MCChris Posted March 24, 2007 Posted March 24, 2007 I think the only real answer is going to be owning more than one...Now you're getting it, young grasshopper.
Stokesdead Posted March 24, 2007 Posted March 24, 2007 There is no one guitar that does everything. True, true. But my Studio ('02) comes purty darn close. ~CS
Guest Meshuggah Posted March 24, 2007 Posted March 24, 2007 Alright, you guys asked for it... RAT OFF!
Guest pirateflynn Posted March 24, 2007 Posted March 24, 2007 There is no one guitar that does everything.
kizanski Posted March 24, 2007 Posted March 24, 2007 There is no one guitar that does everything. That one might do TOO much (I like it better the way it looks now).
peedenmark7 Posted March 25, 2007 Posted March 25, 2007 sunbursts, sunbursts,sunbursts...whoooda thunk ? I can appreciate mitch's enthusiasm, because as a true sunburst addict I cant lay off a killer one.... a few here would confirm that I regularly email, ask, ask again, pick and prod looking for leads on a regular basis for these guitars, as well as a few others. some I buy,,some I sadly miss out on when cash poor, some I'm relegated to endlessley courting. sure I can be picky, and I love a good deal... but I often spend more than I have to as well. the reality of it is, as time marches on, there are less and less nice ones to choose from.... the masses are finally coming to appreciate what many of us here have "grown up" with and look at as an extension of our personalities . the day of the $500 sunburst is over...the day of the under $1k dot burst is fading fast. one can only believe that 4 digit money isnt far off in the future at least for the '77s and low '78 serial numbered bursts., why this hasnt happened already is really beyond me, but am tickled for the moment as I am able to painlessly still add them here and there as the better half allows a 4 digit standard headstock will never be replicated , same that a long or short '77-79 headstock will never be. last fall, I approached hamer wanting to run 30 accurate '77 sunbursts to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the sunburst... thought I had enough interest to move them...correct headstock ,body thickness, even checked into having bridges made...offered to send mine in as a template but hamer had no interest in doing them... truth be told I havent paid less than mid teens for a decent sunburst in 2 years. there have been sunbursts offered me here & there for considerabley higher than either of my recent offerings and most had "some" sort of mod or issue. "thats supply and demand at its finest." on the other hand, I've thankfully had some friends looking out and helping me with my "sunburst crack fixes" that have turned me on to some very nice & reasonabley priced '78s the past 4-5 years. I was a bit surprised that my '80 didnt sell at the original offering 2 months ago of $1500, or even last summer at $1650 when the market was still strong yet watched beater dot '79s continually sell for $1100+ felt my price more than fair, as I paid close to that many years ago, & I bought that one site unseen !!!. so when I got a mild repsonse at $1350...bells went off.. the market sucks plain and simple... most vintage hamers have some kind of finish flaw... thats the bummer of lacquer., you eventually accept this for what it is and enjoy the guitar rather than diaper it.. I liken it to a hotty chick with lots of freckles , you eventually stop counting them and look at the big picture. [hope the wife isnt reading] so...after getting a bunch of over the top bottom feeder inquiries on the net, especially on ebay 2 weeks ago,I ended the listing and said screw it the '80 is staying. and undecided on the beater '78 . not gonna jump through hoops or give it away as I do really like this guitar. you get to a point where if someone doesnt fully appreciate what you have or as radically as you do, then theres no reason to make it easier to obtain it. I dont like selling guitars, and really dont believe anyone does.... I like to know where they are just in case the oppurtunity arises to get them back. I see my past vintage charvels on ebay at least 5 times a year [one was up last week] that a buyer promised first right of refusal, but never gave me a heads up. turns out it had been flipped 3 times before it hit ebay.. so long story short...it really doesnt matter what year your sunburst is or if its bound/crowned or a dot... in the end its how well it plays and sounds, and everytime you look at it , play it , that you still get the same feeling as the day you discovered what your "special purpose" was for [hope I didnt date myself too much on that one] I've had plenty of really lousy '78-79 b/c bursts over the years, and closets full of really nice '81-83 dots... its unfortunate the '80s bursts dont get the same respect as the earlier versions...it will come arounf though, my fave sunburst of all time was an amber burst '82 dot bought brand new that pj marx installed a floyd on for me... wish I could find that one, and shouldve bought that lookalike to mine that was on craigs list for dirt cheap last fall. that gbase '79 has a nice top, but is indeed a bit over priced for its condition... you never know, someone sick of looking may pay for it.
