Help a Hamerless guy out.

Over time i gotten really sick of my Ibanez Jem. It was an impulse buy and a stupid one at that. I really dont have a big budget. $700 dollars at most. If i decide to sell the jcm800, maybe more. Anyways, I really want a superstrat style, you know, floyd, ssh combo, 24 fret ect. I was thinking about a Californian. How are these compared to other big name brand superstrats like jackson and ESP. I hear good things about hamer, but i wanna hear what the enthusiasts say about them. ANd how is the fretwork, my bigest gripe is fretbuzz. Thanks for your time.

dan

Fretwork, craftsmanship, and quality in Hamer USA made guitars is second to none. You can get a very nice Californian for $700. I dunno if you realize, however, that Calis have 27 frets and a H/S setup as opposed to 24 H/S/S. Total shred/metal machines but more versatile than you might think with that single coil in the neck. If you want something with 24 frets, H/S/S, and a Floyd, I would reccomend a Centaura. I have one and it makes my Ibanez shredder owning friends who paid 3 times as much as I did very very jealous. :angry:

The H-S-S setup in the family is the Centaura, and you should certainly be able to find one well within your budget.

As for fretwork/setup. This is where Hamer truly excels, and unless somebody before you has totally boogered things up, you should have no problems in that regard.

I can get the action stoopid low on my Cali. Slick player (the feel and attack reminds me of a snappy and more "woody" Jackson Soloist). It balances perfect on your knee or on a strap, and the tone on mine is perfect - sounds like a fat strat on steroids in the neck position and a perfect Les Paul in the bridge position. And you "should" be able to find a used one within your budget.

Considering you bought a Jem, you be pleased to know that they come in finishes ranging from traditional colors over figured woods to graphic madness. Here's some quick snaps of mine, in black and peptopink granite finish.



















A Centaura would also be a good fit (think Jackson Dinky on steroids), as would a Chaparrel, another 24 fretter that can be found in set-neck and bolt-on versions, rosewood/dot and ebony/boomers, H-S-S, H-S-H and Sustainiac versions. All are in your budget and all kick butt.

Calis are cool, but the Centaura and Chapparal are the big bang for buck H-S-S Hamers. You can get Chaps in good shape down around $400, Centauras even cheaper.

Yup, you should definitely look at getting a Centaura in my opinion. One sold in our sale area for $450 and you should be able to find one on eBay for around that. You might also consider a Diablo II if you'd be willing to accept an HSH pickup configuration. They are rarer than Centaura's but are still in your price range. Getting low action should be no problem, but you would be buying a used guitar, so depending on how it had been treated, it might require a professional setup to get it playing how you want it to.

-Austin

Fretwork, craftsmanship, and quality in Hamer USA made guitars is second to none. You can get a very nice Californian for $700.

Click to expand...

I would respectfully disagree. The early Jacksons are every bit as good and in most cases better than the Hamer shredders. Bang for the buck would still go to Hamer, no question. But for $800 you can pick up a neck through Jackson Soloist that will absolutely smoke. If you aren't concerned with the name on the headstock, then I would also recommend checking out the early 90s Charvel Model 6's. These were made in Japan, and Jackson had a fit because the Charvels were kicking the USA Jacksons ass. Seriously amazing guitars, neck through, same electronics as a Soloist, same hardware, and every bit as well made. The Charvel Model 6s can be had for $400-600 depending on condition and color which is stoooopid cheap when you consider what you are getting.

I owned a Cali, Chap, and a Centaura....my nod goes to the Jacksons and the early 90s Charvels in this particular instance.

The main difference between the Hamers and the Jackson/Charvels is construction. The Hamers are either bolt ons, or set necks. The Jacksons/Charvels are neck through. Both have their advantages and disadvantages....play as many as you can find before you make a decision.

Poe: let me take a little issue with your post. I bought a Charvel Model 6 new back in the day. Yes, it was a killer guitar and I agree that they're very well made. I do wonder if the Jackson pickups are the same was what was in a USA soloist, but I remember them as being fine. Out of nostalgia, I recently tried a used Model 6 hanging at my local music go round and immediately remembered why I sold the guitar after several years. The neck shape. Wide and thin. Yech!

The neck shape on my Cali (and moreso on the Chap Custom I had) were closer to a strat style.

My point is that while the guitars you're talking about are all really good, they're not really comparible because of the neck shape.

If the original poster wants to stay with that very wide and thin neck, then a Cali may not be the way to go (based on my limited experience). That being said, the neck on my Cali is quite a bit smaller than I like and I should just sell the dang thing.

The Cali I had had an identical neck to my Soloist at the time. The Centaura neck I had was pencil thin and the Chap was very similar to the Cali and the Soloist.

For what it's worth, I have a Chavel 650xl which is the updated Model 6. The necks on those were a little thicker than the Model series. In fact, the neck on my Model 6 is the neck to which all other guitars are compared to. As far as bang for the buck goes, if you want a bolt on, you probably can't beat a Centaura. If you want a neck thru, the 650xl is the best deal going.