Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

[dr0]

I started a thread a few weeks ago called Gibson's problem child, the "Double Cut"

A fellow forum member posted an old Hamer guitar ad, which was fun.

This made me think about Hamer Guitars, which I haven't for a long time. I had thought about buying one about 20 years ago, but never could find a shop that stocked any.
Anyway, from Wikipedia I got this timeline:

• 1973 - company founded. first guitar a Flying V bass. Founders, Paul Hamer and Joel Dantzig ran Northern Prairie Music, a vintage instrument shop in Wilmette, Illinois
• 1974-1979 - custom guitars, some high profile clients like Kiss and Bad Company, shop is located in Chicago
• 1977 - first production guitar the "Sunburst", DC LP Junior Arch Top w/ humbuckers, about 10 guitars a week
• 1980 - moved to larger facility outside of the city, in Arlington, IL - new models: "Special", "Cruisebass", "Prototype", "Blitz" and "Phantom"
• 1987 - Paul Hamer leaves company to go back into retail, today runs a frame shop
• 1988 - Kaman Music, who had been handling distribution, buys Hamer
• 1993 - Dantzig leaves Hamer (but will rejoin in 1997 and stay into the Fender era)
• 1997 - Kaman Music relocated Hamer to a small shop in New Hartford, Connecticut, home of Ovation Guitars. Ten of the top builders were relocated
• 1997 - Hamer then began concentrating on a core of high-quality designs targeted at the high-end and collector market.
• 2007 - On Dec. 31 Fender Musical Instruments acquires Hamer
• 2012 - In Dec. Fender announces that Hamer will no longer produce guitars and the company ceases operations
• 2017 - Fender sells brand to distributor KMC Music, who relaunch several models at NAMM. All guitars appear to be built in Indonesia.

The picture below is the banner from their new web-page, which is here.

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Eat your heart out Jimmy Page!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

i have three usa hamers and they are terrific guitars. a chaparral shred stick, a daytona (strat), and monaco elite (les paul like). the overseas made models are usually fine for what they are, including the currently made ones. that said, the usa models and head and shoulders better and afaik arent being made any longer.

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

i have three usa hamers and they are terrific guitars. a chaparral shred stick, a daytona (strat), and monaco elite (les paul like). the overseas made models are usually fine for what they are, including the currently made ones. that said, the usa models and head and shoulders better and afaik arent being made any longer.

Cool! If you could post some pictures it would be awesome.

Yes, I don't think that there will be anymore "made in the USA Hamers". Even Gibson is having trouble staying in business making guitars in the USA (vis: recent bankruptcy). Fender's bread and butter mid-range stuff is all Made in Mexico now. And I think a lot of their low-end is from somewhere in SE Asia.

And, as I said over on the previous thread Gibson's current marketing scheme of charging $3800 for a Custom Shop LP Special Double Cut (single OR double pickup version, your choice) does leave a lot of room for other vendors to play in.

I'd be interested in comparing the Hamer Indonesian Jr. vs. the Gibson "Tribute" Jr. side by side in a store. The Hamer has retained the jack location on the side, and has a tune-o-matic style bridge, both of which seem a bit better than Gibson's current version.

$800 new at all the usual suspects, available in a few faded finishes: black, blue and brown.

$600 new from various retailers on Reverb. only one finish

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Early Hamer stuff from the 80's was good stuff.

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

One of the two founders is still building guitars, under his own name with a small company.

https://dantzig.com/workshop/

Interesting that what remains from the original Hamer is: the brand-name attached to imported guitars built in Indonesia, and these - one-off custom built guitars-as-art. The two ends of the spectrum.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Jol's guitars are spectacular

 

[dave74]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

I remember their shredder guitars from around 1990, or at least that's when i was drooling over them at Samuel Music in Effingham IL.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Wait until Gene sees this thread...

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

I've owned a Gibson of one kind or another for virtually my whole career, but I love Hamers. They are just so rare here in the Pacific NW. Would love to have a Sunburst, Ultimate, Custom Artist or Custom Studio. Or all of the above. Great guitars.

Bill

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

I dig K.K.'s Hamer guitar with a scalloped fret board.

;>)/

 

[Sirion]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

It surprises me that Hamer had so many metal artists on at one point, many of whom were playing guitars that were, at best, only commercially available to an extremely limited degree (the Jeff Watson I think was made in fewer than a hundred copies, and the Judas Priest guys had several guitars that were never available). I would love to own a Californian or a Watson at some point, but finding them is hard, especially since the company since doubled down on their "LP style" image to the extent that they almost refused to produce their earlier models even as custom shop pieces. I don't imagine them ever becoming available again, with things being as they are.

 

[jtees4]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

I love USA Hamers from back in the day...and beyond. This was my 1996 Hamer USA Special, which had incredible flame (looked better than the pix). I also had a 90's Studio, an early 2000's Monaco, and another Special. All great. What I loved about Hamers back then, was there was no need to upgrade anything, they had Duncan pickups, Schaller machines, top quality hardware and woods etc.

 

[mistermikev]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

i have a hamer steve stevens I bought when I was 14. Was originally white but it was in the northridge quake of 95' and headstock was broken so when i repaired it I stripped it down to reveal a beautiful 1pc mahog body. the guitar is very nice. neck just feels amazing. very fast playing.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Who actually owns the brand now?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

kmc music i believe

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Found this at a lesser site on a thread about "Best High End Les Paul Jr." <p>

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

 

[dr0]

Re: Hamer Guitars - the history & discussion / picture thread

Wow! There is a Hammer fan club on the web: https://www.hamerfanclub.com/andrewlarge/specials.htm