Feynman Posted March 26, 2007 Author Posted March 26, 2007 Thanks, peedenmark, for the post. I have really appreciated you sharing all your knowledge and experience with me when it comes to Sunbursts. I think I've learned as much about them from your PMs as everything I've read on the web. Kiz is right in that I want a '78 'just because.' It seems like a pivotal year in Hamer's history and I doubt a '77 is going to pop up on my local Craigslist. Based on everyone's advice, I am going to be more realistic in my expectations for now, and I'll join the crowd of people looking for the rare great one to appear (maybe by then I'll know what I mean by the 'great one'). As I mentioned, the only thing I wanted to explain myself against was the lowball/flipper thing. I have bonded with every guitar I have kept, and I never bicker over dollars for something as personal as musical instruments. They are too dear to me and generally to the seller as well. For a sense of perspective, about seven years ago I paid $12K for a beater classical that was overpriced for the market. I played it and many others, and I kept going back to it. In the end, it came down to the guitar, and the seller was FIRM (a widow's guitar that her husband told her to never sell for less than that). I bought it and never looked back. Last year I sold it to help my father with some ridiculously high cancer bills, and though I would do it again, I still miss it, a lot. Incidentally, it sold for $35K, so it turned out to be a good investment, but totally by chance. My everyday classical set me back $8K, and it was worth every penny. It won't be for sale anytime soon. I do understand how people like us can get, and I bet there are some early Sunbursts out there that I couldn't sway any of you off of, regardless of price. I appreciate handcrafted art, and the pricing on such things is entirely subjective. I think that this is why the Hamer story appeals to me. The whole Hamer history seems to be about people who care about musical instruments, quality of product and character, and sticking to their values. I will support that every time. It's also the reason I am here instead of the Gear Page or Harmony Central (though I do scan their ads). It's obvious to me that you people share a passion for this brand, so I figure it's the best place to learn about the intangibles of Hamer ownership. I know acb is right in that I have been attempting to shortcut the learning process that goes along with all this. I'm just excited about it all and want a nice Sunburst sooner rather than later. I'll keep my eyes open and keep reading. Sounds like I've already missed out on two good ones. -mitch P.S. BTW, I have an Armstrong headstock model for sale for $8K, or for slightly less, the rare Korean relic.... P.P.S. The Studio Custom I traded for the MonEl has evidently been lost by UPS, so I may end up with no guitar at all. Anyone know how quickly UPS settles claims?
kizanski Posted March 26, 2007 Posted March 26, 2007 P.P.S. The Studio Custom I traded for the MonEl has evidently been lost by UPS, so I may end up with no guitar at all.THAT sucks!!
Feynman Posted March 26, 2007 Author Posted March 26, 2007 P.P.S. The Studio Custom I traded for the MonEl has evidently been lost by UPS, so I may end up with no guitar at all.THAT sucks!!Yeah. They start a tracer on it today, so there is some hope they'll find it. If they don't, I just picture them discovering it someday and selling it off to some unclaimed goods liquidator along with other junk.Or, maybe a UPS employee stole it. Keep your eye out for a 2003 amberburst SC.
serial Posted March 26, 2007 Posted March 26, 2007 I am of the school that it never hurts to ask. I went looking for a vintage Dean about a year ago and on the Dean Forum, when I put a "looking for" post up, I got slammed pretty good, with many people indicating that they'd been looking for years and that I should "get in line". Three came up in a short period of time and I managed to get each easily and for around or less than I had been preparing to pay for them (one sadly was trashed by FedEx). One seller emailed me that he'd had his guitar for sale on that board before and no one wanted to pay his price. The guitars are now selling for a good bit more than I paid for them last year when/if they do pop. I recall a time when I said I'd NEVER get rid of a four digit Standard and I'm down to three of them after owning as many as ten at a time. I just couldn't play all of them and while I still have more guitars than I can play all of the time, I like getting new stuff in, so I'll cut something loose to get something now rather than "going to the well". If you don't buy the ticket, you don't get to ride the bus!Best of luck on your search-they DO pop up and this is probably the best place to find them when they do.
kizanski Posted March 26, 2007 Posted March 26, 2007 I am of the school that it never hurts to ask. I went looking for a vintage Dean about a year ago and on the Dean Forum, when I put a "looking for" post up, I got slammed pretty good, with many people indicating that they'd been looking for years and that I should "get in line".True, but that's not what happened here.
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