88 Chaparral Custom Sale Pending (damaged finish) set neck long scale hockey stick etc.

[bry4321]

There is one pic showing the initial worn red finish on the body. As a result of my messing around with it, the finish under the black vinyl I applied is now worse. The rest of the body has some dings/scratches that may not photograph well, but nothing out of the ordinary. 

Tone Zone bridge pickup, original OBL middle/neck pickups

Original beat-up but functional case with bungee-cord straps where handle should be

Long scale, set neck, cool headstock version (in my opinion)

FR is et up for normal tuning with 009's

8.3 pounds via bathroom scale

$1400 plus actual shipping cost 

Fun guitar, just downsizing if anyone wants it

EDIT: The original strap buttons have been replaced with a strap lock.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2025 by bry4321
Update

[Drew816]

PM'ed, I'll take it!

[ZR]

I always preferred the more extreme angle of those headstocks than the others. YMMV 

[analogsystem]

Aren't these usually short scale if they are set neck? Was this a custom order? I agree that is the best headstock. 

[Dave Scepter]

15 minutes ago, analogsystem said:

Aren't these usually short scale if they are set neck? Was this a custom order? I agree that is the best headstock. 

Chaparral
By ’85 the Strat-style guitar had begun to dominate. Hamer’s crosstown competitor, Dean, had begun to switch from its own upscale Gibson variations to the “superstrat” form, and Kramer was phasing out its ’70s aluminum necks and was well on its way to dominating the American guitar market with its Strat-shaped models. Hamer entered the Strat-style sweeps in ’85 with the introduction of the Chaparral and Chaparral Custom. The Chaparrals had contoured offset double-cutaway mahogany bodies, very Strat-like, but with a slightly larger upper horn. Rock maple necks were glued in and featured Hamer’s droopy six-in-line headstock. Fingerboard scale was 24 3/4″. Both featured the soon-to-be-ubiquitous humbucker/single/single pickup layout, with one volume and one midrange tone contour control. Pickup selection was controlled via three three-way mini-toggles which served as a coil tap on the ‘bucker and reversed phase on the single-coils. The jack was top-mounted, as on a Strat.

The Chaparral Custom featured an ebony fingerboard with pearl boomerang inlays. A double-locking Floyd Rose was standard, but a Kahler was an option. The bridge humbucker was a Slammer, but the two single-coils were twin-blades made in West Germany by OBL. The Custom could also be had with an optional flamed maple top. By January ’87 Hamer was also offering a Chaparral Custom Carved-Top. Only a few were made to showcase Hamer’s “custom shop” capabilities. Basically, the Chaparral Custom Carved-Top was a Custom with the top carved into an extra arch. The tops were either quilted or tiger maple. Cost was $1,699.90; the Carved-Top was $2,299.90.

The plain Chapparal sported a rosewood board, pearl dot inlays, and a Kahler Traditional vibrato system (Strat-style but with a locking nut). Pickups were Slammers. A few were ordered with three single-coils but they were not production models and are very rare. These first Chaparrals lasted until ’87.

In ’87 Hamer revamped the Chaparral, splitting the model into the Chaparral Bolt-On and Chaparral Custom. Both now sported longer 25 1/2″ scales, five-way switches, and side-mounted jacks. Locking Floyd Rose systems were standard, though Kahlers could still be custom-ordered. These were now recessed, by the way, for greater upswing. The Chaparral Bolt-On featured a bolt-on neck and continued to have a rosewood fingerboard and dots. Pickups were still Slammers. The Chaparral Custom remained otherwise essentially the same as before, including a flametop option. The bridge pickup had become OBL by this time.

[ZR]

Nice summary!

My '89 chaparral custom isn't flame top but solid 2 piece flame maple body with set neck. I thought it came with SD pus; JB and 2 SSLs which I switched to a tone zone and 2 old Dim. Slammer single coils (my fav single coils!). I'm about to swap out the tz for an old Slammer HB. 

Anyway, I like the shorter scale ones a lot. I think their proportions might look the best overall to me, but I tend to like the longer scale for a shredder guitar. 

[Drew816]

Yeah, the seller and I discussed; we BOTH wanted the shorter scale Chappy Customs but man, a good condition/reasonably priced option hasn't shown up on my radar in years! The last one I saw just wasn't my color, I still almost pulled the trigger but apparently this one was out there waiting for me all along...

Lovely guitar, great seller. I have had to to do a little work (as EXPECTED, it's a 37 year old guitar after all!) but man this thing is amazing! Shorter scale would suit me better, when one shows up maybe this one will get a brother! I mean the next thing better to five Hamers is six!