Jolyon C. Dantzig (Jol Dantzig) is known as a guitar designer, guitarist, luthier, and one of the founders of Hamer Guitars. A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres Hamer Guitars is an American manufacturer that specializes in the production of high quality Guitars It was founded in Illinois by Jol Dantzig and
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Biography
A native of Evanston, Illinois, Jolyon (Jol) Dantzig began playing guitar and piano in grade school. Evanston Illinois is an affluent suburban Chicago Municipality on Lake Michigan on the North Shore in Cook County, Illinois directly He studied guitar with local teachers, most notably local blues guitarist Michael Bloomfield. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Dantzig attended Evanston Township High School where he studied photography. Evanston Township High School, or ETHS, is a public four-year High school located in Evanston Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago Dantzig continued his art education at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's premier Fine art museums While still in his early twenties, he became a touring musician, playing guitar, bass and singing in numerous rock and R&B bands. Dantzig also supported himself by buying and selling used guitars and running a band equipment rental company.
In 1970, Dantzig became a partner in Northern Prairie Music, one of the first shops selling "vintage" instruments to professional musicians and collectors. Northern Prairie was started by Craig Hendee. Hendee's protégé was a young guitarist named Paul Hamer. Paul E Hamer Jr (born September 23 1952 is an entrepreneur and guitar player famous for founding Hamer Guitars. Dantzig met Hendee and Hamer through a mutual friend. Dantzig became a partner in the business after Hendee left.
In 1973 Dantzig along with repairman John Montgomery, built a custom bass guitar. They began supplying custom guitars directly to musicians via the Northern Prairie storefront and through advertisements in Guitar Player magazine under the "Hamer" name in 1974. Guitar Player is a popular magazine for Guitarists It contains articles interviews reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists genres and products Hamer Guitars was incorporated in 1976.
During the 1970s and 80s Hamer Guitars grew in size and reputation. During this period Dantzig designed instruments for many of biggest names in music including all four The Beatles, three of The Rolling Stones and every member of The Pretenders, Def Leppard and The Police. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 The Pretenders are a British rock band The original band consisted of group founder and main Songwriter Chrissie Hynde ( lead vocals The Police were a three-piece rock band consisting of Sting ( vocals, Bass guitar) Andy Summers ( Guitar, The company was acquired by Kaman Music (a distribution firm) in 1988.
In 1993 Dantzig relocated to northern California to start the Dantzig Design Group, a graphic design and Internet content company. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. He also served as a consultant to Kaman Music and a host of other music industry companies. Kaman Music Corporation is a part of the Kaman Corporation founded by Charles Kaman.
Dantzig returned to Hamer as Technical Director in 1997 when the facility was moved to Connecticut. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Dantzig is active in the design and manufacture of Hamer's high-end custom guitars, as well as developing products for other clients via his Dantzig Design company.
Dantzig's hobby is collecting, working on and racing vintage sports cars.
Dantzig currently resides in Connecticut where he is the Technical Director for Hamer Guitars, and owner of Dantzig Design Group.
Guitar building achievements
One of Hamer Guitar's most famous pieces is an orange five-neck guitar built in 1981 for Rick Nielsen of the band Cheap Trick. Rick Nielsen (born December 22, 1946 in Rockford Illinois) is the lead Guitarist, Backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford Illinois, that gained popularity in the late 1970s This guitar was exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States attracting over one million visitors a year Some of Dantzig's other designs were also featured in an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of
Musical achievements
Although Dantzig was busy with his various business ventures, he has remained an active musician. Over the years he has written and performed music for several feature films including "End of the Line" and "Another Saturday Night. " Another Saturday Night " is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke. " His guitar and vocal work appears on recordings by Freddy Scott, Buddy Guy, Wilson Pickett, Frank Black, Jim Carrol and Shaw-Blades. George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is a five-time Grammy Award-winning American Blues and rock Guitarist Wilson Pickett ( March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B / Rock and Roll and soul This article is not about corporate consultant and author Jim Carroll
External links
- Hamer Guru Blog
- Official site of Hamer Guitars
- Jol Dantzig Guru Tour
- Custom Guitar Gallery
- Jol Dantzig Website
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