Help to identify this Hamer?

[bobbycheetah]

Here are some pics. Just wondering if any way to tell the year of this. Anyone have this model? Do you like it? Is it nice/decent/crap? Seller is asking $275. Thanks! (pics...finally!!)

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

Can't see any pics there dude!

[cmatthes]

Yep - gonna need a pic...

[bobbycheetah]

for the life of me, i can't find the icon to attach pics!

[Bennyboy-UK]

Upload to photo hosting site and use the image link to hook them into your post.

Something like photo bucket would work.

[cmatthes]

for the life of me, i can't find the icon to attach pics!

Photobucket is easiest, but you can also click on the "Post Image" icon - it's the little blue square with the picture of the tree.

[Disturber]

That looks like a Korean version of the Hamer Studio modell.

[gorch]

Nice guitar. What's up with it?

[bobbycheetah]

Just wondering if any way to tell the year of this. Anyone have this model? Do you like it? Is it nice/decent/crap? Seller is asking $275.

[cmatthes]

You can't tell the year on the imports by the serial number, but that one is from the late '90s/very early '00s. They're not bad, but $275 would be at the very top of the pricing range for a used one. They sold for close to that new, and aren't very collectible. Definitely play it first if at all possible. While most of those are decent guitars for a sub-$300 instrument, there are a TON of factory seconds and returns that were sold off to liquidators over the last 10-15 years, and not all of them have the serials blanked out or have a "USED" stamp on the back of the headstock. The DD pickups aren't terrible, but can be a weak point, along with the tuners and nuts on those.

[bobbycheetah]

Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback!!

[JohnnyB]

The DD pickups aren't terrible, but can be a weak point, along with the tuners and nuts on those.

Yep. DD and other inexpensive Asian pickups often sound OK when you're trying the instrument out, but when you get it into a real playing situation, they lack response, dynamics, and the ability to cut through the mix. If you buy first rate pickups for it and pay a technician to put them in, you can easily double your "investment." If, on the other hand, you're a habitual modketeer, handy with a soldering iron with a drawer full of pulled pickups, you could pop a pair of them in for no additional expense and it could be worth it. You still won't recoup any resale value, however.

In my opinion, the best of the import deals are the thinlines and hollowbodies, even with crap pickups, because USA-made ES-335s and Guild Starfires are so expensive.

I bought a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz fretless with the stock pickups. Sound quality was good, response and dynamics were not. Knowing it was a poor investment from a resale point, regardless i replaced the pickups with USA-made Bartolinis. Fortunately, the shop where I got them includes installation for the price. Still, I know I'll never recoup the money when it comes time to sell, but damn! this is one fine-sounding and dynamic bass, even with multi-block agathis body and ebonol fingerboard.

[tomteriffic]

I suppose that it's "horses for courses" but I pulled the DD's out of an import Studio (they were OK but not outstanding) and put them in a cheapo Washburn I had bought specifically to try out pickup and wiring options. They transformed that guitar and sounded so good that nothing else ever made it into that guitar. They're still there.

The point being live with the DD's for a while rather than automatically ripping them out.