it's pretty interesting to see how jin doesn't necessarily want to expand as a brand, because that would affect the quality of QC itself. He just wants to make sure everything that comes through is to his standards.
That's the truth. You just couldn't give the guitars the QC they'd need when you're producing so many. I've been very interested in AIO/wolf guitars for a while, but I only like to upgrade or get something that's at least as nice as what I already have. Otherwise it probably won't get played...but then again harley benton surprised me in that aspect.
This is a great insight as to how luthier‘s work. I understand exactly what you’re saying Brother) and I also watch other channels that are just losers because like I said my comment I just got a luthier kit that just came in recently and I’ve got several guitars that I want to do the same thing as this guy is doing to make them sound as beautiful as possible they do have problems some of them I will keep. They look great. They do sound great right now but I want them to sound absolutely beautiful and look amazing. So right on brother you’re interested in this is me and I like people understand what is going on or if I don’t know somethings sometimes like I get the answers. I would suggest if you’re not a luthier and you’d like to do this kind of stuff you can get the kids yourself. And it’s mostly minor adjustments and fretwork things like that. But it’s really fun to do you might wanna look into it Bro. Have a good one. My voice recognition system is screwing up. I hope everything came out right. Lol.
@@kiezersosay49 Harley Benton goes through Jin ? Does anyone know if H. B. goes through Jin to make their Guitars better before they get sold ? I hope everyone is doing well .
I own 3 AIO guitars..2 Strats and a LP style. They came set up exactly as specified in the orders and they play great! Happy to finally see Jin and his shop. Fantastic guitars all around.
Dude I still have my blue Wolf WLP and It’s my main guitar. I showed it off to people who owned gibson customs and they were blown away. Such good instruments
As a luthier myself, it's great to see a company like this with a director who wants the business to remain small. This is the only way to maintain quality. I only recently started playing a buying guitars. I am 64 and spent most of my music career as a classical bassist trained at some of the finest music schools in America. With the decision to add luthier skills to my basket, I quickly found that the 'big houses' of the violin world which handled most of the very expensive instruments, were more concerned about bottom line than the quality of work they were doing on the finest violin family instruments the world has known. Staying small, yes we still need to worry about our 'bottom line', but we can control the quality of our work much better. Kudos to Jin and his crew for really understanding this concept. Their guitars are really gorgeous, and with their attention to detail, I will certainly be adding at least one of their guitars to my collection in the near future. Thank you for making this vid. I love finding diamonds in the rough - those lesser companies with lower prices but still really quality offerings. These guys are doing things right.
Since you are a luthier, would you say that left and right are typically done by one guy, or would they dedicate a lefty guy to the task generally? Does it matter if a luthier doesn't do lefties as often, it'll still be just as good?
I love how much attention to detail he and his staff have towards the instruments coming into his shop! I like his idea of keeping the brand under the radar so that he can continue making high quality instruments at affordable prices!
i was a career letter carrier, im 70 now but from 25 to 55 i delivered mail to so many small businesses in storefronts just like this. i have had so many tours.. I love it. i always had time to see how the magic is done. success is a job shop. get big and watch your special k go out of the mix.
Hey Max, I want to acknowledge you for having the best guitar channel on RU-vid. This location shoot demonstrates why you are the best. Jin and his team are doing fabulous work. Thanks guys!
Thanks Max! That brief tour at the guitar shop was really interesting. I have recently bought my first instrument from AIO Guitars. It is my first guitar purchase ever. It is due to arrive in a day or two. Jen said that he was planning to ship it out on Monday; today is Tuesday so you know that I’m excited about it. I’m keeping my ears tuned for the sound of a delivery truck. Anyway this purchase was largely influenced by your spots while speaking about AIO guitars, and a brief video with the tech doing his job. This show of yours has expanded a bit about this ‘tuning’ process, and shows how important that it is. [I know this for a fact, because I keep my skis in tune, not for sound, but for how they will handle under different surface conditions on the slopes, from powder through ice. This must be considered or your day won’t be as fun as you may expect; I digress, sorry] Anyway I feel that I know Jen a little more than before, when he has called to ask me a few questions & talk about my purchase. Who does that anymore? I’ll tell you: only a business owner/operator that cares about his customers, that’s who! I feel really good about my guitar purchase from him.
Max, because of your reviews and demos of these guitars, I took a leap of faith and ordered one of the AIO Strat style guitars. I really don't know what to expect but I'm hoping for a good experience and one that I don't regret.
I’m so glad you arranged to show us Jin’s AIO shop, so we can see his attention to detail. That’s extremely unusual to find from any brand. It really adds to the value and quality. Thanks to Jin and his fellow guitar tech for striving to provide quality instruments in a manner that I’ve never seen from ANY brand, at ANY price point.
