Rich_S
HomeGrownToneBrewologist
After a quick browse through my local store today, I almost left before I noticed this: a Hamer double-cut. Les Paul Junior shape, but with a flat maple top, single-bound. All the usual stuff: two humbuckers, volume-volume-tone pots, three-way switch, tune-o-matic, stop tail, cheap Schaller-looking tuners. Trans amber finish shows a maple top, but no idea if it's of decent thickness, or just veneer.
I've always had a thing for the Hamer Sunburst/Special/Ultimate models (James Honeyman-Scott endorsed them for a while), so I took it down off the wall for a quick once-over. This revealed that it's a Slammer series guitar, also that it has a visible seam across the back of the headstock; scarf joint, maybe? The guitar was in really nice shape for its age, which I'm thinking is '80s, right? The amount of yellowing on the top showed it was old, but the amopunt of play wear was much less. One small ding in the binding below the neck pickup. I had in a hurry to get home, so I only took time to give it a rough tuning, and bang out a few chords. To my surprise, it sounded really good unplugged, sustaining with a nice midrangey ring. The price: $199.99.
Hmm.
I'm not in a position to buy another guitar right now, not even a $200 cheapy. The house needs a roof. However, this guitar is interesting. On the plus side, I don't have a humbucker guitar right now, and my recent multiple viewings of "Celebration Day" make me think I should. One the minus side, I'd have to sell my MIM "Esquire" with is a really cool guitar, but does admitedly overlap with my #1 Tele. Another small minus is that trans amber isn't really one of my favorite colors- I'd much prefer black or wine red.
So, Hamer experts (I know who you are), tell me about this Slammer. What can I expect long term? What sort of value is it as it stands? Is it worth upgrading? Will standard Gibson-style hardware (bridge, tailpiece) fit it? (I noticed the bridge saddles are cut big, wide, and wonky, so some work may be required there, eventually). What are the pickups like, assuming they are stock? Keep in mind my ideal HB set is a pair of 59s, or maybe a Custom/59 bridge 59 neck. Are the originals roughly PAFish?
I've always had a thing for the Hamer Sunburst/Special/Ultimate models (James Honeyman-Scott endorsed them for a while), so I took it down off the wall for a quick once-over. This revealed that it's a Slammer series guitar, also that it has a visible seam across the back of the headstock; scarf joint, maybe? The guitar was in really nice shape for its age, which I'm thinking is '80s, right? The amount of yellowing on the top showed it was old, but the amopunt of play wear was much less. One small ding in the binding below the neck pickup. I had in a hurry to get home, so I only took time to give it a rough tuning, and bang out a few chords. To my surprise, it sounded really good unplugged, sustaining with a nice midrangey ring. The price: $199.99.
Hmm.
I'm not in a position to buy another guitar right now, not even a $200 cheapy. The house needs a roof. However, this guitar is interesting. On the plus side, I don't have a humbucker guitar right now, and my recent multiple viewings of "Celebration Day" make me think I should. One the minus side, I'd have to sell my MIM "Esquire" with is a really cool guitar, but does admitedly overlap with my #1 Tele. Another small minus is that trans amber isn't really one of my favorite colors- I'd much prefer black or wine red.
So, Hamer experts (I know who you are), tell me about this Slammer. What can I expect long term? What sort of value is it as it stands? Is it worth upgrading? Will standard Gibson-style hardware (bridge, tailpiece) fit it? (I noticed the bridge saddles are cut big, wide, and wonky, so some work may be required there, eventually). What are the pickups like, assuming they are stock? Keep in mind my ideal HB set is a pair of 59s, or maybe a Custom/59 bridge 59 neck. Are the originals roughly PAFish?
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