Andrew Posted December 20, 2012 Posted December 20, 2012 Paul started a decade later, did very little that was unique and built his company in to the # 3. you mean other than body shape, custom designed bridge, custom designed locking tuners, unique wiring system, exceptional fret access, and 24 frets on a well balanced double cut carved top body? Yep, nothing unique there.You are clearly a PRS fan! But all the things you list had already been done, but possibly not as well I'll have to admit.
SteveB Posted December 20, 2012 Posted December 20, 2012 You are clearly a PRS fan! But all the things you list had already been done, but possibly not as well I'll have to admit. Obs a PRS fan. But, my point is that while individual things may have been done before, it was the complete package that sold it. It was well thought out, put together, looked great, and had it's own vibe that was different from Gib and Fender, and the guitars are very consistent. I think it was also smart to stick with basically 1 primary body style, it helped build identity. Besides, it looks good. I think PRS was the first to do a combined Gibby/Fender style body and actually get it right, most other attempts have looked "off" in some way. I've played Mirages, and have seen some beautiful examples, but I don't know if it's the way I hold my guitars or what I always have big balance problems with Gibson DC styled body guitars. I hate fighting against neck dive. Not to mention a nightmare for the sound guy. There's significant variation in volume between most of those settings. not if you don't play clean.
JohnnyB Posted December 21, 2012 Posted December 21, 2012 Paul started a decade later, did very little that was unique and built his company in to the # 3. you mean other than body shape, custom designed bridge, custom designed locking tuners, unique wiring system, exceptional fret access, and 24 frets on a well balanced double cut carved top body? Yep, nothing unique there.Let's not forget a distinctive, stylish, functional, compact 3+3 direct-pull headstock, proprietary pickups, and big ergonomic knobs that blended well with the body style.
KH Guitar Freak Posted December 21, 2012 Posted December 21, 2012 The 5 Way Rotary Switch could not possibly be a popular item with a regularly gigging musician (unless that musician rarely or never switches from one pickup to the other).Imagine playing on the neck pickup (Position 1) and then wanting to switch to bridge humbucking for a quick solo (Position 5)...*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* ...ok...solo...and then back to the neck pickup, *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*. Back to rhythm.Not to mention that you can not visibly tell where you are in your pickup selection. On any other guitar I can think of (except maybe a Jazzmaster) this is not a problem.Not the best functional layout for those pickup options.Some people hate the sound of out-of-phase pickups and split coils, but that's a different discussion for a different thread.I never had a problem going from between the bridge and neck settings on the 5 way rotary. However, if you want to change to a specific "in between" sound on the fly, it can be a bitch at times...Not to mention a nightmare for the sound guy. There's significant variation in volume between most of those settings.Nice Swiss Army knife guitars for the studio, though.I guess so, but that generally happens whenever coil splitting is involved. I guess another way would be to have a volume boost pedal that you can engage on your pedalboard whenever you switch to those in between settings...That being said, I prefer the new 5 way style switching. I just wished the Custom 24 come with HFS/Vintage pickup combo with the older style wiring...
kizanski Posted December 21, 2012 Posted December 21, 2012 The Eclipse was designed by Steve Ward.So HE'S to blame!
kizanski Posted December 21, 2012 Posted December 21, 2012 And you can blame me for building that friggin lefty oversize Mirage monstrosity.We should have sent that to the woodchipper but it was EXACTLY what the customer spec'd out. After that one, I think Jol became a little more selective about what he would and would not build.Sure. He said yes to shit like that (no offense), but the gold Korina Vector that I wanted was a no go. Poe wanted a white one...No. Funny how Melissa Ethridge got a yes out of him.
