Travis Posted March 14, 2005 Posted March 14, 2005 How does the 30th anniversary compare to the run of the mill Studios? I mean, I understand the different pickups and the chambered body contribute, but are you really just paying more for the cosmetics? Does it sound that much different than a Studio Custom, Studio or even a Special FM for that matter? Thanks.
Hunter_Brown Posted March 14, 2005 Posted March 14, 2005 You're paying for cosmetic upgrades and a limited run serial number. Beyond that it's a chambered studio with Antiquities....and it sounds great. Better? Doubt it.
ArnieZ Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 Travis,See my response on the Ultimate thread. These guitars (30th anniversary) aren't designed to just sound better. The standard Hamer line of guitars are all very toneful. The detail work and upgraded tops make them more expensive, just like adding options to a car that doesn't necessarily make it perform better. You want leather seats? It costs more but it doesn't make the car drive better!ArnieZ
Travis Posted March 15, 2005 Author Posted March 15, 2005 Travis,See my response on the Ultimate thread. These guitars (30th anniversary) aren't designed to just sound better. The standard Hamer line of guitars are all very toneful. The detail work and upgraded tops make them more expensive, just like adding options to a car that doesn't necessarily make it perform better. You want leather seats? It costs more but it doesn't make the car drive better!ArnieZ Yeah, your response in the Ultimate thread is actually what made me think of it. Thanks so much. Your analogy was very helpful.
jwhitcomb3 Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 A year ago I was thinking about buying either a Studio Custom or an Artist Custom. When the 30th LTDs came out I decided to take the plunge. It was the first new Hamer I'd ever bought. Yes, I could have bought a two or three very nice used Hamers for the price. But I'm coming to the end of my guitar collecting days and something about these guitars really spoke to me. The combination of features was close to what I'd been thinking of in terms of a special order. The multi-ply binding and the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard more or less sealed the deal for me.I didn't buy it as an investment. I doubt it will ever command what I paid for it on the used market. I wanted a top of the line Hamer and the Ultimate package didn't appeal to me...all that inlay just looks too glitzy for me. The 30th has all the attention to detail but doesn't really flaunt it's features.I can't say that I like it better than my other Hamers. It certainly doesn't deliver as much bang for the buck. In purely practical terms, it wasn't a great buy.But to hell with being purely practical!-Jonathan
mike_levitt Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 It's a bargain!Here's mine:http://www.willcuttguitars.com/details.asp?stock_id=2330Seriously, I don't have a regular studio to compare it to, but I do have a house full of Gibsons, Fenders, and a few other Hamers.After living with it for about a week, it's my favorite (humbucking) guitar. You can't really compare to a fender - it's just apples and oranges. It's beautiful, plays and sounds great, and is light, resonant, and just bursting with tone. It cost me just a little more than a plaintop Gibson 58 reissue, and a lot less than a mediocre flame top 59 would, and it's way more guitar. I have a R6 and a R7, and while they are both really nice guitars, the hamer is better. I love the pickups. The guitar sounds great acoustically, and plugged in. And, for whatever reason, I play better and feel better playing it than any of my others - which is weird, since I've been at this for 35 years, and can pretty much play any guitar, no matter how bad it is! This one brings out something extra in me....I think it has a lot to do with the wood. Not only is it really pretty wood, it is the "right stuff" - Honduras mahogany, brazilian, and maple. I would guess that the Hamer guys save the best, lightest, and prettiest wood for the top-end guitars. Obviously the flamey top is cosmetic, but I think the one piece light body and brazilian board are tonal upgrades as well.And to me, the sound of the wood makes all of the difference. When I buy a guitar, I often don't even plug it in. If it sounds and feels good acoustically, I KNOW it will be good plugged in.I like the 30th so much that I'm thinking about getting an ultimate (see the other thread on that...) mostly because I am kind of crazy about guitars, and if I find one I really like, I usually end up buying another one almost just like it....OK I know that's not normal!!!!Seriously, I can't describe how much I like this guitar. It was a lot of money "for a Hamer" but in the big scheme of things, I think it was a bargain. If the regular studios are this good they are the deal of the century.I hadn't played a Hamer since I sold my 80s special to my brother in about 1990. Then my local dealer started getting a few in, and a few minutes strumming the superpro and I was hooked. Now I have 3 of them, and another arriving tomorrow, and maybe a custom order or an ultimate down the road. They are just too good, and too good of a deal to pass up.I have about 35 guitars now, and if I could only play one, it would be the 30th (unless I needed a fender.........hmmm)Mike
serial Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 I'm not so sure that resale on these would be that bad, particularly if it was purchased for less than list price. There was at least one dealer that had several in stock (and I think still has a couple) who sold several at or above list price. To my knowledge, the dealers who post regularly on this board that had them sold them at less than list and sold out fairly quickly.
silentman Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 I don't own a 30th, but I along with several other peeps here own a chambered Studio Custom. The chamber does 2 things, keeps the weight down and allows notes to fly out of the guitar. It resonates like crazy and you can actually feel it with your arm. The guitar sings and is very loud acoutically and that energy transfers thru to the amp. I also owned a wraparound studio at the same time and those have a special magic of their own too. I wouldn't say one was better than the other, just a bit of differerent favor from the initial attack. A lot of the sound comes from the other stuff in your signal chain.
Travis Posted March 15, 2005 Author Posted March 15, 2005 I am trying to decide if I want another workhorse like my Special FM and Artist Korina HB or if I want to plunk down the coin and get a true showpiece. Usually I'm more about tone than cosmetics, but lately those Ultimates and 30th Anniversaries are looking damn good. Of course, I could always go the custom route......
BCR Greg Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 We had 6. They are great guitars, the tone chamber helps make the guitar more vocal sounding to my ears. #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 Damn nice guitars, all. The owners are quite happy.
Travis Posted March 15, 2005 Author Posted March 15, 2005 Damn, those are sweet. I'm thinking I might just get me another couple of workhorses and save the showpiece for when I graduate.
mike_levitt Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 Damn, those are sweet. I'm thinking I might just get me another couple of workhorses and save the showpiece for when I graduate. You never graduate from a guitar addiction!I am living proof...Mike
AXEMAN Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 Travis this is axeman and I purchased one of the 30th anniversary Hamers.It's a very fine piece of craftsmanship. What I love about mine is that it's the one they displayed at NAMM and the advertising photos for 2004 wheretaken using my guitar. She's beautiful!!If your wondering how to get your wife to tune into your purchasing guitarsthen think jewelry...It works everytime. Rocks for Rock-n-roll.Axeman
Travis Posted March 16, 2005 Author Posted March 16, 2005 Actually that's not the problem. She bought my last two Hamers for me.
AXEMAN Posted March 17, 2005 Posted March 17, 2005 Then you got off easy BUT THEN I'M SHURE MY WIFE WOULD BRING HER UP TO SPEED. If you go to the open house this year we must keep them apart!!!
JohnnyB Posted March 17, 2005 Posted March 17, 2005 Somehow BCRGreg's first pic of the 30th Anniversary model reminds me of the Dalton Gang after the Coffeyville raid:
Jack C Posted March 17, 2005 Posted March 17, 2005 I don't know about that, Johnny. I think this would be a more appropriate analogy:
BCR Greg Posted March 17, 2005 Posted March 17, 2005 If there were twice the girls and they were naked.......and didn't have the word "No" in their vocabulary.....I love my job.
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