django49

Hold on, let me check my mom's chest. And you will post that on the Boobies thread?

Love it. Wasn't he the inspiration for the Kinks' song, "Come Dantzig?"

When I got my Tally Pro it was the fully tricked out version and, IIRC, listed up around $6k. Naturally, when they blew out the warehouse stock, they ended up selling for a lot less. At least at the list price, that was just about the same as the Dolphin, if I am not mistaken----_Though with Hubers, it does not take long to find out, are seldom discounted at all. I was lucky enough to find a used one (near mint) at a very good price. Actually, less than I paid for the Tally----Yes, I know, it was used........ So, yes, the Hubers are both harder to find and harder to get a price break on than Hamers..... It is not my intent to bash the Tally Pro, as I think it is a great guitar. It is an even better guitar with upgraded pickups. But I think it would be hard for most (starting with me, owning a bunch of Hamers) to not quickly see, feel and hear the difference. IMO, this particular Huber is markedly better in each of those senses. I guess I am a bit off the beaten track, geographically, from the majority of HFC members. But it would be interesting to have others stop over and see if their conclusions differed to any great degree.

But at least he added extra V and T knobs. Original idea! Oops, there WAS another G outfit that did THAT first. Having played the Dolphin and Tally Pro back-to-back, and as much as I think the latter is a good guitar (though it was overpriced) I would take the Huber every time.

Would love one.....But I got things I gotta SELL!

I have no problem with someone making some bucks by selling, to a willing buyer, absent any dishonesty. The original seller did not necessarily have to accept the (in retrospect, and admitted) low ball offer. IN fact, I can recall (at least) one non-Hamer item I offered on this site that drew an immediate offer that was pretty clearly low ball and setting up a flip, IMO. (Party making that offer, not disclosed). I have been able to acquire some Hamers at very nice prices. Pretty sure I could sell them at higher prices elsewhere if/when I desired. But I have had some good deals with people herein and would feel poorly if I did not return the favor. So I am sure I have sold a few things on HFC for less than top dollar. I am not sure where the good balance is-----I also KNOW that some of the things I DO own (and will eventually sell) will NEVER get back the bucks I out into them. It would be NICE to come out ahead on a few to offset some of those. And I should add----ONLY PARTIALLY OFFSET. That is life and I would not waste too much time dwelling on things I bought and "overpaid" for-----Unless someone was less than honest in making the sale. Hey, that's life. Still, would have been nice if someone here that really wanted and would use such a guitar had picked up the "bargain".

Could you please enlighten us and share the name of this builder? Huber, Ruokangas, McInturff....2 outta 3 ain't bad......German, Finnish, USA...... I KNOW there are more than those, but they are the first that some to mind. I would count out Gibson and Fender and even PRS, except for the higher end "custom/private stock" variants (MAYBE).

"How about an interactive site where one can select all kinds of woods, finishes, preamps, configurations, hardware, and colors. Build your design virtually and see a rendering of what it would look like." As but one example of what MIGHT be done....Jaros has attractive and well built guitars......Lots of GUITAR porn, as well as some attractive ladies on their site. But importantly a way to spec out a guitar and see how it would look AND what it would COST. I realize it would be more difficult to do something that can portray ANYTHING any of us could come up with. But I would not think it THAT much a problem. I realize they are focused on one specific style guitar and, seemingly at more of a "country" market, so they are aimed at a niche market. But this gives some perspective, including the price point at which a "comparable" Hamer would have to compete. I DID find an extremely nice Jaros, used, for an excellent price a year or so ago......No affiliation other than owning one. PS,..... the company is under its third ownership......The second WAS that dude in Las Vegas, Ed Roman. http://www.jarosguitars.com/index.html

