To much flex so bending notes and chords out of tune to easily, Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. A streamlined version, the Phantom GT, was also offered beginning in 84. Indio, CA. In September of 78 a Standard would set you back $1,199.95, list. The fingerboard was unbound mahogany with dot inlays. The pickguard was laminated pearloid. fingerboard that is capped off with classy victory inlays. By the 90s, virtually all other vibrato guitars featured Schaller Floyd Rose systems, cast with a Hamer logo. The neck remained typically Hamer and definitely Gibson-ish, with the tapered Hamer three-and-three head and heel at the body. | Free shipping on many items! It remains available. Electric Guitar Hamer Slammer Series Made in Korea S/N 6016108 with Soft Case. An unbound rosewood fingerboard with dots could be had for $699.95; $50 more got you a bound fingerboard with crown inlays. The neck is carved from the same choice mahogany and is reinforced with a carbon steel trussrod that is fully adjustable. The body was now made of alder, and the maple neck was bolted on, with the four-in-line headstock. These were outfitted with a 12-saddle bridge and stop tailpiece. focused and a Transparent Black on figured Maple veneer results in a visually inspiring It might be a Hamer Sunburst model, I have one which has the same control setup as the pictured one, 2 vol and 1 tone. Pezband Tommy Gawenda Sunburst 1995 Seymour Duncan. 18 watching. Modern players I'd had an interest in a P90 Sunburst for a while now, but never saw any out in the wild. For more tonal flexibility, in the middle position, the pickups were out-of-phase. was very similar to the Sunburst Archtop, introduced in 91. Hamer was founded in Wilmette, Illinois, by four chaps: Paul Hamer, Jol Dantzig, James Walker and John Montgomery. Hamer Guitars Inc. was incorporated in Illinois in 1976 by John Montgomery, Jol Dantzig, Paul Hamer and James Walker. With limited orders coming in, existence was tough. Ca. Hamer began publicizing its instruments in 1974, with small black-and-white ads in guitar magazines. Part of the early Hamer philosophy was making guitars the way Gibson did when Ted McCarty was running the company. In 95, Hamer brought back a number of variations on the venerable CruiseBass, the original of which had run from 82 to 90. Controls were one volume and one midrange tone/contour control with a three-way toggle, again behind the bridge, which offered humbucking and single-coil sounds. Hamer USA Phantom Cherry Sunburst Flame Top Guitar & Case $2,499 Used - Excellent Add to Cart Vox Phantom VI 1966 Black w/Vox Case $2,350 $100 price drop $2,250 Used - Very Good Add to Cart Warlock Phantom - Solid-body Mahogany Electric Guitar in Vintage White $1,450 $300 price drop $1,150 Brand New Free Shipping 14-Day Return Policy Add to Cart Hudson Falls, New York, 128**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Muddy Waters & Big Bill Morganfield Rollin Stone: The Golden Anniversary Collection &, Epiphone Zephyr De Luxe Regent and Zephyr Amplifier. Several ads were reproduced, including one for Pastore Music of Union City, New Jersey, promoting Hamer and Travis Bean guitars, Risson and Orange amps, Anvil cases, and Tychobrahe effects pedals; a good snapshot of a real guitar shop of the times. My business partner, Paul Hamer, and I recognized an opportunity to create a hybrid version of our favorite vintage instruments, and we purchased a mahogany husk from Jim in raw . Focus Jan Akkermann Standard The pickguard was a natty laminated tortoise affair, sort of oval extending under the strings from the neck, but with a kind of batwing extension over the treble cutaway horn. By 84, the Phantom A5 was available with a Kahler top-mounted double-locking vibrato system. Bridge units on the multi-string basses were of Hamers design, allowing individual intonation of each string. He had to sell it off piece by piece to keep the company afloat. The Phantom New Hamer Guitar Models Rick Nielsen Limited Edition Early Standards had Grover tuners, though these changed to Schallers in 79 or 80. This second version of the Phantom was now also offered as the Phantom A7 Synthesizer Controller. Hamer made some great guitars with sometimes dubious choices in pickups and finishes. Dark Burst finish looks even better in person. $250. This model remains in the line to this day. The Phantom A5 was available with Sustain Block string-through bridge or a new Sustain Block Tremolo vibrato, which basically transformed the fixed bridge into a non-locking Fender-style vibrato. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. Upgraded with a solid Maple top on Mahogany body, the tone is beefy yet focused and a Transparent Black on figured Maple veneer results in a visually inspiring instrument. Cheap Trick had also ordered at least one 10-string bass for Petersson (one octave string on the G and D, two octave strings on the A and E), and a custom 12-string guitar for Robin Zander. introduced in 1977. 