Travel Through
Time & History
with Dan Erlewine

I got my first guitar: a cheap plywood "Domino," which I stripped and refinished to make it look like a Martin - my first venture into lutherie. I worked at Herb David's Guitar Studio teaching and repairing guitars while playing in several bands, including The Spiders. The Prime Movers and The Jeweltones.

I saw the Butterfield Blues Band and met Mike Bloomfield. We ended up trading guitars - my '59 Les Paul for his '54 Goldtop.

During an outdoor concert in Ann Arbor, I met Jerry Garcia. He visited my shop, and together we designed a "Jerrycaster" that I later built for him.

Our band, the Prime Movers, opened for the Dead at an outdoor concert in Ann Arbor; after the show Jerry visited my shop, and together we designed a "Jerrycaster" that I later built for him. Later that month, the Prime Movers played in San Francisco, and Dan's bands opened for Cream at The Filmore.

I married Joan O'Boyle, and opened my first full-time repair shop "Erlewine Instruments'.

Our first daughter, Meredith was born. And, my cousin Mark Erlewine joins the business, and plays steel in a country band with my other cousin David Vinopal on mandolin. and me on guitar and vocals. "The Country Cousins"

Along with repairs, we started building solid-body guitars, most notably for Albert King and Jerry Garcia.

Mark Erlewine moved to Austin, TX. With Mark gone, and a new family to support, I wanted a "regular job"; I closed shop and returned to Herb David's Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor, MI, working as a repairman. I also built my first "Neck-jig" to support the guitar's neck while being fretted.

We relocated to Big Rapids, MI, where I established "Dan Erlewine's Guitar Hospital" with a new logo, and "counter-cards" put in the music stores that I serviced in various northern Michigan music stores.

Through the late '70s and into the early '80s, I crafted several unique instruments: A double-neck, semi-hollow, Guitar/Mandolin. Two 7-string solid-bodies,, and Two scroll-head "Lifetime" bases.

The Erlewine family is blessed with a second daughter in 1979.

Was a seminal year: I made guitar repair instructional videotapes - completely new territory at the time. I launched them at the '84 NAMM show in Chicago, where I met Creston Stewart, founder/owner of Stewart-Macdonald Mfg. He was impressed with the videos and offered me a position two years later. Bryan Galloup comes to work with me, starting a friendship that is going on 40 years running. Bryan took over my shop when I moved to StewMac in '86.

Another pivotal year as I started writing a repair column in Guitar Player Magazine.

My family moved to Athens, OH, where I began a 33-year career at Stewart-MacDonald (StewMac). I became the public face of the company, and along with a special group of people working together we grew into the world leader in Luthiery supplies and education.

Bryan Galloup and I, along with support from StewMac, hosted "The Great Northwoods Guitar Seminar" in Big Rapids, starting a series of guitar building and repair seminars that few could ever forget, featuring top professionals sharing their knowledge in unparalleled workshops.

I was asked to make a replica of both Albert King's "Lucy", and Jerry Garcia's Stratishcaster. Soon after I'd get an order every once in awhile, and still do. And, I made my first screw-on capo.

I built the "Rockin' Chair" - a 3-legged chair(stool) with a semi-hollow, baritone guitar mounted on an upright, height-adustable post that allows me to play the guitar without holding it at all.

Started writing a repair column for Vintage Guitar Magazine - a role I continue to enjoy today!

We broke ground for my new workshop in our backyard. Finally, after years of working in basements and garages with concrete floors, I had an above-ground space to call my own.

Though I officially retired from StewMac, I maintain close ties with the company, contributing to special projects and occasional videos. I still visit my friends there almost daily.

Covid!! One good result of covid was the birth of the Looth Group when so many of us were quarantined in our shops.

The IRIS guitar company begins making the DE-11, my version of a '30s Gibson Kalamazoo KG-11, with some special changes (one being a neck with capo inserts installed, just like I did on my vintage '37 KG-11. I would never have guessed that I would have my own guitar model.

These days, I work with a small group of shop-mates focusing on recreating some of my past builds for a new audience, and taking on select repair projects. Photo: Tom Erlewine