Jol's Website

[coolfeel]

Wow, this is a spirited discussion!

All I can say is that I am glad that Hamer decided to build a Custom Chaparral Custom for me, so I placed the order last week. I was under the impression they would not build one, nor would they allow it to be customized.

I am glad that is not the case. Why they wouldn't entertain this before may be anyone's best guess.

Glad that we can all get what we want from Hamer now!

Tea anyone?

[cmatthes]

I'll pour!

[JohnnyB]

The quote that kicks off his Nov. 09 blog entry:

"There is no percentage in remembering the past"

— Taj Mahal, Take a Giant Step.

Taj Mahal didn't write the song (I have the album). Carole King and Geoffrey Goffin did. In fact The Monkees' recorded it first on their debut album in 1966.

[JohnnyB]

All I can say is that I am glad that Hamer decided to build a Custom Chaparral Custom for me, so I placed the order last week. I was under the impression they would not build one, nor would they allow it to be customized.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???

I didn't think I'd ever read that again!

[Ted]

Sir Greg,

You and Jaye get the Most "Provocative/Funny/Apropos/Wickedly Biting Sarcasm drenched in all its glorious hilarity Award!

Greg, I'm glad that you always give your honest opinion on topics such as these. It is refreshing in the politically correct times we live in.

Ted

Edited--Jaye, Thank you too for your always honest and fresh comments.

[Ted]

""I just got ordered some amazingly cool guitars that were not possible a year ago. MY customers win."

I never understood how "The Customers" that wanted Hamers took a back seat to Jol's vision?

It doesn't make business sense, nor does it seem respectful to those Customers who truly loved/love our Hamers.

[Steve Haynie]

There is a contract protecting the design of the Tipton guitar? That is the first time anyone has reported that. I just thought it was a straight-out "no" on that one.

Is the checkerboard restriction for Rick Nielsen on paper or just a gentlemen's agreement?

[Guest Guitarist]

I never understood how "The Customers" that wanted Hamers took a back seat to Jol's vision?

It doesn't make business sense, nor does it seem respectful to those Customers who truly loved/love our Hamers.

I believe there are several reasons:

1. Hamer moved to a smaller shop and only had 10 employees, so on the surface it would make sense that reducing the available models for production would speed things along. Obviously it is easier and faster to make an Artist Custom in blue as a custom order than a Virtuoso you haven't tried to build in 20 years.

2. While Jol was there for all of those 1980s shred guitars, it seemed like he was allowing it to happen despite his resentment towards them. So it could look at as, now with a smaller shop, he no longer felt the necessity to fulfill such requests, where before he had to, in order to keep up with his overhead.

3. Jol got older and probably reached a point where he said to himself, "if I can't do what I want, why bother?"

4. Hamer has always had an identity crisis. They began with Sunbursts and Standards. They went to build at least a dozen unique to them models, as well as Fender knock offs. Followed by going back to a quasi Gibson inspired line up. When people think of Gibson they think Les Paul, even though there are many other models. When people think Fender they think, Stratocaster, Telecaster or Jazz Bass. Hamer does not have that defining instrument that the public at large can associate with the brand.

I believe the Artist and DuoTone were the attempts to create that instrument, but they failed to gain national recognition.

You need to look no further than PRS. Paul made one model for many years and people knew what it was. It was only recently (relatively speaking) they began expanding the product line.

5. Lack of cohesive marketing policy and funds to get a major endorser. Hamer never went out and got that top tier guy to market their guitars. When it was shred season they had Michael Fath, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens and Judas Priest. All second tier or lower endorsers. Meanwhile Ibanez, a brand with little market penetration prior got Satriani and Vai.

In the end I believe Jol's vision always took a back seat from about 1984 until 2003 and if he can't have it his way, he leaves, as he had prior.

While it's great people can now get almost any previous Hamer built today, that will continue the trend of no model to associate the brand with. Eventually Hamer will cease to exist and then the question becomes will they become the stuff of folklore and increase in value or simply be a forgotten about ("I think I heard of them in the 1980s, weren't they a shred guitar?) and halve in value inside of three years?

[edgar_allan_poe]

Ya'll are really beginning to sound like a bunch of crybabies. It's just a picture and to someone without an axe to grind its just a pic of a guy spraying a guitar. That's all. Jol tried to elevate the brand past the three fiddy crowd, alienated some customers and was shown the door. Now he's got his own thing & clearly doesn't need to earn a living or sell a single guitar. If anything the HFC comes off a pricks for shitting on everything about a website & business in development without even seeing a completed instrument. Funny thing is if Jol builds a guitar for Tipton this forum will collectively blow its wad. Flame on.

This post reminds me of a famous saying...

It is better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and resolve all doubt. ~Abraham Lincoln

[seeker]

In the end I believe Jol's vision always took a back seat from about 1984 until 2003 and if he can't have it his way, he leaves, as he had prior.

