut and now the hot item is the specially dye unbleached bone pins. If they play live then it's the pickup installation( I have 3 models) that I do for them.

How long have you been working on guitars?

I have worked with guitars unofficially as early as 1988. With what I’m doing right now then it was from 2002 onwards.

Having played so many instruments – which ones do you think are the best you’ve ever played?

This is a hard question to answer. Reason I have played so many ones that were impressive.  I would go with three guitars maybe more that impressed me.

One was an Olson limited edition James Taylor model SJ. Cedar top http://www.olsonguitars.com/jt_model.html with a nice tight grained Indian Rosewood. The playability of this guitar is just awesome. Easy to play and you need very little right hand technique to get the tone out. Sweet sounding guitar and the owner is a good friend of mine. I could play this for hours.

The other is a Franklin http://franklinguitarcompany.com/ this was a euro top/Brazilian OM with stock FMI saddle/Nut. Fat thick sounding trebles nice mids with a smooth rounded bass response. The guitar sounded like its been aged and played in . The owner waited 15 years for this guitar.

Thirdly I would say the Goodalls http://www.goodallguitars.com/ are just impressive..clear ringing trebles , loud yet responsive. It seems to have that internal REVERB not found on other guitars. Plus structurally very sound..the tops are braced to withstand long term weather problems but also with good tone in mind. They would last a long time. They are way better sounding and better made guitars than a lot of small single luthiers builders guitars that I’ve played out there.

Lastly if you are looking for small bench type guitars then I would say I love the Collings( well made guitars) , Bourgeois, Huss & Dalton and Santa Cruz.

For playing live in a Loud band situations I would say the Mcphersons http://mcphersonguitars.com/ They are ultimate tops in the amplified tone. There is just something magical about their amplified tone that every soundman I have come across always said. “its cuts thru the mix, It sits on top of the mix, Sounds pretty good I don't have to touch any of the EQ, it just does not clash with mid range of the pianos”

Any encounters with guitar luthiers/ famous musicians to share?

One was meeting face to face with Mr Chris Martin the President of Martin guitar here is Singapore. I bumped into him and spent whatever time I had on hand interviewing him on his guitars followed by question after question. Chris is a down to earth humble guy indeed.

I’ve become good friends with many luthiers. One of them is Jeffrey Yong from Malaysia http://www.gimmusic.com/ . The other Tom Doerr of http://www.doerrguitars.com .

Famous musician..yes..Mr Jack Ho of Jack & Rai. http://www.jackandrai.com/ .

We met at a guitar shop when he was just starting out and we became friends. When we first met I already felt he had something special with his music and he also has a positive personality that just jumped out of him. He is a perfectionist about his craft so setting up his acoustic guitars was a great learning experience for me.

Any love for the electric guitar?

I do have love for electric guitars…but I choose not to touch them reason being I know I’m going to buy the best ones..so I better stay focus at this moment and just keep it at acoustics.

Could you list the guitar gear that you possess currently?

I have a couple of guitars. Several production guitars( only the high end)..I always prefer  nicer appointments  and do end up woth the higher end models. One custom made guitar by Tom Doerr.  A Mcpherson 3.5xp which I used live. I’m currently gravitating towards older used guitars.

Your desert island guitar/pedal/other gear?

I’ll just take a Baby Taylor or Little Martin…that will do…but food and drink is more important to me

What do you think of the music scene in Singapore?

I feel the music scene is moving forward. More people are taking up guitars…could be the church cell meetings that require a guitarist. Could be the avenue that the younger ones are craving for fame..and also that is an outlet to fully express themselves. That alone is a good sign. More people or the younger ones have resources to help them become a better player. However while people have the technical skills know how…I would also suggest that as part of their development to play from the heart…a little bit more expression. Be yourself.. that's what separates you from another person. Find what you like and excel at that. Learn from the best. Allow your passion and energy to your show up in your performance…

Do you think that the internet is a good or bad thing for music? What is your view on illegal music downloading?

The internet is good for music….You learn to play better. Illegal Music Downloading…I still buy CDs as I want the original hardcover..and I want to support the musicians. They need to make a living.

How long have you been playing guitar? Do you gig?

I’ve Been playing since 1984. Yes I do play live at least twice a month in a live band situation.

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