Jeff R Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 3 hours ago, DBraz said: 22 frets? Didn't expect that. There are plenty of "didn't expect that" on this one. Off the top of my head: Centaura body platform with Californian-like "scoops" in the cutaways. Knobs repositioned, no mini-toggle. Korina body. Don't know if this was spec on his customs, but this one's definitely korina. I'd guess the guitar weighs roughly about six pounds and its one of the lightest strats I've ever held. Definitely the lightest "strat" I've held with a Floyd and an ebony board. Master volume and an EMG SPC mid-boost pot (no tone knob). The pickups are EMG 81-SA-SA. Not only 22 frets, but ebony/boomers, a slightly wider nut (have't measured but it feels wide for a Hamer bolt-on) and meaty Dunlop 6110 frets specifically. There's a rubber stamp indicating this on the neck heel, I assume for refretting information. Floyd Rose nut uses the old two-Allen-screw "through the neck" mounting system. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Hamer had phased that out by '89. And the biggie you can't see from the photos. Special V-shape neck profile. It's not readily visible but it's definitely evident under the hand and actually very comfortable and quite fast. From a 2014 interview with the IHeartGuitar blog, this sheds light on a LOT of things: I love my Hamer guitars, and it’s a shame. In a way it’s very odd how connected the Parker guitars are to the Hamer guitars, because essentially what happened to Hamer was, for me I think of Hamer Guitars as a Chicago company because they were based in Illinois, and the guy that was the head of the shop was a luthier named Terry Atkins. And Terry was there when Jol Dantzig and I talked about what I wanted in a guitar. The previous guitar I was playing was with ESP Guitars, and I asked for a V-shaped neck for my old ESP guitars. I wanted to retain that neck shape, and this was the company that made things for Rick Neilsen like the 5-necked guitar – they’re like a kind of muscle car, hot rod kind of company! And basically they were bought by a big corporation, Kaman, which made Ovation guitars, and they moved to Connecticut and the whole character of the company changed. They stopped making the Chapperal, the Californian, and my guitars were basically Custom Shop as well, and now the company doesn’t exist and it’s a very sad thing. But the thing that’s interesting about switching to Parker is that Terry Atkins works for Parker! So from ESP to Hamer to Parker, I’ve kept the V-shaped neck and partly because between Hamer and Parker I have Terry Atkins! There was a guy from Austin, Texas named Paul Skelton who was a luthier with ESP who is no longer with us, but Paul would go through all of these guitars and he would pick out the best ones. He was a great guy." I restrung the guitar 10-46 and set it up for my tastes last night. It is a stupid-comfortable player and it beyond resonates, it literally vibrates like rolling thunder, under both your hands and against your body. It's huge sounding unplugged. The EMG package is tight and versatile and that mid control makes all the difference in clean, dirty and in-between settings. I adjust it more than the volume while I'm playing as it can add or take away so nicely at times. This guitar and my Mark V halfstack mildly put are a very, very well-matched tonal team. As much as I can appreciate the guitar being a rare and collector-worthy endorser piece, the player in me can't and won't let me vault it, that's just not the way I do things. The guitar will be played, hard and frequently, it's too nice of a guitar to be a case or stand queen. ------- While I'm at it, Vonnie and I owe an incredible amount of thanks to my close friend Hamerica Brian for making all this happen for me. The guitar has been in his possession for many years right now and he's known for many years how much I've wanted it for me the player, not me the collector, and he told me if and when the time came to release it, it would be to me and me alone and he kept that promise. That incredible gesture of friendship adds another cool element to the guitar's history. And I'll get to that back story between '89 and the present next.
Keoghpjk Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 Great story with this one, thanks for sharing it, and the pictures. I'm also heartened to know its going to get played, and not sitting in a vault.
stonge Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 That is a great guitar, and I'm glad to see that it landed with you. Enjoy that one! Hamerica is a fine gentleman (and a great host), and dang does he have some great stories to tell. One of the funniest things we've ever heard was Hamerica, Cajunboy,and Fooderman bullshitting at Casa des Stonge after one of the HFC tours. There should have been a cover charge for that show lol.
