Eclipse, who's got em?

P

Phloored

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on the fence and am going to check one out next week. I was wondering how the mini's sound in the six string? The one I'm thinking of is an 83' I think and it is natural mahogany finish and is supposed to be in excellent condition.

So, any comments on the the finer details of the eclipse?

Thanx

 
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I have a '96 Eclipse. You might wanna re-check the serial number of the one you are looking at, I don't believe Hamer was making the Eclipse in '83. IIRC they started in '94. The Eclipse is one of my favorites Hamers. I love the body shape with the "beer belly bevel" and "forearm relief". Lightweight for a solid mahog guitar. Its a very comfortable guitar for me to play. Some critics think the body shape is odd. In fact, wasn't there a recent thread here speculating on the perceived "lack of respect" for the Eclipse?

I like the Wilkinson wraparound bridge on my Eclipse. It works out perfectly, which was not the case with the Wiliky wraparound on my Artist. I suggest you carefully checkout the intonation on the one you are considering.

As for shortcomings, some people complain about the pups. Duncan mini-hums, someone please check me on this, its an SM-3 in the neck and an SM-2 in the bridge? Many people do not like the sound, describing it as harsh. Many switch to Gibson mini-hums. I stuck with the Duncans and was able to dial out what I did not like with the guitar tone pot and the tone stack on my amp. I highly recommend twisting a few pots before you sink money into new pups.

Going price for an ordinary stock Hamer USA Eclipse with OHSC seems to be around $450 to $550.

 
I have a '96 Eclipse.  You might wanna re-check the serial number of the one you are looking at, I don't believe Hamer was making the Eclipse in '83.  IIRC they started in '94.  The Eclipse is one of my favorites Hamers.  I love the body shape with the "beer belly bevel" and "forearm relief".  Lightweight for a solid mahog guitar.  Its a very comfortable guitar for me to play.  Some critics think the body shape is odd.  In fact, wasn't there a recent  thread here speculating on the perceived "lack of respect" for the Eclipse? I like the Wilkinson wraparound bridge on my Eclipse.  It works out perfectly, which was not the case with the Wiliky wraparound on my Artist.  I suggest you carefully checkout the intonation on the one you are considering.

As for shortcomings, some people complain about the pups.  Duncan mini-hums,  someone please check me on this, its an SM-3 in the neck and an SM-2 in the bridge?  Many people do not like the sound, describing it as harsh.  Many switch to Gibson mini-hums.  I stuck with the Duncans and was able to dial out what I did not like with the guitar tone pot and the tone stack on my amp.  I highly recommend twisting a few pots before you sink money into new pups.

Going price for an ordinary stock Hamer USA Eclipse with OHSC seems to be around $450 to $550.
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I have a '96 Eclipse. You might wanna re-check the serial number of the one you are looking at, I don't believe Hamer was making the Eclipse in '83. IIRC they started in '94

Yeah, I know your right there, I just have to look at it when I get my paws on it.

Eclipse is one of my favorites Hamers.

Cool, I love my Newport and would like to add some new flavah of Hamer to the mix.

Its a very comfortable guitar for me to play. Some critics think the body shape is odd. In fact, wasn't there a recent thread here speculating on the perceived "lack of respect" for the Eclipse?

Ah, I bet that I might bond with it knowing how I love to pull for the underdogs, me and the dreggs against the world!

I suggest you carefully checkout the intonation on the one you are considering.

Thanks for the tip, I'll bring the strobe tuner and check it out.

As for shortcomings, some people complain about the pups. Duncan mini-hums, someone please check me on this, its an SM-3 in the neck and an SM-2 in the bridge? Many people do not like the sound, describing it as harsh. Many switch to Gibson mini-hums. I stuck with the Duncans and was able to dial out what I did not like with the guitar tone pot and the tone stack on my amp. I highly recommend twisting a few pots before you sink money into new pups.

Great tips, I'm gonna see if I can take it home for a few days and see how it works out. From my understanding, I thought minihmbuckers were like really big single coils? Anyway. I'll see how they sound with some different amps if I can take it home.

Going price for an ordinary stock Hamer USA Eclipse with OHSC seems to be around $450 to $550.

They are asking 5 so that seems to be fair.

Thanks Caddie.

 
I miss mine already. It lives at BadgerDave's house now. I'm admittedly wierd, but I dug the shiznit out of that guitar. Lean, mean tone machine. The intonation was fine, very comfotable to play. The neck pickup sounds like a typical neck humbucker only with a bit more sparkle. The stock bridge pickup is hot-rodded to he77 and back, made for clobbering the front end of an amp. I kept finding my way to popwer-pop stuff, as well as Southern-fried rock when I played it.

I need to get another when finances allow, but The Goldtop Newport I got out of the deal is SWEEEET!

 
Hey cool score on the goldtop Newport!

