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Despite my penchant for gaudy graphics and colors, my Standard is pretty... well, standard. I prefer the classic '59 burst! But I wasn't always that way...

He did have a Gibson "Custom Shop" Signature Explorer .. here's mine, It's currently sporting EMG's👍

Yeah, that's a really nice Les Paul.

...makes me want another Standard soooo bad. Sure, it's an Explorer but I was shooting a little higher.

https://wichita.craigslist.org/msg/d/udall-hamer-usa-12-string-electric/7902030836.html

And the Peaveys to go with it?

Actually, I guess it was 4 stripes. And I call myself a fan! 😄 But yeah, one pic... A few months back at their 60th Anniversary residency in Vegas he played a series of Dommenget explorers each painted as the album covers of what they were playing as they went through the years of their career; the Blackout cover was really cool.

Thank you for your service.

$1600 NOW $1500 plus actual shipping and fees.. if you use PP/FF no fees of course adj price for bad output jack.. could be a simple fix.. who knows.. but I am lowering it by $100.. Ive gigged this several times and never even notices.. so weird https://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/build/solid-body/g6228-players-edition-jet-bt-with-v-stoptail/2413400806 only trades considered would be full hollow body type guitars been getting questions about the guitar jack.. try not to laugh.. but wanted to show how its been fine for me on gigs.. didnt even know until I sat down with it some sloppy zeppelin on it with some light dirt

Not really. I'm quite okay with the standard Standard headstock on mine. Sure, the coolness factor would be much higher w/a reversed one but there's something to be said about the aesthetics of the traditional orientation of the 6-in-line version. F*ck, I must be getting old(er).

I always considered that the 'rental fee' - try it out for 6 months or a year or whatever and that's what it cost to do it. It's much less painful that way.

Yes, It's a watered down version of the Hamer story. But non the less, I get happy everytime I hear someone spreading the Hamer gospel. The brand deserves to live on and not be forgotten. There are lots of people out there who does not have "the book". If they only get a short glimps of what Hamer was about then It's cool. This article is not for the longtime HFC'ers. If it makes a player who never heard about the brand take interest in finding out more, or even trying to find a used guitar. Then it's done a good job none the less. 🙂

However, I like the way you eliminated the non-inverse headstock from that pic... Was that intentional? 😂

That's right Dave! At least to me, the explorer shape is one of the coolest. I'm a big fan of Mathias Jabs from Scorpions. I really liked his smaller ( I think 90%) version of the Gibson Explorer he used. I don't believe he had an actual signature model from them, either they customized or he had customized his with usually the three stripes on one end of the points, like black stripes on white. I liked the slightly smaller size of a fairly large guitar. I couldn't afford a Gibson or a Hamer Standard so I bought an Ibanez destroyer II in the early 80s. The slightly different cut, especially at the end of the lower horn and near the rear end pin were cool, and of course they had the best knurled rubber knobs! My Hamer infliction started when I traded a soul album for Cheap Trick Heaven Tonight in high school. Plus, Def Lep and ... well name an act back then, everyone played Hamer! All over guitar and rock fanzine mags etc. How they lost that ... is for another thread.

Allen Collins sometimes makes me want a Firebird, too.

That deal was calling my name ... Boom!

A few years of retail has made me hate all Christmas music. The final year I worked for Spec's the store manager discovered the Margaritaville XM/Sirius station. You guys have no idea how many fucking island-themed Christmas songs exist. [Types in 1,000 yard stare]

The paring down continues. I recently collaborated with an up and coming builder to create an esquire’ish guitar to knock my #1 of the last 6 years off the top spot. I couldn’t believe that it turned out as good as it did. So after going back and forth for several weeks, I decided to commit, something that Bubs has issues with. So here we are. Two VVT Bodies my #1 purple esquire that I took everywhere with me, and my #2 Goldie backup. Both just over 3lbs and my understanding the lightest they get from MJT. Ordered the purple, then the gold and was charged an upcharge for weight. Then I had ordered a third about a year later, nothing under 4lbs was available. Purple Esquire Harness, Aged Gotoh Hardware, electro socket, neck plate and screws included. SOLD! Gold Body, Aged Gotoh Hardware , electro socket, neck plate, body has been routed for a mini Bucker (super clean route by me) $450 Flickrhttps://www.flickr.com/gp/203174883@N08/41VFNY4L0S

This one was kicking around for a while. I gave in and bought it. It's super nice. The finish is a translucent blonde over ash. I think the site flips some of my images. No problem. Pete Davis

The enthusiasm for guitar is really showing.

