$350

[discountsounds]

So what is the significance of $350 as a guitar price? Is it some sort of standard over/under threshold or just a HFC inside joke? Sorry for the lame-a$$ question, but my curiosity is getting the better of me.

[kizanski]

Take it, DavidE...

[Hamerica]

I never thought Dave E looks like Steven Segal. I guess I will have to take a closer look in August.

[Steve Haynie]

$350 and $351 are a running joke around here.

[Jimbilly]

And it gets twice as funny every time.

[DavidE]

Actually, it's something Alpep started despite my having spent considerably more than $350 for most of my Hamers.

You want to talk $350 Hamers? Ask Serial, Paults and most of the other old timers. Don't ask me.

Better yet, ask Al. He started it. Oh wait....

[discountsounds]

The closest I ever got to $350 for a Hamer was when I spent $600 plus tax on a brand new Special in 1992. Those were the days...

[kizanski]

Actually, it's something Alpep started despite my having spent considerably more than $350 for most of my Hamers.

You want to talk $350 Hamers? Ask Serial, Paults and most of the other old timers. Don't ask me.

Better yet, ask Al. He started it. Oh wait....

I think it was a statement of what you offered, not what you payed.

That's how it appeared to me, anyway.

[Nuclear Wessel]

Is it some sort of standard over/under threshold...?

That's a good way of describing it. A used/NOS threshold. It's the price under which you used to be able to pick up any used Hamer for. If you paid over it, you were buying an NOS Hamer.

I actually saw a excellent cond. flame maple Cali for sale for $5 under that about 10 years ago.

[serial]

There was a time (many moons ago) when someone would offer "tree fitty" for a used USA Hamer and sellers would jump at it. I picked up quite a few for that or less including a Chap Custom (owned by Fernando Von Arb), two checkerboard Specials, three original Sunbursts, a Scepter, a Scepter Vee, two Chap bolt ons, a Chap Elite, a four digit Standard, a Prototype, a Phantom A5, a Blitz Bass, a NOS new-style Phantom, a Vector KK, an SS1 and a bunch I'm forgetting. That doesn't include "projects" either. If you increase the range to $400, I could double the numbers. Most of those got sold off for under four bills too!

Sadly, those days are pretty much a thing of the past, but it was a darned good run!

[eightyfour]

The $350 puchline was invented by Gene Simmons, along with french fries and the in-dash cup holder.

[cmatthes]

...and the KISS Coffin.

$350 was a backhanded reference to some people (it didn't originate with David E. - it goes waaaaaay back!) who would balk at prices in the $500 range.

Yes, Virginia, that was the way it USED to be a few short years ago!

[ET_KenW]

$350 was, as CMATTHES stated, a reference to us BOTTOMFEEDERS complaining when used Hamer prices started going above $500.

[doody]

I've never got the official bottom feeder price but I have gotten close a couple times. I got a FM special for under 400 shipped on ebay last year and a T-62 for 400. The FM is the best bang for the buck guitar ever. The T-62 does everything strat very well but the FM special does nearly everything well.

[tafkathundernotes]

Funny, there are two '86 Cruisebasses on ebay today for $350.

[BTMN]

I'm only speaking for myself, I am the proud lucky owner of several $350 and under Hamers. My last one was a great Import Hamer Standard Custom with tuner and pickup upgrades. My last $350 Hamer USA I think was this lil sweetie in 2003, NT

Scored it thanks to a fellow HFC'er posting it here and it at a Guitar Center in Colorado. I think it was $368 with shipping. I got My Blitz Bas for $125 in '99 However I put that into refinishing and putting it back together with a setup. Still $250!!

I have scored a few other great guitars for that wonderful figure also like a Czech Made Dean V in Korina with Gold hardware for $356 shipped on EVilbay. The cool thing is the serial number.....80356

I always thought the $350 stemmed from some of us long term board readers having bought some great Hamers before we told our friends and they told.... well you get the idea.

[David B]

$350 was common for used Hamers from around 1990-1995. I bought, sold & and passed on many in that price range. I wish I could go back in time. I once got a '81 Sunburst for $175.

[discountsounds]

You guys are killing me! I'm almost sorry I asked... that $350 Daytona is sweet. I'll give ya $355 for it.

(I can say that now that I get the joke)

[lord nelson]

So there is no blues brothers link?

[Hamer95USA]

Hey guys,

I just got this USA Cruisebass of E-bay a couple of weeks ago for that famous Hamer price of $350.00:

Not exactly a beauty queen, but a great price on a cool, well made bass. It seems that the prices on old school USA Hamer guitars have gone up, depending on the model, condition and options on the guitars since I started collecting them.

Guitar George

[Michael_]

Contrary to popular belief, you can still get USA Hamers for 350 and less, you just have to look hard. Often, your 350 dollar guitar will come with neat options like user installed Kahler trems and poorly refinished, ugly tops. But they still play and sound like the more expensive versions.

Prototypes and Blitzes are avaliable for about 350 fairly regularly, as are Centauras and occasionaly Diablos and Calis.