"I am by no means an MBA, and know little about costs to produce guitars." (Excerpt from Cary). Interesting....I AM an MBA (as well as a CPA, though not practicing as such any more). Any my wife is a (now retired) sales/marketing executive. (There is also some woodworking expertise around here, but NOTHING that would cause me to make or seriously repair guitars!) Neither of us would know where to start with a financial plan for converting a name and a $3 million line into a viable business, I suspect we could add some mental contributions to evaluating and fine-tuning ideas. And there are certainly people here with a history on the retail side of Hamer (and others). Not to mention people with great skills on the repair and modification side. The starting point would have to take into account many comments above.....Like what is the goal? Can it then be made to work? Such as Paul Reed Smith had good ideas and product. He famously nearly starved while hanging around the stage door to put his product into the hands of Carlos Santana. (Who is also linked with Randall Smith at Mesa). I believe Leo Fender and George Fullerton (and crew) did much of the same back in the day. I know which Hamers (and other guitars) I like most. I am not all that much into the 80s and "shredders". Obviously others see those as the reason for Hamer's existence. Is there enough demand for such to catch up with those mentioned that are already using that segment to rebuild? At the same time, how much demand will there be for USA made Monacos, Newports, Talladegas, etc? (And are those, as well as the iconic ones, like Standard, Studio, Vector, sufficiently differentiated from the models they were derived from, largely with the G word on the headstock, to capture a viable sales number absent big spending on marketing---including giving instruments to upcoming acts? I KNOW they are better in terms of quality, but how do you get that message out when money is tight and there is a surplus of instruments----and manufacturing capacity-----out there?) Country/crossover? Maybe. How much potential is there? Will they take to an unknown name and/or go for something beyond the more traditional Teles and Dreadnoughts, at least in a big way. On custom orders......Pretty much discussed above. Chicken and egg......How do you get people to spring for high end things without awareness of the brand? Most of us here can get what we want at a reasonable price used, As much as we dislike the closure of the window on futures COs, you cannot build a business on the hopes that all those people will win the lottery. Side light on COs......I have acquired some such Hamers (used). I have ONE (non-Hamer) CO that I spent a lot on, waited a long time for, was everything I asked for, and yet is NOT the answer I was looking for. The related issue......The competition. If you want the "best" there are a number of makers out there......Will not try to name them all, but such as Nik Huber, Ruokangas, McInturff make instruments arguably as good or better (maybe much more so) than anything Hamer has made.......And Gibson? Yeah, right! Of course, you either buy from (very limited) stock or submit big bucks and WAIT. Hard to find one to play in advance of purchase in many markets. And the odds of getting a "deal" on a used one are low. I don't know that FMIC gave Hamer a full chance. But how far could they push on that particular string? MAYBE they could have devoted more hours per week and gotten the delivery time down to months from a year or two. But how many more orders would they find to refill that pipeline? IF there WAS a viable business plan (and not just killing the competition) I am sure there were SOME wise minds to ponder it. Ultimately it IS business.....As FMIC, Gibson and Guitar Center are painfully aware----And increasingly so. We have seen the tons of NOS Hamers hit the market, blown out to Willcutt and other dealers in bulk. Many of them sharply discounted from (obviously over inflated) list prices. And some of these were already several years old. Many of them are STILL in dealer inventories. Again, how do you compete with such a bottleneck of relatively high priced guitars, even if discounted? Certainly eats into theoretical profit margins! Side note.....As much as there are things I dislike about GC, I got a lot of chances to touch and play high end gear (the good old days at the Hollywood store) that I never (well, seldom) bought. I think I can recall ONE TIME I could actually play new USA Hamers in a "mom and pop". That was many years ago and I am on the west coast where they are less prevalent. Having a chance to physically "bond" with an instrument, rather than read the marketing hype (Yeah, PRS is the master of that!) was a big help in loosening my purse strings, even if I bought used, scouted the neat new tools on the Internet, etc. And, generally, found used ones that someone else had already taken the depreciation on At risk of repetition, most of us are able to find what we want, eventually, at a fair price in the used market. Most of us are not going to place that custom order....And if so, it is generally going to be a once in a lifetime thing.....Yeah, I know there are "lawyer guitars" and such.....Some of mine no doubt fall into that realm. I love them but am not going to plop down $5k or more to propagate the herd. Well, maybe I WILL win the lottery........ Shoot.....More questions than answers. I WOULD be more than happy to compare notes and provide input if/when things get more focused. In the meantime, back to the chicken and egg thing....IF someone is sitting on $3 million of funding, they certainly will not do it without a reality based business plan. But are there those amongst us that can/will develop such a plan unless there is at least SOME potential for funding? People and businesses are sitting, collectively, on TRILLIONS in cash. Money is available. Sort of. Fear is rampant. ("Damn, that fiscal clit is gonna kill us all!") (sic) There will ultimately be growth and maybe even prosperity again. I guess we are all open to ideas on how to make that happen........Seems like the elected class will have a hard time making it happen. Unfortunately. Not sure if that helps at all, but it gets it off my chest. Oh, about that CO I WOULD have submitted.........

"Hiatus: A gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break" Something from Stephen Hawkings, sort of.......A gap in "space/time"......Just goes to show we are all warped! Well, at least we can have SOME fun......

"Earlier this evening he was feeling a bit like the Angel of Death. Every time he gets behind a brand big time, it dies." Wait, is Greg not high on Nik Huber now?

Most unfortunate. Any word on whether FMIC will keep their import line? I suppose that would have an impact upon whether they were even open to selling the brand...Then the other question is whether the existing (part-time now) Hamer builders would be open to a new owner or prefer the "security" of continuing to work for a larger (arguably faceless?) entity that is financially overextended.

Agree on the Power Block......Even picked up a second (long ago) when some retailer was blowing them out (new) for $50. Certainly not a tube amp, but with a decent preamp or multi-efx it can do a very good job with little weight or hassle. And an easy way to tote a backup.

$20 off for the graffiti on the back!