I have bought Wolf guitars from Jin and had work done on others. He redressed the frets on my old Washburn 12-string, replacing almost a third of them due to wear and the result was amazing. As you know, from interviewing him, he is a no-nonsense kind of guy and he calmly and patiently schooled me in proper guitar care. He took a home built guitar that my friend's son had made for him in a high school shop class and completely remedied the intonation issues. I'm so glad to see he has relocated from the downtown LA location, where you had to enter from the tiny parking lot entrance in the back, due to security concerns. This man is just amazing! Thanks for talking him into doing an interview (as I'm positive you had to!).
I am so pleased to see the bass is presented.My primary "finger voice" is just that. Recovering from a work career ending hand injury, music is now my focus! Thanks again for giving us a wider view. Home base~Chicagoland, Skokie.
" ... my luthiers get fired because they are lazy - not doing great job ... " 🤣🤣🤣- hats off - this single statement got me sold. Just shows how passionate and thorough Jin is about the work. EXACTLY what is needed to ensure that the instruments are of a high quality in terms of setup and playability after passing these stages of inspection. This kind of attention to detail is so rare and getting rarer in these times of 'big profits', 'cost cutting', 'cheaper materials' and 'shoddy workmanship' in general. Luckily, the world of guitars is an exception with the 'quality for the price ratio' getting higher by the day.
Max; Wow, I didn't realize this was the shop where they actually work. I've seen the storefront for years (it's directly across the street from where I get my hair cut!), but it never looked from the street like anyone was there. When I bought my Wolf 335 after seeing your review of their LP style guitar, I went to Jin's shop in Korea Town to pick it up and he set it up for me while I waited. I'm still very happy with that guitar! Thank you!
After watching this video I will be buying one of these guitars. They seem to put their heart and soul into what they ship out. I absolutely want to back this kind of work. What an absolute gem. Thank you for sharing this, Max!
@@nicolasbeaudry6158 I think you'll find most are coming from IYV's custom shop equivalent in Viet Nam & some are from S. Korea. But you're right that Jin and his crew do the QC inspections & setups.
as a proud owner of AIO guitars, is nice to see Jin and the work done. I never had an issue, and always great respond from Jin. looking forward to buy more. amazing great quality
Awesome company and craftsmanship. I have 4 Wolf guitars from AIO before the new headstock design. Mine say Wolf with the picture of the wolf. I have 2 WPRS guitars which are PRS copies, a Les Paul copy with orange flame top and the Les Paul copy with the mother of pearl and abalone top. It’s just gorgeous. The pickups are decent. I was so impressed I emailed Jin Soo and Ingushed about the customer service and craftsmanship and of course the setup. Great guy and company for sure. Best deal out there…
It was great you were showing his shop , he said he is very ,very picky. And he doesn't want to be too big . Now, I want to get one of his guitars. Good video!
FINALLY!! Glad to see you're a man of your word. Not that I doubted it. Just very happy to see what many customers never get to see behind the guitar shop. THANK YOU MAX!!
Cool to see the personal attention each guitar gets. This gives me more confidence that ordering their guitars will deliver a good playing instrument. Thanks
My personal experience with Jin and AIO Guitar was top notch and personal. It was shipped and received in perfect condition I highly recommend AIO Guitar!
This makes me appreciate AIO Guitars even more. The quality control behind each guitar. The passion put into making each one specified to the player's need. I really admire that level of dedication. Definitely going to buy a few of their guitars in the near future. Huge respect to Jin for wanting to keep the company small in his control. It's commendable that he chooses quality over more money.
Great, great, great video! I am stunned by all of the detailed work that goes into each guitar, especially when you consider the low prices they charge. Honestly, I don’t understand how this business model is sustainable. Add up the materials and the man-hours put into each guitar, and then look at the price. Is their profit? Of course. Enough profit? Time will tell. Let’s hope they can keep it rolling!
Wow! That's amazing! Thank you for sharing, Max. So good to see a business owner with that level of hands on commitment and passion. Kudos to him for wanting to stay at a manageable level without expansion.
Got two serviced by Jinsoo. They play AWESOME! If you haven't visited his shop, you absolutely should. 🔥👊 Perhaps, other shops can learn a thing or ten about customer experience from Jinsoo. My go-to shop for all my guitar needs.
MAX: I just got the "AIO S1 Wolf" (Black) that you reviewed (except mine is the SSH instead of the HSH you had) and so this video is great to see! Jin seems really genuine about his concern for the customer and that's really great to know when thinking about future purchases! 🙂
I bought one of their Single Cut LPs during Covid... It made getting through the plandemic much easier.. Thank you Jin!!! Oh, and thank you Max, for bringing these great guitars to our attention.
Really like the *Green LP* but would love it if it had *gold hardware!* 😁 The attention to "set details" is truly impressive and customer centric! 🧐 *_"Jen holds to his passion for a quality guitar from one musician to another!"_* ❤🔥 😎 Truly special person and company! _Very impressive!!_
After seeing one of your videos,I bought an AIO guitar. It was around Christmas, due to the volume of sales my guitar was late. I contacted them. They proceeded to make it right. I received the guitar. I was surprised at the quality of neck work that had been done. Via email I let them know. After seeing this video, I understand why it was late. I appreciate the workmanship. Good quality quitars.
