Artist P90 vs HB?

[briane]

I've been considering a Hamer Artist. I don't have the opportunity to compare the P90 versus Humbucker version in my area. Anyone care to comment with a comparison?

[NewAKowner]

Terrific guitar either way - I picked up a new Artist Korina with P-90's eleven weeks ago and continue to be more impressed the longer I play it. The Seymour Duncan Standard P-90 pickups have plenty of power & perfectly complement the outstanding tone & sustain of the Artist Korina with clarity & a nice bite. If you are looking for the thick Les Paul type sound, try the Artist with HB's or the Studio - play before you buy if possible, but you probably will do fine with any USA made Hamer. Good luck.

[briane]

Thanks for the helpful report. The Korina P90 Artist was one I 'm considering as I've had a HB Studio for some time. Where did you purchase yours? What's the neck profile like?

[NewAKowner]

For the last 5 years, I do all my business through Limelite Music in East Aurora, New York, a small, friendly store that carries Gibson, Epiphone, Tacoma, and Hamer. I tell them the brand & model I want, they order it from factory, as soon as it comes in I pick it up & we do the deal. Works great if you know exactly what you want & can trust them to do right by you, which I do.

Neck profile is almost identical to Gibson Les Paul '59 rounded neck, perfect C shape - I got a Les Paul Smartwood Exotic back in 1999 with that neck shape & matte finish, mostly because it was the most comfortably playing guitar I had ever tried - now it is pretty close between the Les & Artist Korina for most playable, Artist has lower action & would probably be #1 if I HAD to choose. Combination of perfect neck, smooth beautiful rosewood fretboard, & low action make this Artist Korina about as good as it gets. Once you plug it in, the tone & sustain are beyond description.

[briane]

That's very helpful information, more so than I've gotten from some dealers. I have a 59 LesPaul Historic with the rounded neck and that is by far the most comfortable for myself. Sounds like the P90 Artist is the one.

I'm actually in the center part of NY state, I'm not aware of any Hamer dealers in this area.

[sirDaniel]

must

have

one

of

each...

a well rounded collection will include a humbucker artist and a p90 version and an all single coil tele/strat

[NewAKowner]

If you check the hamerguitars website & do a dealer search, you find dealers in Corning, Ithaca, Liverpool, Oswego, Watertown, & New Hartford. Maybe one of these has something in stock that you can try out. These Hamers are great & well worth the time & effort it takes to find the right one. You will be glad you did.