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Shredder search update: Hamer Centaura score


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OK, so I love the Suhr Modern.

Which for me, was perfect. I don't really shred, but I love the quick playabiltiy, super resonant Alder body, neck shape and Gotoh floyd trem for subtle stuff.

I'm looking for suggestions for other 24 fret shred-ish type guitars I should consider, with the Suhr Modern as the comparison. For under $1k. Any Hamers fit the bill?

not sure how the suhr modern neck feels, never tried one.

but for me, it was a big revelation when i went from hamer shredder necks to jackson and ibanez,

because of the flatter/wider fingerboard and the jumbo frets. something to consider.

edit - charvel too

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Hadn't considered a Wolfgang. Hmmm. Well, I guess I have a lot to consider - which is a good thing. Nathan, those look pretty cool. I'll check them out.

Well, if you're open to 22 frets, then things open up considerably and it should be pretty easy to find something that fits the bill. Also, in terms of liking the Suhr tones, their pickups are available separately (I have Suhr pickups on all my guitars), so you can still get some of that Suhr mojo if you want.

-

Austin

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Thanks again, fellas.

24 frets isn't necessarily a deal breaker.

I'm goanna check out a used Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas style 1(HH, black, maple board) at my local GC.

They have it listed at $749 -- is that a descent price for a used MIJ one w/case?

I'll report back any thoughts.

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I think it's a little bit high... GC's used section seems to range from $599 to $779 and the

ones at the higher end tend to sit, and also, black seems to lag behind the other

colors when it comes to pro mods. It's worth checking out tho,

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I'm going to duck after saying this, but as far as a pure shredder, you have to check out the old Ibanez 550 series. The original late 80s versions are rocket ships. I love my Diablo, but in terms of shredability, the 550 is a monster. I think they also have reissued them for the 20th and 25th Anniversary, but I have no idea if they match the original specs.

Charvel's already been mentioned, and those old necks seemed to be built for my paws. LOVE them. The 80s Japan imports are phenomenal.

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No, ugly Jon Kammerer guitars. Period. :lol:

Sorry. Not my style. I like my electric guitars to look like, well, like electric guitars- not a misbegotten union between a teenager's wood shop project and playable, non-representational art. :lol:

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(apologies for the thread swerve)

Aside from the structural reasons for the potato-looking guitar, exactly why would you say these don't look like electric guitars?

DSC_0078-1.jpg
GlossMapleSolidbody3SC010.jpg
P1060728.jpg
GlossCherryStrat-style001.jpg
DSC_0128-1.jpg

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Slight tweak to my original thread: anyone ever play one of the old G&L Climax Plus guitars?

I know it's quite a departure from the Modern, but it looks cool.

The one I'm scoping is an Ash body in cherry burst, maple neck/board. Old Gotoh trem.

I'd be getting it for about $500 -- I have not had a chance to play it yet, and won't until later this week.

Any cautions/kudos? There's very little info on the net about them. Or eBay :)

Thanks

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Here's a little info. You're wondering if the Climax is worth $500? It's a semi-handbuilt guitar, much to the same standards as Fender Custom Shop, with select woods, a patented, very warp-resistant neck, handwound pickups, excellent fit'n'finish, etc. Plus they were made with more handwork and less automation than other custom shop and boutique brands. They're made in the same factory on many of the same machines and by some of the same people that produced the legendary Leo-era Music Man instruments. Leo was still running the company when the Climax was produced. I've played a Climax fretless bass and would have bought it (for more than $500!) but someone was buying it over the phone at the store while I was trying it out.

As I said before, the G&L shredders would be a good choice for someone who wants shred features but plays other styles of music. The woods are better and more resonant, and the necks aren't so toothpick thin.

gl-climax-plus-gold.jpg

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Love that color on the one in JohnnyB's post!

Honestly though, if I were in the market for a shredder, this would be the answer! I'm not in the market for a shredder but this is still kicking me in the head telling me it's the answer!

100_0782_zpsdb6a9b43.jpg

If you're as old as me (granted, fewer and fewer are each day), THIS was the quintessential shredder. The Bengal paint scheme is just beautiful, beautiful, lump-free gravy!

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100_0782_zpsdb6a9b43.jpg

… If you're as old as me THIS was the quintessential shredder. The Bengal paint scheme is just beautiful, beautiful, lump-free gravy!

Yes, but the question isn't to recommend a shredder for a shredhead or wannabe shredhead, it's a shredder for a non-shred guy, which is why G&L may be a better choice over the usual suspects for its excellent tonewoods, meatier neck, excellent construction and ability to do excellent clean-to-dirty (even jazz and blues) spectrum non-shred tones. The Hamer Centaura HB is another great candidate. I got one of those for my stepson and its clean tones were so sweet and body and neck so ergonomic that it was hard to go through with the gifting part of it. I gotta admit, though, that USA Jacksons are suh-weet.

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Hadn't considered a Wolfgang. Hmmm. Well, I guess I have a lot to consider - which is a good thing. Nathan, those look pretty cool. I'll check them out.

Second time I've mentioned the Peavey HP Special here, so it looks like I'm schilling, but the Wolfgang became the HP special, and the HP specials usually cost a few hundred less than the Wolfgang. Last I looked there was a guy on the gear page selling a nice looking carve top HP special with upgraded pickups for about $900.

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Love that color on the one in JohnnyB's post!

