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Hamer Special - early 80s - Checkerboard vs Non-checkerboard?


Al Nicko

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Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the world of Hamer guitars and have become entranced by the early 80s specials with the sustain-block bridges. 

Everyone seems to rave about the checkerboard headstock specials, are these generally the ones with the narrower saddles?
 
The non-checkerboard models I've seen are all from 1980. Was the checkerboard logo a later addition?
 
Is there any disadvantage to the non-checkerboard models? Do the wider saddles push the E-strings out beyond the pole-pieces on the bridge pickup? Are there problems with string volume? String spacing? Neck issues?
 
Or is it just that the 1980 models are missing the all important checkerboard headstock logo that adds at least 25% extra mojo?
 
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Welcome new guy! I was gonna tell you how the checkerboard makes at least 50% difference in mojo and the narrow saddles play more like free-range butter than regular butter, but really it's not like that.

There were at least 3 different versions of the sustain block saddles, none of which affected playability or sound (unless you're Eric Johnson maybe). Some may prefer one spacing over another.

The non-checkerboard guitars are exactly the same as the checkerboard guitars, only minus the checkerboard.

There. My bubble-bursting is complete.

 

ETA: Specials RULE!

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Thanks Hamerhead. The info is very much appreciated! It's funny, Hamers weren't on my radar at all but as soon as I clapped eyes on those early specials, they really put the hook in me. Btw once you've tried grass-fed, free range butter from cows that have bedtime stories read to them by Morgan Freeman ...well ... going back becomes an impossibility. Thanks again. A.

 

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My first Hamer was an '81 Special with the checkerboard on the headstock. That was 1986 or '87 and I still have it. Things really went downhill when I signed up here with this bunch of enablers.

Hamer Specials are hands down the biggest bargain in guitardom. You won't find a better USA-made, hand-built guitar for the money.

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Also at the time, the only thing which determined which Specials got the checkerboard logo and which ones didn't was availability of the logos themselves.
They'd run out, use the non-checkerboard logo, and then get more made.

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I had a 1980 cboard Special that I sold to fund a Newport. That Special was the most resonant guitar I ever played. It rang like a damn bell. The neck was too small though. I am more of a Hamer Vintage carve fan....welcome to the HFC!

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Just now, cynic said:

My '80 Special had a clean headstock and was a fantastic guitar so there's probably some bias on my part, but the checkerboard thing always felt a little more fanboi goofy than I wanted. 

Username checks out.

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8 hours ago, Al Nicko said:

Btw once you've tried grass-fed, free range butter from cows that have bedtime stories read to them by Morgan Freeman ...well ... going back becomes an impossibility.

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On 11/25/2020 at 7:03 AM, kizanski said:

Also at the time, the only thing which determined which Specials got the checkerboard logo and which ones didn't was availability of the logos themselves.
They'd run out, use the non-checkerboard logo, and then get more made.

I didn't know that!  Incredible.  Thanks, Kizanski!

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