kenwald Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 Hi guys, i'm new here and I recently bought my first Hamer. Even though it's not a "real" Hamer USA, I still think it's awesome. It's a slammer series made in Korea, a double cutaway model. It plays and feel amazing, especially for it's price but i think it's a great guitar in general. There is one thing though that has caught my attention that really annoys me. I have noticed that the bindig look really poor, even for a budget guitar. You can't expect too much when it comes to such details on a cheap guitar of course, but i've never seen anything like this before and concidering how good this guitar in general i'm quite disappointed about this actually. I've taken some photos of it and as you can se there is a glitch where the neck starts where there is no black paint and the edge between black and wood is really uneven, and there is also a weird angle on the bindning that's very uneven. The top layer of the laquer is intact so it's not a ding. Is this a result of hungover-monday at the factory or am i asking to much of this korean hamer? I can get really obsessive about these things so i guess i'm trying to get some piece of mind....
Steve Haynie Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 Someone did not scrape the paint off the binding perfectly. The "new guy" must have started the week your guitar was finished.
cmatthes Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 One of many reasons why the USA models cost a lot more!
gorch Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 ... and then comes with Hameritis. That's the term used for Hamer USA guitars showing similar flaws. Reason had been a lacquer problem. Those guitars come from a certain period in the early nineties I think.But that's for USA guitars. I never heard of any case for Korean made Slammers. Great guitars btw. As you stated.
Victor (Fret Friend) Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 It's nothing major to worry about and I doubt it was common. The Slammer Series Korean models were built from 92 onwards until about 98 (in Korea) and as far as I know, were built by Cort at their Korean Factory. Then imports moved to either china or Thailand or somewhere. From 2000-2002 (approx) deluxe import models were again made in Korea but I'm not sure of the factory...
kenwald Posted November 9, 2015 Author Posted November 9, 2015 Thanks guys, i guess i have to live with it and it's no big deal actually. I think i have some issues with details cause of a really sloppy made gibson t-bird i used to own that i paid quite a lot for and i've been over analyzing everything since then... Anyway, this guitar really is amazing to play and it's giving me alot of inspiration to become a better player, i've been playing bass for 15 years now and only played guitar from time to time. Owned A LOT of gear over the years but i can't remember having any instrument in this price range that's been even close to this one. Here are some pictures that do not show any flaws
Steve Haynie Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 There you go. It plays nice. That is what counts the most.
Hbom Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 I feel your pain kenwald, but to me that's a pretty minor issue on what looks to be a pretty nice guitar.If it were me, I would look into the crowd while I'm playing so I couldn't see the flaw.And rawk the hell out!
kenwald Posted November 10, 2015 Author Posted November 10, 2015 Sounds like a good idea! I'm not that good yet so the mirror will have to do until i get the the confidence to join a band as a guitar player but some day i might shred the hamer at some shady bar, who knows haha! Actually, standing in front of the mirror with this guitar kinda makes me look pretty good and that's quite an achievment for a piece of wood!
BTMN Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Jump that hurdle and feel the rush of playing in front of a crowd. Even a crowd of three at a local jam night or a couple of friends in a friend's basement is a great place to start. BTW, nice looking guitar and welcome to the neighborhood too.
kenwald Posted November 15, 2015 Author Posted November 15, 2015 Yeah i think i can get over it, i just enjoy playing the thing cause it's so amazing and a cosmetic flaw aint the end of the world. Thanks, feels good to be part of the hamer family! Thinkin bout saving for my first US made already.
crunchee Posted November 15, 2015 Posted November 15, 2015 It could be worse...I once VERY briefly owned a '91 Gibson LP Standard in Cherry Sunburst, that I had ordered from Mandolin Bros. brand new, many years ago. I sent it back because it had a patch in the front/top body binding, spliced in about 2 inches from the neck joint on the bass side of the body...AND a chunk of rosewood (big enough to fit the edge of my thumbnail into) missing from under the center of the 20th or 21st fret...AND a chip out of the finish on the top, from around one of the tailpiece studs. It took me YEARS to even want to look at another Gibson electric after that, and I NEVER EVER think about buying a brand new one. It was a off-the-rack model (not Custom Shop), but still it's something I won't forget. Coincidentally, that was about the same time I started looking at USA Hamers as an alternative!
ARM OF HAMER Posted November 15, 2015 Posted November 15, 2015 Sorry about that! But its minor issue and it DOES look like a very nice guitar and if it plays and sounds good, for the money your OK..............besides its BLACK! ................and Black looks very cool in my book. Seriously I have seen much worse on some Gibson Les Pauls that were VERY expensive.When you go looking for you next Hamer make it a USA model................you won't be disappointed.
