Guest Luthier Series: Jol Dantzig

[dd12939]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Mr. Dantzig -
Thanks and Welcome!

As someone who's been part of the industry for quite some time and in several capacities, is there one accomplishment/innovation/title you'd like to be remembered for?

Also, in your long line of artist-relationships, is there one that stands out from the rest as the most rewarding for you?

Thanks again!

[ratherdashing]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol, thanks for taking the time to do this. I have always been very impressed with your guitars.

You have a lot of different body shapes in your product line today, and in the past. Where do the design ideas for the body shapes come from? Do you try to improve on classic designs, or do you take a "from the ground up" approach? What sorts of things do you need to take into account when designing a new guitar body?

Thanks.

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol, it's good to know that you're into bass as well.

With all respect to well-regarded makers like yourself, Alembic, Spector, Pedulla and so on, would you say that Fender got it right with the 2nd-gen P and the vol-vol-tone Jazz, or are there still some advances to make in the field?

Some basses look good on paper: Great lows, punchy mids, clean clear highs. They intonate well and all the notes are even and sustain well. But they leave me cold with their "engineered" personality. I don't know what it is about them that I don't care for, but I like the personality of a bass to come through, even with flaws. I guess if I was doing session work and the producer was a control freak I'd never work with my P-bass. But if the guy wanted some soul...

It's all about what you are looking for I guess. When I play that P-bass, it sounds pretty darn good to me. It doesn't fret as well as a modern bass, and the intonation isn't perfect, but it sounds like a bass to me and I love it.

When I built my first instrument, I wanted something that was agressive looking and different. A black V bass with a whammy bar was what I came up with in 1973. I still have it, but it wouldn't be my go-to bass today.

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol, thanks for taking the time to do this. I have always been very impressed with your guitars.

You have a lot of different body shapes in your product line today, and in the past. Where do the design ideas for the body shapes come from? Do you try to improve on classic designs, or do you take a "from the ground up" approach? What sorts of things do you need to take into account when designing a new guitar body?

Thanks.

Good question! In the beginning, we made angular guitars that were our take on guitars that were so rare most people had never seen them. Nowadays, a Dean ML is considered "classic" almost traditional!

The shock value of making "statement" shape guitars has been devalued to the point of distraction, so I'd rather try to concentrate on the overall package: a guitar that works well and is greater than the sum of its parts.

Although I admire designers like Gittler or Klein and Steinberger, my stuff is more grounded in tradition I guess. Most of the shapes are driven by my personal taste and preference. I do like it when a guitar looks a certain way, but it fools you when you plug it in. That's the new shock value for me... a guitar that looks metal, but works for jazz. But mostly its about the function first, the cosmetics second.

[BloodRose]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Thank you for the responses to my previous! I wont se so skeptical of the chambers in the Standards then as it sounds very well thought out. Hopefully Ill be able to try both before I buy. But there are no dealers near me..

Would be great to see the imports rise too. Epiphone products seem to be more consistant and it would be GREAT to see more brand recognition for Hamer.

Im at work now, so couldnt read all the most recent posts, but appears that the question of reviving some sort of Super strat type of guitar has come up a few times.. I Know you are a forward thinker and probably dont want to relive the past, but there does seem to be a growing shred movement. Will there be a Hamer model to meet this market??


Again, thank you !

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Mr. Dantzig -
Thanks and Welcome!

As someone who's been part of the industry for quite some time and in several capacities, is there one accomplishment/innovation/title you'd like to be remembered for?

Also, in your long line of artist-relationships, is there one that stands out from the rest as the most rewarding for you?

Thanks again!

I usually don't think about how I'll be remembered. I'd rather be known as a kind person because in the end, that's all that matters.

I've had so many experiences with wonderful, creative people over the years that it's hard to single one out. I loved working with Vernon Reid, he reminded me to see things in an artistic way again after I had gotten too far into the business end of things. I'll always be grateful to him for that.

There have been other artists who were so self-centered and rude that it confirmed my commitment to only working with people who viewed me as a fellow artist and collaborator, and to them I say thank you for that lesson too.

[scottish]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol, i posted before but it was earlier and i guess it slipped through the cracks.

1st off, as everyone has mentioned, thanks so much for doing this. It is truly an honor.

My 1st question refers to the T-51. Was there any specific reason it was discontinued and is there any plans to bring a traditional tele style guitar back?

Second, i was wondering if there was any specific influence or reason for the 3 inline vol vol tone controls as seen on the artist models, as opposed to staggering the arrangement or something?

Thanks
Grant

[fkennjr]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Is there anything, that when you look back on, you think, maybe that wasn't such a good idea?

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Thank you for the responses to my previous! I wont se so skeptical of the chambers in the Standards then as it sounds very well thought out. Hopefully Ill be able to try both before I buy. But there are no dealers near me..

Would be great to see the imports rise too. Epiphone products seem to be more consistant and it would be GREAT to see more brand recognition for Hamer.

Im at work now, so couldnt read all the most recent posts, but appears that the question of reviving some sort of Super strat type of guitar has come up a few times.. I Know you are a forward thinker and probably dont want to relive the past, but there does seem to be a growing shred movement. Will there be a Hamer model to meet this market??


