D-Da

made

Db-De | DGN-Dol | Dom-  updated 17/3/2013

Daddy Mojo

1898-

Daddy Mojo Cigar Box guitars since 1898, Montreal Canada

Dae-Young Seo

Luthier Dae-Young Seo, handbuilt in Korea

1992 to ?

Peter Daffy Guitars and other stringed instruments. He built his ffirst guitar in 1992, which gained him a three year apprenticeship with renowned bluegrass mandolin builder Steve Gilchrist.  He then returned to his own workshop to concentrate on building dreadnought-style guitars, spending several years researching this instrument and developing techniques to optimise the construction, sound and finish.

From 1998 he researched and developed an innovative range of mandolin family instruments. This range was expanded to include bouzouki, mandola and mandolin.

His instruments are built for optimum acoustic sound quality, with an emphasis on volume and mid-range projection. [Source: Wayback machine ]

Camperdown, Victoria, 3260, Australia

Dagmar

Dagmar Custom guitars by Pete Swanson

D'Agostino

1976 to early 1990s

Acoustic guitars imported to USA from Japan in 1976 and solid bodies guitars originally by EKO custom shop in 1977.  From 1982 solid bodies made in Japan. From 1984 manufacture in Korea. Importer was PMS Music, New York. [Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide ]

Daguet

1975 to present

Based in France, to the South of Paris, Roger Daguet has been making hand making guitars since 1975. He makes the guitars at home.

Dating Daguet guitars

The date of manufacture is written under the neck pickup. [Source: Source: Roger Daguet, email 29/10/2009]

http://www.guitarsmatrix.com/profiles/rdag.html

Daily Guitars
 

1977 to present

"I started building guitars in 1977.  I've had shops in Chico California (until 1982) and in Reno, Nevada until around 1990 (it's hard to remember exactly) and in Sparks where I am presently located.  Mostly, I have put all the information on the label.  However, I quit numbering them for a while, and quit putting a date on the label.  They have always been signed and dated on the top however.  This is easily found with a mirror.

Now I am back to numbering and dating the label.  In the beginning the labels were hand drawn.  I have used a couple of versions of a block print of a hummingbird mostly on my label since.  There was a short period where I just used my business  card.  I am on to my new label now, which is pictured on my web site.  dailyguitars.com.  I still sign and date the top on the inside.

Visually and design wise my guitars have varied quite a bit over the years.  I've used any number of rosettes, body shapes, pegheads, purflings, bridges, etc.  I hope to gradually get more and more pictures posted on my site of my guitars.  There are a lot of guitars. [Source: David S. Daily, email 8/4/2008]

Images courtesy of Trilogy, Zavaletas, :

Daimaru

Japanese guitars from the 1960s.

Daimaru was a trailblazer in the guitar manufacturing business that started in the early 1960s in Japan (it had nothing to do with the Daimaru department store). Daimaru factory was in Matsumoto in the central Japan, and they used Matsumoto wood (lumber) for their guitars. The company is long gone. Daimaru specialized in making classic guitars and pick guitars (f-holes) mainly. They may have consigned electric manufacture to others.   [Source: Blindman forum]. This forum also suggests that a "Presetege" brand electric looks identical to the Daimaru guitar being discussed.

Note there is a Daimaru New York Corporation in the 1981 Directory of Contemporary American Musical Instrument Makers  By Susan Caust Farrell.

