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Hey guys, I don’t post or visit this site much these days. Not for a lack of love. Life… Anyway, I hope you are all doing well. I play and record with my Hamer’s and Shishkov’s regularly. But I am not currently selling any of them. Someone seems to have taken advantage of my absence and posted that they are selling guitars. It looked like me, but it wasn’t me. My account has now been reset and this message is a polite point in case any of you were mislead. Dbraz

Nice looking 2008 Hamer Newport Pro at Music City for $2350

Billy's been doing some stuff with Guthrie Trapp kind of a tex mex style. I like it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w3gPGmGbVro

Relatively speaking (i.e., relative the other Prototype listings on Reverb) this looks to be a steal. $1,900 shipped? And like Paul's grandfather, it's "clean!" 1982 Hamer Prototype Vintage Made In USA Natural Mahogany Electric Guitar W/ Original Hardshell Case! | Reverb Somebody snatch this up!

His playing on stuff like Heard It on the X and Manic Mechanic was crazy. Kind of a secret weapon like Michael Anthony. RIP.

Rock on forever Boys.

They were always a fun band live…R.I.P. “Rube”…

The gears in BFG's brain are always turning, I predict he'll come up with something that will keep him active and in the public eye but able to go at his own pace. Whatever he comes up with, if not a-one-original-member ZZ TOP, will still be innovative, with great guitar tones (I'm surprised at how much I enjoy Raw). Non-stop activity is simply Gibbons' style. David Blayney's Sharp Dressed Men (a 1994 tome) would have a reader think Gibbons and Ham were "management" and Hill and Beard were "labor". I agree with that observation, and had read the book back then on BFG's recommendation.

Do people suck? People do.

It appears that DBraz' entire account was hacked by a Moroccan fraudster. That's been shut down and he should be all good now, but definitely a reminder to change your passwords here, there and everywhere at least as often as when you change the batteries in the home smoke detectors!

ETA: Frank hadn’t performed with Elwood and Billy for at least 9 months.

The show goes on, it seems. Unless this is a hallucination of our AI overlords.

There's something in the works.

No lies detected here.

I need pickup screws and springs for Strat pickups. I'll have a look. I was going to check the next time I was in Lowe's. [rant] Where, by the way, are all the pickup screws and adjustment springs? It seems every time I buy a set of used pickups the seller doesn't include the screws or springs. All these pickups wandering around with no fasteners. It's probably one guy, a hoarder, worried he'll run out of pickup screws and springs. Probably has an entire chest of drawers full of pickups screws and springs next to the last fifty years of newspapers and empty toilet paper rolls... [/rant]

Played Doom in the 80's. Nowadays, I'm more of a Halo guy...

Joel Hoekstra's bending is pure perfection... and I'm not sure if any of you guys can open Facebook, but I added a impromptu jam "below" just to highlight a little of his note bending abilities... just perfect pitch https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14kygsaSVoM/

But seriously, sorry for your trouble and glad it got resolved.

Wow, I didn't know he had been sick. Reading that he had formally left March 2026, after leaving in late 2025 for surgery that was expected to cause a temporary absence. Jeez that sucks. Any, looks like the tour goes on. Thankfully Elwood has been with the band for decades already, and there's also lots of long time staff there to keep things going as long as BFG wants to. I just pulled up this rig rundown from 15 years ago and man did Elwood look different

In his initial statement, BFG said that Frank wanted the show to continue.

Apologies for posting this photo a second time however, I think that the resolution is better on this image, plus there’s so much here that could be easily missed at first glance: Dusty with his original Fender Telecaster bass, Frank wearing what appear to be bowling shoes. Frank and Billy sitting on the Kustom PA head, Billy cradling Pearly Gates, and lastly, the outline of the Marshall stack over Billy’s left shoulder. Thanks for indulging me. RIP Frank & Dust.

and other 'small bulk' fasteners too: I was looking for some small brass screws for a saxaphone, nothing at the local hardware store, found a 3 pack on ebay for $15, then 20 for $12, then on Amazon a pack of 150 for $3.99! I guessed (correctly) that they would fit, M3 5mm for yamaha sax screws btw. I rabbit trailed to guitar fasteners, some of the 'variety packs' for $15-20 look like they include those difficult to find thin screws used on Hamers for the control cavity covers. I ordered these, since I'm nearly out of the 100pack I bought quite a few years ago, this seems too cheap to be true

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/frank-beard-zz-top-drummer-dies/ Just saw this. 77 isn't *that* old (funny how your perception changes as you get older.) RIP

Best option of all posts. I'd seriously check out the Takamine.

