Special, Studio,and Sunburst

[Ralph]

What are the major differences?

[tbonesullivan]

depends on what era you are talking about really. The sunburst eventually evolved into the studio. In the 80s there were specials, and sunbursts. some had sustain block bridges on a rosewood shim, some had the big block sustain block bridges. The main difference, from what I recall, is that the sunburst had a maple veneer on the top of the body with body binding, while the sometimes had a flamed maple veneer, sometimes not, and did not have the body binding. The sunburst could also have neck binding, and crown inlays (bound and crowned, as they say).

The sunburst I think then came in a "sunburst archtop" version, which had a thicker carved maple top, along with binding. This then became known as the studio. By this time Hamer had switched to TOM and Stop tailpieces for bridges. The studio was available as the studio without binding on the body or neck, or as the studio custom with upgraded inlays, binding, etc.

Also around this time ( mid 1990s) the special was available as a special with dual P 90 pickups, or as the Special custom/FM Special with a flamed maple cap. The ones I have seen have a cap of about 1/4 inch, which is thicker than the veneer used earlier on the specials.

As far as I know, the standard production sunbursts, studios, and specials were all two pickup guitars with Vol Vol Tone controls. There were some later custom made specials that had only one pickup.

[Ralph]

It just seems that the Specials run alot less in value than the other 2. Why is that? Is it just because of the body binding and inlays?

[flattop]

Yes in a nutshell

[Andrew]

Shameless plug.

Go to my website and there are article on the Special and Sunburst (original).

http://www.buddlejagarden.co.uk/hamer/sunbur1.htm

http://www.buddlejagarden.co.uk/hamer/specials.htm

And info on all models including a page on the Sunburst:Archtop:Studio (One guitar, three names).

http://www.buddlejagarden.co.uk/hamer/archtop.htm

[django49]

It just seems that the Specials run alot less in value than the other 2. Why is that? Is it just because of the body binding and inlays?

But also due to the rounded (carved) top as opposed to the flat top. More or less like that difference between a Les Paul Standard and a Special or Junior.

[tbonesullivan]

Ahh.. so technically, my 1993 Studio is properly called an Archtop Studio. Doesn't help that they rarely put model names on the headstocks for most of the guitars in the later years.

[sonic1974]

Are there any Specials with just a bridge pickup? I think I've seen one in someone's avatar, but were they special orders? I'm thinking that would be a cool guitar for sure.

[MCChris]

Are there any Specials with just a bridge pickup? I think I've seen one in someone's avatar, but were they special orders? I'm thinking that would be a cool guitar for sure.

This thing's out there somewhere. Been passed around more than a drunk woman at a Duke lacrosse team party:

[sonic1974]

Are there any Specials with just a bridge pickup? I think I've seen one in someone's avatar, but were they special orders? I'm thinking that would be a cool guitar for sure.

This thing's out there somewhere. Been passed around more than a drunk woman at a Duke lacrosse team party:

Why does nobody keep it, just not that great a guitar? Seems like it has features many would like.

Edited to add: Was the pickguard a mod?

[crunchee]

Why does nobody keep it, just not that great a guitar? Seems like it has features many would like.

I can only speak for myself; but as time goes by, I'm less interested in the "collectibility" of a guitar, and more interested in the playability...in other words, anymore I'm more interested in a guitar that I actually USE, and play often, rather than one that rarely sees the light of day.

I'm positive that it's a fine guitar, I wouldn't mind owning it, but I would hate to wind up handling it like a museum piece, because it IS one of a very few, if not the only one. Not much fun in doing that, life is too short. Just my two cents.

Edited to add: A single pickup guitar DOES have it's limitations, some people love them and embrace it for that, some find that it's not what they were looking for after all. They're not all that common, though relatively recently Fender seems to have put out more "off the rack" single pickup electric guitars than anybody. YMMV.

[MCChris]

Why does nobody keep it, just not that great a guitar? Seems like it has features many would like.

I've never owned it, but the simple answer from at least one of the people who has is, it sounds like shit.

[tbonesullivan]

What kind of pickups are in that? I'm sure that with the right pickups it would wail.

But if it's just a dog, I can see why it keeps getting the hand off.

[sonic1974]

Why does nobody keep it, just not that great a guitar? Seems like it has features many would like.

I've never owned it, but the simple answer from at least one of the people who has is, it sounds like shit.

I might be mis-remembering, but I think Kizanski put up a pic of a red guitar one time, saying something along the lines of, "This is proof that Hamer builders are humans after all" because he said it wasn't that great.

Am I getting that right Kiz? Or maybe it's another guitar.

[crunchee]

Anybody know if any of the previous owners did any pickup changes, to try to correct the "dog" factor?

[Ralph]

That would have been the first thing I would have done. But I never would have bought it because of the pick guard.

[tbonesullivan]

What kind of pickup is in it anyway? All 12 poles are slugs, which doesn't seem like anything that SD or Dimarzio makes.

Also, I believe it needs the pickguard to cover up the neck joint.

[Andrew]

Hamer had the skill to cover a neck joint but only on flame-top guitars such as the DA-headstock single pickup Archtop. Also with a few solid colour guitars. But with this the all mahogany and trans finish means you need a scratchplate without the neck pickup.

All those Phantoms (A5 and GT), Prototypes, Vector KKs and Scarab Is have pickguards but every once in a while a custom one appears with a smoothed off neck joint. It must have been down to cost - just easier/cheaper to press out the 'plates.

[Ralph]

Since it was brought up. What's the difference between a KK Vector and the regular Vector?

[cynic]

^^^ There is LOADS of info in Andrew's link just above your post, including this:

Vector KK (1984 - 1987) - Similar to the Vector but has a single humbucker, small scratch plate, Kahler Flat Mount trem. and a pointed three-a-side peghead (see below).