I'd like to have suggestions on how to warm up/ smooth out a USA Hamer Studio with a 59 neck /JB bridge combo. This guitar pickup combination is really bright with too much pick attack, harsh highs, and finger noise. I'm looking to warm this guitar up alot for a more jazz/blues setting. I don't play alot of rock and heavy music. Thanks for your suggestions...
warm up a Hamer Studio
- Thread starter ajmoment
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Lewguitar
Guest
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
I've owned a few Hamer Studios. For a long time they were the guitars I used to test humbuckers in.
A good one can be a great and lively sounding guitar, similar to a PRS. But compared to a single cutaway Les Paul they have a brighter, thinner, less ballsy tone.
The single cutaway design of a Les Paul supports the neck better and keeps it shorter and stiffer for better tone. And the thicker body of the Les Paul improves the tone too. Overall, the Les Paul will have a fatter, deeper tone with more lower midrange, IMO.
Which is why I sold all of my Hamers except my Monoco when I got my Les Paul really set up right for me.
I tried many sets of humbuckers in my Hamer Studios:
1. Jazz & JB (what my guitars came with)
2. Seth Lover N & CC
3. Antiquity N & CC
4. Seth Lover B but as a neck pickup & CC
5. Seth Lover B but as a neck pickup & C5
6. Seth N & C5
7. Harmonic Design HB Classics
8. Fralin 7.5K & 8K
9. Fralin 7.5K & 9K
10. Fralin 8K & 9K
11. Fralin 7.5K & 9.5K
Out of all of those sets, I felt that my guitars sounded best with:
1. Duncan Jazz N & JB
2. Fralin 7.5K & 9.5K
3. Harmonic Design HB Classics
In the end, I put the Jazz N & JB back in again. Great set in those guitars.
But like I said, I eventually sold them all because my other guitars that I kept all sounded just a little deeper and better.
Sure liked looking at them though. The Hamer Studio and Studio Custom are beautiful guitars!
I've owned a few Hamer Studios. For a long time they were the guitars I used to test humbuckers in.
A good one can be a great and lively sounding guitar, similar to a PRS. But compared to a single cutaway Les Paul they have a brighter, thinner, less ballsy tone.
The single cutaway design of a Les Paul supports the neck better and keeps it shorter and stiffer for better tone. And the thicker body of the Les Paul improves the tone too. Overall, the Les Paul will have a fatter, deeper tone with more lower midrange, IMO.
Which is why I sold all of my Hamers except my Monoco when I got my Les Paul really set up right for me.
I tried many sets of humbuckers in my Hamer Studios:
1. Jazz & JB (what my guitars came with)
2. Seth Lover N & CC
3. Antiquity N & CC
4. Seth Lover B but as a neck pickup & CC
5. Seth Lover B but as a neck pickup & C5
6. Seth N & C5
7. Harmonic Design HB Classics
8. Fralin 7.5K & 8K
9. Fralin 7.5K & 9K
10. Fralin 8K & 9K
11. Fralin 7.5K & 9.5K
Out of all of those sets, I felt that my guitars sounded best with:
1. Duncan Jazz N & JB
2. Fralin 7.5K & 9.5K
3. Harmonic Design HB Classics
In the end, I put the Jazz N & JB back in again. Great set in those guitars.
But like I said, I eventually sold them all because my other guitars that I kept all sounded just a little deeper and better.
Sure liked looking at them though. The Hamer Studio and Studio Custom are beautiful guitars!
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Lewguitar
Guest
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
I think alnico 4 or 5 humbuckers might sound best in the Studios, because those pickups seem to have a fuller and tighter tone in the bass and lower mid range frequencies than alnico 2. I loved my Studios when I played them loud...but they sounded thin and overly bright when I played them at lower, cleaner volumes.
I think that's why ultimately I prefered them with the alnico 5 Jazz and JB combo they came with.
The 59N and JB combo you already have in there might be hard to improve on, though the JB does have a certain peakiness to it that might be improved by using a pair of 59's instead.
Lew
I think alnico 4 or 5 humbuckers might sound best in the Studios, because those pickups seem to have a fuller and tighter tone in the bass and lower mid range frequencies than alnico 2. I loved my Studios when I played them loud...but they sounded thin and overly bright when I played them at lower, cleaner volumes.
I think that's why ultimately I prefered them with the alnico 5 Jazz and JB combo they came with.