Mine's quilted Maple over Mahogany with ebony fretboard. Snap, warmth, and everything in between is available. Ridiculously good sounding guitar...

Sad. There are two drummers from the 1970s who could create extreme greatness, anchoring the band, with what seems like very little effort and a lot of swing. Creating a totally unique sound for their bands just as important as the guitar riffs and lead vocals. You know it's them behind the kit from the first bar of the song. That is Frank Beard and Phil Rudd. RIP. Legend.

One of the best, if not the best 1987 Marshall Replica’s out there. Everything, Head and Cabs are built by one guy in St. Louis Mo. It comes down to mr being such a big DRZ guy. So I’m moving all my other amps. I do not want to ship, but I’m willing to meet between Peoria and Chicago, St.Louis, Indianapolis, Moline. Everything is in amazing shape. RR50 Head with MV (NO FX LOOP) Bluesbreaker Ext Cab 2x12 with Greenbacks (Closed Back) 1/4 Stack 2x12 (Bottom half of a 4x12) loaded with custom ordered Scumback 55hz (G12H30) This cab is the first one with a ported back, but it comes with a second closed back panel. $2500 for the whole set, I do not want to separate. https://www.craigslist.org/view/d/washington-fs-rockitt-retro-rr50-and/pegJ3dvEvpvT1HmBHGMMjY

I played a similarly equipped RR50 head a few months ago. Absolutely amazing sounding amp. If you want the vintage Plexi sound without paying the vintage Plexi price, this is your ticket right here. Buy from Bubs!!!

Agreed. Takamine isn't a brand I'm very familiar with and I think of them as more an amplified stage guitar but the Peak looks like it could fit the bill. I don't see the less expensive model available for sale used anywhere right now but I've got searches saved. So the contenders for now seem to be the Takamine, the Pono, and maybe Eastman? I don't have any experience with the latter but they at least have models that check all the boxes spec wise and the online retailers have new models in my price range so if it's not all that in person I can return it without issues. Also watching Sweetwater for damaged or returned Alvarez Yairi PYM prices but even then I'd have to spend more than planned.

Holy fug, that is sweet — that could be the deal of 2026 raught there!

Tony Franklin's intonation is perfect, too.

Every day is a Heretical day here in Saul land of swill and shit.

@velorush I got all this in trade for a "vintage" Gibon Les Paul Custom. I was kind of surprised by the haul myself in some ways because he didn't list them out as clearly as I would've liked. Don't get me wrong, he was friendly, I just didn't actually understand what I was getting and took more of a gamble than I intended. Based on the first two pedals I sold tolday I expect I'm actually going to do better than I expected. I've got like four offers so far on the Venuram Jan Ray but it's been listed for just a few hours. The four Timmy's make me chuckle. Who needs four Timmy's and a Jan Ray (i.e., clone of a Timmy). I think three of those are fuzz faces and there are four takes on Big Muffs. https://reverb.com/item/100673047-shin-s-music-mk-1-overdrive-063 https://reverb.com/item/100669850-vemuram-jan-ray Not stuff you see everyday.

RIP Frank. Same three guys, same three chords had a good run.

Does it have a stadium logo on the headstock?

FIFY... I wonder if Fender is violating child "Labr"ador laws? 🤣 Sorry

Time stops for no one. The fact that I can see this in 2026 is heartwarming. Too bad that Jon Lord isn't still with us. It wasn't perfect, but who cares. Long live Deep Purple!