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Hamer Newport Pro, Maple vs Spruce vs Korina


Dutchman

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I’ve got an itch to trade my 2013 Gibson ES 390 for a Newport Pro. I can’t hang w a Bigsby,  I just tried my buddy’s and could not get used to using one. So I’m wondering about the tonal quality’s of the different woods. I’ve read the stuff on the net and listened to every youtube video I could find. I know there is no better group to ask than you guys for experience with this line of Hamer.

For looks I’m leaning hard towards the Bound Maple top and I think it was a  korina body with and ebony fretboard from a pic floating around on the net. 

Please let me know your thoughts and if anyone is interested in trading give me a shout!!

This is the only pic I have for now. The pickguard is in the guitar case.

3690F8B6-8F01-4AC1-84EC-0729C6D190CF.jpeg

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SPRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE! Spruce all the way for me, I love the way it sounds with the mahogany back and neck. Both my Newport and Shishkov have full sound, with great string to string articulation. They were both loud and open, and very lively. 

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Thanks Guys!! That is why I LOVE this Site!!! Great People, Great answers!!! I started gassing for a Newport after reading a thread here. I like the Gibby 390, it does the Thorogood stuff great, it's light (5.8lbs) and it's a solid, beautiful,fun guitar. But... it's not a Hamer. I'm going to be in Nashville for 4 months Nov- Feb so maybe I'll bring the Gibby for a trader and bump into one down there.

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I had a Newport with a spruce top and Seths in it.  Great sounding guitar.  Bubs' recollection is consistent with mine.  But if I go down the Newport rabbit hole again (ok, when not if), it'll be a phat cat non-bigsby model.     I actually regret not picking up  a jazzburst w/ phat cats in it with a blemish on the top that went for a song on Reverb a few years ago.   Maybe BurningYen picked it up?

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The spruce over hog really is a great wood combo....every time I get ready to list mine to fund another Shishkov, I play it hard and then tell my wife I’d be a fool to sell it. 

I WILL find another way to fund the Shish. But spruce over hog really makes for a fine rock/blues guitar. And some of the Hamer spruce has subtle, pretty figuring, though as Cam said, not like maple. But it’s different, and rockn’...and I like that.

 

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On ‎10‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 4:23 PM, BubbaVO said:

  I actually regret not picking up  a jazzburst w/ phat cats in it with a blemish on the top that went for a song on Reverb a few years ago.   Maybe BurningYen picked it up?

Please don't talk about regrets. I cant forget the Birdseye topped Newport 12vr I watched sell on eBay last year. SUB $1500 and I just sat and watched!

I am such a fool!

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It is not right on point, but the use of a softwood on a hollow or chambered body is a great combination. And, IMO, even more so with a korina body/neck. The custom order "Ultimate" DuoTone I had for a long time, with aged cedar top over korina was wonderful. A few more recent takes with redwood over a chambered and very light weight body (korina or black limba, but mahogany works well too) are my favorites.

I DO love the look and sound of the traditional maple over mahogany. But I do think the softer woods add a lot to the tone. There is a reason the world's "best" archtops tend to have softwood tops, at least if their primary focus is tone rather than looks.

I have had Newports with maple tops and others with spruce. The one I kept has spruce. That is my recommendation.

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On 10/4/2018 at 8:23 PM, BubbaVO said:

I had a Newport with a spruce top and Seths in it.  Great sounding guitar.  Bubs' recollection is consistent with mine.  But if I go down the Newport rabbit hole again (ok, when not if), it'll be a phat cat non-bigsby model.     I actually regret not picking up  a jazzburst w/ phat cats in it with a blemish on the top that went for a song on Reverb a few years ago.   Maybe BurningYen picked it up?

Nah, that wasn't me. I did once have a tobacco burst Newport Pro that came with Seths that I swapped out for Harmonic Design Z-90s. Great guitar, although I do prefer the feel of my Newport 90.

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I have a Hamer GT artist (One f hole) that is topped in Maple. Bright, articulate with p-90's, It rocks. I prefer my Hamer Monaco III with the spruce top and p-90's. It just seems to have more definition in all sorts of ways. I don't know how else to describe it. Both are very versatile and the p-90's really respond well to volume knob changes. While I realize these are two totally different guitars I submit there is something *smooth* about those spruce tops. 

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