stratacus Posted December 21, 2012 Posted December 21, 2012 Here's the quote from Terry McInturff regarding the Eclipse / Mirage from TGPI was involved with the Mirage, but not (as I recall, that was thousands of guitars ago) the Eclipse.Im afraid that I cannot claim credit for that guitar's (Mirage) design, as it finally came to pass. That guitar was my first assignment as part of the design team...but due to manufacturing/cost matters what I proposed was judged to be too costly and problematic to produce. No critism to my friends at Hamer for that...re-designing the basic neck and headstock, among other things, is a fairly big deal.The only aspects that I proposed...that survived "the cut"..were the Koa top, scale length, body dimensions, and the control layout. I THINK that the body shape was Jol's "Jeff Watson". Jol is such a great talent. I have much respect for him. He was a great guy to work for.The TCM Empress had the major design features Im referring to. I'd designed that in 1986 and it was ready to go. The Eclipse had a different feature set in the end.__________________"Despite everything, I still believe that people are good at heart" From the diary of Anne FrankTerry McInturffPresident,Terry C. McInturff Guitars, Inc.223-A North Chatham Ave.Siler City, NC 27344tcmzodiac@yahoo.comwww.mcinturffguitars.com
JohnnyB Posted December 21, 2012 Posted December 21, 2012 Hmmm. What could it possibly be? See, visually, I really prefer the Mirage. I find the uneven cutaway depths and left & right "waist" indents a lot sportier (is that the right word?). I prefer the rear-locking tuners to the PRS' and as for the blended heel...well, just looka' the block on that PRS! Prop's to form following function. Try to look at it from the perspective of someone shopping for a new guitar, not a confirmed Hamer enthusiast. The PRS (in 1982 and for some time thereafter) was a fresh look and all of a piece, from bottom strap button to headstock. It's hard to improve on that body shape from a style or an ergonomic standpoint. The headstock completely rocks--distinctive, stylish, functional, with a script logo that suggests "boutique." The Mirage by comparison looks like it was was made by a committee and finished out with borrowed parts--headstock from Gibson, knobs and vibrato bridge from AllParts, OTC pickups from Duncan, pickup selector from a Strat, body pretty much an enlarged Gibson Special with a carved archtop. Sales figures indicate that adding a killer Koa or flame maple top didn't fix all that.
BubbaVO Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 Agree with JB on the body shape. Very nice update to the strat. But I really hate how the headstock and the body shape clash. The sharp edges of the headstock look out of place with the rounded contours of the body. The headstock would look fine with a BC Rich Virgin or even the Eagle. To my untrained totally hack eyes, that headstock on that body is like slapping a GTR wing on a Rolls. Then again, this is kind of like bitchin' about Megan Fox's thumbs.Agree that the Mirage is a little more homely. But she is functional.
hectorp Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 I think you've got it on the "ginger bread" aspects, i.e. inlays, binding, colors with double stained tops, but also in terms of function, as I know I don't want to buy a guitar that I've immediately got to be changing vibrato, pickups, wiring and switching on. I don't know that the 22 was PRS' top seller, or if it was the 24, like I bought back in '89, but that's something else you weren't gettin' from HamerI'm sure that the Mirage looked like a less competent copy of a PRS to many, with only the "3 singles" version with its' Koa top and blended heel, offering anything unique. I know that's how I saw it, AFTER I bought my Custom 24Bingo!... on the point about making changes...when they were going on sale for cheap used, they were a great platform for upgrading. I had BCR Greg drop a 3-coil in the bridge and then I added a SuperVee braderunnah. Quite cool. Huge fan of the blade switch.
MCChris Posted December 22, 2012 Posted December 22, 2012 But I really hate how the headstock and the body shape clash. The sharp edges of the headstock look out of place with the rounded contours of the body. The headstock would look fine with a BC Rich Virgin or even the Eagle. To my untrained totally hack eyes, that headstock on that body is like slapping a GTR wing on a Rolls. Then again, this is kind of like bitchin' about Megan Fox's thumbs.LOL on the bolded part.The rest is spot-on as well. For as many people who like the PRS headstock, an equal number if not more are put off by the pointiness of it. Same goes for the proprietary pickups. People who say PRS guitars have no vibe or mojo (and there are a lot) do so IMO because of the pickups.Therein lies the mastery of PRS marketing. The ability to turn a negative into a positive and the unconventional into conventional.
hamer4ever Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Many, many years ago I was speaking to a Hamer sales rep who claimed that there were only around 100 Mirage I's with Koa tops made.I love mine and my 3 USA PRS's, but I think I would sell the PRS's before my Mirage if i had too. Truth is I rarely use the trem.
LordsoftheJungle Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Maybe if Jol had put little birds on the fretboard and got Santana to play it things would have been different,,,
MCChris Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 The Eclipse was designed by Steve Ward. So HE'S to blame! Looks more like the work of Burt Ward.
hamer_sunburst Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 I think the only "problem" with the mirages (and Hamer in general) was marketing and decent endorsees.I really like the mirage. Never had one, but I really like the looks of them. PRS are nice guitars but in now way "better" than a USA Hamer IMO. It's just a matter of taste.
hamer_sunburst Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Hmmm. What could it possibly be? See, visually, I really prefer the Mirage. I find the uneven cutaway depths and left & right "waist" indents a lot sportier (is that the right word?). I prefer the rear-locking tuners to the PRS' and as for the blended heel...well, just looka' the block on that PRS! Prop's to form following function. I definitely prefer the Mirage shape. Looks WAAAY cooler. " I find the uneven cutaway depths and left & right "waist" indents a lot sportier" I second that. This is what I like so much about the the Studios as well!
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