Steve Haynie Posted November 15, 2015 Posted November 15, 2015 It could be worse...I once VERY briefly owned a '91 Gibson LP Standard in Cherry Sunburst, that I had ordered from Mandolin Bros. brand new, many years ago. I sent it back because it had a patch in the front/top body binding, spliced in about 2 inches from the neck joint on the bass side of the body...AND a chunk of rosewood (big enough to fit the edge of my thumbnail into) missing from under the center of the 20th or 21st fret...AND a chip out of the finish on the top, from around one of the tailpiece studs. It took me YEARS to even want to look at another Gibson electric after that, and I NEVER EVER think about buying a brand new one. It was a off-the-rack model (not Custom Shop), but still it's something I won't forget. Coincidentally, that was about the same time I started looking at USA Hamers as an alternative! At that time the Gibson rep in our area was claiming that Gibson did not put out 2nds. They just quit stamping them "2nd." They were sending out 3rd's and 4th's and 5th's...
crunchee Posted November 16, 2015 Posted November 16, 2015 It could be worse...I once VERY briefly owned a '91 Gibson LP Standard in Cherry Sunburst, that I had ordered from Mandolin Bros. brand new, many years ago. I sent it back because it had a patch in the front/top body binding, spliced in about 2 inches from the neck joint on the bass side of the body...AND a chunk of rosewood (big enough to fit the edge of my thumbnail into) missing from under the center of the 20th or 21st fret...AND a chip out of the finish on the top, from around one of the tailpiece studs. It took me YEARS to even want to look at another Gibson electric after that, and I NEVER EVER think about buying a brand new one. It was a off-the-rack model (not Custom Shop), but still it's something I won't forget. Coincidentally, that was about the same time I started looking at USA Hamers as an alternative! At that time the Gibson rep in our area was claiming that Gibson did not put out 2nds. They just quit stamping them "2nd." They were sending out 3rd's and 4th's and 5th's... Granted, this was 'just cosmetic' stuff (that is, it didn't affect the playability or sound), but still...I wonder who was working (or IF there actually WAS somebody at) Gibson QC back then, and did somebody actually sign off on that guitar? Remember the thread here on the HFC, about my factory repainted black-over-white '93 Gibson LP Studio? BIG kudos to Murkat for his corporate knowledge on Gibson and helping me figure that mystery out. I put a LP Custom truss rod cover on it, not because I'm trying to pass it off as a LP Custom, but instead as a dig to Henry and whoever did the lousy masking job on the neck/fingerboard edges, for their 'Custom' work.
kenwald Posted November 18, 2015 Author Posted November 18, 2015 It could be worse...I once VERY briefly owned a '91 Gibson LP Standard in Cherry Sunburst, that I had ordered from Mandolin Bros. brand new, many years ago. I sent it back because it had a patch in the front/top body binding, spliced in about 2 inches from the neck joint on the bass side of the body...AND a chunk of rosewood (big enough to fit the edge of my thumbnail into) missing from under the center of the 20th or 21st fret...AND a chip out of the finish on the top, from around one of the tailpiece studs. It took me YEARS to even want to look at another Gibson electric after that, and I NEVER EVER think about buying a brand new one. It was a off-the-rack model (not Custom Shop), but still it's something I won't forget. Coincidentally, that was about the same time I started looking at USA Hamers as an alternative! Jeez..doesn't surprise me though. My gibson thunderbird i used to own was a real nightmare too, First of all it had the typical orange peel finish all over the headstock and the laquer was extremely poor with a big difference in thickness on many spots. The shape of the headstock was wrong, they must have had some kind of trouble with the CNC. There was also laquer on the fretboard. Real poor in general, and it sounded lame as well compared to a proseries epiphone. I think that has a little bit to do with the shitty bridge they use on t-birds but still. It just sounded....well, dead. Gibson is a sad story nowadays..
T-51Fred Posted November 19, 2015 Posted November 19, 2015 Your Slammer series with upgraded pups will kick Gibson Ass! Those are great guitars and your black one is really sweet. I've had a few USA gibsons that left because they just weren't that great--a few pauls, a flying V, an SG. My Korean Hamer with Duncans puts every one of those gone gibsons to shame for fit and finish, playability, looks, and for tone. It's not going, ever. Korean Hamers were my doorway drug into USA models. I gave my nephew one of my Kor. Hamers after taking pitty on him for playing a horriblly warped dean guitar. Now he has four USA Hamers. And, like me, he credits that first Hamer for inspiring him to practice more and to become a bad ass twanker. Good guitars do that, they inspire. Save your allowance.
T-51Fred Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 Your Slammer series with upgraded pups will kick Gibson Ass! Those are great guitars and your black one is really sweet. I've had a few USA gibsons that left because they just weren't that great--a few pauls, a flying V, an SG. My Korean Hamer with Duncans puts every one of those gone gibsons to shame for fit and finish, playability, looks, and for tone. It's not going, ever. Korean Hamers were my doorway drug into USA models. I gave my nephew one of my Kor. Hamers after taking pitty on him for playing a horriblly warped dean guitar. Now he has four USA Hamers. And, like me, he credits that first Hamer for inspiring him to practice more and to become a bad ass twanker. Good guitars do that, they inspire. Save your allowance.I do need to specify that the pups in my Korean Hamers are not the Designed by Duncans mud wads. One has vintage duncans that I have not tried to identify and the other has Lollar imperial high winds. All new wiring, pots, etc.
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