!!! Jackson Soloist vs. Hamer Californian !!!

[Feynman]

Show off.

[Devnor]

And the winner is...

[Feynman]

And the winner is...

<snip photo of amazing Cali>

How do you do that?

It's like every time I mention a model, you own the coolest example of it that ever existed.

[MrGuitarguy]

I've had a few of both, but the Cali's were the best. Man, I miss my holoflake cali elite!!!

[Hamer_SS_guy]

I connect the term "super strat" with the old Charvel San Dimas, Kramers and Schecter (Tom Anderson-era) guitars. They had produced lots of Strat-style guitars with modern features when Hamers designs were still based on Gibson's designs (set necks, mahogany bodies 24.75" scale). Late 70's it was Schecter and Charvel up to the early 80's, then it was Kramer/ESP in'83 to 87, Schecter in 1986, Jackson/Charvel from 1988 on, this is how I felt the time line of super strats was in popularity. Saying that, my favorite super Strat is the Hamer Californian (though I also enjoy Fender's 98-02 Am Dlx and AS Strats, Classic 70's)

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

So where does the original USA-made Peavey Vandenberg fit in?

It's not on the list, but I've seen many that call it the best shredder ever. Obviously, few have tried ALL the best shredders, so viewpoint is a factor.

But the point is: it stakes a pretty good claim to having one of the best/fastest necks in the business. It has an ebony fretboard (which seems to be faster to me). If not known for killer tone, it at least doesn't have a thin/weak tone...and probably can be improved with pickup upggrades. And one thing that really attracts me: the Kahler 2700 trem can lock and act as a fixed bridge. How cool is that?

[shredmeister]

Vandenberg is a great guitar for some. 1-5/8" nut though - too skinny for me.

Has large frets not jumbo. Nice Trem - Kahler Spyder - one of the best ever made.

Only 250K pots though. Single coil in neck pup - OK but I always liked a full hum there on a 24 fretter.

They are a neck thru like a Soloist.

They had a short scale length - 24/3/4" and a 15" radius fingerboard.

Very thin necks.

Rumer has it you have to be careful with the neck pocket. Some of the wood was not dried long enough so the bodies would

shrink a bit.

[yngwie308]

What's wrong with putting a spec'd out Chaparral against a Soloist?

My 1987 Hamer Chap with top mount OFR H/S/S, ebony board, boomies and Jim O'Connor snakeskin finish, I have always called my Soloist, just that the Chap has a more playable neck to me, no binding with nibs to hang up on the hand and just a faster playing, more versatile neck though instrument to me than the Jackson.

I have played a few golden era Soloists and they don't have the superb feel of my Chaparral, to me, plus the OBL pickups have superb tone, being direct mount.

So I was always more attracted to a Jackson or Charvel Dinky/Strat head, then a pointy head Soloist.

Mine must have been special order with the features it has, being the second series with the side output jack, and control and pickup selector switch type and location.

Let's see more Chap love, they are great guitars, sure Cali's are great and the top of the line, not counting the Virtuoso or the Centura, which of that ilk I much more prefer the SS-3 in relation to the production Centura!

Thanks for looking

yngwie308

[ZR]

I'm not into graphics much but I do like how transluscent looking your snakeskin looks!

I agree with you on most your points but your guitar is actually a setneck variety not neck-thru. The neck stops near the neck pickup, it does not continue through all the pickups. The knob/switch placement seems normal to me for a 25.5" scale Chap. I can't see from the picks clearly but I think your FR is not routed for high pitch pulls like most are. I wonder if that was to accomadate the graphic finish? Obviously, the finish is what puts it over the top. Nice one!

[RkR]

With the superior Edge trem, thin Wizard neck, flat fretboards, huge frets, sunken trem, crazy colors, and sharp body edges, Ibanez went on to dominate the late 80's and early 90's. Look through their old catalogs, and their roster of players dwarfs that of Hamer or anyone else.

Ibanez doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Hamer or Jackson. I owned one of those floral print JEMs. It cost me $1800 at the time and it was a *complete* POS. The thing literally rusted apart...I shit you not. The trem and neck plate damn near disintegrated. Ibanez refused to stand by their product, claiming that I had "corrosive sweat". Bullshit. I had a stable of guitars at that time and *none* of them fell apart. Just because they spent more money on endorsements doesn't mean they built a good guitar. Did you ever wonder *why* they had to have so many paid endorsers? They built a POS and then then outspent everyone in advertising...they are the guitar world equivalent of Bill Gates and Microsoft.

My '87 Jem7RB has held up nicely and is THE #1 shredder in the collection for tone and playability, so I guess it's all a matter of opinion, eh?

+1 for Ibanez

[chap]

I'm a little surprised at the results!

I figure it's like asking should I buy a Ford or a Chevy on a Ford truck forum.

[yngwie308]

I'm not into graphics much but I do like how transluscent looking your snakeskin looks!

I agree with you on most your points but your guitar is actually a setneck variety not neck-thru. The neck stops near the neck pickup, it does not continue through all the pickups. The knob/switch placement seems normal to me for a 25.5" scale Chap. I can't see from the picks clearly but I think your FR is not routed for high pitch pulls like most are. I wonder if that was to accomadate the graphic finish? Obviously, the finish is what puts it over the top. Nice one!

