Specials with stripes - prices

[DarkHammer]

I see these 1980s Specials with various patterns of stripes offered at much higher prices. I don't get the appeal - it's a normal Special with random stripes, not really associated with any famous musicians. It's not even a picture, just simple stripes. And top is solid color, not even a burst or interesting woodgrain, which indicates lower quality wood.

I understand some could be very limited or even one off specimens, but paying 3-4 times what normal Special is worth makes no sense to me.

What are your thoughts?

Here's one for $6,500:

https://reverb.com/item/97993345-hamer-special-1981-black-white?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI4MGYzMDNiMC1kNzU0LTRkMTctOTdlYy0zYmFmOWZlNmU5ZmIiLCJpYXQiOjE3ODExODA0MDUsInVzZXJfaWQiOiI2NjE2ODAiLCJzZXNzaW9uX2lkIjoiYWZmNGFjNDEtMTE0ZC00YTdmLTg5YzAtNGU1ZmI0ZmYwMDZkIiwiY29va2llX2lkIjoiMjY0MjA5M2QtYjllMS00ZDlhLTg4ZGEtNTZjMGJkMjdjNmNmIiwicHJvZHVjdF9pZCI6Ijk3OTkzMzQ1Iiwic291cmNlIjoiTk9ORSJ9.hjVYTtCbQ_-0K90eOMpzKF5Lx9Cbybhp793V2bJfUqU   

[Steve Haynie]

Graphic finishes were not being done by anyone else at the time, or at least not until Hamer did it.  Some people want to buy the nostalgia, but when you get down to it the guitar underneath the paint is what matters.  

There is one graphic Special out there that was given away as a prize in a British magazine.  The image of it has stuck in my head nearly 45 years, so it would be tempting to buy it should it ever come up for sale.  However, it may have been made at a time when when the necks were thinner or more narrow at the nut.  It would be awful to spend the big bucks on a guitar that has the wrong specs for what feels comfortable to me.  

[specialk]

Askin' ain't gettin'… 

[RobB]

6 hours ago, DarkHammer said:

And top is solid color, not even a burst or interesting woodgrain, which indicates lower quality wood.

That’s not true. I have Graphic Special, and it rips. I don’t care how pretty the wood is under the finish.

Edited Thursday at 07:40 PM by RobB

[cornjulio]

This is mine. I absolutely love that finish. The graphic finishes were all one-offs, no two alike. This one here is also in The Book (thanks to @serial)

 

Edited Thursday at 07:41 PM by cornjulio
bigger photo

[Dave Scepter]

🤘😝🤘

[mrjamiam]

40 minutes ago, Dave Scepter said:

🤘😝🤘

Squars and bars?  Great fiddle!

[mrjamiam]

6 hours ago, DarkHammer said:

I see these 1980s Specials with various patterns of stripes offered at much higher prices. I don't get the appeal - it's a normal Special with random stripes, not really associated with any famous musicians. It's not even a picture, just simple stripes. And top is solid color, not even a burst or interesting woodgrain, which indicates lower quality wood.

I understand some could be very limited or even one off specimens, but paying 3-4 times what normal Special is worth makes no sense to me.

What are your thoughts?

Here's one for $6,500:

https://reverb.com/item/97993345-hamer-special-1981-black-white?bk=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJqdGkiOiI4MGYzMDNiMC1kNzU0LTRkMTctOTdlYy0zYmFmOWZlNmU5ZmIiLCJpYXQiOjE3ODExODA0MDUsInVzZXJfaWQiOiI2NjE2ODAiLCJzZXNzaW9uX2lkIjoiYWZmNGFjNDEtMTE0ZC00YTdmLTg5YzAtNGU1ZmI0ZmYwMDZkIiwiY29va2llX2lkIjoiMjY0MjA5M2QtYjllMS00ZDlhLTg4ZGEtNTZjMGJkMjdjNmNmIiwicHJvZHVjdF9pZCI6Ijk3OTkzMzQ1Iiwic291cmNlIjoiTk9ORSJ9.hjVYTtCbQ_-0K90eOMpzKF5Lx9Cbybhp793V2bJfUqU   

That's a great-looking graphic, with the kind of wear you'd expect to see, but it looks a lot less faded/yellowed than a lot of them.  Most of the hardware has been changed - tuners, pickups, knobs - but it looks like it still sports the long switch tip, if you've been looking for one.

