Nuclear Wessel

That's great news! Congrats!

Yes, some of the budget price Gibson models, like the faded finish V and SG, are quite the bargain. And AFAIK, if it says Gibson on the headstock, it's made in USA. I haven't heard that they use Mexican factories like Fender, or import Korean guitars with the same headstock logo like Jackson. I haven't heard good things about the quality of Gizbo faded finish models. But that doesn't mean it's impossible, necessarily, to build a stripped down budget priced USA built guitar. Anyone know the story on how G!bson's doing it? Selling a $700 LP Jr for instance? Even Peavey, who was making guitars in the USA for hundreds less than other USA guitar builders, is making most of their guitars overseas now. Their current USA guitars have never been better, but they're getting quite pricey too. The Diablo actually was a stripped down, no frills USA model that sold for under $1K, at least when it was introduced. But for whatever reason, they ended up discontinuing the USA version of that model.

You guys are reading my mind! I was thinking how many of the newer metal bands use guitars with flame tops and binding just as readily as those with graphics and pointy shapes. While Hamer may (I said MAY!!) decline to build you a set neck Chapp with LED fretboard, built in wireless and bikini girl graphics, I don't think you'd have as much trouble ordering a metalized Studio or other current model, with black hardware, maybe even a Floyd and custom finish! And as far as Hamer completely missing the shred market, I actually think they've done their homework in that area. Most of the players interested in shred guitar now are young players who can't buy a $2500 custom shop shredder guitar yet even if Hamer made one. Hamer's imported Californians and Scarabs are aimed squarely at the budget of many of today's shredders. $3000 shredders are beatiful, but there are only so many players who can afford to or justify getting one. One thing Hamer might look into is $1000-$1500 MIJ shredders. A lot of players will pass up a Korean or Taiwanese guitar, but MIJ guitars have earned the respect of the musician community.

Agreed on Hamers. They're as good or better than ever. Peavey amps? The Penta has really caught my interest. even other models like the XXX and JSX are far cooler than their offerings in years past. Definitely better than their "vintage" 80's amps! Studio technology. Recording your own CD on your computer is finally not just possible, but pretty easy! Studio software is easier to use and more powerful than ever. Audio plugins let you get close to the sound of high end studio gear with software simulations. And as far as hardware, if you've got the cash there are more high end mics, mic preamps, compressors and EQ's on the market now than I've ever seen. My Sweetwater catalogs are full of amazing gear! A friend who's doing remodeling on his home says home materials are getting better. They cost less, but if you get the right stuff, it's more durable because the technology has improved. He pointed out some practices that have improved. Nails used ot be used to hold a floor together. Over time the floor would start to squeak because the board could loosen up around the nail. They apparently use screws now. Simple, but they didn't do it like that in the old days.

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Glad though that you were able to share those moments with your dad before he passed away. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. God comfort you.

I've owned two mid 90's Cali Elites that had pretty hefty necks. Not baseball bats, but definitely on the chunky side.

Is it Friday yet???

I'm sorry for your loss. My sympathies and prayers are with you, Marty.

This guitar just kicks ass: So do these basses Shredders!! Still in my arsenal: Gone now, but remembered fondly:

I never use both either. It's either my amp's overdrive, which has a more Marshall-esque crunch, or an overdrive pedal going to my clean channel, to get a blues overdrive sound - a little breakup and grit without the heavy crunch.

Wow, this takes me back! I haven't heard this debate since the early 90's!! And since I've acquired a bunch of Floyd equipped guitars since the early 90's, I'll weigh in and say I'm with the guys who say a Floyd does not ruin the guitar's tone. If there's any difference, it's so miniscule I can't detect it. I kinda think factors like the chunk of wood the guitar is made from, scale length, fretboard wood, whether the guitar is solid body or hollow/chambered, and choice of pickups have a greater effect on tone and sustain than whether the guitar has a Floyd. For instance, put a JB in the bridge position of a solidbody, especially a 25 1/2" scale one, and your lower midrange chunk will vanish. A Floyd won't do that.

Last year they put in a fitness center here at work. Everyone over 40 who wanted to use it had to get a physical first!! I was insulted. They gave us coupons to get a free physical at the med station here at work, so the physical was obviously insurance company red tape. Sure enough, they checked me out and informed me everything - blood pressure, cholesterol, etc - is normal! So, what I don't like about being 5 months away from 43: 1.) Hair loss. I noticed that starting ON MY 30TH BIRTHDAY!! Happy birthday to me! Some way to start a new decade. And hand in hand with that... 2.) Becoming invisible to ladies, especially like Badger said, those under 30. That is seriously scary if you're still single and losing your looks! But I dated a real nice girl in my mid 30's, very hot, and then another real nice girl, who was only in her late 20's and also hot, about the time I turned 40. I remember my 40th. I celebrated at one of my band's gigs, and the GF brought subs, balloons, and cake. I thought "If this is midlife crisis, bring it on!!!". I'm with a really sweet lady, my age, now (she's gonna celebrate her 40th this August - I better start planning something) and this relationship might actually end up working out and I can see us growing old together. Thankfully other than looking a little more like a middle aged man instead of a young punk, my health is good, the plumbing works fine, and I'm playing as well as ever. I don't have the time to practice speed picking shred licks these days, but the days when I did that are still paying off and I'm playing with a better sense of melody and taste. I've written a bunch of original tunes and still wanna record a few independently released CD's before I hang up the guitar for good. Studio recording technology is just now getting to where it's practical and affordable to get a pro sounding recording from your home studio, and the internet offers all sorts of new ways to make your music available for people to listen to, so the time for writing and recording original music has never been better.

