Prototype SS1 owned by Steve Stevens and Rare ESP Jake E Lee Custom Shop

[Guest chibo]

HI- I have a prototype SS-1 that was owned and used by Stevens himself as well as a rare ESP Custom Shop Jake E Lee.

BTW I used to be a member of the Hamer Forum a while ago under Cboen.

Anyway thanks!

Stevens and Jake?

[HAMERMAN]

Nice SS1!

In the "custom made for Steve" category you can probably add the location of the front strap pin. On regular SS1's it's at the heel of the neck. On every picture I have seen of Steve using one it's always on the upper horn like yours is. (I moved mine to the upper horn, as some others have also, but this of course left behind a hole at the heel which I do not see on yours.)

[serial]

I've had an SS1 with the strap button on the horn, not the heel from the factory. With the body that size, I thought it balanced better, but there were plenty of chips, etc-the wood area isn't really that large there.

[ZR]

The rear trem backplate looks funny on the SS. Why isn't it the regular inset aluminum? Very cool guitars!!

[BONEDADYO]

I've had an SS1 with the strap button on the horn, not the heel from the factory. With the body that size, I thought it balanced better, but there were plenty of chips, etc-the wood area isn't really that large there.

When exactly did they change to the heel? I always thought that they moved it when they started doing the 24 fret versions. My SS1 has the strap on the horn. But then again, I got it when it first came out. I remember reading an article where Steve Stevens said that the reason they went with the longer horns on the SSII was due to the lack of strap balance on the SSI.

Art

[cmatthes]

The rear trem backplate looks funny on the SS. Why isn't it the regular inset aluminum? Very cool guitars!!

That looks correct to me. The Floyds on Hamers from say '83-'85 had that top-mounted plate with the little nick out of the corner nearest to the recessed triangle plate.

I guess when Floyds became de rigeur, they did the recess and aluminium plates - some point in '85, I'd guess.

[ZR]

Wow, I never knew that about the plates - thanks for the info.

[Guest chibo]

Nice SS1!

In the "custom made for Steve" category you can probably add the location of the front strap pin. On regular SS1's it's at the heel of the neck. On every picture I have seen of Steve using one it's always on the upper horn like yours is. (I moved mine to the upper horn, as some others have also, but this of course left behind a hole at the heel which I do not see on yours.)

Thanks for this info, and to the rest of you guys for chiming in. Ya learn something new everyday...

[HAMERMAN]

I've had an SS1 with the strap button on the horn, not the heel from the factory. With the body that size, I thought it balanced better, but there were plenty of chips, etc-the wood area isn't really that large there.

When exactly did they change to the heel? I always thought that they moved it when they started doing the 24 fret versions.

Mine has 24 frets so that makes sense.

Sorry for any misinformation, I guess I have seen a lot more pictures of 24 fret versions than I have of the 22 fret version. :-)

[Jem]

Errrr...i've always called mine a Prototype SS as i'm damn sure that's what it was called for a year or so before they started putting his name on the headstocks. Oh, by the way, what's the provinence that steve ever played yours ?

Jem

[Guest chibo]

Errrr...i've always called mine a Prototype SS as i'm damn sure that's what it was called for a year or so before they started putting his name on the headstocks. Oh, by the way, what's the provinence that steve ever played yours ?

Jem

This is actually a prototype o fthe "Prototype" SS.

History of the guitar is that I saw Steve play it at NAMM in '86. The guitar got to the hands of a friend of mine, the former owner of Throughbred Music in Fl, who was a also a friend of Steve's. I begged him to sell me the guitar and he finally did. There is no physical Provinence, however if you look at the features of the guitar you know it's not your reg. production SS. I go over it in the auction and in the answers to question at the bottom of the auction.

Thanks.

[serial]

I'm not sure that that one is a prototype of the Prototype SS, but it is an early one (Jan/Feb '85)-I thought that there were some prototypes in late '84, but I'll have to check. My records for '85 start one page off of the one with this guitar. The body looks the same as any SS1 to me though. Cool guitar-I suspect it'll do well in the auction!

[cmatthes]

That IS cool - did the actual SS models have Steve's signature decal on the headstock? I know that the proto-SS models did not.

VERY nice guitar!

[Jem]

Just dug mine out and it's close at 513163 so a little later that year. Apart from that, and mine's dotted, it's identical even down to the pickps and trem cover (same as my Moore Special Floyd) but the only provinence mines got - apart from being signed by Paul on the control cover - is me thrashing the living hell out of it from '87 until 2000 when i thought it could do with a rest as my Cali addiction grew

Jem

Oh, and Chris - the SS models had his script logo on the headstock and a collaboration sticker on the back of the stock.

[serial]

The "Prototype SS" doesn't have the signature on the head, the "SS1" and "SS2" do though-it is the same guitar, just with or without the decal. The back says something to the effect of Licensed by agreement Steve Stevens and Hamer Guitars USA 1984 (near that, anyway). That leads to a lot of SS guitars being sold as '84s...

[BCR Greg]

I have had a couple 1984 Prototype SS models. Both Candy Apple Red.

Danger Dan(the roadie man) has one, I'll get pics. It has the plastic back plate(non-recessed) and original Floyd(also non-recessed).

Chibo's guitar is bad ass.