Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

Trade Hamer Sunburst 1979 for Monaco Elite


Recommended Posts

Eh. Different strokes. I didn’t care for my ‘79 Sunburst. I’d bought it because of the hype but it did nothing for me. We all have different needs in guitars. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, Rick. I love my old Special but an Elite would see more playing time. Something about the mid-'90s forward always felt more 'right' to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, polara said:

Eh. Different strokes. I didn’t care for my ‘79 Sunburst. I’d bought it because of the hype but it did nothing for me. We all have different needs in guitars. 

Yupp, true. I need both. My old Sunbursts are awesome. But I also need the sound of later Hamer's, which is a bit tighter and feels more modern. Love my Monaco Superpro.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/28/2021 at 9:42 AM, ARM OF HAMER said:

                                                       BIG mistake......................1979 Sunburst VS Hamer Monaco Elite.................Nope! no contest.

Pfft. Haters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/28/2021 at 1:49 PM, hamerhead said:

Something about the mid-'90s forward always felt more 'right' to me.

I agree. While I love old Sunbursts and Standards, I believe Hamer's build quality stepped up a notch or two in that era. I've always believed that NH production was the best. Those guitars were pretty much flawless... that is of course the ones that didn't wind up in a dumpster haul to Belmawr, NJ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, kizanski said:

Guilty.  I hate the Monaco Elite.

What do you hate about it?  Seems like it’s got a proven recipe. And people who bitch about the shelf at the neck joint would probably turn their noses up at a real ‘59 Les Paul Junior as well. Fuck those choads. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Different strokes and all that. I have a Monaco Elite Goldtop (non-original P90s). I think it to be a better guitar than the original 1956 I had for nearly 2 decades. (That is my story and I am sticking to it!)

Also have the CO SuperPro (also a goldtop and non -Duncan pickups). Probably my favorite Hamer all time.

Somehow the ledge thing never bothered me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The production ME doesn't bring a single thing to the table that isn't done better in other designs....and it's fugly.  That top carve is all-over bad, especially around the 3-way but even the horn looks uncomfortably pinched.  The shelf, while probably not as "in-the-way" as some want to claim, still adds another layer of ugly.  I mean...wtf is that?  It would look perfectly at home on a Jon Kammammererer.

image.png

It also epitomizes how formulaic and boring Hamer could be.  How many models can have the identical pickup, bridge, knob placement?  I wonder which groundbreaker thought "Oh, I know, we can move the switch!!"  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Travis said:

What do you hate about it?  Seems like it’s got a proven recipe. And people who bitch about the shelf at the neck joint would probably turn their noses up at a real ‘59 Les Paul Junior as well. Fuck those choads. 

Well, no.  The '59 is a double cut (like the '79 Sunburst). You’re thinking of the single cut Juniors, which, while alao having a "shelf," were also more aesthetically proportional than the Elite. 

The single cut Junior is the same shape and scale as its big brother Les Paul, while the Elite looks like someone said, "Let's make a smaller Monaco.... I don't know, just shrink everything." And yes, even the full sized Monacos have a shelf, but it appears much smaller, again, proportionally.  

Many people complain about the shelf on the Elite because they claim it "gets in the way," but I doubt anyone who ever said that ever played one.  It just looks like it would get in the way, but that hasn't been my experience any more than the extended heel on the PRS guitars from the '90s.  The Elites are fine playing guitars, just like every other Hamer from that time.  

I just don't like them because they're funny looking.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, kizanski said:

Well, no.  The '59 is a double cut (like the '79 Sunburst). You’re thinking of the single cut Juniors, which, while alao having a "shelf," were also more aesthetically proportional than the Elite. 

The single cut Junior is the same shape and scale as its big brother Les Paul, while the Elite looks like someone said, "Let's make a smaller Monaco.... I don't know, just shrink everything." And yes, even the full sized Monacos have a shelf, but it appears much smaller, again, proportionally.  

Many people complain about the shelf on the Elite because they claim it "gets in the way," but I doubt anyone who ever said that ever played one.  It just looks like it would get in the way, but that hasn't been my experience any more than the extended heel on the PRS guitars from the '90s.  The Elites are fine playing guitars, just like every other Hamer from that time.  

I just don't like them because they're funny looking.  

 

Dammit, I meant ‘57 Les Paul Junior. Damn my day drinking...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an absolutely killer Elite.  Ernie S. sold me a killer '79 Sunburst.  I've never thought of the two being in any way comparable.  Might just be that my '79 is exemplary.  But I kind of side with Kiz.  There's just something that keeps my Elite in the case.  Really can't tell you anything specific.  It's just never my go to guitar.

Got any pics?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...