92, as the vogue for locking vibratos began to wane, guitars such as the Vintage S and T-62 were fitted with a non-locking ABM roller-saddle bridge. In the late 1970s to the mid-1980s Def Leppard used Hamer guitars and basses. Kaman marketed a lower-priced line of Asian-built instruments called the Hamer XT Series and Slammer by Hamer, which was discontinued in 2009. Next month, well pick up the Hamer chronicles as the company begins to pick up steam in the early to mid 80s. Instead, they decided to create their dream guitars, new guitars worthy of the respect they gave to the vintage ones. New was a laminated pickguard with Prototype engraved and carrying a three-coil bridge pickup very similar to Mighty Mite Motherbuckers of the time, though actually it was a single-coil pickup tucked next to a humbucker in the same ring. Nevertheless, Dantzig and Hamer continued to play with their new creations and got the attention of more and more curious musicians. The top was carved, highly figured silky maple. The unbound two-octave fingerboard had pearl dot inlays. By around 82, Hamer had turned the corner on the road to success. This had a double-cutaway maple body basically the same as the Sunburst but without binding and with a glued-in mahogany neck, a large split-V headstock and a short 301/2. USA guitars and import lines from Korea and Indonesia. dovetail neck joint and fitted with a Hamer Dog Eared P-90, the SPJ provides resonance galore. The Prototype The Mirage Maple Top disappeared after only a year. Recent versions of the 8-String Bass feature EMG pickups. Feb 19, 2018. Pickups were now Seymour Duncans. This was essentially the same as the 12-String Bass except it had only one course of octave strings above the principal string and, of course, four fewer tuners. It had no serial number, and when it was done, Dantzig began to take it to gigs. Not resting on its laurels, yet two more new Hamer models debuted in 94 the Eclipse and the Mirage. Eschewing the fine-tune bridge and stop tailpiece of the Standard, Sunbursts featured a one-piece bridge/tailpiece assembly similar to that found on a stoptail Strat, with adjustable saddles and strings passing through the body. 1975-85 DiMarzio X2N (with or without active preamp) Colors were Amberburst and Vintage Orange. $100. Kiss Paul Stanley Standards (3) It has a few chips around the tremolo cutout. Journalists from the guitar press flocked to cover Hamer, which had the cheek to offer a $1,200 guitar when a Gibson only set you back $600 or so. Dantzig still has that first bass. Posted July 12, 2013 On 7/12/2013 at 12:52 PM, serial said: Post pics and we can help a lot more. By 1996, Hamer had begun to modify its import strategy and made a transition for its Ko-rean models which would end up being called the Import Series - basically upscale copies of its better Hamer USA guitars, still made in Korea. Where Are Hamer Guitars Made - Martin Acoutic Guitars Pickups were initially the same Hamer-spec DiMarzio PAFs, which by 83 had become re-dubbed Hamer Slammers. The Mirage, also introduced in 94, was another upscale model in an upscale world. I came across a Hamer guitar that is made in Korea, sort of a red subtle flame color with 2 hum buckers. These featured korina bodies with unbound rosewood fingerboards, dot inlays, covered humbuckers, and black pickguards. During that time, the company gained more popularity due to the high-profile patronage of Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and that group's use of Hamer eight- and 12-string basses. The Phantom came in two-tone sunburst, black, and TV blond finishes. Kaman Music agreed to purchase Hamer in late 1988. The Artist Archtop was an equal double-cutaway (as with most Hamers, upper horn slightly extended) with a mahogany body and ivoroid-bound carved flamed maple top. The first Hamer guitar, a Flying V bass, was built at Northern Prairie Music, a vintage instrument shop in Wilmette, Illinois, owned by Hamer and Dantzig. Hamer DC Flame Maple Studio Archtop Guitar Tonerider P90 Pickups Made in Korea . The beginnings of Hamer Guitars (pronounced Hay'-mer, not hammer) go back to those heady days of the early '70s, when Chicago was the breeding ground of soon-to-be-famous rock bands such as REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Cheap Trick. Questions about older Hamer made in Korea | The Gear Page by Ronnie Dungan, "FMIC Suspends Hamer Production" on Premier Guitars website, Hamer Guitars History Interview with Jol Dantzig, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hamer_Guitars&oldid=1126369721, This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 00:19. Basically, Dantzig and Hamer considered most 60s guitars a joke. I came across a Hamer guitar that is made in Korea, sort of a red subtle flame color with 2 hum buckers. Otherwise, the mahogany neck and electronics were very similar, with the three-coil/single-coil combination. If it plays nice and feels nice, that's half of it right there. I wouldn't say you're getting hosed on the deal. Bad Company Mick Ralphs Standard In March