Leaderboard

SOLD, Staying in the HFC! Thanks! -- This started life as a new 1998 Hamer Phantom that bubs_42 had a vision for. Converted by Murkat to use a sustainblock, refinished by Stike in a blue sparkle finish that is truly extraordinary. I would have never though a sparkle finish could be this tastefully done. It's gorgeous. Neck is a Duncan Custom Shop Lil Pearly Gates. Bubs commented on the previous for sale post that he thought the bridge humbucker was a Pearly Gates and the bridge single was stock. One of the switches works like the switch on a prototype, and lets you configure the bridge to be single / humbucker / both. The second switch lets you select neck / bridge / both. Push / Push Tone pot switches between series and parallel. You like tonal options? You have tonal options. We're all pretty desensitized to seeing the "RARE! One Of A Kind!" hyperbole on for sales posts but... yea... Some talented people put a lot of effort into making this something pretty special. I hope it finds a new home in the HFC. Original For Sale thread is here: https://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/topic/80453-1998-hamer-phantom-custom-from-bubs-murkat-and-stike/ Black Friday HFC Sale! $$$$ Paypalled and shipped (US)

As some of you may well know, I am a huge fan of the Mirage. I think they are criminally underrated guitars and I’ve had each of the variants over the years. Got my ‘94 I new in January of ‘95. Had a maple top for a very short time back around 2010-ish. Sold it as a last one in, first one out kind of thing. Kinda regretted it. Picked up a Koa II a couple of years ago. After dropping in MannMade trems and Josh’s pickups into both, the Mirages are perfect now. Cut to today. Saw this for sale in the next town over. Had to right my wrong from a few years ago and now the triumvirate is complete. 100% stock and in great condition minus very minor Hameritis and some small dings here and there, most notably on the headstock. pics are from the seller and a quick family shot. I’ll get better pics and a full tone report/comparison later on.

Well, it's time. I am totally jazzed. I just finished my album. 9 all original Blues tracks. Bandcamp has it live. Soon to be on iTunes (Mastered for iTunes in 96K/24bit) and Spotify etc. Take a listen, I hope you like it. I will also have CD's shortly (I know, who plays CD's anymore) But, I'm old-school and wanted to have something I could physically hold - haha. https://erniesantella.bandcamp.com/album/the-whole-shabang