While it's great people can now get almost any previous Hamer built today, that will continue the trend of no model to associate the brand with.

Having never dealt with the MAN himself, I can only operate off of second hand information (that rung true as events unfolded) and what he posted in his guru blogs.

Given that, my opinion is that over the last 9 years of my Hamer lust, it is obvious that design-wise and what was allowed to be built was ALL Jol's vision. Believe he should get a lot of cred for maintaining a cohesive, vintagey vision that guided the overall Hamer vibe and did provide a certain identity. Quality Control went way up during the "Jol" years. New models got a number of GP gold stars.

Problem is that he was -also- capricious, arbitrary, and prone to revising history. He was/is embarrassed by the Super-Strat everything-has-a-Floyd years, which a significant number of HFC-ers are fond of. His inflexibility, and what appears now to be an outsized ego are unfortunate and a definite detriment to Hamer.

Regarding his departure from Hamer, we will probably never know the truth. But I'd sure bet a stack of money that it wasn't he that started the discussion on leaving.

As far as a signature, defining guitar model, that is most certainly true. In recent years, within/constrained by the bounds of his vision, there were some that are olose, such as the Talledaga. But none were unique/revolutionary enough to warrant special attention that would lead to brand identification. Now that they are a Custom Shop only, it's likely there never will be.

[serial]

I believe there are several reasons.

Unfortunately, you do not seem to be very familiar with the history of either Hamer or what Jol's role has been.

1. Hamer moved to a smaller shop and only had 10 employees, so on the surface it would make sense that

reducing the available models for production would speed things along. Obviously it is easier and faster to make

an Artist Custom in blue as a custom order than a Virtuoso you haven't tried to build in 20 years.

Hamer didn't offer fewer models when they moved to CT. They discontinued some and reintroduced sone and

brought out several new models.

2. While Jol was there for all of those 1980s shred guitars, it seemed like he was allowing it to happen despite

his resentment towards them. So it could look at as, now with a smaller shop, he no longer felt the necessity to

fulfill such requests, where before he had to, in order to keep up with his overhead.

WHAT?! Jol was the one almost single-handedy driving the "high-performance" 80s guitar bus at Hamer!

3. Jol got older and probably reached a point where he said to himself, "if I can't do what I want, why bother?"

Jol was asked to leave as I understand it-he didn't pack up his toys and go elsewhere.

4. Hamer has always had an identity crisis.

This is true.

I believe the Artist and DuoTone were the attempts to create that instrument, but they failed to gain national recognition.

I don't see that-both were Les Paul Jr copies.

You need to look no further than PRS. Paul made one model for many years and people knew what it was.

Not true-PRS had several models nearly from day one-they all looked the same, admittedly.

5. Meanwhile Ibanez, a brand with little market penetration...

Again-WHAT?! Ibanez has been a major market force since 1977! As for the endorser issue-that's probably more because Hamer has never given gear away.

In the end I believe Jol's vision always took a back seat from about 1984 until 2003 and if he can't have it his way, he leaves, as he had prior.

This is absolutely incorrect

While it's great people can now get almost any previous Hamer built today, that will continue the trend of no model to associate the brand with. Eventually Hamer will cease to exist and then the question becomes will they become the stuff of folklore and increase in value or simply be a forgotten about ("I think I heard of them in the 1980s, weren't they a shred guitar?) and halve in value inside of three years?

Again...WHAT?!

[veatch]

Popcorn Coma....

[serial]

Ha-looks like October came in November this year!

[cynic]

"©2010 Dantzig Design. Dantzig Design is not affiliated with Hamer Guitars"

Don't know him from Adam, but I bet he would find these last ten pages pretty entertaining

[bruce919]

I wish Jol much luck with his new guitar line. He has no compromise attitude in doing his work. The pursuit of perfection in everything you do is the goal of every designer. There is not doubt he is an innovator in the continuous evolution of the electric guitar. Just like any artist (music, art, architecture or what ever) there are time we as admires of there work follow on the same path & time where we part ways. We as Hamer fans enjoy his work during a certain time frame.

[Devnor]

Ya'll are really beginning to sound like a bunch of crybabies. It's just a picture and to someone without an axe to grind its just a pic of a guy spraying a guitar. That's all. Jol tried to elevate the brand past the three fiddy crowd, alienated some customers and was shown the door. Now he's got his own thing & clearly doesn't need to earn a living or sell a single guitar. If anything the HFC comes off a pricks for shitting on everything about a website & business in development without even seeing a completed instrument. Funny thing is if Jol builds a guitar for Tipton this forum will collectively blow its wad. Flame on.

This post reminds me of a famous saying...

It is better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and resolve all doubt. ~Abraham Lincoln

So wise beyond your years. How's your little flamefest thread over on TGP going?

