'79 B&C Sunburst UK Ebay

[RichRS6]

Hi Dave,

Lots of international interest in it has pushed the price up quickly, hopefully that doesn't mean it will end up at a stupid price.

I paid £1250 for my 78 after it had been on ebay and had pretty much no interest so maybe these older Hamers are now (18 Months later) starting to attract the prices they realistically deserve. (Bad news for us!)

I'm keeping an eye on it for now and never bid until the last minute.

Maybe, as you suggest, it'll encourage some more to be put up for sale.

[psc3251]

Yeh me too...

But look, no point in us bidding against each other- I'll let you know when it's reached my limit ( the way this is going it'll be there by 6pm tonight!!). I'm not going to start a last minute bidding war with a fellow HFCer and it costs us a heap morethan it should....

Let me know how you're feeling about the price too....if I'm out, I'd rather it went to someone on the board for a reasonable price.

I would love it, but I'm not going to go mad- communication, dear boy.....

Cheers

Dave

[Jem]

I paid £1250 for my 78 after it had been on ebay and had pretty much no interest

As Andrew said, we used to pick these things up sub £400, that's why we weren't interested, i paid £195 for my '80 Special, hell, i paid £325 for a ultimate grade flame maple Cali 5 years ago on ebay, it sat there for days with no bids at all, nowadays it'd be a £1250 guitar at the least.

As for this one, the interest i would think is coming from the condition it's in.

[RichRS6]

I guess if you have been keeping an eye open for them for a long time and are used to picking them up for a reasonable price you've been spoilt.

I believe that vintage Gibsons and Fenders etc are now so far out of most players price ranges (due to the interest in guitars for investment purposes) that the next on the list are Hamers B.C. Rich and Travis Bean.

You're probably right about the level of interest being driven by it's condition, its (supposedly) a one owner in good condition so it's probably going to end up in someones vault.

[Jem]

Guitars are a fickle fashion, in '84 i literally couldn't give my '74 LP Custom away, i managed to scrape £225 for it in the end, four years later when G'n'R hit the prices went through the roof, same with the shredders, late 90's early 2000's some of us were hoovering these things up sub £300, sometimes sub £200.

Saying this they are still out there, Benner picked up a nice Cali standard last year for the approved HFC amount, and that was on the internet for everyone to see.

[psc3251]

Yeh, I know what you mean,

My 91 Sunburst Floyd was sub-£500 on Ebay- that started it all for me......then I realised there was trouble ahead when a Cali I was bidding on went back to the States for around £1600 !!!!!

It was lovely, blue quilt, but had a gold floyd, black saddles and black tuners! Anyway........

Agree with the sentiment, guitar buying is like most things- if you want whats 'in-style', you're gonna have to pay handsomly for it....

Cheers

Dave

[Jem]

Yeh, I know what you mean,

then I realised there was trouble ahead when a Cali I was bidding on went back to the States for around £1600 !!!!!

It was lovely, blue quilt, but had a gold floyd, black saddles and black tuners! Anyway........

Exactly, although nice there was no way i was going to stump up the money that went for when, as i said, i'd brought a solid maple one a couple of years earlier for 20% of what the blue one went for, in fact my 'grail' Cali (9.5 condition solid maple with all case candy) was much less than half that price.

Anyway, as with everything, be it a Ferrari, a Rolex or indeed a guitar, they're only worth what someone wants to sink into it, nothing more, nothing less.

[The Shark]

It's getting interesting. I think we're north of two grand now!

[psc3251]

Oh Hell,

Looks like a 2 horse race now...same bidders since £700..........

Anyway, I'm out...£1300 is probably the most I could afford without having to sell my Blue Floyded Studio to help fund the madness.......did think about it, but I don't need it that much! Honest!

Bid away guys- please, will someone bring it into the HFC!?

Cheers

Dave

[flattop]

Been after a 79 Sunburst for a while now,but jeez at £1321 ,that is absolute insanity.

You could get a Studio Custom for around £900-£1000.