Honestly though, if I were in the market for a shredder, this would be the answer! I'm not in the market for a shredder but this is still kicking me in the head telling me it's the answer!

100_0782_zpsdb6a9b43.jpg

If you're as old as me (granted, fewer and fewer are each day), THIS was the quintessential shredder. The Bengal paint scheme is just beautiful, beautiful, lump-free gravy!

Despite my agreeing with velorush on the Dinky being in the upper echelon of shredders, I'd have to concede JohnnyB's point- the EMG's in this are an acquired taste and fairly style-specific. Though, I have to say that the EMG 85 cleans up quite nicely. Slap a more versatile set of passives in there and you got a real contender. Outside of the limitations of the p'ups, it's exceptionally good at what it does. As the comic book hero Wolverine states, "I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do ain't very nice." ;):P:lol:

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Shredder search update:

- tried the G&L. quite liked it. played it for 30 mins in the shop, was ready to pull the trigger, then they told me it had sold earlier that day ?? oh well.

- tried the Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas at GC -- needed a good setup, but I didn't find much I liked about, even with that in mind. Can say I'm not a big fan of unfinished necks.

Was sitting in the GC parking lot, feeling kinda bummed, and got a text about a Hamer from my local CL.

Guy had an amazingly clean 1990 Hamer Centaura in the granite finish. I bought it on the spot after playing it.

This thing smokes. Love the neck. It sounds great -- though I will definitely switch out the single coils.

Look for a NGD here soon.

thanks for all the help.

I dunno, the Hamer feels like home :)

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Shredder search update:

- tried the G&L. quite liked it. played it for 30 mins in the shop, was ready to pull the trigger, then they told me it had sold earlier that day ?? oh well.

- tried the Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas at GC -- needed a good setup, but I didn't find much I liked about, even with that in mind. Can say I'm not a big fan of unfinished necks.

Was sitting in the GC parking lot, feeling kinda bummed, and got a text about a Hamer from my local CL.

Guy had an amazingly clean 1990 Hamer Centaura in the granite finish. I bought it on the spot after playing it.

This thing smokes. Love the neck. It sounds great -- though I will definitely switch out the single coils.

Look for a NGD here soon.

thanks for all the help.

I dunno, the Hamer feels like home :)

See? That's all you needed to do; look at the offerings from Hamer. If you can't find something to suit your needs, you're looking for something that is obviously inferior and difficult to play... :lol:

Congrats!

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(apologies for the thread swerve)

Aside from the structural reasons for the potato-looking guitar, exactly why would you say these don't look like electric guitars?

DSC_0078-1.jpg

GlossMapleSolidbody3SC010.jpg

P1060728.jpg

GlossCherryStrat-style001.jpg

DSC_0128-1.jpg

Someday I will try one, but they remind me of Rarebird guitars and a few other small-batch makers. On most guitars, the lines are defined by hard curves and swoops and angles. The "horns" of a cutaway will normally taper in a mathematically consistent way to points at the end. The butt end will be a consistent arc or part of a helix. The bevel on the top will be defined by a straight line, and the belly cut will be defined by a clean arc.

These guitars look more like they grew from seeds. Shapes slightly shift, the radius describing the curve of the body will grow a bit then shrink a bit. Horns taper then straighten then taper or grow. It gives the impression that they were drawn and cut freehand rather than with engineered blueprints and power tools or a CNC cutter. And this gives the perception that they are not thoroughly engineered but instead more of an art project.

The finishes don't help. In some you can see what look like waves and soft rolls where most guitars would be planed flat. They appear a little dull, not glossy. Not up to the standard of what PRS or Hamer or even Rondo Music would do.

The logo and signature look homemade too, no like any other maker.

I have a MotorAve and a Giffin, which are both luthier-made guitars and unconventional so I dig unique visions. But they both have a purity of design, absolutely clean, sharp-edged contours and immaculate finishes that to me say the builder not only cared about making the sound good but applied the very highest standard to every part of the instrument.

I applaud your being open-minded and digging how they PLAY, not getting hung up on the kinds of prejudices I have. I just mean that irregular shapes, irregular finishes, an a general "homemade" appearance make me not want to even pick one up. If Jon can keep the doors open selling his vision, good for him. He seems to be marching to the beat of a different drummer, but as a marketing professional I can tell you that you ignore the marketplace's preferences at your peril. If people want mirror-like finishes, clean lines, and a dry transfer or inlaid logo on a cool headstock, they will choose to buy guitars that offer those things.

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Can't help but think the Hamer Centaura was a slam dunk all the way around.

You've got two awesome USA Hamers now! Congrats!

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I would go with an alder made Diablo. I am not a fan of Mahogany strat's, they have a violin sounding undertone, I know that sounds crazy. Maybe I'm crazy?

The Centaura is either ash or alder. No mahogany was harmed in the making of a Centaura.

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I would go with an alder made Diablo. I am not a fan of Mahogany strat's, they have a violin sounding undertone, I know that sounds crazy. Maybe I'm crazy?

The Centaura is either ash or alder. No mahogany was harmed in the making of a Centaura.

lol. Most probably like the hog, but if you prefer ash or alder like me, the Centaura or Diablo would be my choice over a Deluxe Cali because of price.

Name this Hamer. I would classify this as shredding :) Coroner. It sounds Mahogany to me, but great, and have no idea which guitar it is from the video quality. But the neck looks like

a Cali, and probably a Mahogany. Rich sound, with piercing leads.

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