Big Poppa
Well-known member
I have had a bad month with death. My okdest brother Sherwood Ball passed away and now Dan NOrton Here is a story I wrote on Dan.
March 1, 1972 my father hired Daniel Parker Norton out of Chico State to help (what was at the time) a ten person company. He was hired to be my dad’s right hand man. My dad was looking for someone with a business degree. Dan had that degree but that wasn’t what got him hired. Dan brought a classical guitar to the interview that he was making in his spare time; it was about 3/4 done and the workmanship was sublime. My dad understood that what Dan did took more than a degree.
Dan was introduced to the Ball Family at the Western NAMM Show; which at the time, was in San Francisco. He was wearing a three-piece houndstooth suit. Instantly, he got the nickname Hound Dog, or HD for short. We were a tough group to crack, but at the end of the trip we all loved Dan. You never called him Danny and I never saw him in a suit again.
Dan did many things for, and with, my father. From helping my dad with anything he needed to restarting Earthwood Bass production. From the Volume Pedal and Steel Guitar Production to learning to fly with him. They hiked and camped Catalina, and skinned and ate rattlesnake. Cleared ranches from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo to set up guitar string factories. Through the years he built cabins, tables, beds, chairs, doors….you name it. Dan Norton was the finest craftsman I have ever known.
Many things about Dan were unusual in this day and age. Dan had an unmatched work ethic and it was contagious. Dan had an appreciation for people and it was infectious. Dan led by an example of perfection. But the rarest thing Dan possessed was an unwavering loyalty to his family and our company and family.
When we bought Music Man in 1984 Dan set up the original factory and hand made the first prototypes. They were better than anything Leo Fender ever made. Whatever the challenge and new opportunity; Dan was at the epicenter. He made it work.
As my father slowed down, Dan wasn’t really being utilized near to his abilities. I basically begged him to come work with me. Dan said that he wasn’t sure he could, in his words, “make the transition to serve two masters.” We never looked at it as serving, but Dan’s fierce loyalty was how he saw it and how he behaved; you didn’t bother trying to change it.
I had ideas in my head. It was 1994.
“Dan, I just bought three of the new VW Beetles. I want to do graphics all over them and rotate them around the country with our good dealers. Can we paint them, or is there some plastic wrap we can use?”
Keep in mind, I had never seen a graphic wrapped vehicle. Dan figured it out.
“Dan, I want to buy an RV, put graphics on the side and send it on this new tour called The Warped Tour…. Oh yeah, it has to have 18 guitars hang on the side and they have to have headphone amps. One more thing… can you build a Wheel of Fortune for the kids to spin on the back of the RV?”
Done.
“Dan, let’s design an electric guitar that is nothing like a Music Man.”
Done.
“Hey Dan, about those NAMM show booths... If I come up with a theme, can you build a booth for that matches it and help with the costumes?”
Done. Dan’s creations won best in show for seven consecutive years at NAMM. They stopped giving the award because too many people complained.
“Dan, we need to set up a factory in the desert…and now…it’s a crisis.”
Done. A lot of the marketing initiatives that I may have received credit for over the years would not have happened if Dan didn’t understand me and what I wanted and made it happen.
Dan also loved great food. He loved making pies. Many people knew him as the pie man. I will never eat an apple pie again that is as good as Dan’s. Might as well swear them off.
Dan made a commitment to our family and company to stay until he had reached 40 years. Dan got sick with a few years to go. A very cruel disease that was progressing rapidly. I knew he wouldn’t make the commitment that he made to himself and his family.
Just about the hardest thing I had to do was tell Dan that I had made a mistake and owed him 41 weeks of vacation. I told him that he could retire early and it would still be 40 years. I know Dan knew what I was really doing, and I believe that he appreciated it.
Dan was still able to be at our company's 50th Anniversary celebration. My dad couldn’t be there, but Dan was there and I was filled with tears and joy to publicly thank him for his role in our family and business.
