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Everything posted by Andrew
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Was the serialization done differently in '78, or might that be #8 0894? Must be 9 0894.
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Did I get scammed? Hamer, South Africa?
Andrew replied to Feynman's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
You're wrong. South Africa is RSA. That finish is known as "Camel Dung Sunset" and it was made in Saudi Arabia. -
KK Downing's white one was Kahlered. In the ad. both Had Kahlers, note the blank rear of the seafoam one. The white one might be KK's. I guess less than a third of them were Kahlered, which ony means half a dozen or so.
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FS 1976 Standard
Andrew replied to serial's topic in For Sale - Wanted to Buy - PIF - eBay & Other PSAs
Page two and nobody's offered three-fifty yet? This board is slipping. Certainly a most desirable lump of wood. -
Yes, on a push-pull pot. Works fine. If you have the 'buckers out of phase then you get humbucking in the middle position with the tap. Not very straty in tone though, but still very useable.
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FMIC Shuts down the New Hartford facility
Andrew replied to mirrorimij's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
Sad that Hamer really is gone now, and for keeps. Best of luck to all those who have to look for new employment. I hope you all find something suitable for your (not inconsiderable) talents. -
Yep, non reverse headstock was new at the time, but then Hamer went all non-reverse for the Diablo I and II in 1994-5. Also, they made a few more very similar Diablos without the inscription. So slightly less limited than the inscription might suggest.
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It's not a Diablo II as no middle pickup, but a Diablo Ltd, Ed. These were made for the UK (Trace Elliot) in1993 and there are 20 of them. Nicer body wood, cherry sunburst and bird's-eye maple neck. The toggle switch instead of a blade is another nice touch.
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Nice grain pattern - what is the wood?
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Hamer Sunburst
Andrew replied to ARM OF HAMER's topic in For Sale - Wanted to Buy - PIF - eBay & Other PSAs
I've seen some plain tops but..... That looks like a refin in a solid colour. -
Hamer Sunburst
Andrew replied to ARM OF HAMER's topic in For Sale - Wanted to Buy - PIF - eBay & Other PSAs
And with a unique cloaking finish that renders it invisible. -
2 "matching" custom USA Hamers continued...
Andrew replied to oldskoolrulz's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
Super Sunburstastic! Love the Schaller 'but still look like Grovers' machines. Was that a special request? -
NHD: Chaparral 5 string bass with Boomers and a WHAMMY
Andrew replied to DarrenD's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
Serial's right - that's the normal tuner arrangement for early 5-strings (pre-89), both Cruise and Chap. Looks like quite a lot of modification - cutaway scallops etc.. The best thing about a Blitz over a Chaparral is that you can use a forward saddle Kahler, which looks far more natural than the reverse saddle type you have to use on anything Fender bassy. -
Can freezing cold/thawing snap a truss rod?
Andrew replied to carfish7's question in Ask the HFC Experts
The contraction is small, according to those figure, less than a turn of the nut. Mild steel is less brittle and can bend more easily. But repeated temperature change will expose any fault in the metal, a weakness where the the steel is less flexible. Any brittleness could well be exacerbated by extreme cold. I don't think these temperatures will alter the crystal structure enough to induce the weakness. -
Other than un-molested soldering: Normal Dimarzios would be 7.5-8.0 kohm, Hamer's were slightly overwound to 8-8.5 kohm. But they vary and contrary to the popular myth there is no consistent resistance difference 'twixt neck and bridge pickup. By 1980 they would usually be plastic covered wire and triangular mounting ears on the base-plate. Cream bridge, zebra neck - after market zebra PAFs from this period are quite rare. Other than this is would be hard to tell a Hamer from a 1980 Dimarzio.
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The weirdest thing about the original Prototype (not the II) is that the switch is wired in reverse to the pickups - down is the single coil and up for the humbucker nearer the bridge. The Prototype II has standard Phantom wiring and is really a Phantom in disguise. The description above is right, so you can't actually mix the bridge humbucker and mid-position single coil. This switching was kept for the Steve Stevens but the new-fangled Chaparral had three mini-switches that allowed any combination, coil-tapping on the humbucker and phase reversal for the singles.
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That is truly the most magnificent thing I have ever seen. And what a grain pattern on the board. Rosewood boards on a fretless give a very chorus-like warm tone.
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Since you brought up Dean Guitars
Andrew replied to hikarateboy's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
81, 82 or 83 would have the vee-carve neck but not 80. The only problem is that each of those three years has a different headstock (very big, big and shrimp fork respectively). Serials right - 1980 is a model designation in the current import line-up. A true USA 1980 would have a serial number 80 2000 (for example) and MADE IN USA above it in a vee-shape (in the headstock indent). Deans conform to a pattern even less than Hamers so any combo is possible, just some are rarer than others. -
Since you brought up Dean Guitars
Andrew replied to hikarateboy's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
I agree. They can vary from responsive, long sustaining instruments to dead-planks. A close examination of the wood shows that Dean wasn't very fussy about the mahogany grade used and I am sure many weren't strictly speaking the Honduran mahogany species as wood colour varied from almost Korina through to very dark brown (that's without lacquer). The pore size is usually larger on Dean mahogany too and I can't explain that. That is partly why Hamers are more consistent - same high-grade mahogany throughout. -
Since you brought up Dean Guitars
Andrew replied to hikarateboy's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
Who was making them between Chandler in 89 and USA Masters in 2000? I have seen several from the nineties with the number stamped into the end of the fingerboard. Weird idea! -
Since you brought up Dean Guitars
Andrew replied to hikarateboy's topic in Hamer Fan Club Messageboard
Dean and Hamer shared much but they were made so differently. Hamers are more refined and consistent but a good pre-83 Dean (I disagree with Serial, many excellent Deans made in 82 although the rot had started) can be up there with a Hamer. If you have a 80-83 Hamer with non-standard binding (I.e.: anything other than cream ivoroid) the chances are that the binding material was borrowed from Dean. The Dean name was sold on in the eighties and all sorts of abominations appeared - the Chandler-made USA guitars from the late eighties were about 4 inches thick for example. Even though it eventually settled down to the current Dean USA in Florida, with Dean Zeilinsky even returning for a while, it could never quite be the same. Insert your own sad and disappointed parallel with any possible Hamer resurrection here.