Re: Hamer Studio question
Yeah, Hamer's naming conventions can be a bit tricky at times. The Studio and the Special are the same thing, except the Special has a flat top and the Studio has a carved top. They make two Studio models: the Studio and the Studio Custom. The Custom adds body and neck binding, crown inlays, and more prominent flame/quilt tops. The differences are purely cosmetic.
The Studios have been around since the early 90's I believe, before that, they were called the Sunburst Archtop. These days, that name is used on the import models.
One thing to keep in mind, certain model years had really thin necks. From the mid 80's until 1993, most Hamers were built with thinner necks. They began moving to thicker necks in '94, and by '95 most of the necks were either medium thick or 50's LP thick. My '94 has a relatively chunky neck, but I've seen others from that year with pencil thin necks. There will always be a slight amount of variation, as these guitars are 100% hand-built. If you're buying used, just be aware of the varying neck sizes.
Ryan