Actually, if the neck is joined to the body of a guitar at an angle, as it is on many set neck guitar including Hamers, why would it be necessary to recess the Floyd? The whole Floyd assembly would be like 1/2" off the front of the body as it is. That's how it is on my mid 80's short scale Chapps and SS2's. No need for a recess and I can pull back as far as I want! On the topic of guitars at Wilcutt, I went over to their site and found where you can look at all the Hamers they've sold. Some abso-freakin'-lutely amazing cool stuff there.

Was that pun intended? That guitar takes me back to the early 80's, before graphic an sparkle finishes got popular, when guys were taking late 70's guitars with nice flame tops and putting Floyds on them. Very cool guitar.

Wonder if Hamer would consider doing their 80's switching system for H-S-S pickup arangements. A three way toggle and a two way toggle. IIRC, with the two way in position 1, you got bridge only middle only neck only from the three way. With the two way in position 2, you got bridge only bridge/middle neck/middle from the three way. So on their 80's SS1's and Prototypes, you got all the standard combinations other guitar companies offered with a 5 way selector, but using two switches. I guess if you didn't mind drilling a hole and adding another switch, you could modify the wiring on a guitar like that Studio Custom to Hamer's 80's H-S-S wiring scheme easily and without much danger of really screwing up the front of the guitar, long as you don't slip with that drill!

Salmon blush rules! It's my favorite transparent finish too. And BTW, that Studio Custom's pickups are a really cool twist on the tried & true H-S-S pickup arangement! A humbucker and two PhatCat P90's. Brilliant idea!

If I was a museum curator or historian of electric guitars, I might see paying that much. It's a piece of history. Being a musician, to me a new pickup is likely more useful and certainly more cost effective than a 50 year old one that sounds a little, if at all better than a new vintage style pickup, and will certainly have horrible microphonic squeal.

I'm sorry, no guitar pickup is worth $1,900 to me. Gibson PAF Humbucker Real Not Reissue 7.66K But after all, it's worth what someone's willing to pay. Should be interesting to see if he sells it at this price.

My ESP custom, with Li'l 59's and a Tone Zone S at the bridge. The Tone Zone S replaced a JB Jr, which not surprisingly in a guitar with a maple top, swamp ash body and ebony fretboard, was a tad ear piercing.

Some nice porn showing up in this thread. I always like that!

In answer to your questions, yes, yes, yes, yes!! I've got guitars with the Duncan Li'l Screamin Demon, Li'l 59, the Dimarzio Tone Zone S, and used to have a Duncan JB Jr. They do sound like humbuckers, but they do quack when you flip the selector to the bridge/middle position. They can be coil tapped or parallelled. I have an ESP with a Tone Zone S at the bridge and Li'l 59's at the middle and neck. The guitar has a series/parallel switch for all 3 pickups. When I parallel the coils, I get all the great single coil tones from the guitar. I found the JB Jr to be very edgy and bright. It would work great in a guitar that had plenty of bass and was high end challenged. In my ESP and my two Mirages, the Tone Zone S and Li'l Screamin Demon sound great in the bridge position. Either of them would work fine for classic rock, or if you want a little smoother sound, use a Li'l 59. Dimarzio has a model, I think it's the Fast TRack Pro, that also simulates a vintage humbucker sound.

I'd love to see a Virt drop 6 with the 26 1/2" scale, scalloping on fretboard optional, with a fixed bridge, either a Sustain Block or one of those Tune O Matics with the string ferrules for going though the body. For a pickup, instead of the Hot Rails, I wouldn't mind seeing a Dimarzio Super Distortion S or Tone Zone S. Or they could put a full size humbucker there and use a Dimarzio D Sonic. Medium neck.

Sounds like if Hamer did consider bringing back shredders, they'd have a hard time pleasing everyone. Should they have thick necks, or thin like back in the 80's? Bolt neck or set neck? Graphics and sparkle finishes like in the 80's or a more classic look with flame maple and binding? Floyds or fixed bridges? Unless they bring back the policy of "we'll build anything you're willing to pay for", sounds like a lot of guys looking for the return of Hamer shredders would still be unhappy.

I used to have an A10-V that I got from a local shop that was going out of business in '85. I agree, I always liked that slim, V shaped neck. The workmanship was excellent. However, the Washburn non-locking trem that it had was horrible. Didn't stay in tune (the guitar was from the days before it was discovered that if you're not providing a locking nut, it helps to have the strings go straight over the nut), and made clunking noises when I whammied with it. The metal was so soft the knife pooints became dull. The guitar was a metallic magenta - it definitely looked 80's!! It was headstock heavy too, but hey, I put up with that from my Hamers. I agree Hamer would be going up against the big boys trying to compete with Ibanez, Kramer etc. I wonder if they made a scaled down Explorer or V with a flame top, black hardware and a slightly altered body... oh wait, Peavey's done that.

There's still an interest in it. I teach middle and high school age guitar students and I've had a number of them who were hugely into Yngwie, Paul Gilbert, Vai, etc. It doesn't have huge commercial appeal, but the scene is certainly still there. Not all young players today just want to play down-tuned power chords. But back to the subject. I am perfectly fine with the guitars Hamer is making today. Monaco's rock!! Would I be fine with them introducing a couple of shred models? Sure! Offset double cutaway guitars with Floyds aren't necessarily JUST for neo-classical metal or glam rockers. Fusion players like Frank Gambale, Allan Holdsworth, Vernon Reid, and Scott Henderson play or have played Floyd equipped guitars. Some of David Torn's coolest solos were on his late 80's/early 90's CD's when he was playing Steinbergers with TransTrems. I think the mindset that Floyd equipped guitars are just for one kind of music has to be broken. I don't foresee it happening, but I think it'd be cool to see an offset double cutaway model with a more classic look - something like some of Schecter's guitars, with flame maple and binding - from Hamer.