NGD jr.

[Ua D]

Honduran mahogany

Ebony board

Maple top

tortoiseshell binding

sustainblock

Gravelin custom Charlotte wind in a Dimarzio/Hamer style base   

Awesome.   
 

Edited May 26, 2025 by Ua D

[Ua D]

Started life as this board in 2009.  I had neither the skill, patience or tools to finish this guitar then.  
 

[Ua D]

Built a few necks.  None of which made it very far. 

[Ua D]

Gave up a couple months later.  
 

the body languished for years in my garage.  Even was used as a motor prop block for my aircooled bmw to sit on.  
 

see marks on the body 

[Ua D]

It’ll all started since I was obsessed with dc Junior style guitars but couldn’t afford one of the late 90’s Gibson ones.  I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Hamer guitars 20 years ago.  They weren’t really sold locally as far as I know. Never saw them in any stores around here.  Played a vanguard in LA once in 2000 and liked it, but I was broke that was my only experience with Hamers.  
 

After failing at the builds, a few years went buy, and more money was being earned. I stumbled upon Hamers again.  
Bought my first one locally from an HfC member.  It was  silver studio and it was awesome.  
 

I started doing more of my own work (had always done my own basic setups and soldering) and buying tools for such things  

 I decided I needed to build a kit guitar from PGK to get my dream Junior dc guitar with a maple neck and ebony board. Iordered it with a neck pickup route.  I figured I could hide it under pickguard if I didn’t want to install one.  The control holes weren’t supposed to be drilled but they did it anyways.  Which sucks cause I’d have never done a 4 pot setup.  It’d have one volume one tone.  This forced me into using a neck pickup.   Funny thing is the guitar ended up great but I really started to migrate away from thin necks about the same time.  

 

Built a couple more kits after the first one.  Really love them. Especially the explorer (err Standard!).  

[Ua D]

About 4-5 years ago I bought some telecaster templates and attempted a guitar from scratch again.  Figured I better start simple this time.  Hey it worked out!  Built 2 teles.  One for me one for my pops.  
 

Never want to build and paint a maple fretboard again though.   Pain in the ass to finish and then clean up the frets afterward and buff the finish.  
 

Edited May 26, 2025 by Ua D

[Ua D]

Well the years had gone bY and I had a number of Hamers, some better skills and this old block of Honduran mahogany laying around.  Checked the body which I free hand drew out back in 2009 copying a photo.  It was just oversized enough I could cut an actual Junior shape out of it.  The center line of the glue joint wouldn’t be centered though.  But hey I why not cover it in some maple? It was 2” thick so I had my friend plane it down with his nice planer to 1.5”. This was about 1  1/2 years ago   

Edited May 26, 2025 by Ua D

[Ua D]

I like the little dip in Hamers versus an original Junior so I just straight up traced one of mine for a pattern.  
Decided it was time to try out binding.  

[Ua D]

I won’t lie.  I straight up was copying a very specific hamer for my final build.  I owned the Camstone Junior for few years.   It was a dream guitar I lusted after for years.  It was an awesome guitar.  I regret selling it.  It had an ebony board, tortoiseshell binding, and an amazing top in a tobacco sunburst.   The back was a very dark burgundy transparent color over the mahogany.   My goal was to replicate this but with humbucker and I decided why not go with a sustainblock bridge while I’m at it since they’re available through Mann now?   A single volume to keep it simple.  

 

Edited May 26, 2025 by Ua D

[JGale]

Imagine specc’ng a guitar so fine, it is forever after associated with your name.

[Ua D]

Obtained an ebony board and Honduran mahogany neck blank to match the body.  

[Ua D]

I’ll spare everyone the hours of other steps of finishing.  I’m no pro but it buffed out fairly nice.   Some dust trapped in it here or there (hey no real paint booth).  It is actually a water based acrylic called Target em6000.  This is guitar #4 painted with this clear.   Just can’t do solvents around here.  It’s my favorite finish so far that isn’t Nitro.   If I had the right booth/climate control I’d be doing nitro or 2k.   But health first for now. 
 

here’s some more glamour shots

[Ua D]

I’ve been hamerless since last July.  This should hold me over for awhile.  My biggest fear is I would have messed up the neck angle or something working on this project piecemeal over the past year and half.  Luckily it was easy to to setup and is playing great.  Just need to go to a buddies to plug it into an amp and give this pickup a workout.   My amps are packed up in storage right now. 
 

 

Edited May 27, 2025 by Ua D

[Steve Haynie]

Hey, man,can I borrow your guitar?

[Ua D]

Sun came out this afternoon finally. 

Edited May 26, 2025 by Ua D

[hamerhead]

At first I thought it WAS the Camstone Junior. That looks great!

[Tortious]

1 hour ago, Ua D said:

Started life as this board in 2009. 

You deserve awards for both procrastination and perseverance!

Looks great.

[Ua D]

12 minutes ago, hamerhead said:

At first I thought it WAS the Camstone Junior. That looks great!

Then I must’ve done an OK job. Lol. 

[DaveH]

That is freaking GORGEOUS!

[Travis]

Fantastic work there!  

[BoogieMKIIA]

I couldn’t see the top looking that good from the blank, awesome job on the finish!

 

[murkat]

Well done! Congrats!

[kizanski]

Well done.

You’re quite talented. 

[Ua D]

Hahah.  Talented no, persistent yes.  I ain’t no Luthier yet.   It turned out well but still has some flaws.  
 

Also don’t think I mentioned.  It might be simple single volume only but it does coil split.  

[Ua D]

5 hours ago, BoogieMKIIA said:

I couldn’t see the top looking that good from the blank, awesome job on the finish!

 

Thanks.  I almost stopped at the first lemon yellow toner coat with natural back.  It just popped so much.  Aztec gold!  But I have too many yellow guitars and had the vision for this guitar.  Plus some ca glue flaws/bleed outfrom the binding were visible at this point still.