Again, thank you !

I had a blast making those designs, but that was then and there are so many people doing it now. We even named the Californian as sort of a tip of the hat to guys we admired. Like we were in an arms race... "OK man, you think you're cool... how about 27 frets?"

Never say never... but I have Mike Shannon's phone number at Jackson if you need it! My buddies over there make those superstrats every day.

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol, i posted before but it was earlier and i guess it slipped through the cracks.

1st off, as everyone has mentioned, thanks so much for doing this. It is truly an honor.

My 1st question refers to the T-51. Was there any specific reason it was discontinued and is there any plans to bring a traditional tele style guitar back?

Second, i was wondering if there was any specific influence or reason for the 3 inline vol vol tone controls as seen on the artist models, as opposed to staggering the arrangement or something?

Thanks
Grant

The T-51 was the salesman's idea, until it didn't sell. Great guitar though. The Talledega is our new T-51.

The three-in-a-row control layout is a styling cue that links our guitars right back to the very first Hamer, the Standard. So subtle I almost forgot myself..

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

That is AWESOME! I had been wondering if there was any relation.

Do you like Misfits at all? If so, just the stuff with Glenn singing? Or do you dig the albums done with Michael Graves?

what is your opinion of carbon fibre guitars?

Do you think carbon fibre will ultimately replace all tonewoods in the construction of guitars (for whatever reasons) or do you think there will always be guitars built using wood?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

I'm sorry man, that was just a joke. When people ask me if I'm related to Glenn, I tell them that, and then start singing "Mother, tell your son to clean up his room, tell him to do his homework too..."

Well, you had to be there I guess.

We've made a few carbon fiber guitars here, and they are not cheap to make. The whole time, people are playing them they are comparing the sound to their wooden guitars, so what's the point really? It's like a plexiglass piano. They have their place, but it's not what I want to do.

[scottish]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

The T-51 was the salesman's idea, until it didn't sell. Great guitar though. The Talledega is our new T-51.

The three-in-a-row control layout is a styling cue that links our guitars right back to the very first Hamer, the Standard. So subtle I almost forgot myself..

Awesome. I figured the talledega might be covering the T-51 ground. Ive never played on myself but ive heard you can really nail some tele tones with it.

Thanks!

[scottish]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

While we are here, i may aswell ask you to throw your hat into the ring of the never ending poly vs nitro debate. Do you think one has tonal advantages and if so, are they outweighed by the practical aspects of applying one or the other?

[Jol Dantzig]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol,

My absolute favorite/dream guitar is one of yours- the red vector made for KK downing around 2004 (though he could've very well had it earlier, but was first seen with it around the time of the reunion with halford).



as lots of people from this board can tell you, ive been completely obsessed with this guitar since the first time i saw it.

now for my questions...

-when he first got that guitar, both pickups were chrome-covered duncans, later switched out for EMGs. do you recall what duncans were in it originally? yes...i actually asked if you remember what pickups you put in one specific guitar made 6 years ago. haha, sorry, can't hurt to ask though. in a guitar world interview, glenn said they were "wound for the extra midrange that [ken] likes," so i wasn't sure if they were just a middy model of duncan's regular line or if they were something from the custom shop.

-both glenn & KK have had EMGs in all their hamers for quite some time, are they installed for 9v or 18v?

-i just saw this guitar for the first time recently...



appears to be just like his other one except with a kahler, gold finish, binding, and no jack plate on the bottom wing. is this a new build, or something from earlier that just hasn't been seen before?

-echoing anti-matthes' question, what ever happened to that off-white custom build for glenn tipton? i really enjoyed watching the progress on your blog and was looking forward to seeing the finished product.


thanks for taking the time to do this, and sorry for my barrage of really specific questions on priest guitars

No worries, The Priest is one of my favorites!

We've been putting EMG 85s and 81s in their guitars for ages. They play with such light guage strings (.007") that it was the only way to get enough gain and signal/noise ratio at the time. They've just never seen a reason to change. Also, the Kahlers worked with the light strings too whereas the Floyd Rose would not. We still put Floyd locking nuts on them.

That gold guitar was made years ago.

Glenn has his new white GT model, and is still evaluating it. We are going to make some changes for him and then it will go out on the road. His Phantom GT is still his favorite, and I'd love to do a reissue of that some day. The guys in Priest are great, they don't have to endorse anything if they don't want to, so it's a pleasure to work with them. We've had some good laughs over the years.

[disturber]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Series Feature's Hamer's Jol Dantzig

Jol,
Fantastic that you take the time to do this!

I'm posting all the way from Sweden here - long distance so to speak.

1) Just curious if the reason that the bridge pickup on an old 4-digit Standard is closer to the bridge than on the newer Hamer's is that it is the same (narrower) distance as on real 1958 Korina Explorer´s and Vee´s?
And that this is the reason you made them that way, back in the day?

2) Also, will there be another open house at the factory (I'm on a plane over - just say when!)


cheers!
Mattias
Sweden