Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: camf on October 02, 2009, 10:34:15 PM
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I just bought one at a great price. It's the Blue/Purple FM (Flame Maple?) model from 93 and it is such a beautiful guitar. I was on Denmark Street this week and there were afew there, but they seemed to be going for really silly money... quite literally almost ten times what I paid. But a really, really well made guitar. Great hardware too.
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Yep, Hamer make some lovely guitars. A hugely underrated maker in my opinion. Personally I prefer the ones from the 80s with the original bridges. I'm assuming yours has the tuneomatic bridge if it's a 93 and not the sustain block bridge of the originals.
Any chance of some pics?
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i like hamers, but have never forgiven them for the price of a hamer korina junior.... simple guitar, fashionable, but no more expensive than mahogany wood .... massive price (about $4000)
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My first "proper" guitar was (and still is) an '81 Hamer Special - it's sunburst with a maple veneer top and originally had the little sustain block bridge (I replaced it with a Kahler many years ago).
I've had a few other Hamers over the years but this is the only one I kept.
It's in a bad state though - and it hasn't been out of the case for several years, so I shudder to think what it might look like now. :(
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My first "proper" guitar was (and still is) an '81 Hamer Special - it's sunburst with a maple veneer top and originally had the little sustain block bridge (I replaced it with a Kahler many years ago).
I've had a few other Hamers over the years but this is the only one I kept.
It's in a bad state though - and it hasn't been out of the case for several years, so I shudder to think what it might look like now. :(
You put a Kahler on it! YOU PUT A $%&#ING KAHLER ON IT!
Do yourself a favour, take it out of it's coffin and give is some love. Then beat yourself over the head with the case for putting a $%&#ING KAHLER ON IT!
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ah, come on philly - surely its worth sorting
think what you would probably spend on your next gas excursion - spend it on fixing or restoring the (what is probably now) vintage hamer instead. well, it doesnt have to cost as much as a new guitar - depending what you want
for me the 80-90's hamers have always been at that halfway point between the gibson and PRS, and from the few i have played i guess quality matches that too. hardtail aint everyones first choice for a junior shaped guitar but i must admit the first two juniors i made were hardtail and absolutely no worse for it!! Those old hamers are pretty much all i could want from a guitar
nothing wrong with kahlers - as long as they are set up right!!!
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You put a Kahler on it! YOU PUT A $%&#ING KAHLER ON IT!
Do yourself a favour, take it out of it's coffin and give is some love. Then beat yourself over the head with the case for putting a $%&#ING KAHLER ON IT!
What can I say, it was 1985....
To be honest, the sustain block bridge was shite because the saddles were too wide for the bridge plate, so they fanned out and the high E string ended up almost off the neck.
I wish I hadn't done it, though, of course - if I still had the bridge I'd have replaced the saddles by now.
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/hkjhjkh.jpg)
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ah, come on philly - surely its worth sorting
think what you would probably spend on your next gas excursion - spend it on fixing or restoring the (what is probably now) vintage hamer instead. well, it doesnt have to cost as much as a new guitar - depending what you want
Yeah, you're right. I will try to get it sorted out. Hope it isn't so bad that it needs a refinish!
(To be fair to myself, I haven't given in to GAS for months now - the 339 is the only actual guitar I've bought this year, and I haven't even bought any Warmoth bits since June!)
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ah, come on philly - surely its worth sorting
think what you would probably spend on your next gas excursion - spend it on fixing or restoring the (what is probably now) vintage hamer instead. well, it doesnt have to cost as much as a new guitar - depending what you want
for me the 80-90's hamers have always been at that halfway point between the gibson and PRS, and from the few i have played i guess quality matches that too. hardtail aint everyones first choice for a junior shaped guitar but i must admit the first two juniors i made were hardtail and absolutely no worse for it!! Those old hamers are pretty much all i could want from a guitar
nothing wrong with kahlers - as long as they are set up right!!!
Is that why yours fell apart at the BKP Manchester meet? ;) It's the spongy wishy washy feel of them, ikk, it makes me go funny thinking about them even now. Fantastic piece of engineering when set up properly, but you have to ask if it was such a superior piece of hardware, why did they have to make a copy of the Floyd called the Steeler to try and keep in business?
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You put a Kahler on it! YOU PUT A $%&#ING KAHLER ON IT!
Do yourself a favour, take it out of it's coffin and give is some love. Then beat yourself over the head with the case for putting a $%&#ING KAHLER ON IT!
What can I say, it was 1985....
To be honest, the sustain block bridge was shitee because the saddles were too wide for the bridge plate, so they fanned out and the high E string ended up almost off the neck.
I wish I hadn't done it, though, of course - if I still had the bridge I'd have replaced the saddles by now.
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/hkjhjkh.jpg)
Ooooh nice Vector.
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There is hope - http://www.rsguitarworks.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=210
I know it's a Standard but, just imagine...
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Ooooh nice Vector.
Selling that was my biggest guitar-related mistake. Wish I still had it. :(
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A little thing, but they do seem to have excellent volume/tone pots. Really smooth. I just love the feel of them... they feel like they've been created with feeling. Aw shucks, I'm getting all smoochy.