Jeff R Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 Here's the back story. Let's hope the board doesn't crash from all this data and bandwidth ... Serial number dates '89, Serial Steve is going to check the logs but we seem to recall from some 10+ years ago there was mention of VR in the logs for this serial number. After extensive online searches, here is the only photo I have found of VR with the guitar. This is from a LC photo shoot from late '89. I actually traded e-mails yesterday with the NYC-based photographer (who is 71 now) and he checked his negative archives for any outtakes that included the guitar. Unfortunately, this was the only image with the guitar in it. The next piece of its history. An article from Rolling Stone in late 1990. And here are two images from one of the No Walls show at CBGB The 1990 trip to NYC for No Walls also included recording time at Electric Ladyland to produce a "real" demo; and VR gifting the orange Hamer to William during the trip. They were and are remain good friends to this day. Despite Vernon's mentoring and support, the CBGB gigs and the Rolling Stone coverage, however, the band didn't make it. Keep in the mind this was late 1990 into early 1991. Here comes the grunge movement. After No Walls fell through, William persisted in his quest to make it as a musician. In 1994, he co-wrote the song "I Know" for fellow Atlanta musician Dionne Farris. She received a Grammy nomination and he won an ASCAP award for it. While his band projects in the 90s and early 2000s were very good, it was a struggle at times to make it financially. The VR guitar was a casualty at one point. Here's what he had to say about the guitar when I posted a picture of it on one of his former band's fan forums in 2005. Yes, it was mine. Vernon gave it to me back in 1990, when he brought No Walls to New York for a round of shows and recording at Electric Lady Studios. It was my main guitar for a time in No Walls and then was retired. I never intended to get rid of it but, alas, at some point hard times forced me to sell anything that wasn't absolutely essential to keeping body and soul together. A drag really because that guitar is a strong signifier to a certain period in my life. And it is one of a kind and was given to me by a dear friend. But there it is. I've had to become very buddhist in my thinking over the years when it comes to these things. The guitar's buyer was the HFC's own Stonge. He bought it from "some guy who played in Alice in Chain's guitarist's touring band," I found out. This was late 90s, early 2000s, Stonge may remember exactly when. But it all makes perfect sense. William's band in the 2000s, Comes With The Fall, was Jerry Cantrell's opening act and his backing band when he toured "Degradation Trips Vol. I and II." I fell in love with CWTF from the first time I saw them on Cantrell's tour. I became a big fan, hung out at their forum, I even posted about them on this board 10+ years ago. I eventually met William in person - I drove four hours one way to see a club show. I introduced myself to William, told him about me being a big fan and my ride to get there, and he took me under his wings for the show and evening just hanging out, talking music and life in general. One of the nicest guys on the planet. And that was all before I knew about the guitar VR gifted him in 1990 that I now have. Now how's that for some crazy, small world, you-can't-make-this-stuff-up stuff? Stonge kept the guitar for a while and moved it to Hamerica. Brian's had it at least the last 10 years. Now it's with me and God willing and falling short of some unforeseen circumstance, it will be with me for a very, very, very long time. As for William now, he was named and remains Layne's replacement in the reformed Alice In Chains. So how's that for a guitar's back story?
HamStd Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 1 hour ago, stonge said: That is a great guitar, and I'm glad to see that it landed with you. Enjoy that one! Hamerica is a fine gentleman (and a great host), and dang does he have some great stories to tell. One of the funniest things we've ever heard was Hamerica, Cajunboy,and Fooderman bullshitting at Casa des Stonge after one of the HFC tours. There should have been a cover charge for that show lol. I'll definitely second that Hamerica is a true gentleman and amazing host!!! He has opened up tours to the Korina forest Southwest many times and it is always a fun adventure, but leave a popcorn trail so you can find your way out from all the tolex......... Peter
Tres Aardvarks Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 I love that the orange is translucent and you can see the wood grain through it!! What a great guitar and even greater story!
Jeff R Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 2 hours ago, Tres Aardvarks said: I love that the orange is translucent and you can see the wood grain through it!! What a great guitar and even greater story! Here's that wood grain for you ...
stonge Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 Great job digging up the history on this guitar. I actually bought it on Ebay from a shop in Atlanta iirc and they told me it had been traded in by DuVall who had gotten the guitar directly from Vernon. They had mentioned the connection to Cantrell's solo project at the time as I didn't know who he was. It's cool how this guitar came to you through all the different contacts. fwiw, the guitar was perfect when it was shipped to me. I recall it was during january or february as there was a cold spell when it shipped up ground from Atlanta, and I waited 8-9 hours to unpack it. That wasn't enough time, and as I watched the lacquer checked all over the guitar and I was bummed (I also melted the top lacquer off a 4-digit standard at an HFC tour, but that's another story about why I shouldn't own nice things lol). That was one of the best-sounding and playing Hamers I've ever tried, but it eventually went to live with Hamerica who took much better care of it than I did. I think I described the slim v profile of the neck feeling like somebody taped two popsicle sticks to the sides of the trussrod. Skinny as hell but stll sounded massive with EMGs into my Boogies. Brian told me that you had played it, and seemed like your personal Excaliber (or Holy Grail if you prefer). There have been few confirmed escapes from the great texas korina forest, but that is a very cool move. congrats!
DBraz Posted January 31, 2016 Posted January 31, 2016 I love the back stories and I love even more that the guitar is with an owner for whom it was a holy grail. And it's played. As it should be! Rock on!
Hamerica Posted January 31, 2016 Posted January 31, 2016 To Jeff R and Vonnie, It is my pleasure! It would also be remiss of me if I didn't thank Stonge for not only providing me with the opportunity to be the caretaker for this particular guitar. Here is a picture of Guitar Greg and Jeff R back in the day. Best wishes, Hamerica
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