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What years were Standards made in Korea?

jim777

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jim777 Inner Circle

jim777

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$4000 seems to be the starting price for USA Standards now, but I've seen a few posts here that said the Korean made guitars were decent. I'd like to get an Explorer for the one or two Skynyrd songs we play, and wondering what years the Korean ones were made.  I may just get an Epiphone but would like to have options. Thanks in advance :)

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mathman Veteran HFCer

mathman

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IIRC there are three versions. The early slammers (but I am not positive they had Standards)  in the 90 the XT's were made and then sometime after 2000 they moved production.   I have a Black XT that I bought in 2005  that was probably made between 2003 to 2005 but it is hard to accurately date them.

 

I am thinking of selling it so if you start looking let me know.

 

Kirk

jim777 Inner Circle

jim777

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There's an '08 XT on reverb and I know that one was made in China, it was the Korean ones I heard here weren't too bad.

BTMN Veteran HFCer

BTMN

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That would be from the "good run"  IMHO. I have had 2 and helped a friend get a couple in the Flametop version from that same period, late '90s/early 2000s.

gorch Veteran HFCer

gorch

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As far as I can recall, until 2002 all were made in Korea. It had been followed by a Chinese period when Fender took over, eventually, consolidated to Indonesia. Except for the Chinese, I have never heard any complaints. I have had an Indonesian in my hands and were impressed on the build quality. I own a MIK from about 2000 that I bought in 2004. Still have it and like it.

cmatthes Veteran HFCer

cmatthes

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From 1999 until maybe 2002-03, the Korean made Standards (flametop) were the top line import.  They also did a few black ones and even fewer black ones with flame graphics.

After that, production shifted to China at some point, and then to Indonesia.  They started calling them “XT Series” in the mid-2000s, and the headstock shape changed (got thicker and clubbier). 

I can’t really comment on the “new” Standards that we’re out for a brief period of time, because, well, I don’t give two shits about a non-Hamer Guitar with a Hamer logo.

gorch Veteran HFCer

gorch

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Well, adding the black and cherry sunburst models were made from alder and came with OEM pickups. There appeared to be a top line model that had a korina top and maple body and neck. Stock it had original SD 59s in it. There is a youtube video of a test available. Although these guitars don’t fit into the heart of a USA Hamer fan boy like cmatthes, these guitars had been great bang for the bug. Interestingly they never got really cheap. Count in $350 - $450 for one. With the korina model on the upper range.

cmatthes Veteran HFCer

cmatthes

Posted
Posted
On 8/18/2018 at 9:09 AM, gorch said:

Well, adding the black and cherry sunburst models were made from alder and came with OEM pickups. There appeared to be a top line model that had a korina top and maple body and neck. Stock it had original SD 59s in it. There is a youtube video of a test available. Although these guitars don’t fit into the heart of a USA Hamer fan boy like cmatthes, these guitars had been great bang for the bug. Interestingly they never got really cheap. Count in $350 - $450 for one. With the korina model on the upper range.

None of the Korean guitars came stock with Seymour Duncan pickups of any sort.  "Duncan Designed", but definitely not real Duncans.

gorch Veteran HFCer

gorch

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18 minutes ago, cmatthes said:

None of the Korean guitars came stock with Seymour Duncan pickups of any sort.  "Duncan Designed", but definitely not real Duncans.

Real Duncans in the top “korina” model. Definitely!

Thought to find the old Hamer homepage in the Buddleja Garden. Unfortunately, it’s not been saved there. It used to be catalogued in the specs there.

gorch Veteran HFCer

gorch

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Watch here from 00:28. Hamer Standard XT!

 

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