Wow! Max you did this company justice. AIO was not on my radar until now. I hope they come out with a V shaped concept. I would not hesitate on a on a purchase. Thanks.
I have to tell you - I just purchased a TC1-H ( with a beautiful flame top ) , and this thing is incredible! It looks like a piece of art , it feels amazing in my hands , and plays perfectly !! Im telling you that the setup work they do on these guitars is second to none. I think that he has found a very good manufacturer/product , brings these things in, and then fine-tunes them, and the ultimate end result is incredible guitars that rival some of the finest instruments that I have played.
I have never seen somebody level the entire fretboard with the strings still on. That was wild. I'm now even more excited to buy that redburst single-cut, its great to get to see the luthiers and the company, thanks to Max, and to Jin for doing such good work.
I got half way through this video and I went to the AIO website and bought a neck thru, strat style guitar an HSS setup. I told Jin that I heard about AIO from you buddy. :)
Thanks for this. I believe they use IVY for one of their manufacturers. After getting my own IYV, I'd definitely buy from AIO to get that level of attention. Really between their level of attention and the build quality of IYV, you have a heck of a combo there.
AIO's theory of the guitar market fits well into your observation Max, with which I agree, that overall the construction of guitars has improved tremendously, that most are made overseas anyway, and that what distinguishes guitars now is the "last mile" -- the little Q/C things like intonation, setup, action, frets, nut filing, etc. All of this work should probably be done on every guitar sold regardless of brand. With AIO you know you are getting it. Good luck finding someone these days at a guitar shop that even knows how to do this work much less who would charge a reasonable price for it. I'll likely be purchasing and AIO soon. My only concern is that they are a bit mysterious about their hardware.
I just ordered an S4, got a response to the setup form within an hour. Very excited to get the email that it's on its way home to me! Thanks Guitar Max for the awesome video of the AIO shop which was a main selling/purchasing point for me!!
Max, you’re doing so many of us a huge service with this Channel! I will definitely order something from this shop! I have had to return 3 Fenders over the last 2 years. 😑👎🏻. Its really heartbreaking the company who’s endorsees like Clapton got me playing, can’t even produce guitars without problems. And guess what ALL three had in common? … BAD FRETWORK!
I have an AIO guitar and am very impressed. When I ordered it, they e-mailed me and asked how I would like it set up. It arrived flawless. Although I own many guitars, I play this one every day.
As a proud owner of both a Wolf blue 335 and an AIO Tropical Sunset Tele, I continue to marvel at the level of quality and workmanship of the Wolf/AIO guitars. Not to mention that they are really nice to deal with and very responsive. I fully intend to buy more from them in the future. Thank you, AIO, and THANK YOU MAX for your incredible videos. I am a huge fan....
I got the AIO SC77 (gold top). Jin emailed and ask what kind of setup would I like. I requested to be like an Ibanez Jem, and boy, it plays like butter. way better than any LP that I've played! the Fret work is awesome!
Just bought my first one. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. As soon as I ordered it Jin called me personally to double check my setup order. Very impressive.
Purchased a W400 TRE a couple years back and have to mention besides the setup done by AIO the communication from Jin is excellent as well. Answered all my questions quickly both email and phone call. I keep putting down a custom shop fender strat and a Les Paul that I had plecked at a local guitar shop in lieu of the W400 which to me just feels better when playing. I'm not saying the AIO guitars are in the same league as some of the high end custom shop models but it just goes to show that its so much better when the time is put in by the seller in the setup before it goes out to the customer and can make such a huge difference. I would especially recommend to all beginners and first timers just starting out to consider purchasing thru AIO. Thanks Max for visiting the AIO store.
wow that was great to see. no body does this that I know of. I think Jin really cares about the people buying from him. Im diggin that light blue S style with the maple neck.....oh yea
Great tour , these guys at aio guitars are really passionate about there product. They put the extra mile to satisfy the customer. I hope there making a profit $$$ from there sales , im going to look into purchasing one there guitars.
This is a great video. I am happy to see at least one company is really looking at the products before they are sent to the customer. Thank you for taking the time to show us how they ensure quality. Also, thanks to Jin for letting us see his process.
I bought my AIO because of your review a while back and absolutely love this guitar. Once my guitar got to their shop, i had several emails back and forth about what setup i would prefer. Took about two weeks to get my order and i couldn't ask for anything better.
Gave me an appreciation for AIO guitars for sure. Basically importing Chinese guitars and doing all the setup work. Which you would be doing yourself or paying someone to do anyhow.
Thanks for this video. I have had a brief email exchange with Jin in the past but now I really understand. The hard part now is picking a model to purchase. Thanks again!
