I recently had the pleasure of attending a guitar clinic that felt less like a lecture and more like a conversational masterclass. Hosted by Bentley Music and Ibanez Guitars right here in the Bentley Music Auditorium in Petaling Jaya, Selangor Malaysia, the session featured the incredible Jack Gardiner. I’m a fan of Jack’s virtuosic, lyrical and melodic playing so this was a guitar clinic that I was really excited about.
From Liverpool Roots to Swiss Peaks
Jack’s journey is one many of us can relate to—starting with a deep love for the instrument and a lot of hard work. Raised in Liverpool, he grew up surrounded by the sounds of 70s rock and fusion thanks to his father, a bass player.
After begging for a guitar since the age of three, until his auntie got him a really cheap classical guitar. While he started on classical guitar at age nine, a Steve Vai solo on a Dweezil Zappa DVD eventually hooked him on the electric side of things.
Before he was touring Asia and releasing albums like Kintsugi, Jack cut his teeth playing covers in function bands seven nights a week starting at age 17. That “trial by fire” developed the versatile skill set he uses today. Eventually, he moved to Switzerland to focus on his path as a solo artist.
The Compositional Process
One of the most refreshing takeaways was Jack’s “pop-first” philosophy toward songwriting. Even though his music is harmonically dense, he usually starts with simple loops or triad-based chord structures. He prioritizes finding a strong main melody—the “hook”—before layering on the complex fusion arrangements we all love.
He uses MIDI mockups to build grooves, even if the parts are just “rubbish MIDI” to start. For Jack, the music is often tied to life experiences; for instance, his track “Mata Ne” was born from a farewell in Tokyo. That song is so beautiful and hearing him talk about the inspiration made me love the song even more.
Chasing the “80s Wobble”: Tone and Gear
If you’ve heard Jack play, you know his tone is iconic. He’s moved away from traditional cabinets, basically using a Quad Cortez for this gig. To get that ultra-compressed, “80s-style” fusion impact, his studio chain often includes three compressors and a limiter.
His live setup is surprisingly streamlined. He runs a Neural DSP Quad Cortex in “Scene Mode,” allowing him to switch gain stages instantly. He specifically mentioned using the Archetype Petrucci and Archetype Cory Wong plugins among others.
The Ibanez Connection
Jack’s move to the Ibanez AZ series felt like “coming home” for him. He needed an instrument that could deliver traditional, single-coil sounds (which he said some people might call an ‘adult’ guitar) while handling the high-performance demands of fusion. Interestingly, his first “real” guitar was an Ibanez Jem Junior, so returning to the brand brings his journey full circle.
Advice for the Modern Artist
To wrap up the clinic, Jack shared some practical wisdom for today’s landscape. His biggest tip? Consistency. He encouraged aspiring players to post content regularly on social media and—critically—keep your contact info accessible. His own partnership with JTC (Jam Track Central) came from being visible and reachable.
It was an inspiring evening for me. I also managed to talk to him after the clinic and am happy that he was so generous. I really hope to catch him again in the future.
In addition to all the stuff Jack shared, I was happy to see the Malaysian band playing to open the clinic and also jam with Jack at the end of the session. I applaud Bentley Music for making this part of the program. It’s nice to have a Malaysian element and this kind of cross over or collaboration. Good stuff.
All in all, this was a great experience for me. Love it!
A huge thanks to the entire Bentley Music team and Ibanez for hosting a world class guitar clinic experience, one that I would personally say is one of the best experiences I’ve had for a guitar clinic. I look forward to future clinics and I hope there will be more soon.
If you enjoyed this post, I encourage you to explore my other articles and posts, which offer even more guitar and music tips.
You might enjoy reading:
10 Things I Learned From The Manuel Gardner Fernandes Guitar Clinic at Bentley Music Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Event Review: Laney Presents Lari Basilio Asia Clinic Tour at Bentley Music Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
10 Things I Learned From the Ichika Nito Guitar Clinic at Bentley Music Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
7 Things I Learned From Mateus Asato
and this series:
[WORKSHOPS: LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS]
10 Things I Learned From The “A Conversation with Mateus Asato” Singapore Event in January 2025
10 Things I Learned From The Mateus Asato Singapore Guitar Clinic
10 Things I Learned From The Julian Lage TIJC 2017 Workshop
10 Things I Learned From The Jack Thammarat Kuala Lumpur Workshop
10 Things I Learned From The Guthrie Govan Kuala Lumpur Workshop
And for jazzers… interested to check out what I learned from the Thailand International Jazz Camp 2017 (12 hours of workshops & 2 hours of jam sessions), check out the 3,100+ word blog post here: Thailand International Jazz Camp 2017 with Shai Maestro/Desmond White Group and Thailand International Jazz Camp 2018 with Will Vinson Quintet.
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