Earlier this year I had a ticket to see ZZ Top at an uncovered outdoor venue. Then another show popped up for later in the year at a place I like to see concerts. Up close tickets were available for a significantly higher price, but the ticket included a vinyl album and other stuff. Decisions, decisions... Front row center was up for grabs when tickets went on sale, and that ticket was mine! It cost a whopping $211.50. Feeling a little guilty about what was paid, the ticket for the other show was sold. A drive through those North Georgia mountains on a Wednesday late afternoon got me to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, Georgia. The crowd there is usually older and quite often retirees who moved there. No one wants to stand for rock and roll shows for more than a couple of songs at the beginning and end. Cell phone reception inside the place is non-existent, but last night they had the side walls open. Phones sort of worked. The opening act was Austin Meade. Before the show his guitar player was doing a last minute check of his guitars and pedalboard. I told him that they were going to play in front of a sit-down audience. The show started at 7:00. Austin Meade was doing his thing, rock and roll with profanity in his lyrics. Whether the audience was going to like him or not, he and his band played their way. I think he said he and his band were from Brownsville, Texas. Musically, I liked them. Lyrically, I have heard it all before. There were more guitars in the stand than the band used on stage. Austin Meade stuck with his Les Paul Studio most of the time, but he pulled out a baritone Tele that looked like a parts guitar and another Tele with humbuckers. The other guitar player had a Flying V before the show, but played a Gibson Corvus when the show started. Both of them had a lot of pedals. You could tell during the show. Listen to some of their music on YouTube and you will hear a lot of pedals. The audience was... polite? There were blow-up balls Austin kicked into the audience. One came back to the stage. Austin wanted some kind of reaction from the audience. He said it was like playing in a library. If you go to a rock and roll show, be ready for something offensive. It is required. Some people brought kids, though. Not many had kids with them. This was the venue for grandparents, and most of them left the grandkids to someone else for the evening. Austin Meade's merchandise stand had a big banner saying "Howdy Fuckers" on it. My opinion is that this was not a bar, and the banner was out of place at this particular venue. A lot of bands are selling accessories for dope smokers, and Austin Meade has his rolling trays for sale. Check out Austin Meade's music for yourself. Here is the setlist. The last time I saw ZZ Top from the front row was back in 1982 when El Loco was the latest album. We showed up early and ran to the barricade when the doors opened back then. The last time I saw the band was back in 2019 when they played Charlotte with Cheap Trick opening for them. In 2015 I saw them with Jeff Beck opening and jamming with them. My seats were close, but not as close as they were last night. There was no barricade, just staff people telling us over and over not to stay with our chairs and how we would be thrown out for touching the stage. Before the show I went to the VIP table where a girl was handing people the merchandise that went with their tickets. I asked if I could pick it up after the show, but I was told there was no guarantee everything would still be there. OK. I got my red-white-and-blue splatter vinyl album, a 2022 tour print, and an official ZZ Top plastic bag. There were people arriving at their seats that I reminded about the merchandise that went with their tickets. Some did not get the prints. Some did not get the bags. I leaned my stuff against the concrete base of the stage. Other people did, too. I watched a dumbass kick over someone's stuff without noticing. He stepped on the print. As the guy who's stuff was being stepped on tried to pick up his print, the dumbass's dumbass wife stepped on it. After the show I asked the guy if Mr. and Mrs. Dumbshit ever apologized or offered to make it up to him. No. They could have said, "Oh, sorry." They could have given him their print. Sometimes "elder abuse" is justified. I wished two dumbass dipshits in their 60s would get a DUI on the way home. A flat tire on a mountain road would have been good. These people grew up at a time when politeness and respect were taught by parents. Before the show there were announcements over the PA instructing everyone in how to get ready for a drive-in movie with a countdown and speed limit warnings. Then at 8:00 PM ZZ Top came out and put on their show. Elwood Francis came out with the weirdest instrument he could, a 17 string bass. Looking at the headstock you can see red silk on the outer pairs of strings. Elwood only played the top two or bottom two strings on that bass. One has to wonder if he chose that instrument just to mess with the guy who took over his spot as ZZ Top's guitar tech. That wall of Magnatone amps looks cool, but in a rig rundown Elwood explained that Billy played through a Marshall rack unit. On both sides of the Magnatone stacks I saw tiny Fender amps with mics on them. The light was not good enough for me to get a clear photo with my camera, and the phone does not zoom in without getting grainy. Frank Beard had mics above his cymbals, but I think he might have internal mics in his drums or drum triggers. As for Billy Gibbons, he used a variety of guitars. Mostly he used an SG shaped guitar with some kind of symbol on the headstock. The same thing was on the headstock of Elwood's bass with the same finish. Billy also used Gretsch, Zemaitis, a Les Paul, and I have no idea who made the fuzzy guitars. As for Billy's playing it was a good night. Getting ready for the show I was listening to a lot of ZZ Top with one speaker closer to my desk than the other. The solos really stood out. On that 80s stuff the solos sound like Billy was still playing his bluesy stuff, the rhythm parts were just crunchier. During the show I concentrated on listening to his solos, and he was nailing it all. There are no setlists taped to the stage. Setlists are on the bases of the mic stands. Dusty Hill is gone. Tush is not in this year's setlist. It was still a ZZ Top show. I am glad I went.

After I returned the Guild Bluesbird with the funky neck, I kept one eye open for another humbucker-y kind of guitar, in a “well, don’t need one but..” way. This came up on Craigslist and I replied… apparently right before a flurry of other replies. A 2011 Tokai Love Rock LS98F (F for flame top) with three tiny nicks on one edge and otherwise immaculate. At a (cough) very nice price. Made in Japan. Top is veneer over solid maple, two-piece mahogany back, one-piece mahogany neck. Bone nut, vintage-style Gotoh tuners, medium frets, big 50s neck. it is awesome. After a week I’m still in love. Very clear low-output pickups, mad low action, just so fun to play, and the nut was cut well enough to stay in tune after crazy bends. October was the best acquisition month ever, between this and the Prototype!

