Last update from New Hartford

[django49]

I have owned dozens of Hamer Guitars. The fact that I not only continued to acquire them, but still own a fairly high percentage of those acquisitions, speaks to my opinion of the work done by you-all. And, in my opinion, the quality content was never higher than in the later years.

With the sadness of seeing a good thing end, here is hoping that you all resurface with a new gig(s) and resume making great instruments!

[hamerhead]

Wasn't Greg at BCR looking for a technician/luthier ??

No way in hell he could afford them!

If I hired them, I would have no problem paying them. I have one year's backlog of repairs with just me.....If they came aboard I could easily find enough work to keep them busy.

Could we order BCR Standards someday?

[JohnnyB]

Here's another big thank you to you guys who made these finely crafted instruments that pushed all the right buttons--beauty, attention to detail, playability, dynamics, and sound quality.

One thing I'm curious about--FMIC officially shut down the Hamer operation Jan. 2013. We consoled ourselves that at least you were still making fine guitars for Guild and Ovation. The shuttering of the New Hartford facility is the end of your relationship there and dashes any hope of bringing Hamer back. What does it mean for Ovation and Guild? Are they next?

[cmatthes]

Ovation USA is no more. USA Guild and Fender USA acoustic production will resume elsewhere in a consolidation move.

[lincsman]

Thinking of you guys,sad day

[crunchee]

Mike, your work has given me lots of joy over the years. Like everyone else here I'm very interested in knowing what you end up doing next.

+1! I'm looking forward to hearing about the next guitar that comes from your talented hands, Hamer or not!

[LostArt]

they already tried making guilds in corona and that did not work.

try it again?

nah

guild will be gone too

[gorch]

There's not much I can say from my position, but many many thanks for absolutely fantastic guitars!

[JohnnyB]

they already tried making guilds in corona and that did not work.

try it again?

nah

guild will be gone too

If that's so, then Fender is risking their own name brand acoustics in the same move.

It costs a certain amount of money (probably pretty huge by our perspectives) just to keep the New Hartford facility open. The combined revenue of USA Guild, Fender, and Ovation acoustics need to generate enough revenue to justify keeping the facility open. Obviously the combined sales of those brand names can't do that. And let's not forget that the loss of USA Ovation is as iconic as any of the brands mentioned here. Ovation had the same market impact in the '60s/'70s that Taylor has had in the last two decades.

[Northfield]

they already tried making guilds in corona and that did not work.

try it again?

nah

guild will be gone too

They are Done....

[Northfield]

This stuff ROCKS.................Thanks to you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bcsride]

Those frets are fantastic.

[cmatthes]

EVERYTHING is fantastic in those builds!

[bubs_42]

Ovation USA is no more. USA Guild and Fender USA acoustic production will resume elsewhere in a consolidation move.

Blows my mind that Ovation is gone as well. I mean we knew the end would come sometime for Hamer, but to loose all those brands in one swipe of a pen or one phone call is pretty devastating.

[bcsride]

I certainly don't disagree with you in principal. But if they simply aren't selling, then you can't run a business that way.

Exactly. There are plenty of corporate rubes at FMIC who never even lay eyes on the product. To them it's all about the numbers. Which is as it should be. The ideal scenario involves a balance between business and personal; the latter lends something that (you would think) is appealing to the consumer. In lieu of that balance, the personal aspect should be given zero credence. Because it ain't personal. It's business.

This is why, if you're a guitar enthusiast, you probably shouldn't be in the guitar business. You're too emotionally involved. You could be the face of a guitar company, like Jol or Paul Reed Smith, and thus present the illusion that the personal aspect is present in your business. But you'd better have a person who's strictly business calling the shots.

And yes, that Standard is perfect.

It should not all be about the numbers (profit). Yes, you must remain solvent (as a business). Yes, you must make a living as an individual. But, you don't have to "screw all" in the name of money. Many knowingly don't maximize their earnings potential, either as individuals or small business owners, because there are non-financial tangibles in the work they find important. Many businesses seek the steady and sustained model, value the product or service they sell, and value their workforce. It isn't all greed.

Yes, FMIC was maybe never one of those companies - even back to Leo Fender - maybe they were always there to maximize profit. But, it doesn't have to be that way.

