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Kaman sold to Fender


alpep

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Hamer doesn't own this board anyway. Whether they (FMIC) could get snippy about our use of the name.....eh, maybe. More than likely, we'd provide a valuable customer base "street team" for them to build upon.

Or, if it ever came to that, we can change the name any time we want and they can go f*ck themselves.

Anyone heard any comments from Joel or Frank Rindone on this yet?

Didn't you read Wordupperman's "VERY reliable source" post above?

I don't know who Wordupperman is, but I'm certain that he does.

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I don't know about this...it's fairly common around here for people to gripe about what Fender has done with Guild and Tacoma. It's a selling point if your Guild or Tacoma is "pre-Fender". Of course it could just be because I live about 7 miles from the old Westerly, RI Guild plant. I don't think this will be good in th elong run. B)

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In the end, I just hope things work out for the awesome people at Hamer and Ovation who craft such incredible instruments.

My sentiments exactly.

I have some amazing guitars that these guys put together. I've got two smoking Teles too, but I put those together!

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I've reassessed my original thinking. This could have ended up saving Hamer. Under Kaman, the view was that they made money this last quarter based on cost cutting initiatives across the music company. If their forecast of flat or sluggish sales would have continued (or the normal holiday bump doesn't occur), seems likely that Hamer would have been required to pitch in those efforts. That could have required compromises.

At least with Fender, there's a music company that understands what Hamer can bring to the table. A super premium brand that even the custom shop doesn't touch. I wouldn't be surprised if prices go up just to make sure that Hamer keeps its super premium niche. Hmmm....maybe Eddie ends up playing a Talladega with a trem?

How this passes anti-trust scrutiny will be fun to watch. KMI currently represents $2.5 billion of a $7 B US music industry. Fender has got to be worth at least $1 B (total guesstimate based on the fact that I can't spit without hitting a music store that carries Jackson/Fender/etc.) So in the new Fender you've got at least half of the market wrapped up. With that much muscle, small independent dealers may be forced to carry gear they wouldn't otherwise want to; carry inventories levels they wouldn't want to; or get forced into financing arrangements that they wouldn't get into. (I'm thinking of all the crap that Callaway Golf forced small pro shops to deal with to sell their gear) I just don't know what Fender will do with such a powerful distribution network.

Then again, Fender might just spin off/sell Hamer/Genz Benz/etc. just so they can focus on the businesses they currently have. Anyone have $25 million lying around? Maybe we can make a play for ownership of the brands we like. Shizit...if Jol worked for me, Zorrow would get a non-pointy headstock on his Vector. B)

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With large corporations the BOTTOM LINE is more important than artistry or pride or anything. God I hate corporations - all of them!

Oh, yeah, FMIC is a huuuuuge corporation. Kaman, OTOH, is just a cute little cuddly mom & pop.

Anyone who thinks Fender has "run their acquisitions into the ground" should immediatly go to ebay.com, search for "clue", and start bidding furiously (with apologies to Rechts).

Fender saved Guild from the dumpster. Why don't they make solidbodies anymore? Well, maybe because....they didn't sell.

"Pre-Fender" Japanese Gretsches are desirable only if you're trying to sell one. And Jackson is healthier than it's been since Grover sold it to Akai.

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I can say this with certainty: The quality/feature set of the Gretsch guitars improved dramatically after Fender took Gretsch over. Fender fixed all the things that stopped me from bonding with a Gretsch. I now own three and they are just KILLER.

e.g. Fender added trestle bracing (stopped uncontrollabel feedback), pinned bridge (stopped bridge from moving around on guitar top), locking Sperzels, real TV Jones (the Gretsch manufactured pup's SUCKED BONE), and Scaller strap locks.

I think that Fender will make improvements to Hamer, frankly. I mean, gee, we may even get something other than the SD pickups in them that most folks swap out soon after getting the guitars.

Maybe locking tuners too, so I can stop having to buy/install them every time I pick up a Hamer.

And maybe Tonepros as standard fare?

I DO think there is room for improvement at Hamer. They have maybe been a bit to insulated/isolated for too long. I think it will be good to have fresh faces ask new questions.

Another upside is that they maybe will even get a larger R&D budget and be able to design/develop/introduce new models at a faster pace.

ie Maybe we see a "Taladega" or two (or three) every year, instead of one every few years.

I am sure this post puts me in the minority, but hey, I never colored within the lines anyway.

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I can say this with certainty: The quality/feature set of the Gretsch guitars improved dramatically after Fender took Gretsch over. Fender fixed all the things that stopped me from bonding with a Gretsch. I now own three and they are just KILLER.

e.g. Fender added trestle bracing (stopped uncontrollabel feedback), pinned bridge (stopped bridge from moving around on guitar top), locking Sperzels, real TV Jones (the Gretsch manufactured pup's SUCKED BONE), and Scaller strap locks.

