The Results of Some Hamer Guitar Research, Night Ranger Edition

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

The minor one first:

The Book says that the Brad Gillis' Scepter was featured in the video "When You Close Your Eyes", but that video came out in 1983, 2 years before the Scepter was built. Brady doesn't have his trademark red Strat in "When You Close Your Eyes", but it appears to actually be a black Jackson (I think...can't tell, not clear).

However, the Scepter is featured significantly in "The Color of Your Smile" off the 1987 Album "Big Life":

https://youtu.be/9KvASu0WkZ4

(Jack Blades moves to much for me to be certain, but it sure looks like he's already got one of his Hamer basses in this video)

Then as I was going through Night Ranger videos from that era, I saw another guitar that looked like it had "Hamer" on the headstock. Er, one of the headstocks. Again, really hard to tell because the video is even less clear, but that looks like a Double-Neck Vee in this video (note the Scepter is again featured, too):

https://youtu.be/qnBq1OA97hs?list=PLADADB076E77ACB37

A photo search later, and sure enough:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/chemilumoassay/media/watsondoubleneck.jpg.html

Looks like Jack Blades is playing a Hamer, too.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

I can't tell, but it looks like Jack Blades is already playing a Hamer bass in the video for Four in the Morning.

https://youtu.be/XArBsn96amU?list=PLADADB076E77ACB37

And I can't tell, but is Jeff Watson's Vee a Hamer? ...the LEDs in the fretboard make me think so, and I think I can almost see "Hamer" on the headstock, but again...too blurry to be certain at all.

[cmatthes]

The minor one first:

The Book says that the Brad Gillis' Scepter was featured in the video "When You Close Your Eyes", but that video came out in 1983, 2 years before the Scepter was built. Brady doesn't have his trademark red Strat in "When You Close Your Eyes", but it appears to actually be a black Jackson (I think...can't tell, not clear).

However, the Scepter is featured significantly in "The Color of Your Smile" off the 1987 Album "Big Life":

https://youtu.be/9KvASu0WkZ4

(Jack Blades moves to much for me to be certain, but it sure looks like he's already got one of his Hamer basses in this video)

Then as I was going through Night Ranger videos from that era, I saw another guitar that looked like it had "Hamer" on the headstock. Er, one of the headstocks. Again, really hard to tell because the video is even less clear, but that looks like a Double-Neck Vee in this video (note the Scepter is again featured, too):

https://youtu.be/qnBq1OA97hs?list=PLADADB076E77ACB37

Looks like Jack Blades is playing a Hamer, too.

A photo search later, and sure enough:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/chemilumoassay/media/watsondoubleneck.jpg.html

The "When You Close Your Eyes" video came out in '84. Jeff is playing a KK Vector (possibly a custom ordered version for him), Jack is playing his Sunburst finished double cut Medium Scale "Blades Bass", and it looks like Brad is playing some Jackson or Jackson copy or something.

Jack was already playing a Hamer when I saw them in '83 (unless it was spring of '84).

Jeff played a bunch of different Hamers in the mid to late '80s, before settling on his Watson Signature Model. Mostly Vees...

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

The minor one first:

The Book says that the Brad Gillis' Scepter was featured in the video "When You Close Your Eyes", but that video came out in 1983, 2 years before the Scepter was built. Brady doesn't have his trademark red Strat in "When You Close Your Eyes", but it appears to actually be a black Jackson (I think...can't tell, not clear).

However, the Scepter is featured significantly in "The Color of Your Smile" off the 1987 Album "Big Life":

https://youtu.be/9KvASu0WkZ4

(Jack Blades moves to much for me to be certain, but it sure looks like he's already got one of his Hamer basses in this video)

Then as I was going through Night Ranger videos from that era, I saw another guitar that looked like it had "Hamer" on the headstock. Er, one of the headstocks. Again, really hard to tell because the video is even less clear, but that looks like a Double-Neck Vee in this video (note the Scepter is again featured, too):

https://youtu.be/qnBq1OA97hs?list=PLADADB076E77ACB37

Looks like Jack Blades is playing a Hamer, too.

A photo search later, and sure enough:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/chemilumoassay/media/watsondoubleneck.jpg.html

The "When You Close Your Eyes" video came out in '84. Jeff is playing a KK Vector (possibly a custom ordered version for him), Jack is playing his Sunburst finished double cut Medium Scale "Blades Bass", and it looks like Brad is playing some Jackson or Jackson copy or something.

Jack was already playing a Hamer when I saw them in '83 (unless it was spring of '84).

Jeff played a bunch of different Hamers in the mid to late '80s, before settling on his Watson Signature Model. Mostly Vees...

I didn't realize:

1) Jack Blades was on board so early. Just from the advertisements, it seemed like around the Big Life timeframe (1997) all three Night Ranger guitars went Hamer, with only Jack Blades sticking with it into his Damn Yankees years.

2) Jeff Watson was on board so early. I know he was playing Flying Vs, but the first time I saw Hamer on the headstock was on the double-neck. I also never saw any videos of him playing Hamer USA Jeff Watson Signature...with so many videos of him playing Gibson Les Pauls, I had assumed he used Hamer the least of any of the Night Ranger guys. It is interesting to hear those were mostly KK Vectors so early in the career.

