Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Uk Ant said:
Perhaps it's just as simple as Hamer's, for all the good build quality and superb playability and tone, just don't give a unique enough tone/feel/look, and saying that top players don't care about the look/image of their instruments is possibly not very accurate.
Almost all players care how their instruments looks, one way or another.
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I think the top players, and I mean the absolute top level (possibly even top 2 levels- since I don't think Govan is up there with Holdsworth) care about the way their guitar looks ONLY if everything else is up to their standards.

If the 2 choices were equal in every aspect apart from the aesthetics then sure, choosing the more attractive guitar (IYO) would make sense. However, I don't think any top player will choose a "better" looking guitar which they think is a lesser instrument in terms of tone, playability and quality JUST because it looks nicer.

Many rock/metal players would and have done that, but then most of them cannot play a note in tune and would be ignorant of quality when comparing a USA Hamer to, for example, a MIK LTD.

We all know how endorsements work, but the top companies don't give endorsements for the most part, and certainly don't offer sig guitars to someone who was playing a previous brand of guitar the year before (any similarities between Jon Donais and the Washburn-ESP issue are accidental). ;)


BTMN said:
So Rivera, ever get yourself one of these?

studio_cu_655131.jpg


I thought I remembered you having some G.A.S. over a Hamer. Those Studio Customs are KILLER guitars and Les Paul Killers. The stock Duncans Rawk! :approve: :cool2:

One other neat thing I like about Hamer is the use of race track locations for guitar names. Monaco, Daytona, Talladega.
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I wish!

I STILL have major GAS over that guitar. Champagne taste on beer money I'm afraid.

Everything about it seems quality, and no guitar with build quality THAT good sounds anything other than beautiful.

The '59's sound great in mahogany guitars IMO and I think the Black Transparent finish looks even better than the other colours:
scbt.jpg


Maybe I'm just boring, but I like a nice, classy natural or flame/quilt maple top over an insane graphic.

I don't think there's much to choose between Hamer, Suhr, PRS, Tom Anderson purely in looks so I'd be happy with either. Ha ha.
 
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Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Lewguitar said:
You know, Hamer came out with the double cut LP Special or TV look before PRS did. Of course Gibson came out with it first. But Gibson didn't do anything with that look after about 1960 and just abandoned it. I always thought of PRS as copying Hamer to some degree. But PRS just took that look at ran with it.
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I remember those. There was little guitar shop that I used to buy strings at, that had three or four. The owner would always wonder why they never caught on, because they were such good guitars. I would always play them when I visited the store. I'm kicking myself now years later for not getting one cheap. What was cool about them was that they got a good mahogony guitar sound without weighing a ton. They had a maple top that wasn't that thick too.

A PRS body with a maple top is typically almost 1/2 maple. That's part of the difference in sound I think.

Early PRS guitars with the double cut look date back into the 70's, and they were usually all mahogony.

What PRS did when they made their move though, was to offer this original good looking hybrid type guitar, with a strong Gibson bias, but with a good trem too. When PRS first broke in the 80's, guitars had to have trems, and a super strat/EVH related type vibe, which the Hamers at first lacked. Almost instantly "known" players were seen with PRS's.

I have always been puzzled by this whole hero worship thing about gear?? I know of plenty unknown pop and rock guitar players that can really play. But thats the way it is.

I think that the double cut LP look wasn't where it was at in the 80's as well.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Mincer said:
I think there are a few things that always bothered me about Hamers- I don't like the switch location, the 3-in-a-line knobs or the fact that my small hands can't do volume swells on most of their guitars because the volume knobs are too far away. I am more into ergonomics these days than form, I guess.
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Just the fact that it is missing a pot is irritating.

The switch position isn't really negotiable, though. A Gibson DC doesn't have it where it belongs either.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

hamertag.jpg


This used to come with Hamers and is still worthy of use with the setup they use. I LOVE Hollowlead settings with a nice high gain channel. P90 Hamer in that setting is the infamous "woman tone" to my ears.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Was just browsing around and came across this nice segment about the Hamer shop. Really interesting. Just scroll down on the right hand menu for the Hamer segment. There are some other interesting segments on other companies' factories as well. It's interesting because you can watch the segment about the Dean Custom Shop operations and contrast it with the PRS or Hamer segments. Anyway, for those interested:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/medi...s&vid=DeanGuitars_CustomShop&playlist=factory
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

here's a few pics of Rick Nielsen's Hamer's. While he is also known for his awesome collection of Gibson's he is also the first guy that comes to mind when I think of Hamer.. Never thought of Rick as being mediocre and Cheap Trick is pretty popular..

ricknielsen.jpg


3791942645_8bf8f23781.jpg


cheaptrick_guitar3.jpg


cheaptrick_guitar2.jpg
 
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Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

As for why Hamer isn't more popular and never really caught on:
Their guitars are too much like Gibsons. They both make classic looking guitars, neither is terribly modern, and logically the majority of people that are attracted to a vintage looking guitar will go for what they instantly think of as the classic mahogany shortscale humbucker guitar. There has been a lot of talk about PRS breaking the mold in this thread and that is simply because PRS offers something vastly different than what Gibson does, both in a more modern appearance and a more modern marketing of the brand.When you're in the market for classic looking guitars and you're late joining the party you're doomed before you start.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Man guys, how many times do I have to tell you? You guys all know me, and I've played a few Hamers. So there ya go!
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

Owned by Fender because FMC bought Hamer's parent company, Kaman Music. I dont get how that pwned's them. They have been a "boutique division" for a long time and wanna stay that way from what I gather being around the brand as long as I have. I have a Hamer on my lap right now. An '01 Standard Custom that I would love to hand anyone here to play just to watch the grin build on their face.

