James Limborg: The Journey of a Self-Taught Artist
James Limborg’s musical journey began in Minnesota, sitting on the kitchen floor playing metal pan lids and canned goods like drums. After starting drum lessons at age 8, he discovered the guitar at age 10. He is forever grateful to his first teacher and close friend, Drew Kabanuk, for a year of foundational lessons that launched his passion for the instrument. James continued his growth by ear, listening to Van Halen tapes to master complex rhythms and solos. Throughout his teens, he performed with his rock band BACK-STAGE and was later offered two $1500 scholarships to Berklee College of Music after judges in their 5-week summer program were impressed by his improvisational skills. James ultimately chose not to attend the college, preferring to create music intuitively rather than through the memorization of scales and music theory.
In 1991, James was recruited by The Jets (famed 80s pop group) for their live performances. During his time with the band, he showcased his versatility by playing drums, guitar, and various keyboard parts. Shortly after, he joined Ingrid Chavez as her lead guitarist, which included rehearsing at Paisley Park Studios and performing at First Avenue. Between 1990 and the early 2000s, James collaborated with Steve Laws Anderson to co-write seven songs, resulting in the album Blue Sky. By 1992, James reunited with Drew Kabanuk to perform in Paradise Band, where he balanced roles as a lead guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist, while also serving as the Live Sound Engineer.
Today, James focuses on sharing his technical knowledge and spiritual research to help others. Since his spiritual awakening in 2012, he has utilized his decades of experience to create helpful resources for musicians, such as his BOSS GT-10 and Line 6 Helix sound designs and his guitar chord and scale posters. From his early music recording experiments on a Vesta Fire MR-10 4-track analog cassette machine to his current playing on a Steinberger GT Pro Deluxe electric guitar, James remains dedicated to the joy of creation and living a life centered in Love.
