gibson es les paul compared to hamer artist

[neastguy]

hamer artists that I like are becoming harder to find..  I used to have an artist that I foolishly sold in the heat of the moment.. anyhow..  I never get out...  have any of you  card carrying hamer artists hamerites played both and how do they compare?  feedback, feel.. etc.....

[DaveL]

I have an ES Les paul... it's the one in tobacco sunburst with the larger 59 style neck... absolutely

love it...   big neck,  custom shop styling (VOS finish, Memphis humbuckers,  very dark rosewood

board, bone nut).       it's semi hollow with solid wood down the middle... not sure it's exactly

apples to apples with the hamer artist...  (IMHO the artist is more of a solid body with a chamber)

 I also owned the p-90 gold top semi hollow with p-90's and a bigsby, which was fantastic and

looked cool as hell...  (decided I liked my es-330 hollow body w-p-90's but could have easily

kept both)  so I sold that one but those are fantastic 

 

  I would not pay $3000 for one, but some of the recent prices on the Memphis es series are

pretty nice...     don't get me wrong, I love Hamers, but because they're getting to be 20-25 years

old, I'm starting to burn out on hamer-itis, and weird mods,  dudes on reverb not disclosing crap...

happy to own a few newer guitars that haven't been screwed with.  

 

 

edit,  pics added

 

 

[Thundersteel]

I currently have both (sort of). My "ES Les Paul" is actually a Heritage H-157, which is modeled after the LP Supreme; I think the ES Les Pauls are constructed similarly. 

The Heritage has a slightly "woodier" and airy sound. I don't remember getting feedback from either; they both have Seth Lover pups. As for feel, the nod goes to the Artist due to easier upper fret access.

 

[neastguy]

1 hour ago, Thundersteel said:

I currently have both (sort of). My "ES Les Paul" is actually a Heritage H-157, which is modeled after the LP Supreme; I think the ES Les Pauls are constructed similarly. 

The Heritage has a slightly "woodier" and airy sound. I don't remember getting feedback from either; they both have Seth Lover pups. As for feel, the nod goes to the Artist due to easier upper fret access.

 

Nice artist and Heritage...   I didn't get feedback from mine.. but it was easily on the brink when needed...

[bubs_42]

I'm not a fan of the ES Les Pauls, my co-guitarist has one and paid damn good money for it. Just raved about how much he loved it, but after bringing it to a few rehearsals and struggling with it staying in tune he took it in for some work. I stopped into the shop check on one of my projects and it was getting a work over from the nut to the bridge to get it straight. I never saw that guitar again, I assume he still has it. 

[murkat]

I have a ES LP, recently purchased for the CME blowout a thon.

I got it fairly cheap...

To back up a bit, The FIRST one CME delivered was junk.

I called CME, returned the first one, got the second one.

The second one is good to go.

The ES LP is like a mini 335 / 336 hybrid. it is stupid light and not neck heavy.

Issues.

Fretwork. High spots, low spots. terrible. I took care of that.

Pickups. even potted, they squealed under high gain. Replaced as well as the cpa, built to my specs.

ABR bridge. apparently they have titanium bridge saddles... way too tingy on the notes. replaced with oldschool steel and or brass saddles. Better.

Tail piece. Stock was the historic light, tingy sound (again) swapped out to a heavy, brought in some thump and girth to the tone.

Neck. about the size of an almost 58' carve. I can deal with that... kinda. (the first one I got that I returned was HUGE)

All in All, I like it. semi woody tone, light, chunks. It rocks. Nice addition to my LP family.

A tottaly different guitar, tone print compared to a Hamer semi hollow Artist due to a carved maple top, construction, etc..