Since then, Dan's personal and professional life has revolved around the guitar, designing, building and repairing them as well as teaching and performing. He has been running his business since 1981, supplementing his craft at times by designing and building custom furniture, building wooden boats, teaching woodworking and making custom guitars on contract for Chicago-area manufacturers. Over the years he has built instruments for many music industry veterans and has taken on unique design challenges as well.
Now in his forties, Dan devotes his full attention to the guitar business, exhibiting his work at shows across the country and honing his signature style. The reception he has received has reinforced his decision to stay small. "I don't want to get a whole lot bigger," he says. "People have encouraged me to hire help or buy CNC machines, but that's not what I want to do." Instead, Dan is content to build his guitars one or two at a time with a simple but powerful appeal to his buyers. "They're getting a guitar that is completely hand-crafted and built just for them by someone with over two decades of experience." On most days you can find Dan in his favorite place; in his shop, working out the details of his latest guitar. "It's what I've enjoyed doing for a long time," he says. "...just working by myself, handcrafting guitars. Period."
