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Jack Schwarz

Born in The Hague, The Netherlands, Jack and his family immigrated to the States in 1957. They settled in San Pedro, where Jack became exposed to popular American radio in the musical hotbed of Southern California. He started playing the guitar at 10. By his eleventh birthday, he had progressed to his first Fender Stratocaster and Deluxe Reverb amplifier. At the age of 13, Jack was playing with a professional band that worked as an opening act for groups like Canned Heat, The Seeds, and Three Dog Night.

At 15, the family moved to Oregon where Jack began working in music stores and working on guitars. He spent endless hours modifying customers' instruments. From simple adjustments to complete overhauls, Jack learned the fine art of breathing new life into the "ordinary" instruments of the day to bring them more up-to-date with the playing styles of the times.

Booking agencies and music management was next in line, where the co-ordination of concerts promoting such groups as Kiss, Rush, Heart, and Styx brought Jack full circle in the music business. By 24, he was customizing guitars for working musicians, building his own guitars, and touring with his own bands throughout the western United States and Canada.

Jack has been a Fender player all his life, and a Fender team member starting in 1982, where he worked in the factory milling necks and testing finished instruments.

Since that time, Jack has held many positions at Fender, including Final Supervisor, Master Guitar Technician and Clinician, Guitar Product Specialist, Quality Assurance Supervisor for Off-Shore Products, and Service Certification Advisor. From 1988 to 1999 he traveled throughout the world, two to three weeks each month, demonstrating Fender products, educating guitarists about their equipment, and getting their guitars in maximum working order as part of the Fender Bench Check program. He has given seminars at such educational institutions as Berklee College of Music, Duquesne University, and the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery.

Today, Jack is Fender's Manager of Customer Service, though he still takes the time to give occasional clinics and seminars, world-wide. When he is not working for Fender, Jack is either writing music, or in his home studio recording with his band.

Jack enjoys sharing his knowledge of guitar manufacturing and repair because he feels that "owning a guitar is like owning an automobile. As an owner, you have a responsibility to know how your instrument functions, and how to properly care for it. The more you know about the instrument, the more enjoyment you can receive from it."