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Paul Hamer

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  1. thanks for starting this thread. It is so great to see so many cool photos. Paul Hamer
  2. Anyone hear if George Gruhn's store got hit in the flood? Paul Hamer
  3. Ace Music; what a great store. I had a great relationship with Freddy (the owner) for many years. He was so nice to work with, he believed in the product and in return I worked very hard to make sure his store always had a great selection of instruments. I did several clinics with Martin Barre around the state of Florida. We had the best time meeting people. Back in 1975 I did the first clinic with Martin at Amazing Grace in Evanston. Martin played solo for a time, took questions and then we jammed with a pick up band for a while. I can't say enough about Martin and what a wonderful man he is and how he is truly one of the great guitarists. Along with Jeff Beck he is one of the few who get better every year. Paul Hamer
  4. I quite agree. I always thought that the larger the logo the less content there is in anything. I was against enlarging the Hamer logo and prefer everything to be more subtle. It is way more fun to have research and discover something than it is to have slapped in your face. Paul Hamer
  5. I don't remember promoting fourteen coats, but I can tell you how I feel about guitar finishing. I love nitrocellulose lacquer. My concept from the beginning started out trying duplicate the way the great Gibson's of 50's were made and later evolved to creating new ideas for the guitar but with the same techniques from the 50's. Finishing was a big part of that. When Monty and I started spraying guitars in the basement from the start we used nitro thinned out with lacquer thinner. This required many coats of lacquer, hand sanded every other coat, to get a finish build that could be buffed to a high polish. When we moved finishing to the Wood st. factory we continued the same procedure and at some point thereafter added a new procedure that heated the lacquer to thin it out to spray, rather than having to thin it out with lacquer thinner to spray it. The concept of using lacquer in my mind is firstly; the finish ends up being thinner and more a part of the wood, it doesn't stifle vibrations, secondly; the beauty and warmth that is created by the finish when observing a fine wood grain beneath it. Lacquer is difficult to work with at all stages of production but I feel it is worth it. Too many builders use polyurethane's and other synthetic finishes that encapsulate the instrument, deaden the sound and crate a cold sterile appearance. It is true that with synthetics it will probably look cold and sterile for a very long time, whereas lacquer ages. But I love that aging of lacquer. Paul Hamer
  6. Great photo, you refinished it a cool color. ......John and Monty eventually parted ways and Monty stopped working. John had a small workshop in the city where he continued doing work for me. John did the woodwork on the first 6 or 7 virtuosos! An unsung Hamer Hero. Paul Hamer Paul Hamer Paul... Wow! Thanks for the new info on this. Much appreciated. Steve Matthis actually picked the refin color before I got it from him. Yeah, cool color. May I ask a few more question? I've been a bassist forever it seems but I also play guitar. Because of my really big hands/long reach I especially LOVE the Virtuoso (the design I heard was not especially loved by all at Hamer?) Since you mentioned the Virt....here are mine. I recently let the marble one go. The korina one I think is a prototype...all small dot inlays, deeper scallops, slightly different body bevels? The SN# predates any of the dates of the original run of 10. Some previous owner hacked off some of the upper frets and put a humbucker in it with the pole pieces off. So, I put blade PUP in it so I don't get dropouts on bends w/a 6-way. It's actually my favorite Hamer 6-string I've ever owned. Also...I have a couple Hamers with YOUR SIGNATURE on them under the clearcoats. Any recollections about the axes/owners and why they got signed? The fancy Scepter was made for "George Gryparis" (name on headstock) and your sig in the trem cavity....and the '82 fretless Cruise Bass has "Scooter" on the truss cover, with your (and Jol's) sigs on the back. Last oddball Hamer ID question for the moment.....The Standard 8 pictured (SN0599) has a 4-to-8 headstock conversion that I was told by two different people was done while new at the factory for Jon Brandt...but he was out of CT by the time it was ready and he never picked it up. Supposedly the first long-scale Hamer root-octave bass? True/False/Myth? I was also told that the same "Scooter" guy bought it at the factory after Brandt didn't claim it. My info came from John Tooke, a friend who ordered a number of early custom Hamer basses (Quad 12, B12A, B12S, etc.) -jon/mc2 Scooter was the nick name of a really talented man named Scott Stephenson. He