Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackson Herrera.
Hi Jackson , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey in music started playing in local underground bands with my friends, which eventually led me behind the scenes. I spent years on the road as a guitar and drum technician, getting a ‘boots on the ground’ education in what an instrument needs to endure on tour. When I moved back to LA, I decided to formalize that experience and enrolled in the Guitar Craft program at Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
After graduating, I cut my teeth at Fender in a seasonal setup / final assembly gig before joining Guild Guitars at their then-brand-new factory in Oxnard. I had the incredible fortune of being an apprentice under legendary master builder Ren Ferguson. Those three years were pivotal; they shaped my understanding of the soul of an instrument. From there, I was promoted to the Cordoba Custom Shop, where I focused on the precision and delicate bracing required for handmade, high-end nylon-string guitars.
In 2018, I funneled all those influences—the grit of the road, the heritage of this company I worked for—into my own brand, Ventura Guitar Company. I’ve been building one-of-a-kind, handmade electric guitars and basses ever since.
While growing my own company, I was invited to join the Yamaha Artist Services Custom Shop in 2021. Today, I balance my time between building my own custom pieces and working at the highest level of the industry—collaborating with Yamaha’s R&D department in Japan and providing setups, repairs, and modifications for their premier artist roster.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but the challenges are exactly what gave me the skill set I have today.
One of the biggest hurdles was the transition from the road to the bench. When you’re a touring tech, you’re a firefighter—you’re doing high-pressure, ‘MacGyver’ style repairs to keep a show running. Transitioning from that mindset to the patient, microscopic precision of a high-end guitar build was a major shift. It required a complete recalibration of my discipline; I had to learn that you can’t rush and keep the standard.
Another significant challenge was starting Ventura Guitar Company in 2018. When you work for a powerhouse like Fender or Guild, you have every tool and resource at your fingertips. Striking out on my own meant building that infrastructure from scratch. I had to learn the ‘business of the bench’—sourcing high-grade tonewoods, managing client expectations, and maintaining my creative voice while being the sole person responsible for every single detail of the build.
Lastly, balancing my personal brand with my work at the Yamaha Artist Services Custom Shop requires a lot of mental agility. On one hand, I’m building one-off, ‘no-rules’ instruments for VGC; on the other, I’m working within the very specific R&D requirements of a global leader like Yamaha. Switching between those two worlds—the boutique and the corporate—takes focus.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I don’t do assembly lines, and I don’t do “standard models.” At Ventura Guitar Company, I build one-of-a-kind, handmade electric guitars and basses for players who want an instrument with its own pulse. Based in San Buenaventura, California, I’ve been running this shop since 2018 with a simple philosophy: if it doesn’t have “mojo,” it doesn’t leave the bench.
What I think sets VGC apart is that each guitar has a distinctly look, feel and sound, each one is unique and each one tells a different story.
I’ve spent years on the road as a touring tech, and that experiences on the road somehow, I’m bringing in it to my daily work at the shop. When I build a VGC guitar, I’m taking all that—the road-tested durability, the master-builder heritage I got from learning and working along the best in the business, and that I still get the opportunity of working on a high-end R&D environment—and putting all that into a single, “no-rules” instrument.
I specialize in bolt-on electrics—specifically my Anacapa T, Anacapa Offset, and Oxnard Bass. But here’s the thing: I don’t follow a rigid spec sheet. Every piece of wood is different, so every guitar I build is a unique “one-off.” I use 100% US-made hardware and parts, focusing on the character of the materials rather than trying to make everything look like it came out of a plastic mold.
The Mission:
I’m most proud of the fact that my guitars aren’t museum pieces. They’re tools for the working musician. I’ve built for some of the biggest names in the business through my work at Yamaha, Guild and Cordoba, but with Ventura Guitar Company, my goal is to put that same “custom shop” quality into the hands of any player who values authenticity.
Ventura Guitar Co. is about the soul of the instrument. Whether it’s a ground-up custom build or a master-level setup and repair, you’re getting the same hands that the pros trust. I’m not interested in being the biggest brand—I’m interested in building the best and coolest guitar you’ve ever owned.
How do you think about luck?
I honestly feel like I’ve had a lot of good luck. From my time on the road to landing where I am today —it’s been about being in the right place at the right time with the right people. Luck has always been good to me, and I’m just incredibly thankful for the path I’ve been on.
Pricing:
- I’m really proud of the fact that we can offer a truly handmade, one-of-a-kind instrument starting around $2,700, depending on the final spec at this moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.venturaguitarcompany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturaguitarcompany
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VenturaGuitarCompany
- Other: https://www.reverb.com/shop/venturaguitarcompany
Image Credits
#1- Hollywood bowl seat 10 Anacapa T, picture by Randley Morales.
#2- Richard Fotus from Guns N Roses, playing his Hollywood Bowl seat 6 Anacapa T at the Hollywood Bowl 2023, picture by Guns N Roses official photographer.
#3- Enrique M. Paris (my business partner at VGC and good friend) and I at the NAMM show 2026 with one of guitar in exhibition.
#4- Black Dog Anacapa T, picture by Randley Morales.
#5- VGC logo, designed by Digital Egg in NC.
#6- BFG Anacapa T, picture by Randley Morales.
#7- Rio Grande railroad Anacapa Offset bass, picture by Randley Morales.
#8- All purple Anacapa T, picture by Randley Morales.