Hi HFC, I recently picked up this Newport Pro in excellent shape. It has a few minor dings and scratches, but overall very solid. Oh, and it sounds freaking killer; one of the best sounding Newport Pros I've played/owned. I bought this for my son for Christmas, but I may have to rethink his gift. I'll admit, the Black Cherry Burst wasn't my favorite Hamer finishes, but in person the depth of the burst and the fade on this is remarkable - so much dimension. The back of the neck looks like it's on fire when in playing position. The Newport is my favorite Hamer model. I regret every one I've sold. Any fans of the Black Cherry Burst finish? Here's a few photos. They do not do it justice.

I've been waiting for "Bigson" to get these right. The color is spot on. That was always the rub. They just didn't look "vintage". And "vintage" is the fade. Gets here on Monday.

Hi, I'm putting a bunch of things for sale this month, went on a Japanese buying spree and lightening the load. 2004 Junior, Mahogany, has a large chip on headstock and some light dings on face (superficial, nothing thru finish and won't show up in pics) but otherwise is pretty clean, frets are excellent (some light wear) but plays great medium profile neck (Vintage carve .90 1st .922 12th) pickup was swapped to a Lollar which seems to have a vintage hot voicing. I shot a full set of pics. 7 lbs 5 oz , plays and sounds nice. As you can see in the shots, outside of the chip it's been well preserved. OHSC and coa. I'm really heavy on p-90 guitars including Gibson CS and this is as nice as any of them. Now Sold Thank you! North of Boston/Southern NH area link to full set of pics https://davejl1984.smugmug.com/Unlisted/n-vK6jW/Hamer-Mahogany-Junior

OK, my Fighting Illini have had some setbacks in the past couple of weeks, but I'm still all in on the orange and blue, at least when it comes to guitars. How about posting up some photos of your orange and/or blue guitars? We all know they sound better, after all. I'll start:

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you after. There were hardly any pictures of Hamer's on Instagram when I started it. I thought I might be a good idea to create something similar to the "member pages" we once had here, where you could share your Hamer pics. So, I am sharing common and rare Hamer's. It's supposed to be kind of a picture museum, and very much affiliated with the HFC. Anyone who want me to post something can send a pm. As long as the pics are of good enough quality I will put them up there. And if I have "borrowed" a picture or two from members here (or others), that for some reason wants them removed, just let me know.

I missed Butcher's post of his Proto with gold hardware. This one popped up on Reverb so I jumped. I replaced the aftermarket Dunlop straplok pins with NOS Gibson buttons. Add an as-new TKL, Hamer-branded case (courtesy of the good Dr. Fung) and RobB is camping happily. Frost white that has yellowed nicely. Chip on the back, coupla other dings. Overall excellent condition. Tones on tones with the triple-bucker/capacitor setup. It easily cops that early-80s, "sssshhlaaaaaaang", sound, but can go to an aggressive rock beast with a flip of the switch. Enjoy!

The real reason I make bass player jokes is because I am one... but really, Derek Smalls is the source of endless amusement for me. That aside, I had sold my Stingray in the early covid sell-off of 2020 and prices shot thru the roof on them, I had planned to get a Nash PB-63 (their precision style bass) but finally, I found a somewhat reasonably priced on on the GC used site. This one is a really clean 2019, with one tiny nick, the frets sparkle like jewelry and it has a nice black ebony board and roasted. The case (they forgot to ship it) arrives later this week. Ernie Ball really does nice work. The thing plays effortlessly, still don't sound like Steve Harris, Pete Way on a drunken bender... sure, I can nail that. pics, enjoy.

Stock p90 USA Hamer Special. Very good condition. Vintage carve thin C neck. Fret wear normal. Minor surface scratching, clean backside. Never damaged/repaired, clean neck joint. Tortoise pickguard by Chandler to Hamer specs. TKL case.

I know I shouldn't have but could not resist.... new, EJ '57 made 1/22. comes with all the original Fender goodies, from a Fender dealer. cracks in the nitro make it approximately 1/2 price. made in USA, arpx 1/4 the price of a custom shop

Ok it was only two of us and we didn’t even play guitars!!! We did eat some fish and chips though!!!😎❤️👍

Posted this in the Facebook group yesterday. The light was just right.

