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Sorry - I never got those guys. I recognize talent in what they do, but it's all too pretentious for me. Not slamming 'em, just my opinion. Stuff like that and Dream Theater bore me. They would be better with no goofy lyrics - all that Dungeons and "deep" metaphysical crap that sounds like it was lifted off the doodles out of a 9th grader's notebook totally cracks me up. At least with bands like Dio, I enjoy the whole comedy aspect of it all and "get " the song! I also like it simple and stupid these days. Queensryche became more and more rigid and forced album after album. At a given moment it was just too much brain, no soul and no sex at all. I think the main problem with Queensryche is that they took themselves so f@#$% seriously that all the charm got lost in their way to glory. A true shame!

Blind Guardian's "A Nigth At The Opera". They wanted to pair Queen!? C'mon! Blind Guardian is cool, but this album is overproduced and overthought. And if in addition it was titled "A Nigth At The Opera", how could I stand it? "Operation Mindcrime" is actually my preferred album from Queensryche. It is pretentious, yes, but to me it is a masterpiece anyways. However, it's a shame it was the last album I liked from Queensryche. With "Empire" they went so mature they just got rotten. From then on it was all downhill. BTW, if you want something as pretentious as "Operation Mindcrime" but really crappy, go with "Operation Mindcrime II".

Try this: http://hereinliestherub.com/nas/ -- but that's really criminal not buying the album. <-- edited to add this.

New American Shame -- the actual shame is that you just got "almost drunk"!

Greg, are you supposed to be PM'ed to know what's the deal?

I am working on several things: 1- Strength and stamina: I want to play for hours without getting exhausted. 2- Singing while I play: Luckily the other guitar player who usually plays with me covers well all the sound holes; but someday I would like to play and sing at the same time. I sing pretty well and I am not so bad at playing, but I suck at doing both things at the same time -- so I am not the entertainer some people think I am... 3- Expression: that is, tone, finger vibrato, dynamics, melodic ideas, rhythmic shifts... I am not interested anymore in pure speed, as I think I'm already fast enough for what I do -- no, I don't want to be Yngwie Malmsteen anymore. I am getting older, I guess. 4- Theory: My guitar teacher is doing a great job on this. I always thought theory would make my playing more mechanical and would limit my inspiration. I was all about "freedom", so I never took lessons, I didn't want my thoughts to be conditioned by external ideas. Man I was completely WRONG! In fact, theory is pushing me to go to places I never went before. Now I am even more "aware" of the music, the chord changes, the modal twists... I still bet on spontaneity, but as John Coltrane said: "learn everything you can, then forget everything and just play".

Ah, my precious!!! But I'm just concluding a deal on an ugly 80's Vector, so... I have to control myself or my wife will just kill me.

HEY! Jol Dantzig just called me. He was very cool and we talked for around 15 minutes. As you already predicted, I feel much better now after talking to him. Here are the reasons why they won't do that model anymore -- I am using my own words, but the essential information is here: As an artist (or a designer) Jol always felt that 80's Vector design was just "odd" or "wrong". It was actually a marketing decision. The marketing guy asked for Flying V's, and at the beginning they didn't have the budget to put the "normal" Flying V headstocks in the production line, so they decided “to place this neck on a V-shaped body", and the odd Vector came to life. Jol never was proud of that decision. In addition, those early Vectors didn't even break any ground -- always according to his words. He says the Vector KK was a nice little variation to the classic Flying V. He says the classic headstock has a shape paralleling the body lines, so it's very coherent from a design point of view. He thinks that even other brands such as Jackson and ESP did add something new to the V-shaped design by pushing the borders even more, but to him the early Vector is just an ugly and visually unbalanced guitar. There's nothing interesting in there from a design point of view, so to him building one at this point would be like making again the same mistake he made in the past. There’s also one marketing-related reason: he says there are "many" old Vectors out there you can find for a fraction of the price you would pay for a new one. So, they won't bring the old design back also because there's no point in building an expensive guitar you can "easily find for around 500 bucks" -- or for under 1000 bucks. All that said, it was a pleasure talking with the guy himself. At the end we asked each other not to take our thoughts personally -- he doesn't want to build an "odd Vector" anymore; while I was pissed off at the company for "not listening to its customers". I guess now I should swallow my own words and apologize, as it looks like Jol Dantzig does listen to his customers, doesn't he? -- edited to spell correctly Jol's surname.

Awesome! Thanks one zillion times! I'll just emailed the guy. Let's see if something comes out from this.

FYI, I just got the following reply from Hamer: (...) Sorry but it is not a model that we currently offer. If you would like Jol Dantzig to call you personally and explain the reasons to you please email me back with your phone number. (...) I'll think about it, but I'm not sure I want Jol Dantzig to call me. It looks anyway I couldn't share with you guys what he would have to say. In any case, I'll probably give up on the headstock shape -- even if I like them, old headstocks are still "ugly" after all. Well, seriously, pointy headstocks look killer too. Maybe I should think about a korina babe? I played once an Epiphone Korina V and the tone was really great! And also (and weirdly enough) the Korina Vector's pickguard doesn't look awkward to me -- in contrast to the pickguard on Johnny's white Vector. Should I then go back to my cavern and let my korina GAS to develop into something bigger and unstoppable? -- BTW, Montreallers, any Korina Vector around for me to try?

