Leaderboard

The irony is Dumble used many cheap, Radio Shack quality, parts because he wanted their inefficiency to assist in his tonal goal. As time marches on, those parts degrade more quickly and become more variable, making the amps lose their original mojo. I've played the four Dumbles Ultrasound had, including Santana's before he purchased. Two were awesome and two nothing special. No one wants to admit their 1959 Les Paul is a dog, same with Dumbles. They all get the mystic when half of them deserve it.

I don't think I'm out of line by mentioning that those "affluent generation's males" enamored with the tones of certain particular players probably wouldn't be able to nail them with or without an $85k amp. As silly as it may sound to some, tone is still (yes, Virginia), in the fingers.

Then you, sir, are just no fucking fun. That's so funny

Then you, sir, are just no fucking fun.

I guess I'd ask Al, Dave, Greg, and any of the other (formerly I guess now) Hamer dealers here who've done their best to get Hamers into the hands of their customers if they think there'd be any use in petitioning FMIC to extend the window of opportunity for custom order Hamers? I am sure Dave is 100% spot on about Fender not wanting to put any more resources into Hamer, but damned if they didn't shut things down like a thief in the night (not much advance notice to dealers and at a time when potential customers where probably focused on Christmas gifts, Fiscal cliff talks, and Bush-era tax breaks expiring instead of custom ordered guitars). Seems like they should have given dealers a cut-off date that's at least a couple months into 2013 so dealers have a chance to drum up a few more orders before the brand is put on 'hiatus'. Hell Fender should do it as a final thank you to the craftsmen at Hamer who probably have enjoyed building some truly cool Hamers over the years (and might like a break from making Guilds), the dealer network who have promoted and sold Hamers over the years, and the fans of the brand who've promoted and bought Hamers over the years.

Would Lemmy play a Dumble?

Most of my experience with Hamer is with the NH era. I met Jol and Kim shortly after they set up in New Hartford. I was having my T-51 retro-fitted with the Fishman bridge. Jol personally took the time to discuss the control layout and how I wanted the guitar to function post mod. He spent way more time than he had to, for a nobody, and we shot the shit for quite awhile. The Vision of what Hamer was to be was clear. This was not only Jol's vision, Kaman's as well. IMO Jol was aked to come back and agreed to come back because of this. Everyone who has had the opportunity to attend an HFC event or visit the facility could see that the production area was not geared for volume and neither were the building methods. I believe Hamer failed because they were unable to make their vision a reality. The answer as to why is not black and white, and I am only speculating, like everyone else. Marketing and brand perception were certainly a big part. Where others succeeded Hamer failed. Isn't a PRS Santana little more than a Studio Custom? Yet people willingly paid more for that than the Hamer, though it could be argued that the Hamer was made just as well, if not better. Hamer offered too much for the money and was still not able to convince the public that it was worth it. We have all seen hundreds of examples of exceptional wood tops on non-custom models, tops that would have been labeled "10" tops or Artist tops at PRS for no upcharge. In this sense reality exceeded perception. It is clear many feel Hamer priced themselves out of the market. What isn't clear is what they thought or hoped their market was. I believe they tried, perhaps too late, with the guru tours to make players aware of the quality and value of their instruments. Certainly the Artist Ultimate was a tour de force to demonstrate their lutherie skills. Did they ever make a dime selling any of those? I hope Hamer is revived some day but I doubt it. With FMIC's inability initiate an IPO and their dependence on GC even it's future is unclear. Kudos of course to the Hamer dealers for their passion, knowledge and willingness to share with customers. Had it not been for a persistent dealer who stuck a T-51 in my hands and insist I play it, I probably would not have the pleasure of owning several of these fine instruments. This will end the ramblings of an old man

SN may have been further out the headstock.. not sure Crap, why does this stuff always become available when I'm short on cash?

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I always check posts on this board. As someone who was deeply involved with Hamer for many years and who owns a stack of them, this news is not unexpected but sad nonetheless. As soon as fender bought KMC, the writing was on the wall. I will keep my Hamers and continue to play and record with them. I've always believed them to be one of the finest electric guitars ever built. I would hope the community here will keep the flame burning....