of 80 the Standard with dots listed at $1,199.95, Standard with crowns $1,299.95, the 8-String Bass was $1,499.95, 12-String Bass $1,700, 12-String Quadbass $2,000, Sunburst with dots $799.90, Sunburst with crowns $869.90, and the Special was $699.90. Kaman Music was then approached to handle sales, while the remaining owners concentrated on manufacturing. This was a little flashlight with a flexible lens you could turn in different directions and put in your pocket.. Hamer did get lots of good publicity, however. Authorized Dealer Locator | Fender It sounds like a Hamer Special, but those have 2 volumes and one tone. It was shaped like a Vox Phantom with Hamer Phantom electronics(! . Finish options included sunburst, cherry, yellow transparent, blue transparent, green transparent, opaque red, and a black-and-white graphic. standard with a Wilkinson Tremolo and classic Hamer controls and switch orientation. Eclipse It is sometimes incorrectly applied to guitars which look similar but are made of other woods, such as ash. However, the truly deluxe features were 25th Anniversary engraved sterling silver truss rod cover and back control plate, a line of sterling silver purfling on the inside of the body binding, and a special silver-colored hardshell case! Controls were one volume and two tone with a three-way select behind the bridge unusual placement. The vibrato was a non-locking Wilkinson VSV vibrato combined with chrome locking Sperzel tuners. The rosewood fingerboard was now 22 frets (34 scale), still with pearl dot inlays. It sort of reminds me of a cheaper PRS McCarty. With better facilities and the infusion of new enthusiasm, Hamer introduced its next model, a slightly downscale version of the Sunburst called the Special, in 80. Vintage guitars were called used guitars in those days, laughs Dantzig. The Five was essentially the same as the four-string except for having a 2-Tek bridge/tailpiece mounted through the body, and the addition of a fifth tuner on the bottom of the headstock. Pickups were hand-wound using oxygen-free Monster Cable wire, with gold covers signed by Seymour Duncan himself. Not only were the highly figured maple top, soundhole, ebony fingerboard and headstock bound, the body binding included mother-of-pearl. In 1977 the company set up shop in Palatine, Illinois and employed seven workers. The Police Andy Summers Standard, Sunbursts (3) At first, this unit sat on a rosewood shim to give it the right height, but in 78 these were replaced by the Sustain Block bridge, which featured a thicker chrome-plated milled brass base, giving them adequate height. By 81, a number of black-and-white graphic finishes were offered, primarily a series of stripes in various thicknesses. Circa 1970, Dantzig was playing bass in a club band called Heartbreaker. We were seeing vintage 50s Les Pauls selling for $3,000. A mini-toggle bypassed the volume control for instant lead mode. The Standard Bass was basically a bass version of the guitar with a bound flamed maple top over British Honduras mahogany body, a 34 scale (found on most Hamer basses, unless otherwise noted), four-in-line scimitar headstock, rosewood fingerboard, dot inlays, a pair of twin-blade DiMarzio X2N bass pickups, often (by 81) with an active preamp, and a Schaller Sustain Block bridge. Untermyer left the company in 2012 and now oversees the global supply chain of guitar manufacturer C. F. Martin & Company. This came with a special alligator hardshell case. Before this expansion Hamer's customers were limited to big-name touring groups such as Kiss, Bad Company, Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull and Savoy Brown. Listed: 8 months ago Views: 1498 Watchers: 38 The first Hamer guitar made (in 73) was a short-scale Flying V bass built for Dantzig. The Import Cruise basses were replicas of the latter model, with the Fender-style profile and the little batwing pickguard. This was identical except for having a single Hamer Slammer humbucker at the bridge and one volume control, available in custom colors and graphic finishes. Many guitars built between 86 and 89 came with OBL pickups made in Germany. Pickups on the Import Series were Duncan Designed. The result was the cleverly named 12-String Bass. The Who John Entwhistle 12-String Quad Bass Listed: a year ago Views: 452 Watchers: 28 Recent Studio versions of the Archtop and Archtop Artiste feature Wilkinson single-piece hardtail bridges. How do you date a Hamer guitar? - Guitar Reviewed Beginning in 87 many Hamers had EMG pickups. Ten employees were relocated to New Hartford along with Dantzig, who was re-hired as technical director. Eagles Joe Walsh Sunburst This had the Prototypes equal double-cutaway body with the extended upper horn and rounded lower bout. 1982-ca. The pups in these MIK Hamer's are SD designed,whatever?, all I DO know is they are pretty sweet and as I stated, all that was TRULY needed on that Echotone was a new Harness, and all else was good,as good as your gonna' get for under $300. Dantzig controlled 60 percent of the stock, the rest was split between Hamer and Untermeyer. #4. I can take closer pictures if needed. First was the Phantom A5 guitar. HAMER FUT-VKC Natural Made in USA EXP Type Electric Guitar MOD Rare Pre-Owned $4,620.00 jpitemsgoods (361) 98.8% Buy It Now Free shipping from Japan Free returns Sponsored HAMER FUT-VKC Natural Made in USA EXP Type Electric Guitar MOD, o2212 Pre-Owned $4,815.00 fun-japanproduct (922) 99.1% Buy It Now Free shipping from Japan Free returns The Echotone was basically a version of the semi-hollowbody Gibson ES-335. There were six tuners on each side of the head, in two sizes, with smaller ones for the octave strings. