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Hamer guitars for heavy metal!


Do we want Hamer shred machines back?  

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It's a stupid debate, Hamer makes what they feel is best for thier business model.

I would say you are right if no company in the world went broke. But many of them go broke, which demonstrates that those who decide what the business model is, well… they can also be wrong.

Plenty of quality companies make metal guitars, go buy one if you need a shredder.

Some customers would like to remain loyal, but if the company refuses to deliver, well, they will buy from others, yes. But I still believe any company has to listen to its customers to survive; and it also has to get some new ones, because older customers will eventually die -- anyone said baby boomers? Anyways, if a company cannot follow the market trends, it will remain on a niche market if it's lucky enough, or simple starve to death. And to me Hamer has already had better days, really -- though I know its end is still far ahead.

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I would love to buy a new Custom made Chapp, but Hamer told me know many times. Yes, you can play metal on many types of guitars, but so many of them will never have the look of a Metal guitar such as a Cali/Chapp or a Jackson, etc. The look is what alot of us like along with the music. Jack.

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I play a whole bunch of Y&T material on the Studio Custom - but much of Y&T's earlier stuff was recorded with the Les Paul. I like the Evolution in the bridge of the Studio. It really makes for a rockin guitar. The 59 is sweet in the neck too. I set the action pretty low and have the necks pretty straight. They almost play themselves. The tone is wonderful.

I know a couple shredder players and they all play the Ibanezes. I like how those play but often don't like the tone of your typical Ibanez shredder. Most of these guys are running them through racks and all kinds of junk and that actually seems to help.

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I was referring to Hamer's newer designs (the Standard is their oldest!) as not having "the look" for metal. I'd consider the newer designs to include the Monacos, the Newports, Artists, etc.

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^I actually prefer the tone from an Ibanez than their paper thin necks...

:rolleyes:

The thing is...

would it really put Hamer in the red to make at least one affordable standard production metal axe???

I think not. The demand is most definitely there, and for some reason they refuse to acknowledge it.

Like one member stated in this thread: Hamer loyalists have to go elsewhere to buy a modern shredder. That's a shame. Hamer made some awesome guitars back in the 80's, and in my opinion the best guitars of the "hair metal" era. They have the know-how and the lineage to produce a super quality USA built instrument and should be able to put it out to market for under $1500... if they wanted to.

A custom ordered Standard or Vector is really the only option available to guys looking for a cool Hamer shredder, but $4000+ for these guitars is mostly out of reach for the average gigging musicians. Plus with that much of an investment in one guitar, most of us would be crying if it got damaged or stolen.

I think if Hamer put out an updated version of the Scepter, Impact, or Phantom from the 80's, that they would sell like crazy.

+ 1

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On some of the prior posts... Y & T are playing Les Pauls these days. Saw them this summer.

Ibanez guitars feel like toys to me compared to say a Hamer Cali or Jackson. The old ones typically get a lot of cracks between the body and neck - the neck joints are really thin on them. This detracts from their tone and sustain. I had a JEM and it was a piece of junk compared to any one of my Jacksons.

ESPs make some good guitars. I have never owned one but from what I hear the best ones they have are the George Lynch models.

Me - I prefer American made with the exception of Vigier (French shred guitars - Shawn Lane played one. )

If I were getting an American made I would go either Jackson or Robin Medley. Best tone and playability of anything made today when it comes to a 24 fret Floyd Rose shred machine. Oh yeah, they look cool also.

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On some of the prior posts... Y & T are playing Les Pauls these days. Saw them this summer.

Ibanez guitars feel like toys to me compared to say a Hamer Cali or Jackson. The old ones typically get a lot of cracks between the body and neck - the neck joints are really thin on them. This detracts from their tone and sustain. I had a JEM and it was a piece of junk compared to any one of my Jacksons.

ESPs make some good guitars. I have never owned one but from what I hear the best ones they have are the George Lynch models.

Me - I prefer American made with the exception of Vigier (French shred guitars - Shawn Lane played one. )

If I were getting an American made I would go either Jackson or Robin Medley. Best tone and playability of anything made today when it comes to a 24 fret Floyd Rose shred machine. Oh yeah, they look cool also.

Best ESP model is yet again subjective... not to mention the other custom shop ones that no one can play... cause it's custom made??? :P:P:o

Anyway... I actually prefer the older Ibanezs than the current ones... :):P:P

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I would appreciate that very much. A new USA Chap with HSH-pickups and a highgloss black finish would be a dream for me! Fortunately my Chap comes relatively close to that.

I'm convinced that there is a big and sustained market for Shred guitars. Definitely here in Europe. Especially those Super-Strats are higly demanded during the last years. Ibanez RG's are more a kind of midrange level but ESP has actually great success with their expensive guitar range (for instance Horizon or these custom models).

But if Hamer ever would decide to go again that route, it would be a indispensable requisite to sign endorser contracts with actual and wellknown metal bands. That is today the source of success for ESP and others and not necessarily product quality! Although some ESP guitars are awesome.

So to conclude (from my point of view) it is not primarily an issure of production capacity and willingness but a question of Marketing and business developement.

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  • 1 year later...

It's good timing on the bump, though.

I have it on good authority that Hamer will be introducing a 45 fret shredder with LEDs at the next Fender Open House. It will have a Floyd both at the bridge and at the nut. Also, the entire body will be covered with an OLED display so you can download moving images for display while playing (flames, porn, etc).