Much better guitar i.m.o.

I had 3 79 Sunbursts few years back wish id kept them now.

Bet the seller cant believe it think his reserve was around £450

[Andrew]

You could get a Studio Custom for around £900-£1000.

Much better guitar i.m.o.

NO way is the later guitar better than a 79 - different animal completely, and cross-linked cellulose acetate finish from 91 rather than nitro.

You can never recapture a particular moment in time and even the 89 re-issue flat-top Sunburst weren't quite the same.

[Disturber]

You could get a Studio Custom for around £900-£1000.

Much better guitar i.m.o.

NO way is the later guitar better than a 79 - different animal completely, and cross-linked cellulose acetate finish from 91 rather than nitro.

You can never recapture a particular moment in time and even the 89 re-issue flat-top Sunburst weren't quite the same.

"Better" is in the hands and ears of the beholder. If you want a guitar with a modern sound and feel go with a Studio Custom. They are killer guitars. But they also have a tom bridge and Duncan pickups. I very much prefer the Sustain block bridge, which is superior to a tom bridge, and the old Dimarzio Paf´s that came in the Sunburst. They are about 300% better sounding than any stock Duncan, (this is meazured on the Schablotnick paf-scale, it's a well documented fact).

I actually prefer the urelaq finish Hamer uses now compared to nitro. It's way better. But nitro looks cool and has a vintage feel.

But If you want a guitar that sounds and feels like a vintage instrument, with a very unique tone, then the Sunburst wins every time. New guitars don't sound like this. You can't buy that tone new. If you say that a Studio Custom is way better than a Sunburst, then - by the same logic - it is also way better than a 1958 Gibson Les Paul. But It's not, it's just different animals.

[flattop]

You could get a Studio Custom for around £900-£1000.

Much better guitar i.m.o.

NO way is the later guitar better than a 79 - different animal completely, and cross-linked cellulose acetate finish from 91 rather than nitro.

You can never recapture a particular moment in time and even the 89 re-issue flat-top Sunburst weren't quite the same.

I Did say' I.M.O.' The Studio Custom is better.

Sure some guys will prefer the old Sunburst guitars

Some guys will prefer the newer Studio ones.

Reasons i favour the S.C. are

1. PLayabilty (the most important aspect of any guitar)

two big improvements here,wider less cramped neck and better upper fret access due to the bigger cutaway .

S.C. balances better on strap also.

2.Tone ,the S.C. has a stronger fuller overall tone to my ears,the thick maple cap obviuosly adds more than a thin mm maple veneer overlay.

It is definately more of a Les Paul tone to my ears.

3 Visual the arched top is more attractive than the flattop.

Having said that i think the old colours are better and the Sustain Block brigde is better than a TOM but having owned 6 Sunbursts (3 79's,1 80,1 81,1 89)

I would prefer the SC every time for above reasons.

True the Sunburst has a unique sound but some of the ones i had were ice pick bridge tones, very thin sounding in comparison.

Not sure the laquer makes much difference (people say a thinner coat lets the wood breath more,think the old Sunbursts had quite a thick coat).

Still want another though but not at that ridiculous price!!!

[RichRS6]

Whats the record for a Sunburst (non star owned) ?

The 1977 Sunburst S/N 7 0005 on ebay recently went for $2601.00 = £1648.

This one is almost there already !

[tommyh]

Wow - currently at £1321!!! (you pop off to work for a day and then this sort of thing happens!!) - I'm rather embarassed at what my bid was going to be so I'm way out of it now - good luck to all (and I'll go back to looking for a bargain).

One slightly intriguing thing, he says he has had it from new - but he thought it was an '85??

Cheers, T.

[psc3251]

Ahhh,

Good point tommyh.......never thought of that...surely it wasn't sitting in a music shop for 5 years or so.....well maybe, but not one that damn nice!

Hey, who cares...he's laughing all the way to the bank with this one...good luck to him!

I still want it though................