And yes, HFCers, I am enjoying my Earth day.

[tbonesullivan]

This reminds me so much of the death of Buell motorcycles. They made AMERICAN MADE bikes that weren't Cruisers, Choppers, etc. They made sport bikes, adventure bikes, dual sport bikes, everything. Even the buell blast which got an amazing 72 mpg. They had tons of innovations, like fuel in the frame, etc etc etc.

But sadly Eric Buell had sold the company to Harley Davidson, and a new CEO came in (who isn't even a rider) and basically said "why are we making these things?" as they didn't sell for as much as the Harleys, and they weren't any kind of "entry level" to get people to buy the more expensive bikes.

So they killed Buell.

What makes me sad is that with Hamer they got such a vast portfolio of guitars and workers. They could have REALLY launched hamer. Instead they decide to bring back Guild, whose name is somewhat more well known, but whose electrics were not really well known. If FMIC really wanted to go after Gibson's market share, Hamer was the only brand that could do it. And, they didn't see it that way.

[Northfield]

You guys are the best..................

[crunchee]

Ovation USA is no more. USA Guild and Fender USA acoustic production will resume elsewhere in a consolidation move.

Blows my mind that Ovation is gone as well. I mean we knew the end would come sometime for Hamer, but to loose all those brands in one swipe of a pen or one phone call is pretty devastating.

^This.^ I've heard nothing but good things about the New Hartford Guilds. It doesn't hurt that the Hamer crew worked on them as well, IIRC. And, didn't Ren Ferguson (ex-Gibson Montana) get in on that, too?

As far as Ovation goes, I guess it was only a matter of time, considering how many Ovations have been built overseas in recent years, before the bean counters decided to make it all imports. I really like my early to mid-80's USA acoustic (non-electric) Balladeers, I've had them for years, and they aren't going anywhere soon.

[zorrow]

Guys, I won't find any healing magic word. Just thank you. I'm however convinced your skills are still of high value for many out there. Good luck then, as well as positive vibes from here to there. It's a sad day for we all, but the show must go on... and it certainly WILL!

[mrjamiam]

Sad day. Best wishes to you and the other artisans in whatever is next. I'll be looking forward to hear what that is.

[Citrus]

Another Thank you.

I own a "Dream Hamer" that Mr BCR facilitated, Easily the finest guitar I have had the pleasure of molesting.

Wish I had ordered one other.

meanwhile, I will keep my eyes peeled for an all Mahogany Monaco Elite - preferably TV yellow - something like that

All the best in future endeavors.

Let us know where you land, hopefully we can support you

Thanks.

[polara]

Good people...

...with good work ethic

...and good skills

...will find good jobs. You guys clearly have those in spades, and like everyone here THANK YOU for all you've done.

Having been laid off and having laid people off, I still would have done the same thing if I'd been called in to call the shots at FMIC. Fender, Guild, Hamer, Ovation, Tacoma, Gretsch, Charvel, Jackson, D'Armond... it was duplication of expenses and cannibalizing their own business to run all those lines. In a post-rock'n'roll world.

[Biz Prof]

Condolences to the entire New Hartford crew. This reeks of the type of business decision that will lead to one of two outcomes for FMIC:

1. Glossing up the balance sheet in advance of a sale of the entity.

2. Shedding all low-margin/unprofitable parts of the entity in order to prepare for a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy.

Hamer was always, at its core, a low-production, high-build-quality shop (New Hartford took it fully into McInturff-style custom shop status) that dared do both Gibson better than Nashville ever could and original designs that have carved enduring niches. This, my friends, is NOT FMIC's forte and makes me even more curious why they purchased the stable of brands from Kaman if they weren't prepared to run them based on their small-shop culture. They might have failed on their own, but then, they would have done so doing it their way.

Speaking of Terry McInturff, I wonder if he has enough business to entertain a move of any of you guys down here to central NC?

[AdmiralB]

1. Glossing up the balance sheet in advance of a sale of the entity.

2. Shedding all low-margin/unprofitable parts of the entity in order to prepare for a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy.

These are the only reasons to shutter underperforming brands? You're gonna get sold, OR you're going bankrupt?

Is that in your curricula?

[mathman]

Thank you for the beautiful guitars you guys built. This is a sad day for artists.