Images eBay:

Daion

1978-1984

Daion was a brand that debuted in 1978, part of a collaboration between MusiConics International, Inc. (MCI) of Waco, Texas, best known as the makers of the legendary Guitorgan, and the luthier Hirotsuga Teradaira, a maker who specialized in cedar-topped guitars outfitted with brass nuts and saddles for increased sustain. [Source: Michael Wright at Myrareguitars]

Made in Japan by Yamaki, and distributed in North America by MCI Inc (based in Waco, Texas) between 1978-84 -- Daion guitars were reasonably high quality instruments offered at reasonable prices. [Source: cpaulcarter]

According to the examples I have seen of acoustic Daion guitars the label states "Made for Musical Instruments Central Australia -  Made in Korea"

Yamaki-Daion guitar history from the internet archive

See also

Daions on-line
http://daion.client.jp/

http://web.archive.org/web/20070712103307/http://home.att.net/~daion/index.html

http://www.cpaulcarter.com/daion/

Daion Catalogs

1981 http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-48.htm

1982 catalog

see Yamaki

Images eBay

Daion Barbarian below courtesy of Ben van Dyk, Canada

Daisy Rock

2000 to present

Tish Ciravolo designed the first guitar, but according to company materials "in a sense, Ciravolo’s daughter Nicole is the true visionary behind Daisy Rock. When Nicole was a one-and-a-half years old, she drew a picture of a daisy, and her mom was inspired to draw a neck on it. She developed the design and took it to her husband, Michael Ciravolo, the president of Schecter Guitars." The first model was thus the "Daisy" guitar, and debuted in November 2000 at Seattle’s ROCKRGRL Conference. Daisy Rock was launched as a subsidiary of Schecter Guitars. The company achieved sales of over $400,000 by the end of 2002. [Source: wikipedia ]

Dale

Nathan Dale, Escatawpa , Mississippi , USA

D'Alegria

2003 to present

D'Alegria guitars are made in Brazil.

Dating A'Alegria guitars

"We started production in January 2003.  2. To check the date of manufacture, one just need to look for the serial number on the back of the headstock: the last 2 digits indicate the year of manufacture." [Source Rodrigo Werneck, D'Alegria Custom Made email 17/3/2008]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Alegria

The Dallas brand goes back a long way in England.  John E. Dallas (1856-1921) started to make banjos with J E. Brewster in London's Oxford Street in 1873. In 1875 he set up as a publisher and banjo maker at 415 Strand. By 1893 demand made it necessary to take over the entire premises at 415 Strand and employ men to make the large range of instruments. The firm also made banjos and zither-banjos for other firms eg. W.H Plumbridge (Brighton), J. E. Brewster (London) and Norton Greenop (London). In 1905-6 the firm's name changed to John E. Dallas & Sons.

In February 1914 the firm moved to 202 High Holborn and by the late 1920's the banjos and zither-banjos bearing the company's name were truly mass-produced instruments and started to bear the trade name of "Jedson." The activities of the company spread beyond fretted instruments. 1926 the firm moved to larger premises, at Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London, and started to build the large wholesale distribution business for which the firm is today known.

Dallas ceased to make banjos in 1945 (war started) but in 1947 they started to produce in small quantities the inexpensive banjos bearing the "Jedson" trade mark but are in no way comparable to the pre-war instruments bearing the same name. [Source: Whitetreaz ]

John E. Dallas & Sons Ltd's house brands included Jedson, Martin Coletti and possibly Mastertone.

John E. Dallas and Sons, Ltd. (JED) who made the Dallas Tuxedo the first UK electric solid body guitar in 1959?.

http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/general/dallas.html

http://liverpoolbeatlescene.com/Tuxedo.html

http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/history.htm

Image Dallas Tuxedo (the first British electric guitar) from Guitars are my Life

Dalmedo

1988 to present

"I started building guitars professionally in 1988, acoustic guitars are dated on the label and electric model are usually signed and dated in the pickup cavity or neck pocket for more info please check WWW.DALMEDOGUITARS.CO.UK" [Source: Tito, Dalmedo Guitars, email 5/3/2008]

Peter Damm repairs and makes guitars in The Netherlands.

"1982 was the beginning and 1983 my first guitar. Made ... Earlier my home, (1982-1997)

& from 1998 - 2001 under the 'Robberts' brand (I was part of a small workshop then) made about 40 pieces back then.