Cheers

Dave

[Bobby Marshall]

Whats the record for a Sunburst (non star owned) ?

The 1977 Sunburst S/N 7 0005 on ebay recently went for $2601.00 = £1648.

This one is almost there already !

I know Hamer sold its fair share to the UK/EU community but I would think these guitars would be more scarce in the UK and command a higher price than a US auction. Supply, demand, and all that stuff right?

[murkat]

a few years back, when the dollar was at an all time low to the euro,

There was a major exodus of vintage Hamers to across the pond.

Esp Sunburst's were really hot then, price went up accordingly.

[Andrew]

I know Hamer sold its fair share to the UK/EU community but I would think these guitars would be more scarce in the UK and command a higher price than a US auction. Supply, demand, and all that stuff right?

I think you would be surprised at how many Hamers were sold in the UK and Germany in 79-82. Prosound in Koblenz and Guitar Grapevine in London sold hundreds a year each. I believe Prosound sold more than any US dealer, so much so that Hamer made a special line just for Germany. So no, they are not rare in the UK or Germany.

[Bobby Marshall]

I really just meant more Hamer USA guitars should be in the USA than anywhere else in the world so there would be less of them to be had outside the USA. "Scarce" was a poor choice of words.

[Andrew]

Okay - bear with me.

The combined population of he UK and Germany is about half that of the USA. I would guess that about a third of early Hamers came to Europe (possibly more). Paul H. and Frank U. carefully cultivated this market and then more were imported by individuals.

So my point was really that the rate of 78-82 Hamers per capita in the UK is similar to the US.

The companies handling Hamer here in the UK either collapsed or moved on in 83, so that period is very under-represented until, I believe, Washburn UK started importing Hamer again.

[Bobby Marshall]

I never would have thought a third of USA production was going overseas during that time. Who knew? Oh, you did.

I don't know if I could ever buy a guitar from overseas unless it was from a HFCer. I tried to purchase a new guitar through what I thought was a reputable company from the EU, and, after many months of being told the guitar was on order, I have no money and no guitar. :angry: And my credit card company told me after 60 days they cannot reverse the charges, no matter the reason.

Couldn't of happened to a nicer guy right?

I do appreciate the dialogue and the information though.

Best regards,

Bobby

[RichRS6]

Bobby, thats a shitter, but are you sure the Credit Card Co cannot re-fund you ?

I only ask because I ordered a Phantom Attenuator from Faustine in August last year and after waiting a long time and being continually told they had production problems and a long wait they went into administration and closed down in December (more than 60 Days) and it seemed I would be out $500.00.

I contacted my card co (Barclaycard) and sent them copies of all communications (dated emails and other evidence) and I did eventually get my money back as Faustine had given me a series of excuses so I had a reason for not asking for the refund earlier.

I would try again and don't let the first weasel you talk to fob you off ask to speak to a supervisor, if you have proof they have been stringing you along send them copies of any emails etc as proof.

If that doesn't work then tell them you'ill be changing your C.C. provider.

Seems I've been lucky as I have bought quite a few guitars from overseas, (mostly on ebay) Japan, U.S. and Germany and (Fingers crossed) had no problems.

If I can help any HFC member out with overseas posting on service (or inspection/collection if they're in my area) from the U.K. just let me know.

[RichRS6]

Andrew, I wouldn't like to disagree with you about how many are over here but if you're right where the hell are they all !!

Unless you and Jem have snapped them all up and are hoarding them !

[Andrew]

Andrew, I wouldn't like to disagree with you about how many are over here but if you're right where the hell are they all !!

Unless you and Jem have snapped them all up and are hoarding them !

The numbers are small - you only have to hide 1000 Sunbursts, Specials, Prototypes et al made in those five years amongst 60 million people. And most owners don't that trade often, then they sit under the bed for thirty years like the one on eBay now.

They are out there - trust me. I knew someone who worked for Argents, Worcester in the early eighties and he spoke of hundreds of Hamers passing through in those years. Paul Hamer personally hawked a van-load around England in 82.