was living in Denver when I first heard from him. He was playing in a locally popular band and previously had toured as a roadie on a world wide Bob Dylan tour. He was always calling with guitar ideas and I believe he worked during the day at a chain of Colorado music stores. I did several guitar clinics out there that Scott helped with, I even went to his apartment one time where he showed me all his guitars. Scott is most famous Hamer-wise for coming up with several guitar ideas that were built including a double neck and a guitar shaped like a saxophone. I always wanted Scott to work for me but I could never afford it. I really admired his musical talents and his big personality, I wonder where he is today? The four string was one that Scott ordered very early on. Scott was very creative, I think he really wanted to be a graphic designer. I still hang from our Christmas tree every year an ornament Scott made out of styrofoam in the shape of a checkerboard standard. I can't say enough about how talented he is. I don't remember the eight string per se, but with that serial number it well may be the first long scale multi-string. It rings a bell with me about the bass staying at the factory and if Scooter ended up with it that is a possibility. The Scepter is one I remember for the color combination, though I do not remember who George is. When someone asked me to sign a guitar when it was being made at the factory I always signed the bottom of the bass pickup route. When I signed guitars on the road I always signed the inside of the back plate. I was never comfortable signing on the front or back of a guitar though I did on occasion when someone was insistent. I remember John Tooke who should have some reliable early information. What is the serial number of the virtuoso! that you think is a prototype? Paul Hamer Thanks for correcting my spelling!!! Paul Hamer Oh yeah...Gracin's WAS spelled that way. huh? Oops....appologies to Pop.
  7. It's funny that you mention the T-bird bass because that was the inspiration for the peg head and the over all feel. The nite that I completed the first guitar I got my first order from Martin Turner of Wishbone Ash for an explorer style bass. Martin played a T-bird bass, as did Tom Petersson who may have gotten his first or second or both early T-Bird basses from me. That first bass instrument had two original early T-bird bass pickups in it as did several of the other early basses including a green sunburst that Tom Petersson ordered Can you imagine a green sunburst anything in 1975? . I even discovered that some of the early T-bird pickup bobbins were cream colored like the late '50's Les Paul's Paul... Thanks for the info. No, no damage to the back of the peghead. Just the normal 30+ years of checking, dings, etc. I LOVE the way you guys did the early big pegheads, sort of overkill in a '60s TBird vibe. The double Jazz PUPs with the Gibson EB-3 pup/bridge was also very cool. Besides gigging regularly up in Rochester area, I was the all-nite DJ at the big underground FM radios station back then, WCMF. And yeah....Six String Sales only lasted a few years under Hubberman. I remember my stolen gear showing up in his front window one day and after I confronted him...he said come back in an hour and give him time to call the guy who sold it to him. When I went back an hour later it was all gone and he acted like he hadn't a clue what I was talking about. I called the cops. Geez. He's a character. I ran across him bidding against me on a Hamer on EBAY about 10 years ago. The "hhubberman" in his email was a dead giveaway. He worked with a number of the big L.A. "hair bands" of the 80s as a guitar tech, etc. and had what I think was sort of a used music gear/pawn shop near Guitar Center in Hollywood. One of the HFC members was his partner there. Small music world, no? Everyone eventually resurfaces. BTW...I bought my first bass cab at Grayson's on LI (and my first bass amp head...a used SUNN 200S at nearby Sam Ash in Hempstead down in the basement) when I was in HS. ***Any chance you recognize that refinned mystery Hamer bass/6string doubleneck above from 1981 with "TK" on the headstock, that no one at the factory had a record of? -mc2
  8. Great photo, you refinished it a cool color. I do not remember this piece definitively, however it should show up on Curtis's serial number log, and you are right this should have been a wood stamped four digit number. By process of elimination you should be able to find the original serial number. There is another man whose talent has not been talked about on this web site who I am very indebted to: John McHugh. In all probability John did the woodwork on this instrument. I have mentioned this to Steve Mathes but have not really talked about it publicly because it remains a sore subject for me. When we first started expanding the pace of building guitars Montgomery was adamant about staying in the basement. He loved to smoke all day while he