You're very right -- and the wait will be even more: 10 - 12 months, I guess?

Ok, I'll consider that variant then. Just PM'ed JohnnyThunders. I hope being able to conclude a deal with him.

Ran guitars are made in Poland and are really great. No wonder why Jeff Waters from Annihilator -- an ex-Hamer customer, BTW-- dares to endorse them. Ok, I understand a Ran guitar wouldn't be as cool as an American Hamer, but quality-wise I don't think they're way behind. Back now to early Hamer Vectors and their "ugly" headstocks: I do realize they don't want to make them anymore, so that's why I started this thread. Ok, I'll probably be contacting JohnnyThunders again, even if the pick-guard looks odd to me -- at the very end I can remove it if I don't get used to its look. But that's my problem: all the Vectors around don't fit 100% to my GAS. I'm discovering I'm picky as hell -- there's always something: BTMN's has one single volume control and one pickup, and it's a refinish; Johnny's has a pick-guard (I might reconsider this reason though); Dave's (the one I would really want) is priced at "one meellion dollars" (I could actually add two hundreds more to my last offer, but it looks it's a keeper to him anyway); I find John's Schenker pricey, given that I don't enjoy that finish too much; Mikel's could be interesting, but he's very slow in answering my messages; Malthe's got its neck broken right before I could conclude a deal with him... and well, Hamer won't build one to my specs! I think I have some good reasons to feel a bit frustrated. But thanks a lot for the advices about waiting. I'll wait a bit more, ok. If I think about it twice I realize it is not urgent. It's just that patience is not my main virtue.

It's not the 3x3 what they won't do. It's just the non-pointy headstock like in this picture :

Great idea!

Well, I guess then I better buy a sustain-block from Hamer and just turn to Ran Guitars to build me an 80's Vector-looking guitar. In any case, my quest for an 80's Vector is making me to realize that my main guitars shouldn't come from a company that wouldn't listen to my needs as a customer. I am one hair away to drop the Hamer brand forever -- if no one sells me an 80's Vector soon I won't obstinate much more, really. At the very end I just want a quality instrument built to my tastes. So, if Hamer can't build it, you bet someone else will. -- I am starting to understand why some artists have moved away from Hamer.

I am talking about the "ugly", non-pointy headstock they used in early 80’s Vectors. I used to hate that shape, but I recently got a Hamer Vector '84 and I have a theory about its sound (which I love!) and the shape of the headstock. And well, even if my theory is stupid, I like now that shape just because now those guitar looks more "muscled" and "mature" to my eyes -- call it a customer's caprice or whatever! So, I just wrote to Hamer Customer service about this. I'm glad there are other people on this boat, because if there's enough interest on that headstock shape then maybe they would bring it back -- it shouldn't be a problem to "implement", as that headstock shape is everywhere in their other models. Let's see what they have to say about it... By the way, is anyone here close enough to Hamer to ask them about this issue? I would like getting an intelligent/logical answer from them...

I wonder why they won't accept using the old headstock shape on my custom Vector. I was committed to place a custom order with Dave, but they won't use the old shape, period, "and we hope you'll understand"... Understand what? Sorry, but of course I don't! It shouldn't be a big deal for them building a guitar with the neck and the headstock of a Special and the body of a Vector. Why missing an order of several thousand bucks just because that headstock shape is out of question? I don't really see their point -- and I am after all the customer, so I must be right!

Click on the link below the picture above. There are more pictures there.

Yeah, that's very true. Just read the add in detail and I wouldn't have purchased such a thing. The buyer was completely out of his mind, IMHO. That's the simplest Vector ever! A really interesting piece of wire and wood... However, to be frank it doesn't turn me on from the first sight... Well, I don't dislike it either. It has its charm, but if the price is not extremely low I would prefer saving my bucks for the axe I really have in my mind. Anyway, please PM me -- one never knows!

I have all the right keywords on eBay to notify me if one ever pops up, but I should have missed that one because it was listed only for the United States -- and I live in Canada. In addition, "SELL ONLY IN THE US. (...) Paypal only. Paypal users must have confirmed address or I'll refuse payment." normally voids me from bidding, because you can ship my stuff to my friend in Vermont, US, but of course her address is not my confirmed PayPal address -- this could work only with sellers who are HFC members and know me well.

...and of course, Father's Day implies a BUMP to this.

Hey! Another bump to this thread -- still looking forward to conclude a deal with some of you! Edited to erase all the details I was talking about -- they actually are not interesting to anyone but me. BTW, Father's Day is around the corner. The best present I could offer to myself would be a good old 80's Hamer Vector. Nobody's able to help yet?

Bump! -- still hunting!

That would be very kind from you. Thanks a LOT in advance!