This song has kinda grown on me over The Holidays, and especially since now everything's about to freeze over weatherwise. Plus, I wanted to post a video that didn't have Chevy Chase in it:

And Explorer 🤣

Sure we do. Exotic Tiki Island will have holiday themed weekend shows, and Hawaiian music with a Christmas theme is just so wonderful that we should share that experience with everyone we know.

Give me a B (?)

“Buy From Bubs” its not just a slogan, its a life choice. @kizanski ,gonna need a little help with this.

I saw your request @Feynman but never responded because my Hamers don't hold a candle to some that you have owned. I'm sorry that you haven't found a good one... YET.

I gave a warning about that at the beginning and then accidentally hit a chord anyway. Setting up a VO mic would have led to me just giving up and using a smartphone.

Guitar has been sold. Thank you HFC!

Here's my 2025 buying experience, with a brief intro. --- Since 2007 I have acquired and then moved on more than 40 USA Hamers. I searched exhaustively for the best ones and paid good prices for them. When ready to try something else I would move them along to my HFC friends. I never made a dime on any of them. Most were sold at a small loss to keep them in the family. I only bought the finest examples, and they were better kept here among my brothers than in the hands of some dirty TGPer for more money. I even gave a couple of them away when I thought a specific HFCer could use a certain guitar. When I found something especially cool or desirable, the HFC would occasionally chime in with a dibs list, and I kept careful track of the dibser sequence. When the time came to sell, I'd go down the list in order, to keep everything fair and to let me sleep at night. It was a community service if you will. I count so many in the HFC among my real friends, even many of you that I've never met in person. We have a wonderful community that I can't quit. --- In 2025 I decided I'd like to have a nice Hamer again. I started by PMing the owners of my favorite former guitars, and I also made a couple of WTB threads. Not one of you MFers offered to sell me a guitar. Merry Christmas, d*cks. --- With much love of course, Me

RE Bing Crosby and "White Christmas", I settled in and watched the movie again for the umpteenth time this week (one station was playing it over and over, a la SyFy and the original Twilight Zone series). I have a policy of viewing it at least twice each Christmas season if possible, and the continuous broadcast of White Christmas is a handy option. What makes this personal ritual worthwhile is that the movie exemplifies how, in those times, many mainstream movie stars had a more-meticulous occupation---they had to sing and dance and act. The choreography is dazzling, and it didn't hurt that Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen were both babes. That movie will always hold up, for me at least.

Brawer Stringed Instrument Repair 415/621-6904 Gary recently refretted my Dean V. There is no one better in the Bay Area.

The ONLY Christmas song that I like. The rest should be deleted form existence, starting with that John Lennon song which makes me want to throw things.

I let him know that was Steve, not me! 😂

When my kids were little I'd sing the first couple lines in full crooner voice as a gag. Apparently it's a core memory for them. Scarred 'em for life! And my wife's Dad was a dead ringer for Bing.

You were hoping to avoid awesome?