worked and he smoked Camels. At the end of a normal work day he would go upstairs and have dinner then come back down around 6:30 or so. This is when I usually showed up, the dust would have settled, and we would start spraying. We would sand the previous nite's finish coat to level and spray another coat. About this time Monty would start taking a sip or two from a bottle of whiskey he kept in one of the cabinets. We had wonderful conversations while we worked and Monty would tell stories about the Korean War and growing up in Minnesota. We would frequently work until midnight or one in the morning and I would go back to the store where I slept on my Dad's WWII navy hammock mattress in the back room. During the day when I didn't have customers in the store I would assemble and set up all the instruments in the back room and then put them on display for a day or two in the store before I shipped them out. In order to expand Monty started gathering a collection of kids to help him during the day and he hired them himself. After a fashion they started taking him on different tangents that led to even less work getting done and a build up of animosity towards me. Monty and I always sorted things out but the kids never could. One by one they left for other fields and so much time was wasted when we could have been building great guitars. The exception to all this was John McHugh. John was into what we were doing he was a great woodworker and I would say that after a fashion he surpassed Monty in ability. I was never able to convince Monty nor even John to work at the factory I eventually built, they were just too comfortable in the basement. Once the first factory opened in Palatine all the spraying was done there. John and Monty eventually parted ways and Monty stopped working. John had a small workshop in the city where he continued doing work for me. John did the woodwork on the first 6 or 7 virtuosos! An unsung Hamer Hero. Paul Hamer Paul Hamer
  9. When Mainly Music opened a branch in Edmonton back in '86-ish, I hustled out to meet you and your wares at a clinic that they hosted. If I recall correctly Marcel was the guy running that store. They had a little jam sesh that night. It was my very first time on stage and in front of you and some of the creme of the crop in our local scene no less... I was crapping my pants that night!!! Shortly after I placed the order for this: My pride and joy. Thanks for all you've done, Sir!!! Dion Cool Bass! I remember Marcel and the clinic. I tried to visit Mainly in Calgary and Edmunton every year in the beginning of December. Marcel was a very nice guy, we even went skiing a couple of times together in Banff. We would stay at a small hotel up on a slope near the hot springs that had an incredible view of the valley. At night we would go to the Banff Springs Hotel where there was a sushi bar in the basement. Marcel was the first guy I ever saw ski up hill. He was very nice to put up with me because I am a terrible skier. However by some quirk of fate I have skied in some of the best places in the world with some of the best skiers. I loved doing the clinics and playing with different musicians, to me it never mattered how good you were, because I certainly wasn't, it only mattered that we were all having fun. Paul Hamer
  10. I haven't thought about Howie Hubberman in a long time. He was a partner or a salesman who ended up a partner or ended up an owner somehow at Six String Sales. The first owner was a guy named Dan. Dan ended up as a major player at Fender I think. Dan was the first from Six String to contact me and they were an early dealer. He was a real nice guy and wonderful to work with. Howie took over and I don't think the store lasted too long after that. Years later I ran into Howie in Los Angeles, he was helping out Tom Petersson when Tom was putting together a band with Mimi Betinis of Pezband during the brief time he left Cheap Trick. I think Howie had a tiny closet of a store near Guitar Center. He also claimed to have something to do with Gun's and Roses but I could be wrong about that. Three early dealer's were Pastore Music in New Jersey, Grayson's in Manhattan and Grayson's on Long Island (which were managed by the guy that later took over Kramer guitar, Dennis) and King James Music. I have an early dealer listing sheet somewhere that when I come across it I can post. That bass could be an early instrument that Peter Breggar imported to Holland. Thanks for posting the bass photo. Is there any damage to the back of the peg head on that bass? Paul Hamer Thank you for posting. Yes I remember Ward Brodt Music, they were a very early dealer and I think they had several stores around the Madison area. I even remember having to replace your guitar. somewhere I even have a photo I took of the guitars as they hung at Ward Brodt. I was so proud to see tem in a store. I also remember the Regenberg brothers who were really nice to me and very supportive. Thanks for posting and all your kind words!! Paul Hamer
