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Thunderbolt and HFC Edition Artist


shankyboy

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Been reading my new Hamer book and came across this. How many of these were made and does anyone on here have one? Also, I saw a picture of a baby Blue Artist with 3 cream colored P-90s in it. The book said it was a HFC Edition for some special event in 2000 and only 6 were made. I can't find any pictures online but I am curious to know who ended up with one.

thunderbolt-007.jpg

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The Thunderbolt is the stuff of Hamer (and vintage guitar) legend.  I first came across one in Guitar Magazine (UK) back in the early 1990s (still have that issue).  It was the "April Fool's" issue, but the joke about unearthing a mythical and thentofore previously unknown late 50s Gibson prototype was so well done, that many people fell for it - it even ended up in the Andre Duchoissoir book.  It was basically a new build, using vintage parts and antiqued to look like a 40 year old abused relic in glorious SG Cherry.

By the mid-1990s, Rick Nielsen had gotten hold of the "original" somehow, and I think there was some partial belief that it may have been a legit build.  Paul Trynka, from Guitar Mag, later debunked that and told the whole tale of how he and a couple other guys created the whole thing, but pre-widespread internet access, it was definitely being talked about at guitar shows and in vintage/collector circles.  Nielsen sent the one he had (on loan?) to Hamer to copy, and they apparently built it for him in 1995 (it has a 1995 serial number, but that line is mysteriously empty in the log books, IIRC).  I saw him play the Hamer extensively on tour from early '96-'02, and got to examine it "in hand" several times.  He lists it on the 1996 S/T (RedAnt) album and played it prominently on several tracks and TV appearances around that time.

When asked about that guitar MANY times from 1997-2004, mostly at HFC events, Jol denied its existence - not sure if that's a deal he had with Rick, if he was concerned that Gibson (who built 2 of their own for the 1999 NAMM show) would come knocking, or if he just wanted to keep it shrouded in an air of mystery.  I'll have to get the story from somebody I know who was there and who actually built them.  Towards the late years of Hamer, a member here placed an order for one and his dealer managed to get a Korina one actually built...kind of a reissue of a guitar that supposedly didn't exist!

They look very strange, admittedly, but the way they hang, make them very comfortable to play (standing, of course), and they're like a perfectly balanced Flying V.

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I'm not sure if the ones pictured above actually exist or not though... ;)

 

Regarding the Whirlpool Blue "HFC" Artist, when the Hamer Fan Club had the annual factory events in New Hartford, typically, Hamer would offer a small, very limited run of guitars that participants could order that day only.  The first year, there were 5 Korina Standards, then there were a few Sustainblock "SB-77" Sunburst reissues, and the Korina Artist with 3 P-90s.  Out of the 5 or 6 of those that were built after that October event, all but one were done in Antique Natural Korina finish with black P-90s and an "HFC #" imprinted on the back of the headstock.  My brother ("Serial") ordered his in a custom "Whirlpool Blue" with white covers and his new son's name on the headstock.  I'm pretty sure that was from October, 2000, but it could have been 2001.

Probably more than you wanted/needed to know, but hope that helps!

 

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I can tell you with 100% certainty that I carved the neck on Rick’s red one and it was built at Hamer.  It has a thinner neck profile.  If I remember correctly it ended up in New Hartford a few years later with a cracked headstock.  

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27 minutes ago, mirrorimij said:

I can tell you with 100% certainty that I carved the neck on Rick’s red one and it was built at Hamer.  It has a thinner neck profile.  If I remember correctly it ended up in New Hartford a few years later with a cracked headstock.  

I was hoping you'd chime in, Bob!

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The "real" one was built by my best friend Chris Lukasik.  He built it for Dave Kenney.  The parts all came from the "Heritage/Gibson" guitar factory in a pilgrimage that Chris and his friend Roy took back in early 1990.  Chris had neck blanks, body blanks and some Flying V body parts.  I don't know if you'll be able to see the text, but the article lays it all out.

7s9iRIE.png

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The last 4 pics in the article are of the Red and then the Korina Gibson versions built in 1999.  The very first pic in the upper left is a pic of Rick Nielsen's '95 Hamer Thunderbolt (pic taken from a 1997 Jpns "Player" magazine.  I had always heard the story about Dave Kenney/Chris Lukasik being involved too (I ordered my first custom ordered Standard from Davein 1990), but was told by the magazine editor later that Dave Kenney wasn't involved and that the magazine guitar was built by a Brit named Tim DeWhaley, using vintage Gibson parts.  Whichever version is true (there used to be competing websites solely dedicated to the Thunderbolt and variations!), they are incredibly cool guitars even if they're not everybody's cup of tea.  I'm not sure about that...more mystery!

Thunderbolt Guitar Magazine.jpg

A Hiroshi Kid with flamed Korina - NOT made for Nielsen, as the listing implies, but sold to another USA collector.  https://reverb.com/item/2186958-gibson-thunderbolt-flying-z-korina

 

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I was the first one to play the guitar, when it was finished.  Here's the text from the original article...

