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
Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Meet the New Boss
November 28, 2018
Everyone wants lower prices and better quality when it comes to guitars and gear, but at what price?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Fretboard Fanaticism
October 30, 2018
How much importance should be placed on the type of wood in your next guitar’s fretboard? Lots.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Identity and Authenticity
October 8, 2018
Does that beautiful battle-worn axe in the window have tales to tell from stage work, or from bench work? And does it matter?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Simple Times, Simple Gear
September 11, 2018
Today’s vast array of amps, guitars, and effects is a good thing, but so is learning to play without a net.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Pay Now or Cry Later
August 8, 2018
Tool up to get the job done right, and save time and your sanity in the process.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Cover Bands and Clone Guitars
July 2, 2018
If imitation is the highest form of flattery but innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower, balancing the line is an art form.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Perfect Intonation and Other Myths
June 17, 2018
Jol Dantzig channels his inner Andy Rooney to set the record straight on a handful of guitar-related folklores.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Where the “Wild Dog” Roams
May 17, 2018
If a guitarist plays rhythm while toggled to the treble setting on a Les Paul, does it make a sound?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Faking It
April 9, 2018
Does this crap guitar make me look authentic?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Chasing the Inventive Dream Files, Part 1
February 26, 2018
“Hey, have you seen anything new and cool?” is a popular conversation starter at NAMM. But there are myriad inventions that don’t make it into these conversations or onto the show floor.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: The Mighty Icebreaker
January 21, 2018
At a party where someone is playing guitar for people in one corner and someone is playing with their phone on social media in another, which person is more social?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Zero Sum Meets Boutique Building
December 31, 2017
The number of guitar makers these days is inspiring, but how long the market can sustain the ever-more-crowded pond of craftsmen is anybody’s guess.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: The Tone Inside Your Head
November 20, 2017
Achieving the sound that permeates your brain is rarely an easy task, so be sure to focus on enjoying the journey.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Evolutionary Control
October 18, 2017
If a guitar’s knob placement is random, planned, or a combination of both, does it make a difference?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Strats, Teles, and Dan Smith
September 27, 2017
Jol Dantzig ponders just how many Stratocasters are in existence as he pays tribute to his friend and industry vet, the late Dan Smith.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Fewer Headaches, Better Guitars
August 21, 2017
If a guitar maker tells you he or she is lazy, it might be your craftsperson is simply an efficient builder.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Why Neck Pitch Matters
July 24, 2017
Before you start choosing those finish and hardware options for your new axe, did you make sure your guitar’s neck angle feels right?
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: The Sacred Wood
June 28, 2017
So what’s really new? Whether it’s guitar riffs or guitar designs, makers and players borrow and steal—all the time.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Prime Time for a Classic Tool
June 5, 2017
For those who've pondered building guitars, Jol Dantzig waxes poetic on the one classic tool he can’t live without.
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Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: The Knotty World of Figured Wood
May 7, 2017
Figured woods can command fancy prices. Here's a look at the grading system and the meaning behind some of the creative phrases used to designate them.
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