  11. King James Music was a very early supporter of mine, great store. Thanks for posting the photo and I love the look of the 12-string headstock you have in your posts! and thanks for your kind words!!! Paul Hamer Many Thanks Paul I posted about Dom here before but nobody seemed familiar with him. He was an absolute scream! And I've probably yet to meet someone (including the guys here) so fiercely devoted to Hamer guitars. We used to come into the city from the suburbs as young teens and there'd be Dom -- looking like Steve Stevens meets Vinny Vincent - literally screaming at people in the shop that "...F'ing Hamers were the F'ing best.... period." If you didn't fully agree in the moment he'd berate you out the door. Had me sold on pure bravado. He left Mainly Music by the time I finally ordered my guitar but I'll never forget him and his absolute uncensored passion for Hamer. Great memories. In the end it was Barry and Tom who helped me put it all together but Dom was the man who planted the seed and hit me on the head with the shovel to make it grow. Rob Anybody know where Dom is today? Paul Hamer
  12. Rob: Thank for posting the note, it brings back a lot of memories. I believe you must have bought that from Dom who worked at Mainly Music in Vancouver. He was a great salesman and a very early supporter of Hamer Guitars. He was a really wonderful guy who deserved a lot of success. All the people at Mainly were great to me. Thanks for posting that!!! Paul Hamer
  13. David: I love Australia!!!!! I spent many a happy day there traveling to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. What city did you find your guitar in? Paul Hamer Paul, I'm in Sydney, which is where I bought the guitar - Eastside Music in Bondi, the store is no longer there. I'd love to know of it's history prior to my purchase. It was, and still is, in excellent condition. David: I am just going on gut instinct here but I believe I originally sold that guitar to Daryl Miller who ran a store in Bondi Beach, I can't remember the name of the store. Daryl found me in early 1972 and I sold him many vintage guitars and later on when he found out I was building guitars he ordered a few early models. Years later he bought a bunch of Sunburst and Special models. In those days he was very knowledgeable about guitars and was really into it. Later some of his staff took over the store and they were great to work with as well and were super nice to me when ever I visited. Once I had sent ahead a shipment of 80 guitars via boat to Sydney, I arrived six weeks after I sent them only to find there was a dock strike in Sydney Harbor. I waited daily for the shipment at Eastside Music and finally started hanging out on Bondi Beach by day and Kings Cross by night and checking in with Eastside at the end of every day. That went on for 5 weeks!!!! Finally they arrived. I use to rent a truck in Sydney then drive to Canberra and Melbourne and Adelaide, then fly to Perth, fly to Brisbane and finally back to Sydney. Hope that helps. Paul Hamer GG: Thank you for saying so many nice things about the guitar. Would that have been Spitzer Music that your friend found the guitar through? I visited them several times at the Hayward store, the San Francisco store and I think they had one other. Paul Hamer
  14. I love that phrase "Gig-worthy design", may I borrow it at some point in the future? Paul Hamer Thank for your kind words. I still see Jim Beech every once in while here in Oak Park though he is mostly traveling the world in an international sales position, he has a son who is a great jazz guitarist. I remember Universal, I vaguely remember recording there for a three or four hour session with one of my bands. I think the Blues Brothers recorded there along with many great acts. Didn't Cream record one of their singles there? Paul Hamer
  15. wow, that is very cool info. Thanks Paul, and welcome!! mike #0189 went to Dave Hlubek and I got it in December 1982 after a 60 day layaway for $425 from Ralph's Pawn Shop in Jacksonville, Fl. Dave had pawned it and few other guitars. I also bought #0415 a Black and White Vector Dave had pawned. Foolishly traded it 4 years later and it is my "One That Got Away" guitar. I got the Vector for $400 on that same layaway plan. Life IS Good! Whackhead, #0076, and Sherry Baby, #0189 That's a great story. I used to haunt the pawnshops myself. What ever happened to Dave? Paul Hamer Mike: Thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for caring so much about the guitar. Paul Hamer David: I love Australia!!!!! I spent many a happy day there traveling to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. What city did you find your guitar in? Paul Hamer Wow, how cool is that!!!!!! Great photos! Thanks for sharing the letter, I drove all over Texas many times visiting dealers and meeting guitarists. Fond memories. Paul Hamer
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