cmatthes

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.

Yes. The Cort is a bolt-on. The Gene one is not. Guess that explains the $4,500 difference...

Set neck?

http://gmpguitars.com/index.html Still new - the site isn't fully functioning yet.

I saw Randy Bachman w/Burton Cummings earlier in the year. Got to disagree that the Guess Who and BTO stuff didn't rock. They were really great - even for a couple of geezers! Every song had a story along with it, and they were all really good.

Agreed about keeping set breaks short. When I was managing a bar years and years ago, the owner fired bands for taking too long. Several of the other clubs in the area did the same thing. REGULARLY. You're on their time, not yours, and they expect you to be playing if they're paying. Gotta be professional if you want to keep working good rooms. Keep the momentum going and the asses in the seats/stools.

Some great points in here. Write the book, guys!

I had this conversation with guys I know in two different bands in the last two weeks. The common denominators are definitely quality song selection and conveying a confident stage presence and professional image. I couldn't agree more with Brian about the stuff like "Mustang Sally", etc. We all hate to play 'em, and nobody really wants to hear 'em anymore, right?! As far as the overall image, think of a cover band like Jeff R's TTL. They're fun, engaging, and have a definite "look". Nobody is going to confuse them with the guy sitting next to them at the bar or the guy getting ready to go wash his car. They also SELL IT. Makes a big difference. If patrons are being entertained, they'll stick around. Club/Bar owners pay for THAT, not to hear your artistic renderings. If you can pull that part off, you'll be remembered - by the club owners and the people who caught the show. Cover bands are rarely the focus for somebody's night out, but the good ones will develop a folowing. Several guys here in cover bands have developed those followings.

Not buying that argument. Tell me what the list price was on a Les Paul Custom in 1992-3 v. now. The relative increases are not really out of line.

I'm pretty sure that's not going to be the case at all.

That's my thought too - notice that the "soft bits" in the middle aren't touched/torched.

I agree - I think it's the best bridge ever, and I love mine. That being said, I was ready to pull the trigger on one earlier this year, but the bad experiences were too recent and too numerous for me to get comfortable parting with my money. That's a shame, because I actually needed that part.

Maybe John, Will Boggs and that SnakeOil crook should partner up with Gene Baker?

Have Brian K. swing by and pick it up and send it to you.

Yep - you can download/print the manuals for anything you need off of the Tech21 site. Love their stuff, and cool guys up there.

I honestly don't know why everybody complains about Hamer's current prices, but nobody says squat about the current PRS pricing. With the exception of the "budget" or mid-line (Mira and Starla lines, which list for between $2,200 - $3,300), they are right in line with Hamer. Even though we are not talking apples-to-apples, PRS is a huge factory with scores of employees cranking out dozens or hundreds of times more instruments than Hamer does with their extremely small staff. I feel a more fair comparison would be to compare Hamer with PRS' Private Stock Program. That is a small operation that is PRS' "Custom Shop", and the entry charge to get in is pushing $10k. I don't remember hearing many complaints about the prices Paul charges for that experience, and Hamer is a relative bargain v. that. The biggest distinction is that a PRS PS will typically lose a slight amount of value, and most of them are in high demand by a wider audience. Hamers will take a pretty big hit - the appeal is to a much smaller audience. Again, the years of promoting PRS as a desirable brand has heightened the public's awareness and great perception of value. Hamer is just too small to reach that same footprint, but I doubt that has ever been their strategy. Because of their history (and large corporate ownership), we may have a tough time realizing that they are a true custom shop...like a Thorn, Gustavsson, etc. Again - nobody bitches about paying $6-$10k for some of those, right? People realize that those people don't build for everybody, right? I understand the complaints, however like pretty much anything in this world, things change. We don't always like it, but that's the way it is. My problem is with the gripe that Hamer is getting too expensive or won't make something they made 15-20 years ago for the same price they did back then. Face it - Hamer has CHANGED. This is not a bad thing, but just part of a company's evolution and strategic direction. If anything, they are getting back to what made them great in the first place 35 years ago. An exclusive custom shop that will try new things and do them better than a mass-produced builder will do. If you want a cheap Hamer, buy a used one. Great deals are still out there. If you want a new Hamer, save your money and have a more realistic expectation that you aren't going to get it for the price of a Les Paul. You'll be happy with the result. Complaining about it isn't going to change a thing though.

Or... "Gimme a sixth peeth and make it JUITHY!!!"

You can. You'll have to be prepared to pay a ton for it ($10k, maybe more?), but you can certainly spec it out if you're serious. If you're thinking that it'll be a $5k (or less) guitar, then I wouldn't bother them, but if you truly want one, then call and set that ball in motion.