The 59N and JB combo you already have in there might be hard to improve on, though the JB does have a certain peakiness to it that might be improved by using a pair of 59's instead.
Lew
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
I'll bet that would be nice!
In a way, Hamer Studios are similar to Gibson SG's with the addition of a maple top...which makes them brighter.
Just like I think a5 humbuckers sound better in SG's because they add some low end, I found that a5 humbuckers sounded best (for me!) in my Hamer Studios.
The a2 Antiquity or Seth Lover would help tame the bright high end of those guitars and fatten up the mids though.
Lew
Jeffrec said:
I'll bet that would be nice!
In a way, Hamer Studios are similar to Gibson SG's with the addition of a maple top...which makes them brighter.
Just like I think a5 humbuckers sound better in SG's because they add some low end, I found that a5 humbuckers sounded best (for me!) in my Hamer Studios.
The a2 Antiquity or Seth Lover would help tame the bright high end of those guitars and fatten up the mids though.
Lew
badco33
New member
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
Another option, and very inexpensive, is to change out the pots to 250K. I had a Carvin TL60 with a JB in the bridge and it was just too ice-picky. I changed the tone and volume pots to 250K and it really tamed the high-end. I didn't notice a real drop in output just a good adjustment to the high-end frequencies. It gave the pickup and the guitar more warmth.
You really have a good pickup combo in there right now so you may want to try changing the pots before spending a lot on new pups.
Another option, and very inexpensive, is to change out the pots to 250K. I had a Carvin TL60 with a JB in the bridge and it was just too ice-picky. I changed the tone and volume pots to 250K and it really tamed the high-end. I didn't notice a real drop in output just a good adjustment to the high-end frequencies. It gave the pickup and the guitar more warmth.
You really have a good pickup combo in there right now so you may want to try changing the pots before spending a lot on new pups.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
Something else to remember about Hamer's is that they only have one tone control and that tone control is connected to the output jack of the guitar. This is the same as the 50's mod in a Les Paul...which makes Hamer's tend to seem brighter. Analyzing my Hamers is what made me realize how the 50's mod works! Anyways, going to a 250K or 300K tone pot might help too.
Something else to remember about Hamer's is that they only have one tone control and that tone control is connected to the output jack of the guitar. This is the same as the 50's mod in a Les Paul...which makes Hamer's tend to seem brighter. Analyzing my Hamers is what made me realize how the 50's mod works! Anyways, going to a 250K or 300K tone pot might help too.
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
I have a Rio Grande BBQ/Duncan Alnico II Pro set in mine which I really like. The BBQ is a medium output pickup with a nice bass and midrange response, along with softer highs. The Alnico II Pro is the ultimate neck pickup for Blues, it's warm and sweet with more of a vintage type output.
Ryan
I have a Rio Grande BBQ/Duncan Alnico II Pro set in mine which I really like. The BBQ is a medium output pickup with a nice bass and midrange response, along with softer highs. The Alnico II Pro is the ultimate neck pickup for Blues, it's warm and sweet with more of a vintage type output.
Ryan
hacker
New member
Re: warm up a Hamer Studio
I've owned several Hamer Studios as well, and I still own a Special FM, which is their flattop version. I like the 59/JB combo, but I know a jazz/JB would balance better. The key is to set your amp so the JB doesn't sound to ice-picky, which it easily can. But then, the 59 might be too bassy.
To rememdy this, i would either go with a Jazz neck OR a set of 59s-that's what Hamer uses now and the set sound great. If i wanted to put some more money in, I would go with a pair of Seths, Antiquities, or A2Pros, all of which have warmth to spare.
With that said, I don't think of the Hamer Studio as a bright guitar-there is a lot of warmth there. and I would play with the amp settings if i were you before replacing the pickups.
I've owned several Hamer Studios as well, and I still own a Special FM, which is their flattop version. I like the 59/JB combo, but I know a jazz/JB would balance better. The key is to set your amp so the JB doesn't sound to ice-picky, which it easily can. But then, the 59 might be too bassy.
To rememdy this, i would either go with a Jazz neck OR a set of 59s-that's what Hamer uses now and the set sound great. If i wanted to put some more money in, I would go with a pair of Seths, Antiquities, or A2Pros, all of which have warmth to spare.
With that said, I don't think of the Hamer Studio as a bright guitar-there is a lot of warmth there. and I would play with the amp settings if i were you before replacing the pickups.
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