Although he lacks formal training in guitar technique and music theory, Engelhardt did receive impromptu lessons from two renowned jazz guitarists of the 1960s: Wes Montgomery and Larry Carlton.
In the summer of 1966, at the age of fifteen, Engelhardt received technical tips from Montgomery while they were at the backstage door of the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach.
Although Engelhardt left his solo career in those years, he played as an occasional sideman for a range of notable artists, including Adrian Belew, Jack Bruce, Ry Cooder, Dick Dale, and David Lindley and many others.
Engelhardt has been recognized for his work in various ways, including a nomination for Best Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitarist in Guitar Player magazine's Reader's Poll.
More recently, he has been featured in several prominent "Best of the best" guitar fandom articles, including "100 Gifted Guitarists-You Should Know" (TrueFire.webarchive) and "100 Greatest Finger Style Guitarist 2018" (entertainment.expertscolumn.com).