"The crazy prank of two British journalists turned into reality thanks to the effort of U.S. collector/dealer David Kenney, who had the guitar built by luthier C. Lukasik (Chris) from "old korina Gibson parts" which he (Lukasik) had purchased from the old Gibson Kalamazoo plant (from Mike Korpeck).  This oddbird is also known by the name "Flying Z", or ""reverse Vee".  The rubber stamped serialized neck appears to be from an original 59 Flying Vee; the rear of the headstock was chipped, so probably that's the reason it was never built into a Vee, but probably headed directly to the b-stock shelves.  The body itself is made of 2 pieces of korina joined down the middle; it is unlikely that it was a Vee blank as the veins do not run parallel to what would have been the sides of a v-shape body, like the 50's-60's models.  The brass bolt decoration obviously is "original" but obviously it is not a Gibson part.  The guitar features a quite un-ergonomic design but it is also very light (7.5 lbs); the way it falls from the strap, coupled with the relatively stiff string tension makes it more ideal to rhythm than lead playing, which is not impossible, just less easy.  The guitar stays in tune perfectly, despite the old Kluson tuners and the relatively slim neck profile.  The 60's "sticker PAF" pickups deliver an unreal tone to this unique oddbird; the mass of the top "winglet" makes for a very warm and throaty sound.  No distortion pedals are needed on this beauty, that's for sure, and it's clean sounds are equally as sexy and compelling....

Story has it that the guitar was loaned to Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen who used it in studio and had at least two copies made, one or two from Hamer and one from Fernandez(or from a defunct Japanese shop called KIDS).  Rumours have it that Gibson itself built 5 or 6 copies based on demand from certain shops and collectors.  As per answers on the Gibson forums, part of the run was done in mahogany and 2 in korina.  Apparently the Gibson copies suffered from headstock breakage due to the fact that the headstock tilt was excessive or incorrect.  I have located pictures (bottom page) of one of the Gibson "copies" which were taken by the folks at Island Guitars in Hawaii.  I have heard that one store actually has one for sale (as of November '04) - but it might not be the Gibson copy but rather a luthiery job.  All pictures (except for the one in the magazine, the 2 Nielsen pics at the top, and the Gibsons at the bottom of the page): copyright 2004 Paul C. Webber."

Special Thanks included our own C. Matthes BTMN, and Bruce919.

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The Dave Kenney guitar was built in 1990 as I recall.  My shop was still in business and Chris worked on the guitar on his bench in my shop.  A local machinist crafted the tailpiece and I think it differs just a bit from the others (a little fatter across the "bolt").  There was no template as there never was an "original".

So, the "story" is true.  Dave offered it for sale to many buyers and John Coleman in England brokered a deal, but I don't know if the guitar ever made it over there.  I have no idea if Nielsen ever played it, but I know Dave offered it to him.

Seems like yesterday.   

 

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1 hour ago, tomteriffic said:

That was the question that came immediately to mind.  And wasn't it trans green?

He did, but I can't remember who the builder was.
And it had Filt-R-Trons, a spruce top and a Bigsby.

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6 hours ago, kizanski said:

He did, but I can't remember who the builder was.
And it had Filt-R-Trons, a spruce top and a Bigsby.

Kurt Wilson?

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The Shark’s recollection is exactly in line with what I was originally told, but the story seems to change a bit as time goes by.  I’m sticking with that one, personally.

Ultimately, these are super cool guitars in person.

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32 minutes ago, cmatthes said:

The Shark’s recollection is exactly in line with what I was originally told, but the story seems to change a bit as time goes by.  I’m sticking with that one, personally.

Ultimately, these are super cool guitars in person.

All I can be sure of is that Dave Kenney's was built by Chris.  I was there when Chris and Roy came home from Michigan.  Chris had neck blanks, fingerboards in various stages of completion, and a load of parts.  I remember us making up sets of the knobs and tuners and bagging them up to sell in Texas at the Arlington show.  There were at least fifty four-knob sets of sixties knobs with the inserts.  Those are what was on the Bolt.  The korina body parts were for a Vee, but I think it was from the sixties.  It was really light korina.  Chris fabricated the pickguard and I sourced the ABR-1 from a guy that did all the vintage shows.  The logo came in the parts box Chris pilfered too.  I think Dave Kenney supplied the pickups and I can't remember if they were PAF's or Patent Number pickups, but they sounded good.  From inception to delivery to Dave Kenney, I can attest to one being out there that was friggin' killer that made its way to the 1990 Arlington show.  After that, there might be parallel stories.  And why wouldn't there be.  Every cool guitar has a "story".   Especially, if Dave Kenney owned it!

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On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 7:28 PM, marcnorth said:

I think it was this one, sustain block bridge.

 

https://vintagemaniacs.com/kurt-wilson-thunderbolt/

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Wow !! it is in Japan now? I saw it pop up for sale at Daves Guitars a few years back. I thought I had sold it to some one in Kentucky. I asked Hamer several times to build me one, ever time nope. I had seen some of Kurt Wilson's V on the internet. I contact him, & asked if he would be open to build one. I had made up a CAD drawing from a flying V cad file I found on the net.  Kurt tweaked it a bit to make it all work together. It was well built. I sold it back when the economy took a dump on 09. I think it as a Duncan Custom 5 in the bridge & the neck pick up was GFS paf style pick up. (It had a Duncan 59' when it was built) Kurt had to mill off about 1/16" of an ich off the bottom of the sustain block to get the string height correct. I have some photo of the build in process. I will try to post them later.

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