JASON DUMONT

About 12 years ago I set out to make myself a classical nylon strung guitar. Armed with the definitive William Cumpiano and Jonathon Natelson book "Guitar Making Tradition & Technology" and just a few hand tools I managed to craft my first guitar. Make no mistake about it, it was awful. Misshapen, crude in execution in every way and the most gratifying, enchanting experience I ever had. Naturally I set out right away to make another. And another, and another, you get the idea.

I was to make ten instruments entirely with hand tools before I found myself at Mr.Cumpiano's shop. I spent a week with him assembling an instrument I had in the works an seeing the clever way a luthier utilizes jigs and power tools.

While my musical tastes started to expand my building began to diversify. I started to make steel string acoustics, twelve strings, parlor size, dreadnaughts, you name it.

I soon realized my job as a salesman for the Kaman Music Corp. the country's largest musical distributor was not a perfect fit. Luckily for me the company owned the renowned Hamer guitars. After a couple years of manuvering first through Kaman's bowed instrument department setting up violins, cellos & basses then their Ovation factory. Finally to where I wanted to be: Hamer guitars. The relentless attention to detail and craftsmanship that the shop is founded on and continues to maintain cannot be overstated or exaggerated.

While working in the violin department a co worker put on a Bob Wills recording and I immediately fell in love with western swing. "Well if you like this you'd love Hank Senoir!" he said and would bring in gem after gem of recordings. Music I had never heard before. I always tuned in to the steel guitars or dobros. I soon concentrated my building on lap steels.

My approach is pretty simple. I use the finest materials with the best electonics combined with the highest level of craftsmanship. This approach yeilds a caliber of instrument that there is no better. Different, yes, but none better.