Inside Jim's Shop

Jim's home and shop, March, 1997.

Jim's shop is located near his home in Circle Pines, Minnesota, near the "Twin Cities" of Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you have a serious interest in Jim's instruments and you expect to be in the Twin Cities area, contact Jim to plan a time to visit. It is not unusual for prospective customers to make a trip to the shop to see how Olson guitars are made, and to take a "test drive" on a recently completed guitar. All visitors leave Jim's shop amazed at the number, intricacy, and precision of the tools and jigs he has created to help him make the best guitars possible.

For those unable to visit in person, this corner of the web site offers a "virtual tour" of Jim's shop. The tour is a bit brief right now, but we have about 100 photos that will be added gradually over the next few months. So enjoy your virtual visit, and drop by again soon to see more.

Just click on an image to explore that part of the shop. Once "inside," you can click on most images you'll come across to view a larger version in a new window.


A quick walk through the main areas of the shop.


The Fadal, a computer-controlled machining center.	Jim's custom-made thickness sander.


A selection of some of the jigs and fixtures Jim uses to make backs and tops.	A glimpse at some steps in the assembly of guitar bodies.


Routers galore!	The sanding/buffing area.


The Laser cutter

More is coming; please check back again soon!