Heck, I was a big Night Ranger fan at the time, and none of the Hamer connection ever impinged on my consciousness. I knew about Gibson & Fender, of course, but it seemed like if someone didn't play those, it was Kramer, Charvel or Jackson.

I have no idea why I never became aware of Hamer until a decade later, unless it was because the videos were never clear enough to see the logo? I also really was never a concert-goer.

[HamStd]

The minor one first:

The Book says that the Brad Gillis' Scepter was featured in the video "When You Close Your Eyes", but that video came out in 1983, 2 years before the Scepter was built. Brady doesn't have his trademark red Strat in "When You Close Your Eyes", but it appears to actually be a black Jackson (I think...can't tell, not clear).

However, the Scepter is featured significantly in "The Color of Your Smile" off the 1987 Album "Big Life":

https://youtu.be/9KvASu0WkZ4

(Jack Blades moves to much for me to be certain, but it sure looks like he's already got one of his Hamer basses in this video)

Then as I was going through Night Ranger videos from that era, I saw another guitar that looked like it had "Hamer" on the headstock. Er, one of the headstocks. Again, really hard to tell because the video is even less clear, but that looks like a Double-Neck Vee in this video (note the Scepter is again featured, too):

https://youtu.be/qnBq1OA97hs?list=PLADADB076E77ACB37

A photo search later, and sure enough:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/chemilumoassay/media/watsondoubleneck.jpg.html

Looks like Jack Blades is playing a Hamer, too.

Jesus, who is this "PAFung" person passing off wrong info in the Hamer bible and shame on that Serial guy for trusting this joker.

Good catch Nathan. The guitar is in the video you mentioned, as well as the later "Secret of my success" video. I believe he also used it on the second Japan tour as well for one of the encores, but what do I know.

Couple of fun facts, that is a very early Jackson Soloist (the zipper guitar) that Brad is using in the "Close your eyes" video. That is an AMAZING guitar. He sold it but got it back a few years ago. Dot inlays with binding and has a built-in wireless.

Jeff started using Hamer vectors (KK in that video) but he started getting custom ones from Hamer later that were stop/TOM style to mimick his Les Pauls and long 50's Gibson V style headstock . I have seen a red one, a white one, a black one and blue one. I know he then switched over to a Scepter V/Jackson King V style Vector from hamer. He had two of them one in Silver and one in Pink.

Brad also has a White Scepter with the same S/S/H, single knob and Floyd rose config. He used that one on stage and it is also in a GHS string add.

Also there were two V doublenecks. A black one that was in the Hamer catalog and the white one that he sold to the Hard Rock.

Those guys were on board with Hamer pretty early. I know Jack is good friends with Jol and Paul and Brad and Jeff followed. Brad had Hamer make two "Red" guitars for him with running LEDs in the neck. He also had a Chapparal that was done in the Black/Red accent motif. All those had wireless' built in to them.

Peter

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

Jesus, who is this "PAFung" person passing off wrong info in the Hamer bible and shame on that Serial guy for trusting this joker.

Good catch Nathan. The guitar is in the video you mentioned, as well as the later "Secret of my success" video. I believe he also used it on the second Japan tour as well for one of the encores, but what do I know.

Couple of fun facts, that is a very early Jackson Soloist (the zipper guitar) that Brad is using in the "Close your eyes" video. That is an AMAZING guitar. He sold it but got it back a few years ago. Dot inlays with binding and has a built-in wireless.

Jeff started using Hamer vectors (KK in that video) but he started getting custom ones from Hamer later that were stop/TOM style to mimick his Les Pauls and long 50's Gibson V style headstock . I have seen a red one, a white one, a black one and blue one. I know he then switched over to a Scepter V/Jackson King V style Vector from hamer. He had two of them one in Silver and one in Pink.

Brad also has a White Scepter with the same S/S/H, single knob and Floyd rose config. He used that one on stage and it is also in a GHS string add.

Also there were two V doublenecks. A black one that was in the Hamer catalog and the white one that he sold to the Hard Rock.

Those guys were on board with Hamer pretty early. I know Jack is good friends with Jol and Paul and Brad and Jeff followed. Brad had Hamer make two "Red" guitars for him with running LEDs in the neck. He also had a Chapparal that was done in the Black/Red accent motif. All those had wireless' built in to them.

Peter

I very nearly didn't write the post, because I didn't want to come across as nit-picky or overly pedantic. The tipping point was when I found the other videos so I could at least point to other videos the Scepter was featured in.

Do you know if Brad used the Scepter in the Big Life recording sessions? I'm probably just imaging it, but listening to the songs from Midnight Madness and 7 Wishes, I think I like his tone better on the Big Life songs...if that is attributable to the Scepter, I have to approve of his choice to use it, and wonder why he moved away from the Scepter later?

Would it be safe/fair to say that Hamer guitars & basses were featured by Jeff & Jack on 7 Wishes, and by the whole band on Big Life? That would be a nice addition/correction to The Book in a Second Edition...