From 2010 in my separate workshop where I teach guitar building as well (16 students currently).

Dating Peter Damm guitars

Inlay on headstock DAMM, no serial numbers back then. They can contact me." [Source: Peter Damm, email 21/12/2012]

Dammann

1989 to present

Matthias Dammann, Bavarian Forest near Czech border. Specialises in double tops.

http://www.classicguitar.com/dammann.html

Image courtesy of: Classic Guitar

Danelectro 

Guitars 1954 to 1969 then reincarnated

Nathan Daniel made amplifiers for Epiphone from 1934 to 1946. He founded the Danelectro company in 1947 and started making amplifiers for Montgomery Ward. By 1948 Daniel became the exclusive guitar amplifier producer for Sears & Roebuck.
In 1954, Daniel started production of Silvertone solidbody guitars for Sears. The same guitars were also branded Danelectro.
By 1966 Daniel sold Danelectro to MCA, but remained with the company. In 1967 the Coral line of guitars is introduced.
In 1969 MCA closed the Danelectro plant. [Source: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/dano.html ]

Dating Danelectro guitars

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/EGuitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/dano.html

http://www.danguitars.com/SerialNumbers.html

more info

http://www.matmon.com/atomic/danopage.html

http://vintageguitarpro.com/delectro.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danelectro

Danelectro reference books

Neptune Bound: The Ultimate Danelectro Guitar Guide

Danelectro Forum http://p072.ezboard.com/bdanelectroboard

Dano galleries

http://www.danguitars.com/DanoGallery.html

http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/gallery.html

Danelectro guitar catalogs

1957 & 1962 http://www.danguitars.com/DanoCatalog.html

1967 http://vintage.catalogs.free.fr/Index.htm

see also Coral & Silvertone

Image 1959 Danelectro electric guitar:

D’Angelico

1932-1964

1,164 D’Angelico guitars were made in New York between 1932 and 1964.  For the last 4 years of D’Angelico guitars they were made by his apprentice Jim D’aquisto, some after D’Angelico died [Source: History and Development of the American Guitar  By Ken Achard  ]

Dating D’Angelico guitars

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/other.html

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/EGuitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

D'Angelico reference books

D'Angelico Master Guitar Builder What's in a Name?

Acquired of the Angels, Second Edition: The Lives and Works of Master Guitar Makers John D'Angelico and James L. D'Aquisto

Other D’Angelico info and examples

http://www.usd.edu/smm/PluckedStrings/Guitars/D'Angelico/10772/10772D'AngelicoGuitar.html

http://www.palmguitars.nl/archives/arch-git.html

http://vintageguitarpro.com/dan.shtml

http://www.gruhn.com/articles/dangelico.html

http://www.gruhn.com/newsletter/newsltr31.html

Images 1933 D'Angelico guitar from eBay:

D’Angelico II

mid 1990s

Heritage Guitar of Kalamazoo, MI (the Gibson luthiers during the glory days of the 50's and 60's), was commissioned by D'Angelico II in the early 90's to produce fine Jazz Guitars under that banner. These are American made guitars built by some of the worlds finest guitar makers. Many subsequent D'Angelico II's have been produced offshore. [Source: eBay] Distributed by Archtop Enterprises, Merrick New York [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide] Jim Triggs, of the Gibson Custom Shop in the 1980s headed up the archtop department in Nashville.  After leaving Gibson, he was involved with the D'Angelico II project, before establishing his own brand. [Source: guitars.net ]

1988 to present

Made in Japan by Vestax since 1988. [Source: Blue Book]  ? now made in Korea?  [Source: Vintage Guitar Pro ]

http://www.edroman.com/guitars/dangelico/review.htm

D’Aquisto

1965 to 1995 then to present

D’Angelico’s apprentice, James D’Aquisto started his own brand following D’Angelico’s death in 1964 till 1995.  Fender made licensed copies from 1984 until the trademark became the property of Aria who make the current versions.  [Source: National Music Museum ]