That classical guitar? He never finished it. He put us first.
March 1, 1972 my father hired Daniel Parker Norton out of Chico State to help (what was at the time) a ten person company. He was hired to be my dad’s right hand man. My dad was looking for someone with a business degree. Dan had that degree but that wasn’t what got him hired. Dan brought a classical guitar to the interview that he was making in his spare time; it was about 3/4 done and the workmanship was sublime. My dad understood that what Dan did took more than a degree.
Dan was introduced to the Ball Family at the Western NAMM Show; which at the time, was in San Francisco. He was wearing a three-piece houndstooth suit. Instantly, he got the nickname Hound Dog, or HD for short. We were a tough group to crack, but at the end of the trip we all loved Dan. You never called him Danny and I never saw him in a suit again.
Dan did many things for, and with, my father. From helping my dad with anything he needed to restarting Earthwood Bass production. From the Volume Pedal and Steel Guitar Production to learning to fly with him. They hiked and camped Catalina, and skinned and ate rattlesnake. Cleared ranches from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo to set up guitar string factories. Through the years he built cabins, tables, beds, chairs, doors….you name it. Dan Norton was the finest craftsman I have ever known.
Many things about Dan were unusual in this day and age. Dan had an unmatched work ethic and it was contagious. Dan had an appreciation for people and it was infectious. Dan led by an example of perfection. But the rarest thing Dan possessed was an unwavering loyalty to his family and our company and family.
When we bought Music Man in 1984 Dan set up the original factory and hand made the first prototypes. They were better than anything Leo Fender ever made. Whatever the challenge and new opportunity; Dan was at the epicenter. He made it work.
As my father slowed down, Dan wasn’t really being utilized near to his abilities. I basically begged him to come work with me. Dan said that he wasn’t sure he could, in his words, “make the transition to serve two masters.” We never looked at it as serving, but Dan’s fierce loyalty was how he saw it and how he behaved; you didn’t bother trying to change it.
I had ideas in my head. It was 1994.
“Dan, I just bought three of the new VW Beetles. I want to do graphics all over them and rotate them around the country with our good dealers. Can we paint them, or is there some plastic wrap we can use?”
Keep in mind, I had never seen a graphic wrapped vehicle. Dan figured it out.
“Dan, I want to buy an RV, put graphics on the side and send it on this new tour called The Warped Tour…. Oh yeah, it has to have 18 guitars hang on the side and they have to have headphone amps. One more thing… can you build a Wheel of Fortune for the kids to spin on the back of the RV?”
Done.
“Dan, let’s design an electric guitar that is nothing like a Music Man.”
Done.
“Hey Dan, about those NAMM show booths... If I come up with a theme, can you build a booth for that matches it and help with the costumes?”
Done. Dan’s creations won best in show for seven consecutive years at NAMM. They stopped giving the award because too many people complained.
“Dan, we need to set up a factory in the desert…and now…it’s a crisis.”
Done. A lot of the marketing initiatives that I may have received credit for over the years would not have happened if Dan didn’t understand me and what I wanted and made it happen.
Dan also loved great food. He loved making pies. Many people knew him as the pie man. I will never eat an apple pie again that is as good as Dan’s. Might as well swear them off.
Dan made a commitment to our family and company to stay until he had reached 40 years. Dan got sick with a few years to go. A very cruel disease that was progressing rapidly. I knew he wouldn’t make the commitment that he made to himself and his family.
Just about the hardest thing I had to do was tell Dan that I had made a mistake and owed him 41 weeks of vacation. I told him that he could retire early and it would still be 40 years. I know Dan knew what I was really doing, and I believe that he appreciated it.
Dan was still able to be at our company's 50th Anniversary celebration. My dad couldn’t be there, but Dan was there and I was filled with tears and joy to publicly thank him for his role in our family and business.
That classical guitar? He never finished it. He put us first.
