Hamer Guitars Hamer Guitar Guru Jol Dantzig Founder, Guru and Designer of Hamer Guitars history of guitar

Some of Dantzig's contributions to guitar history include:

• Design of the first 12-string bass
• Design of the first locking tuner
• Design of the first workable electric/acoustic hybrid guitar (DuoTone)
• Creation of the "Modern-Vintage" boutique guitar niche market

Dantzig's guitar designs have won six Editor's Pick awards in a row
from Guitar Player magazine.

Dantzig has designed guitars for: John Lennon, George Harrison, Sting,
Keith Richards, Gary Moore, Billy Gibbons, Rick Nielsen, Keb Mo,
KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Lyle Workman, Mark Knopfler, Eric Johnson,
Martin Barre, Johnny Ramone, Elliot Easton, Brad Gillis, Roy Buchannan
Jeff Watson, James Honeyman-Scott, and many, many more.

Dantzig's musical credits include recording with: Blue Guru, Wilson Pickett,
Freddie Scott, Jon Tiven, Shaw-Blades, Jim Carroll, and Frank Black.
His compositions have been featured in films and television.

"Jolyon Dantzig combined his childhood love of music and art,
an adolescent infatuation with pop culture and a natural ability
with tools to create a career and influence an industry."

While in his early twenties, Dantzig was a professional touring musician who had lived in England and the West Indies. After attending the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Dantzig set up one of the country's first shops selling "vintage" instruments to collectors and rock's top musicians .

In 1973 Dantzig was a founding partner of the Hamer Guitars, the first "boutique" guitar company. Hamer was concieved a professional alternative to vintage instruments, a new and unique concept at the time.

By the mid eighties Hamer had solidified its reputation as a high- quality, professional guitar maker in the US. No other small company could boast of an artist roster as deep and diverse as Hamer's. All four Beatles, three of the Rolling Stones and every member of the Pretenders, Def Leppard, The Police (including the drummers!) owned Hamer instruments.

In 1988 Hamer was acquired by Kaman Music in order to expand distribution and develop the company's long term strategy.

After five years with Kaman Music, Dantzig relocated to northern California in 1993 to start the Dantzig Design Group, a design and concept development firm that operates like an artist's cooperative. He also served as a consultant to Kaman and a host of other music industry companies solidifing his status as a guitar guru.

In 1997, Dantzig was retained by Kaman to engineer Hamer's move to New Hartford in order to consolidate operations with their other Music companies. Dantzig's task included the logistics of moving and the design of a new workspace. Hamer's new shop is more artist's loft than factory. Nestled in a lush valley, 200 feet from the Farmington river, Dantzig and his team are now building the best Hamer instruments ever.

This transition is a return to the very philosophy that first launched Dantzig and Hamer into the worldwide spotlight.

"We're doing exactly what we do best," Dantzig states. "Demanding excellence within, and delivering character throughout."

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