Studio vs Monaco Elite

[slipstream]

I would like to add another Hamer to my collection and would love some expert opinion on the differences between the Studio Custom and Monaco Elite. The specs look similar except for the body shape and neither appear to be chambered. Maybe someone could weigh in on the nuances of the of the instruments. I picked up my Centaura from a member and love it! So I thought the experts could help with their insight.

Thanks, Dan

[KofSeattle]

Most of my Elites are chambered but not my studios. It seems that most of my Elites have their own voice for one reason or another (pickups, bridges or clambering) but the studios seem "solid" and much the same to me. I love them all for different reasons. I pretty much look for the neck carve I want and know, hey, ...its a Hamer. It will Rawk! Not to mention the pretty welcome to the addiction.

[Michael_B]

My two Elites are semi-hollow and my Studio Custom is solid. The Elite's pickups sound hotter, but I've never measured them. If I were to choose between the two with stock pickups, I'd favor the Studio Custom because I prefer the '59s and I like the looks of the Studio Custom better. Either way, you can't go wrong. Welcome to HFC and the last refuge of the Hamer addicts.

[slipstream]

This is all the great feedback so far. Are the bodies similar in size and Elites usually chambered?

[Michael_B]

I believe the Elites are usually semi-hollow. I don't feel they're radically different in size. For me,the Studio feels more balanced.

[KofSeattle]

^^yeah that^^ agreed

[django49]

I have had a solid and chambered Elite. The solid one may be more to your liking IF you want the heft and fatter sound of the Les Paul. The chambered one had upgraded (hotter and uncovered) pickups, which made it a real rocker despite the reduced weight.

OTOH, the Studio Custom may be your ticket if you want a guitar that is (for many) more comfortable to play, has a more balanced tone (less LP-ish, if that makes sense) and has the double cutaway (if you play up the neck).

Hard to find a "bad" example of either.

[seeker]

I believe the Elites are usually semi-hollow. I don't feel they're radically different in size. For me,the Studio feels more balanced.

By default, the Elites were not originally chambered. You could order it as an upcharge. However, in the final year(s) of production, they seemed to start chambering just about everything, including Standards.

[elduave]

It starts and ends with where you like your toggle switch.

[slipstream]

Thanks Dave that's about as simple and answer as one could ask for!

[Disturber]

It starts and ends with where you like your toggle switch.

At the center of a girl?

[Ting Ho Dung]

I had a non chambered Elite with Braz board. I had a Studio Custom with an Ebony board and a Studio with Rosewood at one time (all at the same time). The Elite was stock with the Custom in the neck (actually a bridge pickup) and the Custom Custom in the bridge. I believe this pu configuration was / is the normal stock configuration. The Studio came stock with EMG HZs, an upcharge believe it or not, and that was a dark guitar. I probably should have left it like that but wanted to experiment. So I took the '59 bridge that was stock in my Studio Custom and put it in the neck of the Studio and found a Custom Custom from one of our Lords here, I don't remember which one, and put it in the bridge using the idea from the Elite to have 2 bridge pickups in the guitar. In the end, the Studio sounded best to me but the other 2 played better. I never really bonded with the Elite though because it was so nice and valuable I was afraid of dinging it. It also just didn't fit me that well. Maybe it was just because of the timing. It was the first guitar I bought after 15 or so years of not playing. So essentially I was relearning on this guitar. While being afraid of dinging it. The SC and The Studio came next in short order and then a Melancon. I discovered I'm more of a Strat guy in my old age. And the LP style guitars went away for a few years.

The MonEL seemed to me to be better quality than the Studios. More solid with a better feel and the action was really low @ 2/64th. I really don't care for the Victory inlays though. The Studios were from earlier years could get close to 3/64th (measurements at the 12th). They just didn't have the solid feel as the MonEl. Maybe it was because of the double cutaway. Maybe it was the neck carve from earlier years. The MonEL had a thick carve. I ended up selling the Studio because it was redundant with the other two. Then on a fluke, both the other's went away in the same week. I needed to sell one to get my son back to Deland but both went. If you want to hear a SC sound like it should watch any of Zen's videos. That's the Studio Custom I had. I'm a marginally better player now and may enjoy both guitars more if I had them again. I may add that these were the only examples of these models I've ever owned and I've never played a chambered MonEL. Not sure why anyone would want that.