Hey HFC - I purchased this ‘82 Sunburst this past year from GuitarPointe out of Germany will the full intention of keeping it part of my own collection. The black binding with a cherry finish is something that really caught my eye but after spending some time with it I have found that fit and feel wise this guitar is just not for me. Looks like y’all beat me to it as I have had this guitar listed on CL here in St. Louis for the past couple of weeks.. but I figured I would come to my favorite forum directly as a point of contact here if you are interested in this one. I am happy to answer any questions or talk shop over vintage Hamers! I am asking $2,795 locally here in St. Louis but I am open to offers and trade considerations! Is anyone looking to swap an FM Special for a Sunburst?? I am well experienced with shipping guitars and am also way open to show it in person here in STL! Full details + pics + shipping options: https://nickshandpicked.com/products/82-hamer-sunburst Hamer posted a quick video of my playing this guitar on their Instagram page the other day - am no EVH but at least we have sound! 😅 https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck771znuCl7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Thanks for looking! I have been a member of the HFC since 2012 and would absolutely love to see this Sunburst end up in the family. 🤘

"no tuning issues" is a great litmus test for lack of severity and relatively easy remedy. Even if it's deeper than finish (it appears to be from the photos), snaps of that nature are a fast fix in an experienced tech's hands, meaning it's a relatively cheap fix too. Send it to an experienced tech if you want a structural repair and a clearcoat fix that is somewhere between invisible and very close to invisible. If you only want a structural fix, however, and are not concerned with pro clearcoat fix too ... Smear distilled water in the crack with your finger, then use the same wet finger to smear red label original Titebond into the wound. The water will help wick the glue deeper into the wood, but not so deep that it gets into the truss rod cavity. DO NOT flood the wound with glue, the truss rod canal doesn't need glue in it too. Each side's crack's surface area you are trying to bond is roughly about the same size as the flat area on a one-inch piece of a popsicle stick. Imagine what it would take to glue two of those popsicle stick pieces together. That's about how much glue you want in there. Finger-apply the water, then the glue, then a clamp between the nut and F1. Use a couple squares of cardboard as the padding between the clamp heads, a couple squares on the fingerboard and a couple squares on the back of the neck. The cardboard will help it grip on the backside. Squeeze the clamp good and tight. Don't worry about alignment, a wound of that nature and size aligns itself. If you get glue squeeze-out, you used enough glue in the wound. Wipe away the squeeze out with a wet rag, let sit overnight. Wipe the area clean with a wet rag the next morning. The wet rag will take off the filmy Titebond residue without messing up your structural fix. I'll say it again, send it to a tech if you want pro cosmetic results, or if you don't feel confident in the DIY I outlined above. Don't glue up and then decide for whatever reason to send it to a tech for Round 2. Techs detest the extra work created by someone else's glues and glue-ups (they typically F it up and THEN the tech get it), and the end bill reflects the extra work.

You know what’s cool? This:

After Dimebag, anybody who comes on stage should be fair game.

We quit unloading our gear at decent prices a long time ago. Now all we do is complain about people who ask ridiculous prices for their Hamers.

This one's pretty good... a close up...

Sure. Sent you a PM...

It was a small but enthusiastic crowd of regulars. This is the only photo I took. That's my first Hamer on the right, an 80 Sunburst purchased in 81. Good times!

These are getting close to the end of the line…

New guitar day! I bought a Studio Custom. I picked it up while traveling, so I haven't had a chance yet to plug it in and fully test it out, but it's so beautiful I couldn't wait to share. https://imgur.com/a/OSQoorI Sorry to redirect to Imgur, It's been too long since I've posted photos here. What's the best method to just get them to show up in this post? I'll then repost the photos

This was at the Philly Guitar Show today…

For Sale I recently posted this on Reverb - see Reverb link for details and more photos. The weight on this Superpro is on the light side at 7 lbs 7 oz and the frets show zero wear. I'm happy to give you my phone number if you want to chat. If a HFC member is looking for an extremely clean Monaco Superpro, this should be a serious consideration. I have it listed on Reverb for $2599 + $100 shipping. To a HFC member I'll consider $2200 (shipping included) with a PayPal type transaction. I have excellent feedback on Reverb and have done one or two transactions with other HFC members. Richard https://reverb.com/item/62154226-hamer-usa-monaco-superpro-mons-59-excellent-59-burst

Yeah, yeah, I know. Two people meeting just to sell a guitar might not constitute a gathering but it was fun!! Sold Rugby1970 my 97 Special FM this afternoon and we stood and talked a minute. Funny thing about conversations with meetings like this it goes from point a to point d to point z and then to point b. So much to talk and laugh about in such short time frames. Life IS Good!!!!

