WTB......Hamer 78 Sunburst parts

[ScubaMarket]

Anyone know where I can find this?

Picture credit Hamer Fan Club....

I bought a 78 sunburst that needs to be brought back to life. Somebody hacked her up years ago by trying to put a gibson style tuneomatic bridge and gibson tail stop on it. Would this even have worked?

I'm unsure weather to plug the holes and go back with the shim & hamer tailpiece or move forward with what someone started with the gibson set up. Ideas??

Thanks

Bob

[carfish7]

Bob, didn't anyone tell you that as a collector, you must buy only the best, most original version you can and leave the butchered, modded crap to the Cheap Bastiges Brigade??

Seriously, going down the restoration road is a whole different can of worms - lots harder than picking up a catalog and ordering up some goodies or having your local shop lay down some paint or do some bodywork as parts availability and folks qualified to do Hamer corrective work (well) are both fewer and farther between. Do you want to play it or make it pretty again? THAT is the question.

There are some folks here that do amazing restorative work if that is what you want. Finding the Sustainblock and shim might be a drag or a breeze, depending on whether or not you need it to be "original" or how the winds are blowing this week. I have seen a couple "I need a Sustainblock" flares go up recently, but don't know how that has panned out for any of the seekers.

I would opine that any 70's Sunburst that comes into my field of vision needs to have the Sustainblock on board, or a Kahler (ducks). You can find one if you look around I'll bet, then you'll just need to determine how far to go with the "rest 'o it".

Most importantly, let's see what you are working with!

CJ

[bizzwriter]

I MUCH prefer the sustainblock setup to the Gibson setup. The string tension seems to me to be less, allowing me to use a thicker set of strings while retaining the bendability of a thinner set. To me sustainblock is a critical ingredient in these older Hamers...of course, your mileage may vary.

[serial]

Was the 78 originally a sustain block bridge? Reason that I ask is that there were a couple that had the stop/tuna (VERY rare setup on an original Sunburst).

Finding an original 77/78 sustain block bridge will be about as simple as finding a needle in a haystack. Maybe not that simple. There were only 500 or so guitars with those bridges done and most still have their bridges on them. You could use the later non-shimmed bridge from 79+ Sunbursts I believe, although that would depend on the neck angle. I know a lot of 77/78 Sunbursts that have had the shim removed and everything cranked way down because of the neck angle. These guitars were built in batches of 25 or so at a time, so things might not have always been uber consistent build-wise.

[HamStd]

The left to right string spacing might also be different for a '77/78 bridge vs. the '79 and later sustain block bridge (with the thicker baseplate). I believe the '77/78 bridges had a wider string/bridge spacing so you should get a later sustain block bridge and check that alignment.

Peter.

[smith]

My black Sunburst has an original TOM with stoptail, although it's an '82.

The bridge is a Gibson ABR-1, and sets up sim. to a Les Paul on this guitar. I'm not sure of the difference in tone. I've never played a Sunburst with the Sustain Block, but this one sounds very good. Pencil neck though. I know the picture sucks, I'll try to take a better one, later.

[ScubaMarket]

Bob, didn't anyone tell you that as a collector, you must buy only the best, most original version you can and leave the butchered, modded crap to the Cheap Bastiges Brigade??

Seriously, going down the restoration road is a whole different can of worms - lots harder than picking up a catalog and ordering up some goodies or having your local shop lay down some paint or do some bodywork as parts availability and folks qualified to do Hamer corrective work (well) are both fewer and farther between. Do you want to play it or make it pretty again? THAT is the question.

There are some folks here that do amazing restorative work if that is what you want. Finding the Sustainblock and shim might be a drag or a breeze, depending on whether or not you need it to be "original" or how the winds are blowing this week. I have seen a couple "I need a Sustainblock" flares go up recently, but don't know how that has panned out for any of the seekers.

I would opine that any 70's Sunburst that comes into my field of vision needs to have the Sustainblock on board, or a Kahler (ducks). You can find one if you look around I'll bet, then you'll just need to determine how far to go with the "rest 'o it".

Most importantly, let's see what you are working with!

CJ

Normally, thats what I like to do but this was a 2fer deal from a HFC'er and I also got a great sounding 79' Sunburst that matches my 4 digit Standard out of the deal. Both my 79's (standard & sunburst) are my players.

This was a stock 78' w/ sustain bridge. The holes have been plugged.

The top on the 78' is beautiful except for the "frankenstine" marks. The neck is straight and no cracks etc.

I'll post some pictures of it soon.

Thanks for the input as I really want to do this right given the heritage of this Guitar and the rarity of the 78's still in service.

However, that Black 82' sure looks sweet with the TOM.

Thanks

Bob

[Guest pirateflynn]

There was a '78 Sunburst conversion to tuna/stoptail at Sam Ash on Sunset for a long time. I wonder if it's the same guitar? Good luck with the restoration.

[ScubaMarket]

Here's the top. Makes me sick that someone would do this... Oh well maybe I can get her back to her Glory if I can find the parts

[Guest pirateflynn]

A little routing for the neck pickup, too. That's pretty common. Does it have the original pickups?

The Sustainblocks are around here somewhere, plus one will pop up on eBay every once in a blue moon.

[serial]

The Sustainblocks are around here somewhere, plus one will pop up on eBay every once in a blue moon.

I've never seen a 77/78 for sale anywhere before. The later ones pop up from time to time in the $150-200 range, but even those are thin on the ground. We have some HFC member crafted ones that are quite good too, but of the later (post 78) style as well.

[Mindseyes]

The Sustainblocks are around here somewhere, plus one will pop up on eBay every once in a blue moon.

I've never seen a 77/78 for sale anywhere before. The later ones pop up from time to time in the $150-200 range, but even those are thin on the ground. We have some HFC member crafted ones that are quite good too, but of the later (post 78) style as well.

I have a 78 bridge ill sell for $2.8k.........i know that sounds pricey but a killer guitar comes bolted to it!

Haaa Ha!!!!

[Guest pirateflynn]

To clarify, I've never seen a first generation sustainblock for sale either (maybe one, Lou ?). I was thinking of the second generation sustainblock which I have seen for sale here and on eBay.

[ScubaMarket]

To clarify, I've never seen a first generation sustainblock for sale either (maybe one, Lou ?). I was thinking of the second generation sustainblock which I have seen for sale here and on eBay.

I think i would like to try that before going with the tunamatic.

Anybody got a 2nd generation sustain block?

[Punkavenger]

Can you get a new sustainblock from Hamer?

[belgian]

Are you sure you need the 1th generation sustainblock ?

Wasn't it at the end of '78 that Hamer made the transition to the 2nd generation without the shim ?

[ScubaMarket]

Can you get a new sustainblock from Hamer?

HMMM.........

The Taladega sustain block "may" work. I just ordered one from Kim to try out. I'll let you know how it goes

[Punkavenger]

How much? Any details as far as holes matching up etc.?