Beandip you seem like a decent cat with good guitar knowledge, but I'm not sure if what you say means you like them or not. What do you not like? Or like? I will look back to see if you posted that already.

If you come across it there is a great dvd that shows Hamer and it's build process and a few of it's endorsees. I'll post the title later but I think it is "Building an American Dream".

I saw a video back in August that was on The New York Times website of Paul Hamer and he was reminising about going to Woodstock and how that led to Hamer Guitars. Nice!!!
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

BTMN said:
Owned by Fender because FMC bought Hamer's parent company, Kaman Music. I dont get how that pwned's them. They have been a "boutique division" for a long time and wanna stay that way from what I gather being around the brand as long as I have. I have a Hamer on my lap right now. An '01 Standard Custom that I would love to hand anyone here to play just to watch the grin build on their face.

Beandip you seem like a decent cat with good guitar knowledge, but I'm not sure if what you say means you like them or not. What do you not like? Or like? I will look back to see if you posted that already.

If you come across it there is a great dvd that shows Hamer and it's build process and a few of it's endorsees. I'll post the title later but I think it is "Building an American Dream".

I saw a video back in August that was on The New York Times website of Paul Hamer and he was reminising about going to Woodstock and how that led to Hamer Guitars. Nice!!!
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i just meant owned. literally. :laugh2:

i have that DVD.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

The feeling I get is that Hamer is happy with where they are. World domination and double-digit growth were never a "corporate" mission for them. What a concept!

Hamer Gallery
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

BTMN, I've played a good 50 Hamers or so. I love their American stuff. I was exceptionally pleased with what I found and the tones I heard.

Import line, well, I've been better craftsmanship on a 129 dollar Squier Bullet. I think something seriously needs to be done about that.

I'd love to have one, but then again, I'd love to have a lot of stuff.

As for what I'm getting at, the title of the thread is "why don't more known players play hamer"....Well, all you guys know me, so I'm known, and I've played a Hamer, so I play Hamers. So therefore, known players play Hamer :D
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

AAAAZOOOOOMMMMMMMM...

The sound of that going over my head the first time. :cool2: I've been lucky the 5 Imports I've owned. They have been really nice. I still own two Hamer Slammer Series Flattop Sunbursts. One Trans Red and one Trans Amber. I've had a Special HB and two Standard Custom imports. Buddy of in Jacksonville has one of those Standards and the Special HB. As with many import lines you gotta play them in person most of the time.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

From what I understand, the history of Hamer is this:

In the 70s, Gibson either no longer made certain models, or made certain models poorly. That lead Hamer to come out with their Explorer and V copies, as well as the LP double cut. From what I understand, they are all excellent models, built much better than they were then and today.

Since then, they've basically been a "Better, yet different" than Gibson. And that's their problem: they aren't close enough, or different enough, from Gibson.

I'd love to have a Hamer single cut, but all they have is the double cut or the Monaco (which isn't my cup of tea). I dig the double cut, but I'd like a more ergonomic version, with better controls and an offset waist (PRS went this route, but it doesn't need to be identical).

Hamer needs something to differentiate itself. PRS did that, and Hamer can too. The don't need to go radical, and can even stay with the Gibson theme. But, I think they need to come out with models that are clear improvements, other than build quality, over existing (theirs and others) models. For example, an offset waist double-cut -- it could be closer to an LP than the thinner PRS.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

BTMN said:
AAAAZOOOOOMMMMMMMM...

The sound of that going over my head the first time. :cool2: I've been lucky the 5 Imports I've owned. They have been really nice. I still own two Hamer Slammer Series Flattop Sunbursts. One Trans Red and one Trans Amber. I've had a Special HB and two Standard Custom imports. Buddy of in Jacksonville has one of those Standards and the Special HB. As with many import lines you gotta play them in person most of the time.
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Funnily enough, the Slammer lines I've played were quite good for the price point. It was the import line of Hamers that gave me a little of a fit. While they were good, there were things (on most, not all) that I wouldn't have been able to live with. Stains bled into the finishes and bindings, bad fretwork with unpolished frets, polishing compound left on the fretboard with the finishing powder still on the instrument in some places.

The frets would be taken care of quite easily with a good setup at an reputable shop. The finish on the other hand, is a flaw from the factory. And they all occurred at the neck joint.

That being said, if I was handed one of the worst Hamer imports you've ever seen, I still wouldn't turn it down.
 
Re: Why don't more "known" players use Hamer guitars?

The Monaco III is the Hamer for me!!! Ok the Korina Jr too. ;)

That said I wanted a Double Cut soooo bad I could taste it. I ended up with the PRSi because of 2 big reasons.

1. Availability
2. Controls

Truthfully I'd even consider waiting on a Hamer Solidbody....IF they'd move the controls. They just don't work well for me. Maybe it's the way I stand when I play? I have no idea but the switch and bridge tone control are waaay too far away. When I went to Jol's seminar a few years back he was pretty adamant that on a custom one off you could do anything.........except change the control location.

Luke
 
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