WHO IS DAN ERELWINE?
CAN I BUY A GUITAR?
HOW DO I REACH DAN?
You have questions.
Dan has the answers.
Who is Dan Erlewine?
Dan Erlewine is Earth’s most famous guitar repairman, builder and master educator. Dan has mentored and taught an entire generation of guitar makers & repairers for over 60 years.
Dan's Life Story in 100 Words?
Born September 1944 in Ann Arbor Michigan. First record player for birthday in 1953. Bought first guitar in pawn shop in Detroit in 10th grade. First guitar repair job in 1963 at Herb David Guitar Store. His band Prime Movers opened for his personal blues legend Michael Bloomfield. Opened first guitar repair shop with brother in 1969. Built custom guitars for both blues legend Albert King and guitar icon Jerry Garcia. Pioneered the use of videos for lutherie education in the middle 1980s and became the educational ambassador for Stew-Mac for decades. Today, at nearly 80 years of age, Erlewine remains the most recognizable personality in the Lutherie industry, and he still gets animated talking about necks, nuts, frets, and other crucial components of a great guitar setup. In his videos, he’s surrounded by tools of his own invention and his calm demeanor imparts a sense of methodical zen. He’s unflappable and no-nonsense but warm, grandfatherly, and often funny without intention. When he picks up a guitar, however, it’s clear that he’s more than just a very good repairman. This man’s band has also opened for Cream and The Grateful Dead.
Erlewine Workshop History?
Dan Erlewine just might be the most famous guitar repairperson on earth. His books—including Guitar Player’s Repair Guide, How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great, Guitar Finishing Step by Step, Fret Work Step by Step, and Trade Secrets—are definitive reference works that have stood the test of time. His classic columns for Guitar Player and Bass Player magazines have helped introduce the vocabulary of guitar setup to the masses, and his instruments have found their way into the hands of icons such as Jerry Garcia, Albert King, and Otis Rush. But it’s Erlewine’s pioneering instructional content—a slew of VHS tapes, DVDs, and YouTube videos, mostly for guitar-tool juggernaut StewMac—that have made the Athens, Ohio, resident a mentor to three generations of guitar maintenance and repair geeks. Today the Erlewine Workshop is building replica models of the Albert King Flying V Lucy (custom-built for Albert King in 1971) and the “Jerrycaster” strat custom-built for Jerry Garcia in early 1970s.
How Can I Reach Out to Dan?
Dan is looking forward to hearing from you and fielding any questions you have regarding his workshop, his guitars for sale, his new projects, or whatever is on your mind. Head over to Dan’s Inquiry Page by hitting Contact on the top menu.
Where is Dan's Workshop Located?
Dan Erlewine re-located to the StewMac HQ city of Athens, Ohio in the middle 1980s and has maintained a workshop in the same location ever since.
I am Lefty - Does Dan Build Left-Handed Guitars?
You bet – in fact the original Lucy Flying V was built for left-handed blues legend Albert King. Dan has built a number of left-handed replicas over the years not to mention countless lefty repair jobs.
What is the Turnaround Time for Custom Guitar?
Turnaround time on Limited commission builds is 4-6 months, depending on the instrument. For a Lucy or or Jerrycaster, at times we have one in stock; or one may be in production and the wait might be shorter — maybe 2 months or less.
Can I pick my own wood/custom hardware?
100% – you can either select from the in-stock tonewood that exists in the Erlewine workshop and/or work with Dan regarding custom tonewood Selection as well as a wide array of hardware options.
How much deposit is required to place an order?
Our workshop requires a 25% deposit of the total build cost, which is non-refundable after two weeks.
Do you take custom orders other than your normal builds?
Of course, really everything we build is a custom order as we maintain no set production schedule, rather we deploy our workshop resources according to our Buyer’s specifications & delivery schedule.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes – we pack guitars to arrive in pristine condition and we ship anywhere on the globe.
What case does it come in?
A Buyer of an Erlewine replica guitar will receive a choice of cases, including custom high-end cases.
Do you have any guitars in stock?
Yes – as of December 2024 – we have a Jerrycaster replica model for sale. Reach out to us for a readout of current builds inventory.
- Workshop: Athens, Ohio
- Email: dan@danerlewine.com
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