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Restoration of vintage Hamer bass. Yes or no?


Justin Warren

Question

Is it better to leave this vintage Hamer Standard Explorer bass in original condition or is it ok to have pro refinish, upgrade work done by a pro shop (Mike Lull guitars, Bellevue, Washington)? The bass plays and sounds great but the color is probably my least favorite of any color. Please advise. 

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20 answers to this question

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4 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

Leave it as is.  Save your money. 

When you say "upgrade work" what do you mean? 

Well... I was thinking of a creme color, maybe Lull T-Bird pickups and possibly T-Bird bridge with “claw” tailpiece. It would be an amazing bass... but it would degrade the collector/historical value and honestly, for what this work would cost I could buy a whole new bass. I’m going to leave it alone and enjoy it as it is. The neck is amazing as is the tone. 

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If you're looking for a "project", I've got a Blitz Bass that would be a much better candidate to rework/refinish/re-imagine.  Doing anything that drastic to a Standard is likely a felony in at least 48 states!

 

My 84 Blitz Bass.jpg

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21 hours ago, cmatthes said:

If you're looking for a "project", I've got a Blitz Bass that would be a much better candidate to rework/refinish/re-imagine.  Doing anything that drastic to a Standard is likely a felony in at least 48 states!

 

My 84 Blitz Bass.jpg

How much????

Says the guy who can't afford it...

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Hey Justin, we don't know each other but we have both made music with the incomparable Francis Theodore P.  No, I won't sell you my Hamer bass but I will entertain the idea of a home for the one you are thinking about taking to Lull.  Mike is a good guy and would do very good work but you really shouldn't change much about the perfection of what you have in your hands.  The Hamer I play is as different from yours as could be possible but they are both works that should be savored and kept. If yours needs a home, hit me up, before you change it....

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Would you restomod a vintage Shelby?

Your bass has earned every one of it's dings, scuffs and scrapes the old-fashioned way. That means something. If the color really bothers you, maybe see about having it wrapped. That way you won't destroy an amazingly cool old bass, and actually preserve/protect the original finish. And when you're tired of that, have it re-wrapped.

Short story: waaaay too cool to ruin with a refin.

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Just now, Steve Haynie said:

Here is an example of a modification that should never have happened. 

Someone did that to another '57 Chevy around here decades ago.  It always seemed like a waste of a good car to me. 

But in fairness it started as a 4-door so the builder gets a pass.

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14 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

What color is it? Looks like it was originally black, and the finish has faded? Or is it some type of blue?

Dark Gray, per Jol.

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On 11/30/2020 at 10:20 PM, killerteddybear said:

Scratch your T-Bird itch with this:

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or this:

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I think you'll be able to do MUCH BETTER than that soon.

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