cmatthes

There's been a good bit of information filtered out - some fact, some loosely based on fact - but some people have decided that they know the final deal. As I mentioned above, when you hear it from Jol or see it on the Hamer site/Jol's blog/Facebook page, then you can believe it.

TED Turner played Hamers?!

Jeez!! What the hell did you get that cost that much? Are you talking about list price or your actual out-the-door price?

He's gotcha there, CM! One of the reasons I specifically mentioned Californians!

Jaye - I totally hear what you're saying, but It's actually not that far off. Ever see a recently purchased Les Paul sell for anywhere near what they sell for new? The Gear Page is littered with people who had to sell their new $4k LPs for $2.5k on eBay because nobody else would buy a used one for nearly what they sell for new. The R9s that sell for between $5-$8k new now seem to be very sluggish at $4-$6k used, and I think that's the model that might hold value the best.

Maybe - that's actually taken from a GT quote where he stated that he wanted a guitar so ugly, nobody else would want to play one. They really nailed that one! Yeah - that's certainly one way of looking at it, but have you priced production Gibsons lately? A Les Paul Custom STREETS at $4,000- $6,000. Not to mention that Gibson has 30+ Les Pauls right now that sell for between $5,500 and $25k - actual dealer prices, not list! An SG Custom sells for between $3,800 and $4,500 STREET. Guess what your options are there? Faded Cherry or Classic White - that's IT. When I bought my first Les Paul Custom new off the rack in 1982, it was exactly 50% of what the Greenburst, dotnecked Hamer Standard I lusted after was selling for. To buy the equivalent Les Paul today would cost me the same or 50% MORE than to order a brand new Standard. You can't just look at this in an isolated fashion - Hamers have gotten very expensive, but then again, so have utility guitars like new Les Pauls and SGs that are nowhere near as well made. Guitars are luxury items. Now, the better ones are being priced like it. Everything is relative. Just for kicks, think of the price of a Les Paul Standard in 1959 - $247.50 then, is the equivalent of $1,900 today. You can buy a lower end, production Les Paul for that (again, Street price) right now, but can't get a better-built nice one anywhere near that price. The Hamer Standard I mentioned above sold for $1,250 in 1982. That's the rough equivalent of $3,000 today. You can buy a new, handmade Hamer Standard for that or less today.

That's an Apples to Spaceships comparison though. I think something more in line would be Huber, PRS' Private Stock or a small boutique builder. Charvels, even on a "Custom" basis, are still a mass-production style guitar. Not knocking them at all, because I think they are among the best at what they do, but they aren't even in the same category as the others mentioned above from a lutherie standpoint. When I see a bunch of sheep on another board paying $4-$5k (and up and over $10k too!) for a glorified Partsocaster Strat or Tele copy, I have to think that Hamer isn't as far off the mark with their strategy as many seem to think. I may not be able to afford another Custom Order ever again, but I've had a good run and have 4 or 5 really cool and special Hamers that nobody else has.

I was told (7-8 years ago) that there was no way to get boomers done - they were over, and we'd never see them again. I placed an order through Elduave in the Fall of '04, and requested boomers anyway...what could it hurt, right? It worked out, and now I've got a great custom bass with boomers that I was told a year or two before would never be possible. I think stuff like that will be open here and there for specific requests. What I think Hamer DOES NOT WANT TO DO, is get all the goofy requests for things they don't make, like a checkerboard 5-neck, a copy of Tipton's ugly mutant guitar, or something with a meat slicer and a kitchen sink and an LED array with an iPod interface. I think people looked at some of the crazier things that Hamer did in the 80s and thought that's the kind of stuff the company did on a regular basis. I don't think they want to become "that" place, and that they wish to focus on pushing their current designs forward. Think of it like this; Fender has a Custom Shop. Gibson has a Custom Shop. Paul Smith has his Private Stock program. These are all "Real" custom shops that build "real" custom guitars to a customer's specs. HOWEVER, none of them are going to make you a totally customer-spec guitar - they'll ALL use existing or available platforms. Want a Strat with a fish tank in it? Fender will do it if you pony up. Want a Les Paul with some NASCAR guy's face carved in it - they'll make it for you. Want a PRS Santana with Gold-rimmed fossilized Wooly Mammoth ivory "old" bird inlays? They'll do that if your wallet's fat enough. None of them will make you a 5 neck monstrosity or a model they no longer make or no longer have the capacity to do. It isn't worth it for any company to go through the R&D, mock up a prototype or two and then try to make a one-off guitar. My challenge still stands: Of all the people complaining that Hamer won't build them a Californian, call your dealer with a minimum of a $5,000 deposit in hand (fully prepared to pay a second $5k or more upon delivery), and see what your answer will be. Still no takers after 6 years!

Just really fine acoustics for now, at least.

Yes... ...and, Yes.

If anybody thinks that Hamer depends on "the 30 guys who post here" (or even the several thousand total members), they are grossly mistaken. Only a small fraction of the Hamer guitars made every year are ordered by board members. Talk to Bob Willcutt or Dave Rogers and ask those guys how many of their customers have ever heard of the HFC, and I'm pretty sure that it will be very few - probably a single-digit percentage. It's a much bigger world out there!

They ARE out now. I own a '91 (Westerly) Guild that I'll never part with, but the new ones I've played have blown me away. Really good stuff. As far as Guild doing electrics, not at the present time, although that may change someday too. I could see some of their more popular models, like the Bluesbird, coming back.

EXACTLY. Anyone other than that is just shooting blanks.

Those are REALLY great amps. I've had mine since the '80s. Loud little F'ers!!! (If I had the spare change now I'd take that one off of your hands in a heartbeat)

Mike Skill slung a Cruisebass for a time back in the early/mid-80s version of that band. He wasn't the original bassist, but switched to bass from guitar when he rejoined the band right before "In Heat" came out (IIRC).

Of course, by that standard, you could also get the same response about John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, etc...

Love B-Benders. Lots of fun to play. Thanks for the vid!

You wouldn't be able to get the paint from Hamer, but could probably easily match it. Hamer had color chips on a ring and in a binder back in the late '80s/mid'90s. A few HFC'ers have those, and one might be willing to lend it to you or to help you find a match. Try emailing Stike too - he'd be the guy I'd ask...

Zoinks! I forgot Bruce Foxton, somehow. Just saw a Mighty Boosh episode with a lot of The JAM references too.

+1 on Andy Rourke, Mike Mesaros. Both are monster players. Simon Gallup (the Cure), Mike Mills (REM) and Cliff Williams (AC/CD)have a lot of memorable parts and really contributed in a HUGE way to those bands' sounds over the years. Never hear them mentioned much.

K.G. finally ate Jables.

It is also possible that the blue dye/stain itself wasn't very stable and is fading. Several companies have had issues with blues turning green years ago - PRS and Hamer both come to mind. Both have since corrected the issue.

100% import.

He's still writing a column for "Premier Guitar". Somehow, he makes THAT deadline. Just BAD business. No excuse for that - especially in this economy.