I hope I like the eclipse and I think I like the "different factor" already. And the comfort thing has come up twice now, so I think that may be something to look forward to. I think based on the years they were made, it may have a beefy neck on it. And to clobber the front end of an amp is fun too!

Well I am open to hearing the good the bad and the ugly on this model, and so far the bad seems to be subjective asthetics. I can deal with that, it's more about egonomics and tone, so maybe this will be a good guitar for me.

 
My one gripe? The two-knob control configuration. It'd be easy enough to convert it to the standard Hamer layout, though. I just never got around to it.

 
Here's BadgerDave's Eclipse in action at the Mpls jam 6 weeks ago. This is Eric Weston playing it, and although I'm certain he wasn't fond of the color, he loved the tone. I thought this guitar played and sounded fantastic. I played it a few times myself. I also own a 6 string 2 pickup and a 12 string, both in cherry red. Although they don't see frequent action, they always sound great when they make an appearance. I'd buy it, and if you don't like it, you should be able to sell it easily at the price you're discussing. Perhaps I'll head out and buy some new strings for my Eclipse 12 and use it at Friday's Mpls jam.

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My one gripe? The two-knob control configuration. It'd be easy enough to convert it to the standard Hamer layout, though. I just never got around to it.
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I am ok with the two knobs as my Newport has that layout and it works for me. Simple layout for simple guys /emoticons/default_tongue.png

 
I've been wanting to try one, those are part of a line that came out around the time Terry McInturff was at Hamer, IMO a very innovative time , Terry is all into subtle contours that fit your body well, my Tuarus feel like a custom fit suit standing w/ strap

 
Here's BadgerDave's Eclipse in action at the Mpls jam 6 weeks ago. This is Eric Weston playing it, and although I'm certain he wasn't fond of the color, he loved the tone. I thought this guitar played and sounded fantastic. I played it a few times myself. I also own a 6 string 2 pickup and a 12 string, both in cherry red. Although they don't see frequent action, they always sound great when they make an appearance. I'd buy it, and if you don't like it, you should be able to sell it easily at the price you're discussing. Perhaps I'll head out and buy some new strings for my Eclipse 12 and use it at Friday's Mpls jam.
IMG_3149.jpg
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Cool shot. the one I'm going to check out is natural mahogany so that is plus from the start. People say how they are lightweight and after a Newport, I'm kinda used to lightweight so thats cool too.

"I'd buy it, and if you don't like it, you should be able to sell it easily at the price you're discussing."

Hmm, well I hope I can take it home first for a good try first, but if not, I may just do that. Fire up that 12 string and give the jam some jangly.

 
I've had two 12-strings and one 6-string. They're the most ergonomically correct electrics I've handled.

They are NOT all lightweight, however - the 6 I had was a stone.

 
I've got a '94 and love it. I think the Eclipse is Hamer's most underrated guitar and probably the best Hamer buy.

 
If shredding is playing fast, using sweeping arpeggios, doing some legatto runs, alternate picking, whammy-bar abuse, string skipping and some wild hammer-ons and pull-offs and some tapping tricks, then I do shred with my Hamer Californian Elite. /emoticons/default_wink.png That's my preferred axe by far, period.

About the blues, it's not stuff I usually play, though I do use the blues scale, the myxolidian mode and pentatonics, as well as some "outside" licks and double stops that perhaps do come from the blues. But I'm not a blues player at all. /emoticons/default_wink.png

 
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Notice how we're being all cool and not looking into the camera?

The 3 pickup Eclipse is a blast to play, though the controls take some getting used to. It has one volume and a blender for the middle pickup - no tone control!!!! That's challenging for a guitar as bright as the Eclipse. V/V/T and a 5 way blade switch would be better, but we know how Jol feels about "strat" switches. One of these days I'll figure out how to work in a tone control.

The former Tomterrific Eclipse is a stoptail 2 pickup version in vintage orange/faded cherry. It is a simply wonderful guitar, probably the most comfortable one I own. Eclipses are like Strats in that they just sort of meld with your body when you strap 'em on.

 
The 3 pickup Eclipse is a blast to play, though the controls take some getting used to. It has one volume and a blender for the middle pickup - no tone control!!!! That's challenging for a guitar as bright as the Eclipse. V/V/T and a 5 way blade switch would be better, but we know how Jol feels about "strat" switches. One of these days I'll figure out how to work in a tone control.

The former Tomterrific Eclipse is a stoptail 2 pickup version in vintage orange/faded cherry. It is a simply wonderful guitar, probably the most comfortable one I own. Eclipses are like Strats in that they just sort of meld with your body when you strap 'em on.
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Is the two pickup Eclipse set up with no tone control? I like a tone control on a guitar, at least I use mine on the Newport enough to think it's needed. The comfort factor is certainly a plus. I think the natural mahogany will be nice and I hope it's fairly lightweight. Next weekend I'll have a better idea.

 
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