Jol Dantzig
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Jolyon C. Dantzig (Jol Dantzig) is known as a guitarist, luthier and one of the founders of Hamer Guitars.
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[edit] Biography
A native of Evanston, Illinois, Jolyon (Jol) Dantzig began playing guitar and piano in grade school. He studied guitar with local teachers, most notably local blues guitarist Michael Bloomfield. Dantzig attended Evanston Township High School where he excelled in photography, eventually teaching classes himself. Dantzig continued his art education at the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied 2D design and film. While still in his early twenties, he became an accomplished 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 his band equipment rental company.
In 1970, Dantzig became a partner in Northern Prairie Music, one of the country's 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. Dantzig met Hendee and Hamer through a mutual friend, and as Hendee became less involved with the business, Dantzig bought in. Dantzig's touring experience helped him relate to the professional clientle.
In 1973 Dantzig and his mentor, repairman John Montgomery, built Dantzig a custom bass guitar in the back room of Northern Prairie Music. By doing so, they had unknowingly begun what was to be the industry's first "boutique" guitar company. They began supplying custom guitars directly to musicians via the Northern Prairie storefront and through advertisements in Guitar Player magazine. The partners: Hamer, Dantzig, Montgomery and Walker began building guitars under the "Hamer" name in 1974. Hamer Guitars was incorporated in 1976.
As business increased, Dantzig's duties included the design of instruments and the workshop tooling as well as running the "factory." During the 1970s and 80s Hamer Guitars company grew in size and reputation. During this period Dantzig, along with his partners, designed instruments for dozens of the biggest names in rock music including all four The Beatles, three of The Rolling Stones and every member of The Pretenders, Def Leppard and The Police.
In 1993 Dantzig relocated to northern California to start the Dantzig Design Group, a graphic design and Internet content company. He also served as a consultant to Kaman Music and a host of other music industry companies, solidifying his status as a guitar guru.
Dantzig returned to Hamer as Technical Director in 1997 and was put in charge of moving the facility to Connecticut. As of this writing 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.
[edit] 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. This guitar was exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. Some of Dantzig's other designs were also featured in an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution.
[edit] 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." His guitar and vocal work appears on recordings by Freddy Scott, Buddy Guy, Wilson Pickett, Frank Black, Jim Carrol and Shaw-Blades.