Merry Christmas 🎄

If you want a Plexi, by a F@cking Plexi. If you want the “Brown Sound”, or something specified that is related to a Plexi that path of least resistance is the one you should take. Plenty of things emulate those specific sounds. Two pedals that I can recommend are the Lovepedal JMP, and the JHS @ Pedal. These both hit the mark they are shooting for, but even though I do NOT endorse LP that JMP hits the mark. It has that sizzle that the real thing does. It is fascinating how well it will boost an amp and then to have the boost built right into is another bonus. Dave Friedman and the Plex. It is no secret why Daves original 50 Watter sounds so good. Fryette is the one that went through that amp and brought it back to its optimal performance. He didn’t modify it, he make it run at as it should. Every old Marshall kinda has it own fingerprint from part tolerances, wavering, service, tubes and 50 plus years of use. So if what you are chasing is a certain sound from a record, or live show you have many ways of getting there. If you want the sound of a real 1987 then you only have one choice. My personal experience was pure chance. I walked into my local GC smack dab in the middle of the pandemic and there sat a 1976 50 JMP. I looked it all over, plugged it in and turned everything on 10. The floor noise was relative quiet, and consistent. I left it on like that for a few minutes to let everything heat up before I bought it. I took it home, plugged it into a single 1x12 loaded with vintage G12-65. It took me about 5 minutes to find my sweet spot with the amp. Presence about 6 Bass around 3, mids almost to 10, highs about 6, volume one around 7, volume two “IF I USE IT” around 3. Volume two I use just to fill out the sound if I need it. Everything is in the guitars volume knob. I will hit the front end with an Echoplex Pedal, and lift it with a Way Huge STO. For Slide or when I just need make it sound like it’s on 10 a Way Huge Angry Troll. Still everything works from the guitars volume knob, or just the touch of your fingers an or pick. Attenuation: Look if you cant play loud in the house ever, well maybe a modeler with headphones is where it’s at. I personally use the Fryette Power Station 2 for the Marshall. I whole heartedly believe that they are a marriage made in heaven. I can play that JMP and match it to the 99% and then bring it down to a whisper. I still have the Karrang, Pick Scrapes, and touch sensitivity. The one thing that you can’t do is replace the speakers reaction of being hit as hard as it was. I feel that speakers have their sweat spot to and everything is a balance. Speakers: Well three speakers work the best for me with my JMP. Vintage Celestion G1265’s, 55hz WGS Reapers, and vintage EVM12L’s. Replicas: Well did the manufacturer go for the Plexi or JMP tone, or of a specific record or player? A Plexi and a later JMP are not the same but I have found it way easier to make a Plexi sound like a JMP than I could take a JMP and make it sound like a Plexi. I didn’t want to take the JMP, Fryette out of the house so when I stumbled upon a Rockitt Retro 50 at another GC, I took the trip and tried it out, and ended up bringing it home. A day later, I’m on the phone with Kevin from RR for almost 2 hours discussing Marshalls, getting my education, taking about what I don’t like and do like, who are my players, and setting suggestions. He has spent multiple phone conversations, emails, and yes I have his cell #. And this is the service I get when I buy a used amp, let along a new one. Bright Caps: One last thing, look having bright cap options are great if you pulling the amp low enough to actually make use of it. Pete Thorns Marshall videos are there it is at. He does such a fantastic job of working those amps, explaining how to get tones. You can really hear the differences in the 70’s amps, to the 60’s amps, to the Suhrs and Friedman’s. Then don’t even get me started on the Jose Modded Mick Mars Amp. Another day we can get into JCM800’s. I am still waiting on he right one. It will happen one day.

I got mine used, it was ~$450 IIRC. Actually just sold it, selling the 4x12 tomorrow. I'm not playing any rock gigs, and if I do again someday I'll use the Fender, its plenty loud.

Super Crunchbox v2. The original Crunchbox is JCM800 to hotrodded 800, but the Supercrunch has some lower gain settings. Does the glassy Plexi sound very well. Out of Production, but I found a clone that nails it.

Facelift this morning;

I've had this for years, turns any single channel tube amp into a 4 channel RAWK machine; Yesterday I picked this up (basically a stripped down Princeton in an oversized 12" cab); Swapped out a generic Eminence 12" w/ this baby; Sounds KICKARSE! For louder jams w/ bass & drums I have this, which is very marshally played thru my 4x12; Stike, I need to stop by and blast yer amps!

I have the Ceriatone JCM52 (2 channel JCM 800) that sounds very good and is very well built so if imagine their Plexis are good as well. The pricing on them is very good and if you can get one used like I did it's a really good deal. Cruise the classifieds on The Gear Page, something should turn up.

If I was going the pedal route, the best thing I've tried is the Origin Effects Revival Drive Hot Rod Edition. It's expensive, but I don't think I've tried anything else that really does what it does, especially the big one with the ghoting feature. If I was tryingt to save a few bucks, I would mabe look at a Lovepedal Purple Plexi, but I woud also run it with a boost and EQ to help get there.