Actually, scratch that OLED display - I'm going to go patent that right away.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 7 months later...
Time is to get a bunch of new models more oriented to the metal market. Why isn't Hamer seeing the rebirth of metal and shred as a business opportunity? This is a mystery to me, really. Take for example Schecter, ESP/LTD and Jackson, and the way they mass-produce quality models for metal players. Or take the new import Kramer models; or even how Ran guitars in Poland signed Jeff Waters (an ex-Hamer customer). Has the marketing dept in Hamer just decided that metal players won't use Hamer anymore? :) How about Frank Aresti, Glenn Tipton or (again) Jeff Waters? This looks pretty weird to me, really. :blink:

It's pretty simple, really. Jol's an aging baby boomer and he's targeting his own demographic.

Metal guitars will never again be produced en masse by Hamer as long as Mssr. Dantzig is at the helm.

That's too bad. Heck, I just turned 41 and I feel like rockin hard/metal more than I did when I was in high school and college. I think it would be a poor decision by Mr. Dantzig for Hamer Guitars and Hamer Guitar Lovers.

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I agree that those new Kramers are pretty neat, and the Jackson and Charvel stuff is really nice. Those companies seem to have recognized the trend that players want cool guitars again and are producing nice stuff.

I question how big of a trend it is. I say it's fringe appeal at best. Metal music isn't all over the airwaves, neither television nor radio, like it was back in the '80s. Not by a longshot.

Those companies you mention are also almost exclusively known for their metalloid designs. Hamer started out as a big power pop brand, then went metal, then went totally Gibsonesque and now is doing classic, jazzier and mellower designs. They have a wider appeal, which generally is a good thing in business. Besides, why would they want to horn in on a market that Jackson, Charvel, Kramer, Schecter et al have cornered?

Hey Chris,

Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, non Stairway to Heavan Zep songs, and on and on never really got played on Radio, but obviously they had massive appeal. I really see a renniasance of sorts with classic metal, classic rock, new era metal/shred, plain old straight forward Rock 'n' Roll, Power Pop, Country, Blues, Hip Hop, etc., etc.,

I love seeing Tesla, Megadeth, Anthrax, Ozzy, BLS, Rick Emmett, Aerosmith, possibly Led Zeppelin with Robert or Sammy in front, etc, etc touring at the same time SevenDust, GodSmack, Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, Lamb of God, ShineDown, POD, 3DD, Shadows Fall, etc., etc., I really feel that I/we are at a great time for "live" music to reign again.

Humbly, Ted

The strange and amazing Wonderbar: :blink:

I've owned a few washburns and lusted after a lot more in a local store. I had a G10V with a wonderbar. Not a bad trem. A bit limiting, but a clever design.

Silentman,

I too love Washburn guitars! I have a Mundeline made dreadnought acoustic, and a Winter 2006 NAMN Pilsen. Their new American made shred models, especially with the Parker composite boards I've heard are kick as#. I can't wait to try these out. They got great reviews. I also can't wait to take a tour of their "factory"/Luthier shop!

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OK fellas, here's my 2 cents worth: I have come to love Hamer Guitars (or better said Basses) in the 80s. I am an 80s metal guy and I love the stuff Hamer put out in the 80s. Hamer's "new orientation" in the 90s was a major setback for me. Someone here said that Jol is an aging baby boomer who want's to please his own demographic. As far as I know I am also a baby boomer but that does not make me want to pick up a lame Monaco Bass (yuck!). I am darn sure that the craftsmanship is superior but I want to see that on new shredders. I do also think it is far from fair to get "NOs" all the time for custom orders/options and then Mr. Tipton shows up and the whole Hamer Custom Shop is in ass-kissin mode and building whatever the Mister pleases. Hell, that guy shits like I do. Why on earth doesn't he get a NO?

HRR :blink::lol::)

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I do also think it is far from fair to get "NOs" all the time for custom orders/options and then Mr. Tipton shows up and the whole Hamer Custom Shop is in ass-kissin mode and building whatever the Mister pleases. Hell, that guy shits like I do. Why on earth doesn't he get a NO?

HRR :):):lol:

I'm just guessing on this one, but maybe because he's a heavy metal icon who's sold million of albums world wide and seeing the word Hamer on his guitar's headstock is good publicity? ;)

Just messin' with you....bottom line it's not the direction Joel is interested in going. Perhaps if one of us were in a band such as Cheap Trick or Judas Priest Joel may bend the rules for us too, but alas most of us aren't and have to deal with the dreaded 'NO' to the guitars we'd really like to see Hamer to build now :blink: Who am I kidding though, I probably wouldn't spend $5K on a guitar and then take it out to some of the places my band plays...so I guess my opinion shouldn't really be factored into Hamer's decisions :lol:

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Maybe the better way to assess the Glenn Tipton situation is to look at which Hamer models his endorsement will sell. Even if he has his own models, Tipton is only going to inspire the sale of guitars with the look and features (Floyds) that appeal to metal players. He may have been faithful to Hamer over the years, but from a sales perspective he no longer serves the company any use.

At the same time, Tipton is in a position to make an endorsement deal with a variety of manufacturers making metal guitars and he has not. He has been faithful to Hamer with very few other brands making it into his hands on stage to this day. Jol can thank him with a custom shaped guitar every ten to twenty years if he wants to. It is not like Glenn Tipton has had dozens of custom requests built over the years.

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Maybe the better way to assess the Glenn Tipton situation is to look at which Hamer models his endorsement will sell. Even if he has his own models, Tipton is only going to inspire the sale of guitars with the look and features (Floyds) that appeal to metal players. He may have been faithful to Hamer over the years, but from a sales perspective he no longer serves the company any use.

At the same time, Tipton is in a position to make an endorsement deal with a variety of manufacturers making metal guitars and he has not. He has been faithful to Hamer with very few other brands making it into his hands on stage to this day. Jol can thank him with a custom shaped guitar every ten to twenty years if he wants to. It is not like Glenn Tipton has had dozens of custom requests built over the years.

Wise, deep thoughts.

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  • 9 months later...

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