UltimateWarrior Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Hey, I posted this on the Jackson Charvel Forum and someone there said you'd kill to see it, I picked it up in '93 from a guy who said he was a roadie and it was given to him. He lived an hour into the hills around Los Angeles. Selling price was $500... PS Hope this wasn't too big
RobB Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Woof! I'm trippin' on the nut. What's the deal w/that?
Hamer95USA Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Hey Ultimatewarrior, Dude, that's a Hamer USA KK Vector guitar!! It has two humbucker pickups and a scalloped fretboard with the Kahler tremolo system. The boomerang inlays are pearl. I've never seen one like that before. I've seen them with only one humbucker on the bridge and the body is much bigger like a Gibson Flying V. The body shape itself is exactly like the mini-V guitars that KK Downing of Judas Priest designed and plays onstage. You're lucky you scored an authentic custom designed Hamer USA KK Downing mini V Vector guitar from one of the Judas Priest road crew. I know that he wanted to keep his Hamer guitars off the road. That's quite unusual and unique. Maybe Serial Steve and the other guys should check this guitar out. The last one I saw on E-bay in December 2004, the seller was asking $1,000 and was in need of restoration to it. I would have to say, "Great score, bro. Guitar George gives it two thumbs up!!" The Hamer bargain guitar of the week. LOL Thank you for sharing the pictures of your rare Hamer guitar with us, Ultimatewarrior. Guitar George
Mike_C Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Actually I think it's a scepter Vee that was actuallya KKDowning owned guitar. Artist name on the headstock would mark it as an artist's guitar as in made for the artist. Edited because David E was bothered and being his normal self.
UltimateWarrior Posted April 3, 2005 Author Posted April 3, 2005 You guys nailed it. The headstock goes the "keep the normal nut and use a Kahler string-lock" route. I've got this on other guitars and it works fine. I bought it this way. After talking to the guy who said he roadied for JP when they were in the LA area and KK gave it to him, I called Hamer to i.d. it. FINALLY, wound my way through the Kaman Empire (evil music here), and talked to "the old guy who knows everything about Hamer". He said that he couldn't track the serial number, but that if the artist name was in SCRIPT on the headstock it was a production piece. If it was typeface like this, it was made for that artist.I've been running into difficulties setting it up with 8's (KK's set), so I'm thinking this is the prototype. I'm thinking about going to see the "Retribution" support tour concert with it and bringing a friend so I can try to talk to KK about it while my friend keeps you guys from mugging me!!!!
Guest abner devereaux Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 That is NOT a Hamer KK Downing model. That is a custom (Artist) guitar made for KK Downing. The artist personalization is on the headstock, the body is a shortened Scepter Vee body (not at all like the KK Downing Model body, which is like a downsized 58-style Vee), the headstock is a 6-in-line, unlike the pointy Vee 3x3 headstock of the KK model vee. The Stock KK models did come with 2 pickups on occasion, but this is different in the lack of a pickguard. The jack is also in the upper wing, which was obviously a custom appointment.This guitar appears to be either a prototype or an early version of the shortened Scepter Vees that KK played through the 90s.
Travis Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Yep, that was me who told you to get your ass over here. I think maybe the response is as expected. At least, it's as I expected.
DavidE Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Actually I think it's a scepter Vee that was actually KKDowning guitar. Artist name on the headstock would mark it as an artist's guitar. Uh, yeah.
Mobster Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Those are cool as hell. I've always loved those custom mini-V's that KK played.Thanks for sharing....real cool.
UltimateWarrior Posted April 3, 2005 Author Posted April 3, 2005 The comment about the jack is very perceptive. There are separate rear covers for the control area as well as the jack area. Both are racetrack - like a Tele control plate. The cover over the controls is aluminum. That over the jack is plastic.Also, big confession: After all these years playing it, I've never popped the pickups or bridge - mainly because I believe the story that the guy told me and didn't want to mess with anything of KK's. At least by replacement. But now I'm getting fired up to go exploring, anyway.
Jeff R Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Speaking of the JCF, how the hell do you get in the message board there? I've tried SEVERAL times in recent months to register and have never received the confirmation e-mail to get a password. Have their mods quit?
Hamer95USA Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Hey Ultimatewarrior and everyone, I was looking at a Judas Priest fan website. I found this and I'll paste this here: For the TURBO/Fuel For Life tour in 1986, Hamer introduced a new non-production model called the KK "Mini V", which was essentially a shortened version of the Hamer Scepter V (originally made for Robbin Crosby of Ratt and known as the "Wedge V"). K.K. had a plain white guitar with a rosewood fingerboard and boomerang inlays and a plain red guitar with block inlays, but soon he added metal studs to the body bevels of the red guitar to compliment his stage outfits. He again used these red studded Mini Vs for the 1990/91 PAINKILLER/Operation Rock 'N' Roll tour and introduced a blue version with studs and dot fretboard inlays on the 1998 JUGULATOR tour. He has recently retired these Mini Vs for safe keeping and now only uses them for recording. K.K. says he is very proud of these custom instruments and has fond memories of the legendary recordings he has captured with them. So that means there was a white one with the boomerang inlays (Ultimatewarrior's guitar), 2(?) red ones with block inlays , and a blue one w/ studs and dot inlays. That must mean he only had 4 of these KK "Mini V" guitars made? Can anyone confirm this? Guitar George
serial Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 I've got pics of four or five of KK's mini Vees. If the owner wants to email me the serial number, I can try to verify it (for date, etc). That is most certainly one of the VERY few KK Mini Vees that were made ONLY for Downing. Most excellent score!