Dating D’Aquisto guitars

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/EGuitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

D'Aquisto reference books

Acquired of the Angels, Second Edition: The Lives and Works of Master Guitar Makers John D'Angelico and James L. D'Aquisto

Other D’Aquisto information

http://www.gruhn.com/articles/daquisto.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_D%27Aquisto

http://vintageguitarpro.com/daquisto.shtml

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

1994 D'Aquisto Deluxe http://www.themomi.org/museum/Chinery/article/3.html

1984 D'Aquisto New Yorker (oval hole) http://www.themomi.org/museum/articles/vagabonds/3.html

Images 2006 D'Aquisto eBay:

D'Arcy

Paul Avenall, Belmont Rd, Brisbane, Queensland 4153, Australia

Dark Matter Guitars

Andy Matthews, England

Darkwater Custom Guitars

Doug Bean, Seattle, Washington, USA

Forum http://theguitarwall.com/forum/index.php?board=22.0

Dart

Cannot find anything on this guitar but there is a 1962 Chris Adjustomatic guitar which has a similar tail piece - made by Jackson Guldan [Source Zeigler Music]

Images 1960's Made in the USA Super RARE Dart Adjustomatic Guitar eBay:

"I've been making instruments since 1966.

Most of my instruments also have a brand "David L. Dart" on the neck block inside and on the back center reinforcing strip. Most also have my "Dart" logo on the head stock in Mother-of-pearl." [Source: David Dart, email, 5/4/2008]

D'Aspiranta

Guitars made in Korea

Images D'Aspiranta guitar Kijiji April 2012

Thomas Dauge

current at 2010

Guitars made in Bordeaux, France

Image Dauge:

Dauphin

1970s to present

Classical and Flamenco guitars built in Spain.

Dave of England

2000-

Guitars made by Kevin Parsons, David Brewis had access to Zemaitis jigs & equipment from 2000.

Image eBay:

J Davey

John Davey Custom Guitars, South Staffordshire, England

Owen Davidson

1981 to present

Owen Davidson makes guitars in Amherst, MA, USA. He specializes in custom artwork with pearl and abalone shell.

Davidson Instruments

1988 to present

Phil Davidson. Guitars, banjos, mandolins. Bristol, UK
Date of manufacture is on the label. [Source: Phil Davidson, email 18/9/2008]

http://www.mandozine.com/resources/MBSS/builders.php

Davis Guitar Works

current

Custom electric and bass guitars.

"The first instrument was completed in 1975. Made in Columbus, Ohio, USA

Dating J Thomas Davis Guitars

Each guitar has a label which I sign. The label includes the date the instrument was finished, along with the name of the person for whom the instrument was made.

Instruments are designed and made one at a time, each for a specific customer and with the customer's goals in mind. Materials as well as body size and shape are tailored to the individual's goals and interests. Because of the individuality of each instrument, I do not use moulds and there are no specific models and there are no pre-made parts used. The size and shape on the neck as well as other physical aspects of the instrument (including cosmetic appointments) also reflect the customer's expectations. " [Source: J. Thomas Davis, email 4/4/2008]

Mervyn Davis

1978 to present

"I started building in 1978. I work in South Africa.
I put a date onto a paper label inside the guitar.

I have used the following labels:

J M DAVIS, LUTHIER.
J H DAVIS and SON, Designers and Makers of stringed Musical Instruments.
DAVIS LUTHIERS.
MERVYN DAVIS, Designer and maker of Stringed Musical Instruments.

I hand sign each label and the signature has never changed. [Source: Merv Davis, email 16/7/2008, images received 269/2009 ]

TH Davis

1976 to present

Ted Davis, Loudon, Tennessee.

Davoli

Davoli guitars were made by Wandre in Italy in the 1960s.  The Davoli Cobra had an aluminium neck.

Images eBay:

Daytone

Made in Korea?

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/page12.html