Yes to the Power Block.....And it will almost fit in your pocket....Well, your lunch box anyway. If you do need something a bit more self-contained (Like with its own speaker) those Tech 21 (solid state) are lightweight, have 2 channels and get surprisingly good sound, IMHO

Ended up with an extra set of Double Ds....Now I need to figure out what to do with them.......Pretty aure I do not want to let them go.

The Triple Threat is sold, pending payment.

Been a while.......Maybe I should bump for the items that are still available. It might help restore my credibility on the home front to pass on a couple more things before a custom order arrives.......I guess I am down 4 guitars and one amp in the past several weeks. It would not hurt to do a little more.

Okay....What I SHOULD be moving out the door includes about 3 Gadow guitars, 2 Parkers, 2 G&Ls, a Newport Korina (as well as the Eclipse and Triple Threat) and.....I will have to think. The time has come to get more serious. MAYBE tomorrow I can find the time to get some good pix and offer up a few more things.......Gotta do a separate post AND have more pictures. All pretty nice stuff, IMHO.

Bump for sold/traded items. The 347 and Carvin are both gone. The others are still here. Next----I gotta take some more pictures and offer up a few more things from the "stash".

Of course, I would not say "No!" to a higher offer. I did get a good deal on another TT from a member here a while ago and I would feel guilty if I asked for more than this (even if I would be selling this one for less than I paid for it).

The time has come to start to get serious about letting some things go. It just seemed like a good thing to do to offer them up here. I am thinking these are reasonable prices----If anything seems outta line, just let me know. AND I still am open to working a trade for a 25th Anniversary Ltd edition (not the mahogany top one) if anyone wishes to trade-----OR sell outright. COVERED! My inclination is to list the net price I would LIKE to get. Add for costs if it needs to be delivered/PayPaled. I would think it better to sell the amps locally, but I will at least list them too. I will add a limited number of pix to keep from being too bulky. I can certainly provide more. Hamer Triple Threat 1 of 30 You probably have a pretty good idea of what there are. All stock. Near mint. OHSC $1900 GIbson ES-347 Black, gold. From the 347th day of 1978 Has the Dirty Finger pickups, factory splitter. fine tune tp and "crank out" tuners. Definitely not mint. Has been played a fair amount. But in great playing condition. Below what people SEEM to think they can get for them of fleabay,,,,,This WAS my "forever" guitar for a long time....But things change. Also $1900 Gone! Carvin Semi-Hollow I understand this to be pretty rare and collectible, if I can say that of a Carvin Has all the period correct toys, including splitters and phase switches. Decent top too. A poor man's 335 OHSC $850 GONE! Hamer Eclipse Bright red, excellent condition. Has been played but no significant wear. No chips or chunks. OHSC $600 THD Flexi-50. Really unique amp. Goes a few steps beyond the Univalve and BiValve. Allows mismatch of power tubes for great rounds of experimentation. 50 watts. The name stands for flexibility, not PLEXI. Excellent condition with footswitch to select the master and boost. Sort of a "1 and 1/2 channel amp". I just have not got the time to fully use it to its potential. $850 Mesa Nomad 45. 4 x el84s, 3 channels, very versatile (IMHO). Was custom made (not for me but I DO have boots that match) with the "lizard skin" covering. Has the original slip cover and 5 button footswitch $700 Mesa Trem-O-Verb 100 watts, heavier than hell (weighs more than my wife) 2 x 12 $850 Parker Fly Deluxe---SLIGHTLY modded! Someone decided they did not like the horns and trimmed them. Actually, not a bad job. Looks even stranger. But it no longer pokes you in the ribs and it is even lighter. I like Parkers for the versatility of the HBs, splitter and the blendable piezo. But you either like it or you HATE that shape. It does not bother me, but I have too many toys, (I also have an original one---no mods---except that it also has a Roland synth adapter. No pictures of that one right now). $525 for the blue one, $900 for the other. Gadow Custom Single Duncan pups, factory splitters. Green quilted top (nice enough figure but too dark to really jump out). I think the mahogany on the back is really nice. OHSC $550 I also have a couple other Gadows. Really great tops. Near mint. Will have to get around to doing something with them, but later on. Same with the G&L Legacy and Comanche (semi-hollow). Obviously I have way too much stuff and need to START to get disciplined. (Novel concept, that!) Not a fire sale. Not urgent. But I DO have to start cleaning house more than a little after some excesses of the past year or so. Thanks for looking!

Or both if you are an Oregon State Beaver fan........

Great pair! One of these days, IF I can shake off my inertia, take better pictures, etc, one of my two Triple Threats (The faded tobacco sunburst one) is going to be posted. Need "three of a kind?" (Smack in the middle of a group shot). Hope to hear what you think about it with your favorite amp.

Good luck with that recovery.......I have had enough close calls, thankfully none with a chain saw----yet. Gave up in the bike long ago. Extra cautious around the table saw----Still have all 10 fingers, knock on wood. Best wishes as you move on to better health.