UltimateWarrior Posted April 3, 2005 Author Posted April 3, 2005 Jeff.........I've had difficulty at times with the JCF and how their Java works. But be persistent and you'll get on. The moderators are there, but seem to have more fun weighing in on discussions.............As for the rest of you, George, Serial, Travis..........................you're gonna give me a heart attack man!!!! Ya know, I always thought "This is cool!" but never thought "One of FOUR!!!"....................................oh well, I guess I go out with a smile on my faceSerial number is below the G and B tuners on the back of the headstock. The first character is missing the right third. But it looks like : 615170. Oh yeah - pictures didn't show the back, but there was MAJOR buckle rash - to the wood - at the top rear of the guitar, just neck-ward of the jack cover.
serial Posted April 3, 2005 Posted April 3, 2005 Listed as a "Mini SR V KT" (KK Downing). Translating that-that is "Mini Scepter Vee, Kahler Tremolo built for KK Downing. Legit as hell. Looks like it rolled out on 2/27/86. This might be the first one of the set that he had, I'll have to check. No doubt, this is a cool one!
UltimateWarrior Posted April 3, 2005 Author Posted April 3, 2005 Serial, please do..................either heal me or finish me off, but don't leave me in mid-heart attack!
wyldbil Posted April 4, 2005 Posted April 4, 2005 Jeebus Horatio Christmas! It's a Holy Grail for a Hamer fan OR a Priest fan!&^%&$^@$(_^+$%*(^))$&*^#&$) and for $500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Holy sheeeeeeyit!I am officially freaking out. Good night.
Bass Guy Dave Posted April 4, 2005 Posted April 4, 2005 As a Hamer fan and after listeing to mucho Priest from Jr. High through college, that is one heck of a score.....In one of the interviews I read, it listed KK as acutally using a .007 to .036 set of strings, but in 14 years of working music retail, I've never seen anybody offer a .007 even as a custom single. (or for that matter, a flatwound .130 for a low B on the bass was another thing I'd always get asked for...)Anyway, very cool score, dude. Thanks for sharing--and welcome!Best Wishes
Hamer95USA Posted April 4, 2005 Posted April 4, 2005 Hey wyldbill, Jeebus Horatio Christmas! It's a Holy Grail for a Hamer fan OR a Priest fan!&^%&$^@$(_^+$%*(^))$&*^#&$) and for $500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy sheeeeeeyit! You and me both, dude. I freaked out when I saw it too. I know that a few of the guys on the HFC message board own a few rock star pre-owned Hamer guitars. You'll never see a pre-owned Hamer USA Glenn Tipton guitar come to America anytime soon. Hey Ultimatewarrior, I forgot to tell you , "Welcome to the Hamer Fan Club". I'll give you $350.00 for the Scepter Mini-V, ok? Guitar George
UltimateWarrior Posted April 4, 2005 Author Posted April 4, 2005 Dave - yeah, the '83 Guitar Player article (I've two copies, just in case) quoted .007/.009/.012/.018/.028/.036...checking the guitar with calipers (I'm reading off a ~12 year old note that I wrote and stuck with the guitar...) I got .007/.009/.014/.020/.029/.039. The string set the guy included with the guitar and case (oh yeah, did I mention the Hamer case?) is a GHS pack. It says "GHS Strings CUSTOM SET DOWNING"The paper bags are as follows: .008/.010/.014/.020/.030/.040. Needless to say, I'm never using the "CUSTOM SET". But I am using it as a guide... I can take a pic of that stuff too if you want.Oh also, there was a yellow nylon tiger- or zebra-stripe "Lenny" strap. His?????? I dunno. I was looking at the judaspriest.com site today, and someone was making a ruckus about his strap(s), but to tell you the truth, I never noticed...too concerned with the music he played I guess!!!George, thanks for all the help and comments...it's good to be here!
formula73 Posted April 4, 2005 Posted April 4, 2005 Yeah, it's nice. $375. Final offer. Man! That's insane! I can't say anything anyone else has, but that's a crazy score! I guess I should keep my eyes just a little wider open in these shops. Maybe I'll find something like that too(but probably not). Congratulations! Hold on to that thing!
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