[Pieman]

I don't have the gripes some of you have with Jol, but he strikes me as stubborn. If that helped elevate the quality of Hamer products, that's great. But he also strikes me as narcissistic. and we may have fed his ego. I think it's okay if somebody calls you legendary, as long as it's not you doing the speaking. The irony is Jol writes "For the most part, I view lingering in the past as a cry for help." Well, Jol is citing the GP Editor's Picks and all that which strikes me as lingering in the past. It's nice to look at the laurels but not rest on them.

A couple questions:

Any thoughts on how much it cost to set up his new shop with those tools?

Has he ever contributed to this board?

Anybody think he's lurking here?

[HamerHokie]

""I just got ordered some amazingly cool guitars that were not possible a year ago. MY customers win."

I never understood how "The Customers" that wanted Hamers took a back seat to Jol's vision?

It doesn't make business sense, nor does it seem respectful to those Customers who truly loved/love our Hamers.

This also illustrates one of the most infuriating things Hamer did during Jol's tenure - they WOULD make cool custom guitars - JUST NOT FOR YOU. You ask for opaque white, and get told no. Then Tom Dumont comes by, and the next thing you know, he's got a nice opaque white Standard, featured prominently on Jol's blog.

Under Jol, it seemed like there were customers, and then there were the unwashed masses.

[crunchee]

Hmmm...makes me wonder why he initially had his website 'links' header done this way. And why he doesn't use it anymore.

Credit and kudos to onguitar for finding this in the first place.

[Jorge]

Has he ever contributed to this board?

Anybody think he's lurking here?

Yes, he did, in the old board, and it was great.

Anybody think he's lurking here?

Who knows? I think he always has, even if only for marketing-research ideas. It would be kind of dumb if he didn't, I think.

[BCR Greg]

It would be in his best interest to participate in this board....but he probably won't.

We ARE the "past".

[edgar_allan_poe]

So wise beyond your years. How's your little flamefest thread over on TGP going?

And it is that post on TGP that shoots your theory right out the window. I put it up there to see what the people *outside* the HFC thought. Most of them have zero idea about Jols negative image on this board and guess what, they think it is nuts as well.

That being said, my post had zero to do with your stance on this subject because truth be told, I couldn't give a shit which way you lean. My post was directed at your coming into a thread that was obviously controversial and posting nonsense like calling people who disagree with you "bunch of crybabies", "three fiddy crowd", and "pricks for shitting on everything about a website & business in development".

I stand by my assessment of a person who makes a post like that on a thread like this. Count your blessing 'cuz you are damn lucky you didn't get a vacation for that.

[mirrorimij]

Don't see TGP thread as a flamefest at all. It appears that TGP isn't Jol's market either.

I think his market is people that spend more on dinner than us slobs spend on a Hamer USA or PRS. You build Specials and Blitzes when you have a brand new factory to pay for. You build 3K guitars and charge 24K for them when you just don't give a damn. I won't celebrate his failure (as it appears some here will) if it doesn't work out but I will think he's a fucking marketing genius if he pulls it off.

[cmatthes]

I think Bob sums it up quite well here. For what it's worth, when Hamers first hit the scene, they were priced way above market and in the area where the then current "vintage" market was. If that's indeed where he's going, well - it worked before. Maybe it is an insane tactic, maybe it is pure genius - ultimately, time will tell, not any of us.

Some commenters have had direct negative experience working with Jol, and feel that his steering of things in recent years has all but killed the brand. Others view him as a visionary in the industry and have had good working relationships with him. All of that is valid as opinion, but we're not going to let this get any more personal than it already has. Jol didn't participate on this (or the old) board apart from a couple of posts many years ago - maybe Jorge is thinking of Kim K. - but he was aware of things that were said here. I agree that from all appearances, his new direction is 100% NOT geared to people here, the "regular" gigging musician or hobbyist. I also don't think putting out something like the "No soup for you" thing makes sense, and it is not going to warm anybody up to his new venture, but it is what it is. Time will tell if it works out. In the wake of the current global economy, even multi-millioniares are changing their buying habits towards luxury items, so the timing definitely seems questionable.

That being said, I am going to put out a final warning about personal attacks here - the basic rules still apply, no matter what the topic. If this gets any more personal, we'll be pushed to step in, and we'd rather not do that. Feel free to post your thoughts, but you have been adequately warned if you choose to take it down an uglier path.

Don't see TGP thread as a flamefest at all. It appears that TGP isn't Jol's market either.

I think his market is people that spend more on dinner than us slobs spend on a Hamer USA or PRS. You build Specials and Blitzes when you have a brand new factory to pay for. You build 3K guitars and charge 24K for them when you just don't give a damn. I won't celebrate his failure (as it appears some here will) if it doesn't work out but I will think he's a fucking marketing genius if he pulls it off.

[BCR Greg]

Poe is ugly and he drools.