Dennis Rotterman - Design and Final Assembly

I've been a guitar nut since I got my first guitar in 1968. Almost immediately, I found myself doing adjustments, modifications, and minor repairs for myself and my musician friends. I began working professionally as a guitar tech in local Dayton , Ohio music stores in 1980. I started noticing both good and bad elements of various existing guitar designs, and had many customers requesting modifications and improvements to their guitars. During this time, I also began building guitars incorporating the ideas which I had discovered.

I have probably owned 300 - 400 guitars over the years (I have a very understanding wife); most of these instruments were bought and repaired for resale. At one point, I was performing at an open stage and was standing in the back room with a dozen or more local musicians. One of them mentioned that he still had the guitar he had bought from me years earlier, which was his favorite instrument. Everyone in the circle agreed that their favorite instrument had been bought from me as well.

In 1990, I went to work as a technician and supervisor for a major guitar / bass manufacturer in California . After 13 years there, I decided it was time to set out on my own. I returned to Dayton , and in 2006, I reconnected with two old friends, Mark and Mike Kussman, to start Dayton [TM] Guitar Company.

What's Better About a Dayton[TM] Instrument

Early electric guitar design was a marvel of simple effectiveness. However, during my years of instrument repair, I became aware of some improvements and enhancements that could be made to existing designs. We have made these concepts the cornerstone of Dayton [TM] Guitar Company.

• We have a proprietary sealing process which is used on both the neck and the body. This results in greater stability of the wood, with less fluctuation due to seasonal humidity changes. It creates a very smooth feeling neck, and a better surface for the body finish, causing fewer problems with delamination.
• We use a mechanically coupled design; our neck is attached to the body with a compression joint, and our hardware components are simple with few moving parts. More of the vibrations of the strings are transmitted to the body of the instrument and to the pickups, resulting in a louder sound and greater sustain.
• Our unique wiring system creates a broader sound palette using only three controls. The Dayton [TM] switch provides easy access to all the useful ways of combining 2 single-coil pickups, and the tone control truly compliments the switch in all five positions.
• The shape of the body, combined with the light-weight tuners, shifts the center of gravity of the instrument so that it is not head-heavy. You can play more ergonomically, without having to “hold up” the neck.

Most manufacturers make guitars that look good, and Dayton [TM] Guitar Company is no exception. We get good responses when customers see a Dayton [TM] guitar or bass, but they are very impressed when they play one. Several customers have asked, “Why is this guitar so loud and present when I haven’t even plugged it in yet?” I tell them, “There’s more to a Dayton [TM] Guitar than meets the eye. Just wait ‘til you plug it in.”

Dayton [TM] Guitars are the synthesis of years of experience and new thinking. We stand on the shoulders of giants, allowing us to see wider horizons.

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