I get the best tones from this cap. Much better than any other.

I finally found it: a Hamer USA with factory-scalloped frets without being a Virtuoso. And it has Boomers! So I overpaid for it, probably. But it was worth it to me to overpay to make sure I got it, so it isn't overpaying if it's the price you're willing to pay, right? Anyway, so I still have the salmon blush Californian Elite that has just become wall art, because while it plays and sounds fine, it doesn't have a scalloped fretboard. I figured I'd sell the salmon blush to get money back I put into this one. But then I thought: They are both bolt-on necks. The incoming one has a reverse headstock...can/should I swap necks? Then again, I don't mind this one being beat up. It means I wouldn't have to be as careful with it. And if I swap the necks, it messes with the serial number database, right? I guess I'll try swapping the neck and see how it plays and feels, and then decide whether to make it a permanent change or not. Thoughts?

Weak. 94 pound Keith did more damage. And then get back to the song.

No, that happens on Checker-Board Saturday... 😉

Gotta love the blue........out here it's Bronco orange & blue.

That was a fun one. Roth Trippin' Flake color Crystal Beth over Pelham Blue.

I‘d get rid of these blue circles. Other than that it looks fine to me. My 76 cents (continued inflation).

I am weak and this junior is just too sexy. After selling my 2 P90 TV Yellow Special I instantly missed it. I rarely use neck pickups and I’m playing in a rock band again. Thanks Dave!

There sure do photograph well, don't they? Also, how's the neck and the acoustic voice?

I think minds will melt when the whole guitar is finished. All Team Shishkov here, I just tried to stay out of the way. The SCIII body shape is a refinement, it’s elegant, and fits the build perfectly. When I placed the order there was only the first shape. The waiting is worth it.

got this from my brother.... Kalamazoo Model One, similar to a 5F1, made between 1965-67,,, I believe this is a 1967. I haven't plugged it in yet... it needs a checkout. has all the original tubes and mostly looks un-used. brother got it a yard sale for the princely sum of $12. hard to see but the hang tag says $49.50

You're going to get all sorts of opinions on this. If you play loud with a lot of distortion, I'd go with one of the solidbody options already mentioned. I tend to play at a more moderate volume and have settled on the Newport as my favorite platform. Here are my two:

I'm color blind, here's my awesome blue guitar.

We all know blue guitars sound better! Here's one I've had for years, from a maker that doesn't get enough love - 1991 Peavey Falcon Custom:

Had a little bit of time before lunch today so I decided to do a pickup swap. Yanked the stock JB out of the bridge and replaced it with a pickup @JGravelin wound for me. The Gravelin (with raw nickel cover) was originally for a project that has since stalled so I figured, why the hell not…? I only had about 5 minutes to plug it into my little Yamaha THR practice amp to make sure all the connections were solid. Uh…. WOW!!! The harmonics just jumped out of this thing effortlessly. Sustain for days… I was originally thinking of putting some HB sized P90’s into this one to differentiate it even more from my Mirage II. But, now…. We’ll see…. Obviously need some more time with this before I make any decisions. But, I can already tell that this is another winner from our very own master wonder Josh.

I gave your tunes a listen. Now my office smells like cigarette smoke and spilled drinks. A couple of female customers got in a fight. There is no telling what will happen if I buy a CD.

He's wearing a Partridge Family shirt!

Not mine: https://www.davesguitar.com/collections/all-products-latest/products/prototype-12-string-84

With the prices of vintage (and hell, NEW) cases being at ridiculous heights these days, I DEFINITELY would. I’d be furious if I bought a ‘62 Esquire that was advertised as having the OHSC and it showed up in a reissue tweed case. Not at all the same thing, and not acceptable. If it was a ‘66 Jaguar and just said “Black HSC”, I’d be happy if it showed up in a brand new G&G case, but that letter “O” in the description has value and meaning.