Hamer Studio Update.

[jalguitarman]

I posted a thread about 3 or 4 months ago that I was getting a used Hamer studio off of Reverb.com. And here is the outcome.

So the guitar got to me in almost brand new condition. It was a think neck, not unlike an Epiphone slim taper D shaped neck but more comfortable to play. Quite surprising for how think the neck was.

It came with a set of 59's which I am familiar with. So I plugged it into my practice amp and also compared it to my Carvin CS6 unplugged. The Carvin has an amazing tone. Very much Les Paul but with a cleaner top end, but not super bright. The Hamer actually sounded better than the Carvin. The tone of the Hamer was very warm, yet no where near muddy. It seemed very clear but yet still very warm. It is honestly the best sounding solid body I have ever played. To me this was the first guitar that I have had in my hands that I would describe the sound as "sweet".

So I took it to play for service the next day, which is modern contemporary type music. Sadly it got buried in a mix when the band would kick in. I tried to adjust my amp and my distortion Pedal (Fulltone Fulldrive Mosfet 2) also dug into the strings harder but to no avail. I felt like I had no choice but to send it back. I can only guess that the Hamer was simply not an instrument that you can put anything more than light gain on without in getting buried when a band is not playing with softer dynamics.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

If you really like the guitar, wouldn't it make more sense to try a different set of pickups before sending it back? 59s are pretty scooped, so finding something that cuts through better shouldn't be difficult. Do you like the level of output, or do you want something more? Those Carvin C22s are pretty hot if I remember correctly, so something like a JB or Custom might suit your tastes better. The neck 59 is probably fine unless you're wanting something different for clean sounds. A few years prior to your Hamer being made, they came stock with a JB/59 set instead.

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

If you really like the guitar, wouldn't it make more sense to try a different set of pickups before sending it back? 59s are pretty scooped, so finding something that cuts through better shouldn't be difficult. Do you like the level of output, or do you want something more? Those Carvin C22s are pretty hot if I remember correctly, so something like a JB or Custom might suit your tastes better. The neck 59 is probably fine unless you're wanting something different for clean sounds. A few years prior to your Hamer being made, they came stock with a JB/59 set instead.

Actually my Carvin has cover Allan Holdswoth Pick ups and I don't think those are very hot. Are you suggesting the Hamer needed more mids and not more highs to cut through a mix? I always though the "cut" came from the high frequencies.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

Actually my Carvin has cover Allan Holdswoth Pick ups and I don't think those are very hot. Are you suggesting the Hamer needed more mids and not more highs to cut through a mix? I always though the "cut" came from the high frequencies.

In my experience it's mids and upper mids more than highs that help cut through. That's why the JB sounds obnoxious on its own but really cuts through a mix.

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

In my experience it's mids and upper mids more than highs that help cut through. That's why the JB sounds obnoxious on its own but really cuts through a mix.

Upper mids I can see, I would have not bought that the mid mids helped but, obviously the bulk of a guitars frequency content is in the mids. I would have though (other than the upper midrange) that an over abundance of mods would cause muddiness I looked at the Keisel website and the Average output of the Holdsworth bridge is 8.84k and the neck is lasted at 6.92k so not hot pickups. I usually tend to favor vintage output humbuckers in most cases.

 

[chadd]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I can only guess that the Hamer was simply not an instrument that you can put anything more than light gain on without in getting buried when a band is not playing with softer dynamics.

As much as I dislike 59's, the idea of someone blaming a guitar for a bad mix or improper levels just blows my mind.

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

As much as I dislike 59's, the idea of someone blaming a guitar for a bad mix or improper levels just blows my mind.

But what else can it be when you don't usually have this problem. Plus you have to understand. They way the things are set up I have to use my amp to monitor. I also asked the sound guy and he confirmed what I was hearing from my amp. I have heard of people having trouble getting Les Pauls or similar type guitars to sit well in a mix before.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

both axes are gorgeous! Id have tried a diff pup first for sure.. Ive long been curious about the carvins tho! I loved the Carvins I had, but have never tried one of the single or double cuts

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

both axes are gorgeous! Id have tried a diff pup first for sure.. Ive long been curious about the carvins tho! I loved the Carvins I had, but have never tried one of the single or double cuts

I guess I felt like I shouldn't have to go that route just to get the guitar to be hearable in the mix when I bought a very high end guitar and paid that much for it. Well too. 59's are not a muddy pickup by ant means so I figured if it wouldn't cut through with those then it just wasn't the right guitar for my situation. The Carvin has that fat Les Paul midrange but has a really nice clarity that I love. Plus it is the easiest playing guitar I own.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I have a Hamer Studio Custom almost identical to that, and it too had a pair of 59 pickups. I replaced those with a Custom/59 bridge hybrid and a Jazz/59 hybrid neck pickup. It sounded fine with the 59s but even better with the hybrids.