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so its a kahler flyer is it?
its either worth seeing what needs to be done to that to make it work proper, or its worth fitting a newer kahler deign like the hybrid
no reason that bridge should mean years wihtout it coming out a case, too nice a guitar to not consider doing something with it
yes, i do kinda love them far beyong their actual value ;)
edit: mine did have issues at the manc meet from some apparently extreme usage. i was a bit dissapointed by that - but my main memory from the day was that the kahler had a slight issue, moments later with minimal tools it was locked in place and the guitar was usable again - not many trems you can say that about. i still stand by kahlers, but i do realie its quite different to a floyd. i do have pcitures from that day
JDC playing, Matt77 walking out the door:
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/XL805086.jpg)
the resulting damage the next day:
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/kahler.jpg)
a screw had popped out, but after locking the trem off the guitar still worked fine, and the fix was minor
now where is that pic of shobet playing matt's feline through one of martins amps with a nice gurn going on... cant seem to find it at the moment
yeah... kahlers aint floyds, there is no fight against the springs when divebombing, and when going down you do sometimes find it lacks sustain, but if set up properly they are fine as a normal bridge and even the more dodgy 80's flyers still have more than enough sustain for divebombing (and normal playing) if set right. takes just a little more control than a floyd, but they are no-where near as bad as some people who installed them badly insist
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There is hope - http://www.rsguitarworks.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=210
I know it's a Standard but, just imagine...
He did a fantastic job, but (just to be awkward) I have to say I preferred it with the original cherry burst in the top picture. That's a proper Hamer look, now it looks too Gibsonish.
But.... the Kahler will be staying put on mine if/when I fix it up, I like the maple top, and the colour, too much to replace it.
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so its a kahler flyer is it?
its either worth seeing what needs to be done to that to make it work proper, or its worth fitting a newer kahler deign like the hybrid
no reason that bridge should mean years wihtout it coming out a case, too nice a guitar to not consider doing something with it
No, it's one of the original Kahler models, 2300 series I think. Brass cam and brass rollers, fully adjustable saddles. Still works fine, as far as I know! I do have an '80s Flyer as well somewhere, and one of the fixed bridges, and a 2500 series(?) fulcrum model.
It's not because of the Kahler that the guitar's been abandoned. What happened was..... the finish reacted with the case lining and went.... very weird. The top is still fine (I think) but the back and sides are not pretty. :(
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(http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/attachments/razors/28705d1249474228-my-new-straight-razor-stand-44789.-thread-completely-useless-without-images-1-.jpg)
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Off-topic, but I was really close to buying one of these: http://www.edroman.com/guitars/hamer/Hamer%20Models/Californian.htm (http://www.edroman.com/guitars/hamer/Hamer%20Models/Californian.htm). It was a see-through red, with an all-mahogany body. From the 80's, all-original condition.
I kinda regret NOT buying it, I went for a custom build (which was finished 2 months ago) and decided that I don't really want a floyd. But it's a pretty unique guitar :wink: Something that you don't see really often.
-Zaned
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now where is that pic of shobet playing matt's feline through one of martins amps with a nice gurn going on... cant seem to find it at the moment
;)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/XL805089.jpg)
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:D
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That's the one. Jazz at its finest!
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I have a 79 natural sunburst with a set of Abraxas pickups to replace the old DiMarzios. It is a great guitar but heavy - the uncarved maple top and full depth mahogany body more than makes up the weight saved by the double cutaway. Mine has the string through body bridge with the massive sustain block. I probably don't play it as much as I should (I tend to play strats a lot more now - or my 25.5" scale LP), but it always was great to play Aqualung on!
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I might have that kind of look on my face if I had that guitar. :lol:
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I might have that kind of look on my face if I had that guitar. :lol:
and that amp!
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yeah, i remembered that being played through the roadstar behind it... apprently it wasnt. but i do remember that roadstar being nice and i think it may be the only other amp i need (assuming i can get martin to do a 5w version)... i dont really need a new amp, but if i did it the MJW 18w roadster is top of the list- it was great, i remember turning around in a 'WTF is making that sound' kind of way and it was matts roadster with matts feline and i remember shobet playing it, but it could have been someone else i am remembering
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Sorry about the phone pics... I'll try and get something better.
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WOW! Looks lovely!!
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sadly, these photos do it no justice... nice blue on the top and a Deep Purple on the back... see it's made for rock. :lol:
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Hey Cam, how you doing man?
To you getting a Hamer USA Special I will only say this:
*************!!!!!!! ********** ******* *************!
Enjoy it! :shock: It's one of my old time favorites and dream guitar though I've never actually played any :(
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Hey Pierre,
You back in the country or still in Europe? Good to hear from you. Unbelieveably, I'm a happy chappie gear wise. Bought a mesa Boogie Maverick 1x12 which is the best amp I've ever had... brilliant (OK, for me, but I think you'd like it too). I've still got the jazzmaster and it's... well, it's a Jazzmaster???! But the Hamer is the dog's bitties. Stunning guitar for the money... stunning! I love it to bits. So much so, there's really nothing I would change on it... hear that? NOTHING!!! I'm advertising the Feline Tabby on here just now, as I really can't see past the Hamer and the Jazzmaster and I hate having guitars lying around that I'm just not playing. I've never really made it with Teles - although the Tabby is the closest I've come to loving them. What you doing gear wise just now? You playing much?
Cheers from the Big E,
Cam
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Yes, definitely, I have several USA Hamers, including a Korina Special. I love the guitar for what it does. Simple, but the tone is extraordinary. Leslie West in a can.