HamerHokie

Wasn't the last Special FM made (production) in '96?

Scarlet red or black Monaco Superpro flametop. A Studio version of the PRS Santana.

I won't buy a guitar like that, but I understand there are people who would. My 'impulse buy' range for used Hamers has been in the $700-1200 range. I know (or knew) that if I didn't like the guitar I could probably get out of it what I had in. On top of that I have purchased 4-5 new Hamers 'off the rack' and one custom order. I still own the custom. It was $2500 or so in 2002. It marked a significant life milestone for me, so I had no problem shelling out the cash. And, I was in a band so it was practical as well. I don't think custom orders were the issue until the end years. What got it to that point is that they weren't selling enough of their 'off the rack' guitars. At least the USA models - I have no idea how well the imports sell.

Prolly not gonna happen. I'm still researching options. The two that fit the bill are the PRS Santana and Custom 22, but most of the Custom 22s I've found have hardtails.

I have not bought a guitar in several years, so at first I thought signing up was a no-brainer. But I really do want a vibrato-equipped guitar and I have the cash so the odds say I'd lose pretty fast. Unless someone can talk me into installing a PRS-style vibrato on a chambered Studio Custom...

That was the only thing I remembered about him, but he was pretty non-douchey to me this time. Maybe it was a good day.

So I was in the neighborhood and I stopped by Guitar Exchange, a small guitar shop in Catonsville MD. I hadn't been in years, because, well, the owner was kind of a douche, but they definitely had a lot of cool guitars. One thing I remembered from years ago was the Dumble Overdrive Special they had smack dab in the middle of their amp section. They got it around 1995 and promptly declared it 'not for sale.' Based on what I saw today, I'd estimate their on-hand inventory had diminished by about 75 percent. Still some cool guitars but not nearly as many. And the owner was about 75 percent less douchey as well. Connection maybe? Anyway, I didn't recognize anything from the old lineup...except for the Dumble, which was now in a place of prominence along the wall. And now, it was 'for sale.' And he offered it to me, since the deal he thought he had was falling through. Price? $85,000. He offered to knock of a thou.

Couldn't G&L say the same thing about their line? And yet G&L made some pretty significant improvements - the Legacy Special was better than the Strat in almost every aspect. I'd rather own a Legacy Special than a Daytona.

This is a particularly great example of marketing prowess! NOTE was recorded with a Kramer Pacer - does anyone associate Satch with a Pacer? Absolutely not. Some prescient sole at Ibanez had their ear to the ground, developed him as an endorser and gave us the advent of the guitar hero with his signature axe, all at the same time. A bit of a gamble, but absolutely profitable. There may have been examples where this strategy didn't pan out, but all it took was one to sell tons of Satch models, but also the slightly similar RGs that were being marketed right beside them. Yeah but there is always a WHY behind the current situation and that's what we're discussing. WHY is PRS dominant, how did they get that way. If the marketing is great, you can sell ice to eskimos. Where I think you have it wrong in your proposition is the implied 'comparison.' I'd say 99% of PRS users never compared a PRS to a Hamer before they bought. They just saw the PRS in the hands of an artist they connect with, tried out a few models and bought. Though I would agree that Hamer's self-limitations hurt them in the long run - when Kim told us that Hamer's color varatiions were limited due to the inventory software they used, I threw up my hands. One of my good friends became a Hamer and a PRS dealer at nearly the same time, around 1993 or 1994 (IIRC, it's been a while!). I actually did compare the two (a Studio with a PRS Custom). Being a Strat guy (even then), I preferred the PRS because 1.(as JohnnyB pointed out) the extended upper horn and tummy cut made the guitar feel familiar, but without seeming to be just another Strat derivative; 2. the five-way switching on the PRS provided a couple of tones at least similar to the 2 and 4 on my Strat, so it seemed to me the best of both worlds. I recall viewing both as beautiful guitars and extremely well made, but with neither being appreciably superior. I was actually saving cash for the PRS when we moved from Kentaxy, after which I quit playing guitar altogether for several years. Edited to add: just realized I was wrong, it was around 1996 - we left Kentaxy in January of '97. Interesting, that corresponds to around the time PRS moved to the 'big factory.' Perhaps my friend (the late, UNGA BUNGA Music in Paducah) was part of a dealer expansion effort? You make a good point - If they were priced the same, and I A-B compared a Studio with a Santana, I would probably buy the Santana. It has tremolo, it has a better finish, and it has more colors to choose from.

Yeah but there is always a WHY behind the current situation and that's what we're discussing. WHY is PRS dominant, how did they get that way. If the marketing is great, you can sell ice to eskimos. Where I think you have it wrong in your proposition is the implied 'comparison.' I'd say 99% of PRS users never compared a PRS to a Hamer before they bought. They just saw the PRS in the hands of an artist they connect with, tried out a few models and bought. Though I would agree that Hamer's self-limitations hurt them in the long run - when Kim told us that Hamer's color varatiions were limited due to the inventory software they used, I threw up my hands.