The Hamer is most definitely a superior instrument compared to a LP on all levels, and I struggle to understand why you are having a problem. To my way of thinking, your issues are coming from elsewhere, not from the instrument.

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I have a Hamer Studio Custom almost identical to that, and it too had a pair of 59 pickups. I replaced those with a Custom/59 bridge hybrid and a Jazz/59 hybrid neck pickup. It sounded fine with the 59s but even better with the hybrids.

The Hamer is most definitely a superior instrument compared to a LP on all levels, and I struggle to understand why you are having a problem. To my way of thinking, your issues are coming from elsewhere, not from the instrument.

It wouldn't be harder to get a very warm guitar to cut through a mix? I guess part of why I posted this is to get some insight as to what I might have done differently. I have never had that problem with any other guitar I have through this set up. My first instinct was to boost the highs when this happened. Would I have been better off boosting the mids instead? And yes I agree with you about the quality of the Hamer. It sounded heavenly until I tried it in a live context.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

It's not unusual for one guitar to need different settings from another to be at its best. Just sayin'.

The Carvin pickups can be a tad mid-heavy, I think, and the 59s are a bit scooped. In a guitar with a naturally scooped sound of its own they might take some getting used to, or may simply not be a perfect match.

That Hamer was pretty. If you really didn't bond with it- the way it felt, the way it played- that's one thing. But if you liked the guitar but not the tone, I might've tried a couple of other options myself before giving up on it. Then again, I have a hard time letting go of guitars.

 

[chadd]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

But what else can it be when you don't usually have this problem. Plus you have to understand. They way the things are set up I have to use my amp to monitor. I also asked the sound guy and he confirmed what I was hearing from my amp. I have heard of people having trouble getting Les Pauls or similar type guitars to sit well in a mix before.

I've never had a problem with having a Les Paul sit IN the mix, but it sounds like you wanted it on top of the mix. This is something that you should have been easily able to address during a sound check or between songs.

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I've never had a problem with having a Les Paul sit IN the mix, but it sounds like you wanted it on top of the mix. This is something that you should have been easily able to address during a sound check or between songs.

Let me explain it this way. When the band would kick in, I could not hear myself. And the answer wasn't more amp volume because I would have had to have cranked my amp much louder than normal to hear myself. I am very familiar with my environment and my amp and pedals, so I don't know what else it could have been. My sound guy tends to have me up in the house mix on the louder parts of songs anyway as the songs are generally guitar driven, and he was fighting to get me up in the mix. I tried to deal with the problem and for whatever reason I could not get it resolved. I have not had this problem before or since then. So I am at a loss otherwise.:dunno:

 

[Demanic]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

Sounds like a job for a clean boost.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I have a Hamer Studio Custom almost identical to that, and it too had a pair of 59 pickups. I replaced those with a Custom/59 bridge hybrid and a Jazz/59 hybrid neck pickup. It sounded fine with the 59s but even better with the hybrids.

The Hamer is most definitely a superior instrument compared to a LP on all levels, and I struggle to understand why you are having a problem. To my way of thinking, your issues are coming from elsewhere, not from the instrument.

I have the 59/Custom in the bridge of a LP. I also had a 59/Jazz hybrid in the neck of a Hamer. It is the best neck pup I've used...

I sold the Hamer. Bad enough I sold the Hamer, but I left that neck hybrid in it.

When you look up STOOPID in the dictionary, you may see my pic.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I'll happily take the offending guitar off you

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I'll happily take the offending guitar off you

I was thinking the same thing, so I went to Reverb's website and I think it still shows that guitar as sold 11/23 (if I'm looking at the right one). And they have others.
I used to have a Hamer FM Special from the import series and it was still a very good guitar.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

I sued to have a Hamer FM Special from the import series and it was still a very good guitar.

I take it you lost the lawsuit then?

 

[BTMN]

Re: Hamer Studio Update.

Great looking guitar. Without knowing the amp or your whole setup it is hard to say why the Hamer fit in different. Great guitars all around. I actually really dig the 59 setups in a couple of my Hamers but that is because they catch a nice Scorpions/Judas Priest/Aerosmith sound for me with my setup, living room noodler that it is. The one below has a JBB and a 59 neck setup. It s a '91 Sunburst. That line became the line your guitar is.