PRS or Hamer?

[Mark66]

I've been thinking of shifting a guitar or two for a while, to help fund a PRS McCarty
Then I came across THIS!

http://www.guitars4you.co.uk/guitars/2006.htm

I Never considered a Hamer, but this looks awesome, and it seems like Hamer quality rivals PRS.
Anyone have any experience of Hamers? Are they really worth PRS money?

[Twinfan]

Lovely by all accounts, but the resale value sucks  :(

PRS is a 'safer' option, but if you play that Hamer and fall in love then so be it  :)

[samoth2]

As Twinfan said:

If you might want to sell it again get a PRS.

I got my Hamer Studio Custom (1990) for 500£ but it still is an absolutely stunning guitar.

[Philly Q]

I've owned 5 Hamer guitars and 3 PRS (although I haven't tried a new Hamer for quite a few years).

Apparently Hamers are mostly hand-built whereas PRS use more CNC equipment etc.... whatever, I think it's the end product that matters, not how it got there.  But anyway, Hamers are built every bit as well as PRS and deserve to be much better-known than they are (maybe they changed their designs too often to really grab their own corner of the market).

Having said that, based on the ones I've owned I think PRS win hands-down on playability and general mojo.  But maybe that's just because I never got on with the Hamer neck shapes.

[shaman]

Hamer lover here...a USA made Hamer has incredible resale in the USA-rivals anything..dont know about "across the pond"...my Californian from the USA custom shop is incredible-I will not worry about resale, cause it just Aint gonna happen!!


RAWK  ON!!!! 8)

[FernandoDuarte]

Awesome, but 2 things bugs me: The place of the stop-tail, closer to the end of body than on LP and the ugly control layout...

[Lew]

Are they worth PRS money?  :lol: Hamer are hand made by a team of 7 builders that do 3-4 guitars a day  8)  
The resale is indeed shiteeeee so buy used ;P

It's more of a style choice IMO, Hamer are more geared toward vintage style guitars with modern apointments and PRS make more progressive guitars.

You wont be dissapointed with the build quality of either!   8)

Shaman, that Californian Custom isn't from the custom shop, there's not or ever was a custom shop :) 
They were called Custom(Boomers and Ebony) at first and later called Elite, which later got used for set neck Cali's.

Incidently Calis have been going for some crazy prices recently, check out this one http://jamguitars.co.uk/secondhandstock.htm

[Adam.M]

Well... for me, someone had to TELL me the Hamers were a high end instrument. To me, they looked mid-range. This is from pictures and not picking one up.

But with the PRS, I knew right away it was an expensive instrument. At least the Custom 24's anyway... the mira's... another story.

If i wanted a Hamer, i'd get a Feline, get exactly what i wanted.

But a PRS is a PRS. Mmmm, buy a second hand PRS and i doubt you'd ever loose a penny on it.

[shaman]

Are they worth PRS money?  :lol: Hamer are hand made by a team of 7 builders that do 3-4 guitars a day  8)  
The resale is indeed shiteeeeee so buy used ;P

It's more of a style choice IMO, Hamer are more geared toward vintage style guitars with modern apointments and PRS make more progressive guitars.

You wont be dissapointed with the build quality of either!   8)

Shaman, that Californian Custom isn't from the custom shop, there's not or ever was a custom shop :) 
They were called Custom(Boomers and Ebony) at first and later called Elite, which later got used for set neck Cali's.

Incidently Calis have been going for some crazy prices recently, check out this one http://jamguitars.co.uk/secondhandstock.htm

true, Lew....I should have only said "USA",ehh..?Hamer was considered a "custom shop" until the overseas models, I suppose...this is a USA Custom..and well worth it!!!not leavin' my collection

[Lew]

Ye, sorry, being anal retentive goes hand in hand with being a Brit  8)

I had one like yours earlier this year, but sold it on because of some issues that I wasn't aware of when I bought it.
The Cali is such a kick ass guitar  8)

[Philly Q]

You're both sort-of right  :P .  Hamer say they don't have a custom shop as such, but the tagline on their website reads:

"We don't have a custom shop. We are a custom shop."

And then again, over the years they've built custom models for the likes of Rick Nielsen, Glenn Tipton, KK Downing, Jeff Watson, Vernon Reid, Jeff Waters... whereas you and I can't specify details if we buy one.  So I guess they did have a custom shop of sorts.

It certainly seems to be true that you'll never go into a guitar shop and see six identical Hamers hanging on the wall (mind you, in the UK you'd be lucky to see any six Hamers in one place).  They're definitely not mass-produced.

[Lew]

You can specify your details when your making a 'custom' order through the erm... normal shop ;P ... it erm,  just takes longer and costs more  :lol:

...bugger off to bed will ya Philly it's late  :lol:

[Jonny]

Incidently Calis have been going for some crazy prices recently, check out this one http://jamguitars.co.uk/secondhandstock.htm

Reminds me of a Caparison Horus.

AND OMFG A SUHR S5 WENT FOR £1200 - LUCKY bar-steward WHO GOT THAT!

[Lew]

Ye it looks very similar to the Horus... but nu uh, I'm not talking about the C brand here again  :lol:

The prices have risen loads on Suhr because of the damn dollar, I bought a very similar looking s5 new a few months ago for £1400 ;P

[Philly Q]

You can specify your details when your making a 'custom' order through the erm... normal shop ;P ... it erm,  just takes longer and costs more  :lol:

...bugger off to bed will ya Philly it's late  :lol:

OK, good point, well made.  And it is indeed late.  

'Night all!  :)