I think that Fender will make improvements to Hamer, frankly. I mean, gee, we may even get something other than the SD pickups in them that most folks swap out soon after getting the guitars.

Maybe locking tuners too, so I can stop having to buy/install them every time I pick up a Hamer.

And maybe Tonepros as standard fare?

I DO think there is room for improvement at Hamer. They have maybe been a bit to insulated/isolated for too long. I think it will be good to have fresh faces ask new questions.

Another upside is that they maybe will even get a larger R&D budget and be able to design/develop/introduce new models at a faster pace.

ie Maybe we see a "Taladega" or two (or three) every year, instead of one every few years.

I am sure this post puts me in the minority, but hey, I never colored within the lines anyway.

why do you put locking tuners on your Hamer? and Hamer do come with tonepros

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Fender saved Guild from the dumpster.

Financially speaking you are absolutely correct, however, the current Guild acoustics blow chunks. I have owned several Guild acoustics and they were all solid guitars. I have yet to play a new one that was worth a damn.

Anecdotal. Every post-AH Hamer I've owned has had some annoying construction/assembly flaw (nut slots too low/off-center, TOM saddle spacing screwed up, etc.). Therefore they all suck, right?

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Hmmmm. I wonder if this will make Hamer a larger target for future copyright infringment BS from Gibson. We always got the idea that among other considerations, the footprint in the market place made by Hamer was not worth persuing. Good luck Jol and team USA. We're rooting for you!

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Not sure what this will come to in the future but I do know it shouldn't change anything for a couple of the little stores that have popped up by me. They are already dealing Fender and Kaman stuff almost exclusively. Perhaps this is what Fender wants. More small storefronts in the sprawling burbs instead of a few GC's that gas conscious people have to drive to hell and back to get to. I know it works for me. It's how I discovered Hamer guitars. One thing for sure. It beats the shit out of Gibsons mongoloid strategy. How many little stores can afford their high and mighty imbecile ass. I think this will strengthen Hamers selling point. Just my two cents.

Joe

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I typically keep my thoughts to myself but this has hit hard way too close to home so for what it is worth:

Be grateful for the Hamer instruments you currently have...

Currently there is a good supply of used pre-2008 Hamers to choose from...

Rhodes, Rogers, Kubicki, SUNN, Guild, DeArmond, Tacoma, SWR, Charvel, Jackson - with Gretsch being the ONLY exception...

Toto - we are not in Kansas anymore.

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Oh shit! I love my Fenders but I hope they don't find out about thousands of square feet per man and a factory with a river underneath it. I can't see the boys on an assembly line.

Thanks Arnie, I'll let you know if I hear more first hand.

I better try and keep one since they may be hard to rebuild later. kaos-not-tagged-smiley-4721.gif

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Locking tuners?

Why not just string the guitar properly and stretch the strings?

Maybe he's more concerned with stringing his guitars more quickly, which is the primary benefit of locking tuners, not tuning stability.

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If the same crew is working for Hamer under Fender ownership we have nothing to worry about.

Well, I think that's what most everyone is questioning.

Granted the opinions and conjecture in this thread are running away like a train, but there is reason to be concerned.

If Fender decides to make changes, no one can stop them.

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If the same crew is working for Hamer under Fender ownership we have nothing to worry about.

Well, I think that's what most everyone is questioning.

Granted the opinions and conjecture in this thread are running away like a train, but there is reason to be concerned.

If Fender decides to make changes, no one can stop them.

IMHO, the two big things in Hamer USAs favor are #1 Jol and his increased community profile over the last 4+ years and #2 the continual rackup of GPs Editor Pick's for the last 5 or 6 new Hamer models.

It depends on whether FMIC will use that cache or just go for the bottom line. If they're smart, judiciously using the positive image and goodwill will naturally help the second.

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Don't be surprised to see Guild electrics back in production. Word was a few years back Fender was talking to Hamer about building Guilds and a few prototypes were made.

Are you talking about the Gretsch Spectrasonics? Hamer built the limited runs of those several years ago. I hadn't heard anything about Guilds...

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Pre-Fender?

Watch out for who is making the guitars rather than who pays them. If the same crew is working for Hamer under Fender ownership we have nothing to worry about.

Of course the crew at Hamer can decide they don't want to wait and see what Fender does and jump ship on their own.

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Pre-Fender?

Watch out for who is making the guitars rather than who pays them. If the same crew is working for Hamer under Fender ownership we have nothing to worry about.

Of course the crew at Hamer can decide they don't want to wait and see what Fender does and jump ship on their own.

Suddenly, the Hamer craftsmen have Scott Boras as their agent.

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