The guitar was ordered that way, all my OFR tremolo guitars are top mounted, no rear route, I d bought the Chap secondhand, but was happy it met the criteria I like, thanks. Obviously I had forgotten the neck thru variation, duh,

yngwie308

[Armitage]

I've had lots of Super Strats, and still have a dozen or so... never played/seen a Hamer Californian though...

The Jacksons are really well made... but sound like doo doo. Too much paint or something. And the volume knob is RIGHT under the floyd's bar (where I like it anyways).

I love my USA B.C. Rich ST-III, and they're ALL over and cheap. Zero resale, people can't seem to figure the cheap import stuff they've played isn't a USA model and won't even try them.

I love my ESP Mirage Customs too... a serious Soloist clone+ IMHO

[Armitage]

The Mirage Custom has a similar build to the Soloist... but sounds much better (with the same pickups). Sadly most ESP come with EMGs now...

[diablo175]

The Mirage Custom has a similar build to the Soloist... but sounds much better (with the same pickups). Sadly most ESP come with EMGs now...

+1 on the EMG's. Have a Cali Elite Custom that had EMG's. Now it has a Seymour Duncan Blackout in the bridge and the EMG is still in the neck.

Never had an opportunity to play a Mirage, though I've played numerous Cali's and 1 or 2 Soloists. Might have to try a Mirage soon... yeah, that's just what I should do because I can so afford another bout of GAS...

[JGale]

I posted a video clip of Guthrie Govan playing his bolt-on Suhr.

Therefore your argument is invlaid!

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

Voted Hamer even though I only had my 1990 Cent & Jackson DK2M to compare. As much as I love Jacksons (always have) from the Hamers I've played, Hamers edge it. My Cent batters annihilates my Jackson (JB bridge/Jazz neck) for sound (just sold my Jackson for $450 on fleabay). Saving up for a Cali...

[shredmeister]

Ain't a matter of brand here only preference as well as the individual guitar itself. I have heard Calis that sound like ass also as I had one.

And I have played Japanese Charvels that ring like a bell.

So go figure.

[veatch]

Ain't a matter of brand here only preference as well as the individual guitar itself. I have heard Calis that sound like ass also as I had one.

And I have played Japanese Charvels that ring like a bell.

So go figure.

I had a Charvel 6 that was my number 1 for years (back in the gigging days... I was so young back then...) I got a Cali Elite that replaced it as my number 1. Both were great - the Hamer was just "better" (and i refuse to define "better"... )

The Model 6 seemed to be pretty consistent based on the few that i've played. I've played fewer Cali's, so i can't comment there. The two i have had were complete monsters. If they had thicker necks, they would still be here. But then again, i have a guitar hoarding problem...

[Feynman]

This thread lives!

I'm more of a smoove jazz guy now, so you can take over and talk amongst yourselves.

I still vote Soloist though.

[atquinn]

My AT Pro Soloist is a better fit for me than any of the Calis I've had, but I'd still probably pick one of those over a "regular" Soloist.

-Austin

[cynic]

Oddly, my shredder days were behind me before I picked up my first Hamer so of the group it's the only brand I haven't tried.

Of the others, Jackson beats out ESP and nothing else was in the race for me. I reluctantly let my Soloist go when I outgrew trems before I learned you never outgrow trems.

It was just right, in every possible way. Quality was top notch, played and sounded fantastic, great balance and just had that special feel where everything fit perfect. Only problem I ever had with it was the original pots got scratchy within the first year or two.

[Hamer Bass Head]

Back in the day (pre-EVH), the first visual evidence that I'd witnessed of a h/b'ed Strat was the guy from The Sweet (2 h/bs in a 60's Strat) and Glen Tipton (70's, large-headstock, 2 h/bs) and Harvey Mandel (h/b, two single coils, 60's Strat). I'm not sure EVH pioneered putting a Gibson h/b in a Fender, but he sure as hell refined it, no?

the first dual humbucker strat I remember was John Oates....

[diablo175]

Having played both now for several years I can say with 99.9% certainty that...

...it's a tie.

Seriously, there are pro and cons to both- volume knob placement for the Soloist is a MAJOR drag, single coil pup & strat- style 3 way selector drag down the Cali for me. The bolt on aspect of the Cali doesn't bother me though the neck thru of the Soloist is kinda nice. Ideally, the perfect amalgamation would be a true neck thru Cali with reverse headstock, 2 H, 3 way toggle config, SD Blackouts (or pup of your choice) & snazzy paint scheme or finish. Mmmmm.

* Note that I've owned 6 Calis in my lifetime as compared to 2 Soloists. You may draw your own conclusions.

[diablo175]

:lol:

Who pinned this up?

2 and a half years later my perspective remains essentially unchanged with one small caveat: aesthetics aside, the Cali is, IMO, the better ergonomically designed shredder of the two. All other things being equal, the Cali has slightly better higher fret access (and more frets) and the volume knob placement is superior for my playing style.

Decision: Cali.