I agree that the price seems unconnected to current reality, but I looked for quite a while for mine and had to pay over the odds as compared to a non-graphic Special of similar vintage.  If the selling prices get anywhere near that, I might persuade myself to let mine go.

[bry4321]

2 hours ago, cornjulio said:

This is mine. I absolutely love that finish. The graphic finishes were all one-offs, no two alike. This one here is also in The Book (thanks to @serial)

 

Love that one!

[singlehum]

[Jimbilly]

An artwork element to the paintjob for sure, and some rarity.  I think a few pros had played them?, which always helps a whole lot.

I have a Gibson 'designer series' Explorer bass in a black and white stripe graphic, I think it's super cool, so very '80s, - which were largely my formative years for music and pop culture 

[DaveL]

I no longer own this but it was one of the coolest I've seen.  Believe it's a UPC code.

I miss the good ole daze of Daddy's Junky Music where you could walk in a see one

of these hanging on the wall...  mispriced.         

 

 

[ZR]

Haha, Daddy's Junky Music.... been awhile since I've heard that! 

I like these graphics!

[cornjulio]

I'm sure quite a few of you have seen this but there is one in Italy for sale that looks like it's in pretty good condition, the white has gone yellow but it's a nice finish  and the price is a little more realistic (no affiliation): https://reverb.com/item/93571703-hamer-special-1981-custom-black-and-white-graphics-video

[specialk]

5 hours ago, cornjulio said:

there is one in Italy for sale

[crunchee]

It's just a paint job, nothing more.  They might be relevant if someone has a Noo Wave revival band and/or a closet full of Zubaz.

Edited Friday at 10:12 PM by crunchee

[svl]

14 hours ago, specialk said:

Used to be mine once upon a time...

Owned MANY Graphics, the first being a blue w/ VH style red stripes purchased new from Music Lab in Lansing, IL way back in late 79 or 80. John (Hamer) had no recollection of painting it, and both he and Paul didn't remember any color Graphics going out the door, but I owned it (and lost it in Toronto on tour). And there's the above pic of the red Graphic which proves color models did exist.

Edited Saturday at 02:16 AM by svl

[Disturber]

Some of the coolest guitars Hamer ever made. Worth every penny. Talk about catchi g the New Wave era in a single stroke. Genious. And just as much work of art as they are guitars.

Does anyone remember the name of the lady who painted these?

[Whoismarykelly]

Graphic finish guitars from the 70s and 80s almost always command a huge upcharge over a similar model with a standard finish because they are rare and unique and a novelty. Kinda like how a doubleneck is often priced 2x the price of the equivalent guitars that would make it up. 

[RobB]

My fave of my vintage Hamers. Simple graphic, not VanHalen-ey:

[singlehum]

3 hours ago, Disturber said:

Some of the coolest guitars Hamer ever made. Worth every penny. Talk about catchi g the New Wave era in a single stroke. Genious. And just as much work of art as they are guitars.

Does anyone remember the name of the lady who painted these?

I seem to recall hearing or reading  somewhere that the lady was a girlfriend of someone at Hamer and was a college student of art or graphic arts at the time... and that she taped off the designs (but others actually sprayed them).  I could be completely wrong on this, though. 

Does anyone know how many of these were done?  There's info out there that suggests about 40, and that each design was unique.

Edited yesterday at 06:48 PM by singlehum

[Dave Scepter]

1 hour ago, RobB said:

My fave of my vintage Hamers. Simple graphic, not VanHalen-ey:

That's pretty badass Rob... you should connect the lines making a spider web and add a spider to it 😃👌

[RobB]

7 minutes ago, Dave Scepter said:

That's pretty badass Rob... you should connect the lines making a spider web and add a spider to it 😃👌

Dang, praise from Caesar. I fear we humble HFCers have barely scratched the surface of all the treasures hiding at your crib. 

Edited yesterday at 07:46 PM by RobB

[Dave Scepter]

Just a suggestion 🫪

[RobB]

4 minutes ago, Dave Scepter said:

Just a suggestion 🫪

C******************nnnt!!!