Not at all, because what is relevant today is who is playing what guitar today, not who played what guitar 25 years ago.

Yeah, that was my point using Santana as an example. Getting the guitar into artists' hands, getting them seen together onstage, in ads, in interviews, etc. Brand credibility. It doesn't really matter how old, tired, overused, compressed, collaborated, or irrelevant Santana is now. His endorsements almost single-handedly launched both PRS and Mesa/Boogie in the '80s when they needed it. He was a rock guitar god, and one of the few to break ranks with Gibson, Fender, and Marshall. Well before Santana became a historical relic, PRS and Mesa were solidly established and able to attract plenty of endorsers. Did Hamer ever have an endorser of the stature of Santana at his peak? Probably not, but Hamer had 'trending' endorsees, which can be extremely valuable, especially in today's market. In the 80s they had Steve Stevens, and Hamer named a model after him. They had Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades. Vernon Reid. It was as if when the 90s hit, the endorsees dried up overnight. After I made my original post I tried to think of well-known modern guitarists who publically played Hamers. I thought of the chick from the Paul Schaffer band, and Tom Dumont...and that's about it.

Yeah, that was my point using Santana as an example. Getting the guitar into artists' hands, getting them seen together onstage, in ads, in interviews, etc. Brand credibility.

How much would a Studio cost with a trem comparable to a Santana? Hamer did Bigsby well enough, but the modification to accomodate a PRS-class trem would have been significant. At that point, the Studio is prolly more than the Santana. Plus, the stock Santana was available **now**, while the Studio would have been custom order.

I think Hamer failed because they abandoned what established their brand in the first place. It's summed up pretty well on the Hamer Wikipedia page: You mention the PRS Santana. Aside from the fact that the Studio lacks the Santana's tremolo tailpiece, the key factor that differentiates the two is 'Santana.' The artist endorsement connection is an essential element when marketing high-quality instruments. Hamer used to have those connections. Now, not so much. Simply put, I think Hamer failed because no popular guitarist was ever seen with a Studio or Artist or Newport or Monaco in his hands.

Wow, after decades this bait still delivers the goods.

He's talking about a poll here. I remember it, but not the results per se. That's correct - Nathan did a poll a few years back. Ranger is totally wrong on the results, though. http://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/topic/40460-hamer-brand-loyalty/?hl=%2Bbrand+%2Bloyalty According to this, only 17% of the poll respondents said they don't own a Hamer USA. What Ranger might be confusing is the percentage of people who own ONLY Hamers.

Pete, I agree with your sentiments. When I was a teen, all my pals aspired to own a killer stereo with the best turntable, tape deck, amp and speakers. We pored over THD specs and spent hours in audiophile shops A/B comparing systems. The goal was high quality. Today, mp3s are the standard, audiophile quality is no longer a desire, and low cost, ease of deliverability and portability drive the market. A 900 watt stereo receiver costs $250 due to cheap electronics and you can't even find the specs for it because no one cares. With regard to Hamer, the brand extends to the import line and as we have seen they are pretty good, exceptionally good for the money. So I could see how younger players - used to paying next to nothing for entertainment - would have a hard time justifying the coin for a new Hamer USA when they can get a Hamer import on Ebay for a few hundred.

Great data, thanks. Another data point: During that peak period in '93-95, I bought a new Special FM w/case for $750 and could have bought a new Special P-90 for $650.

I'm not sure why everyone blames Fender....Hamers hardly sold that well when Jol was running the place before the Kaman take over. Why would Fender continue funding a brand that made zero money for them? Just my opinion though...YMMV. The best part for me though is the friends I've made here on the forum. Fender could have marketed the brand. They didn't. They bought Hamer and essentially scrapped it out. As many of you know, I lost my Dad after a long illness last February. His last couple of years if was never a question of 'if,' it was a question of 'when.' Same thing here. Hamer's been on life support as they dropped production and reallocated resources to support other brands. Along with marketing, for years Hamer refused to build custom orders that people wanted. Doubt if that would have saved the brand but it would have helped sustain the relationships they built over the years. I hope someone comes along, buys the production line and markets the brand. Until then, we've got nearly 40 years worth of legacy instruments floating around.

My high school band played 'Rock Candy,' and I thought Montrose was the ultimate 70s hard rocker. I loved his recorded tone. One of his popular solo instrumentals, 'Town Without Pity:' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AA-NFYhlr4&feature=related

I think I started coming about ten years ago. Many trips since (though none lately). At least five guitars bought. The three I still have are an Artist Korina P-90, Artist Korina Custom, and a Studio Custom - the only trans orange out of a custom run of blues. I got that in 2002 for my 40th birthday. I was also at the Matt Smith clinic, and I've had the privilege of sitting in with the Grumpies once.

Love that mother-of-burn-victim finish!

Can't wait for Peter and the Bee Gees to do a 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band' reunion tour .

Gold knobs? WTF? I thought that was odd, too.