WARNING - The guitar in the following GC listing has major issues

[BadgerDave]

    https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Hamer/Used-2000s-Hamer-Gold-Top-USA-gold-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc?algoliaQueryID=14505eda86dc864c6922b8fb8809372b&algoliaIndexName=guitarcenter_DeprioritizeNewUsedTiebreaker

 

I bought this from the Seattle GC location and had it shipped to Chicago.  It has the folowing issues:

Weighs 10 lbs 2 oz

Very thin neck

OK, those aren't defects, but wait . . .

- poorly repaired binding separation on both sides and in the upper cutaway

- significant buckle rash on back

- moderate to deep grooves on first 3 frets

- replaced inlays with excess black epoxy filler

- inlays are not flush with the fretboard, there is a very noticable raised ridge on several of the inlays

I returned the guitar to my local GC with the strings removed and described the issues with the store manager and repair guy.  They examined it closely and agreed that  the binding and inlays had been poorly repaired.  I offered to buy it at a reduced price and they said they would contact the original location and let me know if that was possible.

Two days later the guitar is relisted at the original price and described as being in "great" condition.

I'll post photos soon.

 

 

Edited July 19, 2025 by BadgerDave
spelling

[hamerhead]

Thanks for the heads-up, Dave!

[DarkHammer]

1 hour ago, BadgerDave said:

   I returned the guitar to my local GC with the strings removed and described the issues with the store manage and repair guy.  ... Two days later the guitar is relisted at the original price and described as being in "great" condition.

It happened to me several times - I return a guitar with serious issues and GC just relists it with initial description without mentioning any of the flaws! I mean, how difficult would it be to modify description, so buyers know in advance and don't return? GC is losing a lot of money on such returns, about $100-200 on shipping on each return. 

[BadgerDave]

Photos:

 

 

[Steve Haynie]

1 hour ago, BadgerDave said:

That fret is too crooked for that guitar to be a real Hamer.  That guitar must be a forgery.  

[topekatj]

1 hour ago, Steve Haynie said:

That fret is too crooked for that guitar to be a real Hamer.  That guitar must be a forgery.  

The nut notch for the high E, eeeeh

[Dave Scepter]

1 hour ago, Steve Haynie said:

That fret is too crooked for that guitar to be a real Hamer.  That guitar must be a forgery.  

Optical illusion, Steve.

Edited July 19, 2025 by Dave Scepter

[Jim85IROC]

Oddly enough, there was a bunch of squeeze-out around a number of inlays on my goldtop too.  I had to scrape it away.

[DaveL]

  good psa    As much as gc is messed up,  you can find good deals…  obviously not one of them.  

[crunchee]

The last time I saw issues like this, it was on a early'90's Gibson Les Paul, which came from the factory with a epoxy fill in the rosewood fretboard to fill a divot that apparently occurred when the guitar was fretted.  It was high up on the neck near the neck joint, but even so it didn't inspire confidence in Gibson workmanship.  

[Hfan]

On 7/20/2025 at 2:38 PM, DaveL said:

  good psa    As much as gc is messed up,  you can find good deals…  obviously not one of them.  

And their return policy makes it risk free with a long try out period. Good PSA. 

[BadgerDave]

Bumping this to the top.

It looks like someone else bought and returned this guitar.

It's now at the Villa Park (Chicago) GC location.  Still listed at the same price with no disclosure of the numerous defects.

Edited August 20, 2025 by BadgerDave
correction

[Travis]

I’d buy it for $1k and then have it re-fretted, a new nut put on, and see if my tech could fix the inlay issues. The buckle rash and bad binding repair wouldn’t bother me for $1k. 

$1,800 is cracked, tho…

[hamerhead]

On 7/19/2025 at 8:43 AM, BadgerDave said:

Weighs 10 lbs 2 oz

Very thin neck

...and that's without the defects.

N.O.P.E.

[DarkHammer]

4 hours ago, BadgerDave said:

It looks like someone else bought and returned this guitar. ... Still listed at the same price with no disclosure of the numerous defects.

Guitar Center does not alter their descriptions, unless a guitar suffers major damage (i.e. neck break). On several occasions I returned items and specifically pointed to the defects not mentioned. Guess what - they relisted with the same old descriptions. 

[bry4321]

Thanks @BadgerDaveand others, I had been eyeballing this very guitar.