Born in Chicago, Jolyon (Jol) Dantzig began playing guitar and piano in grade school.
While still in his early twenties, he became a touring musician, playing guitar, bass and singing in numerous rock and R&B bands.
More experience included working as a machinist's assistant in a famous motorcycle parts manufacturer known as Frank's Forks.
In 1973, Dantzig became a partner in Northern Prairie Music, one of the first shops selling "vintage" instruments to professional musicians and collectors.
At Hamer Dantzig was responsible for designing instruments for many of biggest names in music including all four of The Beatles, three of The Rolling Stones and every member of The Pretenders, Def Leppard and The Police.
One of Dantzig's most famous pieces is an orange five-neck guitar built in 1981 for Rick Nielsen of the band Cheap Trick.
Over the years he has written and performed music for several feature films including End of the Line and One More Saturday Night.
His guitar and vocal work appears on recordings by Freddie Scott, Buddy Guy, Wilson Pickett, Frank Black, Jim Carrol and Shaw-Blades.