Esoterica Electrica
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Jol Dantzig knows a thing or two about guitars. And in our monthly Esoterica Electrica blog, the famed guitar designer and builder offers up his often humorous take on topics from the state of lutherie to the guitar industry as a whole.
ARTICLES
Weighing In on Body Density
December 28, 2020
To chamber or not to chamber—and is a heavier guitar really heavier?
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Does Factory Fresh Mean Ready to Play?
November 29, 2020
Top techs share their tips, tweaks, and onstage product development for brand-spankin’-new guitars.
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Logo Advice from a Living Legend
November 8, 2020
For starters, says Hamer Guitars cofounder Jol Dantzig, avoid stock typeface at all costs.
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The Tale of the Hamer DuoTone—an Innovative Model That Satisfied Zero Demand
September 24, 2020
How—despite being embraced by Jeff Tweedy, Stone Gossard, Ty Tabor, Dweezil Zappa, and other luminaries—this acoustic-electric hybrid was somehow DOA.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: The Doors of Perception
August 17, 2020
It’s just a thought that you have to change.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: Walking the Simulated Sonic Runway
July 19, 2020
If a plug-in can make a Strat-like sound out of a Les Paul, or a hollow jazz box out of a Tele, what does it mean to be a guitar builder today?
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: The Work Is the Reward
April 15, 2020
Could the world’s current challenges be the tipping point leading to the next chapter for creative souls?
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: Upgrades are Always a Matter of Perception
March 23, 2020
Get to know and appreciate what your guitar has to offer before the hack job.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: Fretboard Treatments Bound to Please
February 20, 2020
Fretboard edges might not be as sexy as tonewoods or inlays, but they play a vital role in a player’s relationship with a guitar.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: What’s the Tonewood Equivalent of Gold?
January 17, 2020
Easy to work with, beautiful, stable, and much more, the marvel of mahogany isn’t lost on luthiers. But the price is a different story.
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Jol Dantzig’s Esoterica Electrica: Why I Don’t Like Taster’s Choice
December 23, 2019
On bearded baristas, boutique guitars, and the parallels they share.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Healthy Hands, Helping Hands
November 26, 2019
Take good care of your two most important pieces of digital gear.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Fretboard Follies
November 4, 2019
Feeling good about your setup always means feeling better about your guitar.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Jump Start
October 7, 2019
Recharging your creative battery can be a simple affair.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Why Wood?
August 28, 2019
When a plastic guitar falls in the woods …
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Brand New Plan
July 31, 2019
When things go off course, pros turn creative.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: When Uncool Becomes Cool
July 1, 2019
Grading the hip factor of rig components for those who cannot remember the past.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Guitar Stuff that Works
June 10, 2019
In this age of landfill-bound goods, it’s refreshing that guitars still continue to buck that trend.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: An Exercise in Branding
May 9, 2019
Do you love your guitar more or less than you love your guitar’s brand?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Simple, Man
March 31, 2019
Taking a vacation from complexity by embracing the electric guitar in its simplest form.
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