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I found a couple of Hamers - what are they?


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Posted

I did not purchase these....yet. I saw these Hamers at a crummy little store. I happened to have my camera with me and they said it was ok to take some pix.

Can somebody please tell me what they are and what you think they may me worth?

The first one is a pretty cool bass. The kid in the store said it's a Chaperal Cruise Quilted Maple Top bass. Serial number is 128102. It looks like a neck thru. It's in really good shape except for the headstock where it was hanging in the store. It looks like it may have an ebony fretboard. There seems to be some slight cracks in the fretboard, possibly from drying out and cracking. It doesn't effect the playability, but they're there.

Here's a quick pic

IMG_1573.jpg

The next one is in rougher shape. The kid didn't know the name of this one. I'm embarrassed to say I don't either. This one too have marks on the headstock where it was hanging. Plus a whole lot of other dings and a few scratches. The serial number is 142112.

Here's a quick pic

IMG_15882.jpg

Here's a link to a whole bunch more pics. Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

photobucket link for hamers

Posted

I'm pretty sure you should snap up that black one...a 1981 Prototype? Glen Tipton looking thing, how much was it? I might want it. It should be in the HFC family for sure.

Posted

Poe should buy the GT Phantom, just for spite.

cool stuff....care to share the asking prices?

S.

Posted

Chaparral Max bass and a Phantom GT.

You can't lose with either. Either I would consider a great score. Especially the GT.

One fellow's opinion...

Best Wishes

Posted

Poe should buy the GT Phantom, just for spite.

LOL!! You read my friggin' mind!

Posted

Not that it would dramatically factor into your cost (or re-sale value) but the Phantom GT typically has a single volume knob. The pickguard on it doesn't look original either. You can also tell on a Phantom GT the backplate for the control cavity is long and skinny (like a hotdog shape...sorry it is dinner time around here) while a regular phantom had the triangular control plate. Also, if you pull the pickguard off there shouldn't be a route for a single coil pickup in there.

Otherwise, Dave is right, Chap Max bass and Phantom GT.

Peter

Posted

the backplate for the control cavity is long and thin like a hot dog. I can't believe I forgot to take a pic of the back.

Posted

Of the 2 of those, I would consider the Chap bass more of a score, but then I have an irrational love of ebony fretboards and boomers. Not sure about the exact values, but I'm farily certain the bass is worth more.

-Austin

Posted

The Black Phantom Gt is killer looking, it jut looks like it wants to play...

just do it, if not, oh I'm sure someone here might want it....

Posted

Not that it would dramatically factor into your cost (or re-sale value) but the Phantom GT typically has a single volume knob. The pickguard on it doesn't look original either. You can also tell on a Phantom GT the backplate for the control cavity is long and skinny (like a hotdog shape...sorry it is dinner time around here) while a regular phantom had the triangular control plate. Also, if you pull the pickguard off there shouldn't be a route for a single coil pickup in there.

Otherwise, Dave is right, Chap Max bass and Phantom GT.

Peter

Yeah, I agree with Peter on this one. I would pull the pickguard before buying the black one. I have a feeling a single coil or the space for one will be there. The Phantom GT should be one single volume knob. Again old phantoms are not all that common. They appear on ebay every once in a while.

The Chap Max Bass is a score. Ebony board and boomers.

Hamerica

Posted

So if I pull the pickguard there SHOULD be a space for a single coil pickup if it's a Phantom GT or no space? I'm confused.

Is there a link that someone knows that I could find out more info about Phantoms?

Posted

No neck pickup route, long thin control cavity = phantom GT

Neck pickup route, normal triangle control cavity = regular phantom

That ChapMax bass is really cool, not many of them around. I had a nice one that now lives in the "Bassment" with our very own gfh55.

I say go do a deal on the pair!!!

:)

Mark

Posted

Although the guitar might be nice ( I personally do not have any experience with Phantoms/Prototypes), there is something wrong with the serial no. The bass guitar could be a 1991 according to its serial number.

However the Phantom should have a serial no. somewhere in the 1 2000 to 1 5000 range if it is a 1981 guitar. Did you mistype the serial no? If it should read 1 4211 than it can be a 1981 guitar.

See the Hamer website: http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=faq#serial

1980's: 0 1451 - 9 24192

1990's: 0 24193 - 9 50155

Gabe :)

Posted

The GT is an '84. They only made those in '84-'85. The serial was mistyped, but it is an '84.

So if I pull the pickguard there SHOULD be a space for a single coil pickup if it's a Phantom GT or no space? I'm confused.

Is there a link that someone knows that I could find out more info about Phantoms?

I can tell you anything you want to know about Phantoms. If it's a GT, the body is a little "sleeker" and it should (as Peter mentioned) have the elongated oval "hot dog" plate and just a humbucker route-not a 3 coil route. As for the second control, that must have been a more common mod-that's the third GT I've seen with one. I had a black GT that had a tone control too and there's a candy red one out there that I passed on a few years back with one.

Posted

Yes, I mistyped the serial number for the Phantom. It's 412112

I'm still thinking about what to do with these guitars. I'll keep ya posted. I want to thank everyone, once again, for all their help!

Posted

Yes, I mistyped the serial number for the Phantom. It's 412112

I'm still thinking about what to do with these guitars. I'll keep ya posted. I want to thank everyone, once again, for all their help!

The Chap Max is a cool bass (one of my favorites), but it isn't a maple-topped bass. It should be a solid maple body. The quilt on that one isn't spectacular, but I've seen a few pinstriped flamey ones as well and there are a lot of variations out there. It is a set-neck, not a neck-through. The only neck-through Hamer bass I am aware of were some of those later Impact prototype models (the exotic wood ones, not the Kip Winger ones), and I think there are only a couple of those around.

I played my Max at practice last night in fact - love the neck on that one!

Posted

What's up with those serial numbers? 14,000 apart, and the Phantom is higher? If the Chap Max is a '91, which it would have to be, what's the deal with the serial no on the Phantom?

The pics are blocked here. I have GOT to take a look when I get home!

Posted

Here's a couple pics of what a real GT looks like underneath the guard (and paint for that matter!). It was already stripped and poorly refinished when I got it so don't flame me for stripping it.

100_0315.jpg

100_0318.jpg

and an after pic

2006_0711picguards20002Medium.jpg

Posted

6-in-line, totally Tiptonic.

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