Ian Pender has over fifteen years of experience in all aspects of building and repairing both acoustic and electric fretted stringed instruments. After years of modding and tinkering with his own instruments, Ian built his first electric guitar from scratch when he was 17. In 2007, Ian attended Vermont Instruments, in Post Mills, Vermont, where he designed and built his first acoustic guitar. Wanting to further his education in lutherie, Ian traveled to Big Rapids, Michigan, to attend the Galloup School of Lutherie. where he built four more instruments and received extensive training in instrument construction, musical acoustics, and guitar repair and restoration. After graduating from Galloup, Ian worked as a luthier at Saratoga Guitar, in Saratoga Springs, New York, doing minor repair and store stock setups, before relocating to the West Coast in 2011. In addition to producing his own handmade acoustic guitars and custom wound pickups, Ian manages the only Plek-equipped repair department in the state of Oregon, as the head luthier and repairs department manager at Five Star Guitars, where he also performs everything from basic setups and electrical work to more involved projects including (but not limited to): pickup rewinds, structural repairs such as headstock repairs, bridge reglues, crack repairs, and neck resets, custom inlay; fret leveling and refretting, including a handful of 17 and 19 note microtonal conversions; and even custom building entire necks for mandolin/mandola conversions. Ian is a Fender Certified Gold Level Technician, Taylor Silver Level Warranty Certified, Gibson Certified Repair Tech, Certified Buzz Feiten Tuning System Installer, and is a member of the Guild of American Luthiers.