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Replacing the former P and J-style pickups were a pair of Duncan Vintage Jazz J-style units, one pickguard-mounted, the other on the top near the Gotoh bridge/tailpiece assembly. This did not really make good business sense. Hamer never had guitars made in Japan. . This article originally appeared in VGs June 00 issue. Basses The irony was that to everyone else, we were this upstart company selling guitars for twice the amount of the most expensive Gibsons at the time! Theyd take them to concerts passing through. Rockpile Dave Edmunds Sunburst Thats where Dantzigs huge vintage collection came in handy. In other words, while you may encounter mostly standard Standards as shown in brochures and ads, there are also many special features that occasionally show up. Last month I was on vacation in Austin and happened on an Indonesian P90 Sunburst. Paul Hamers bound flametop Explorer was given the name Standard and became the first of a long line that would be offered from 74 until 85 during its first run. After a 4-year hiatus since Fender had discontinued the Hamer models in 2013, the brand was re-introduced as a subsidiary of KMC Music, which announced the return of imported Hamer Guitars at the NAMM Show that same year. In a way, the Prototype was a fusion of Gibson and Fender ideas. The Eclipse (Model GECS) was a new asymmetrical offset double-cutaway design with short horns, the upper somewhat larger and rounded, the lower more pointed, and a rounded lower bout. Glenn Tipton's designed and used two very iconic Hamer guitars: the non-production Hamer GT Custom, introduced in 1986, and the Hamer Phantom GT. By 84, Hamer pickups were called Slammers, still produced by DiMarzio. Well, we near the end of the long tale of Hamer USA Guitars, a saga that began in the early 1970s and is today a great success story in American guitardom. $140 is good but I'd offer $250 for both. The top has some awesome figuring that gives it a unique look. By 96 the name had changed to become simply the Artist Studio (Model GATA-SO). Among their activities was buying bashed up old guitars and banjos and restoring them for resale. By around 80, the Hamer Standard was also offered without the flamed maple top and in a variety of opaque colored finishes. After the move, models that survived included the Standard, Special, Special FM (renamed the Special Custom), DuoTone, Eclipse, Mirage Maple Top, Archtop Artist (renamed the Artist Custom), Studio Archtop Artist (renamed Artist), Short-Scale 8-String Bass, Long-Scale Acoustic 12-String Bass, and CruiseBass. Brother, I posted a Thread here several years ago about a MIK Echotone I came across for a couple of hundred dollars, and IF the neck wasn't as skinny as a spaghetti noodle I'd still own it, the danged thing was stupid good. I don't know the model or what year it was made but it played very well with excellent balance across the pickup positions. In 74, Dantzig packed his guitar and bass and visited McCarty, hoping to get some advice, and perhaps a blessing. Hamer display at Ed Roman Guitars HAMER VIRTUOSO 36 Frets, Very Rare Model, Ed Roman usually has one available No Longer Being Built High Quality Replica's Available From Abstract Guitars The Abstract Replicas Are Only Available On Discontinued Hamer Models We Have Done Our Best To Recreate These Guitars With As Many Improvements as Possible. In 95 the Mirage was joined by the Mirage II, which differed in that it had a carved maple top and two Seymour Duncan humbuckers, with three-way select and no bypass switch. Also want to say its very nice with absolutely no fretware. The guitar has quailities of Sunburst and Standard. It sort of reminds me of a cheaper PRS McCarty. The Phantom Custom remains in the line to this day. And now you know all about them. Curiously enough, most have held their own very well in the used in vintage markets in terms of value, a tribute to their intrinsic quality and the heart that the Hamer folks put into their products. Hardshell cases for Standards and Basses were $129.90, $119.90 for the Sunbursts and Special. The original run of Hamer Sunbursts lasted until 83. Dire Straits Mark Knopfler Sunburst $500 $600. Also in 97, Hamer reintroduced one of its earliest original designs, the Prototype, using another model name, the Phantom (PHAN). Please Note: For product service outside the U.S. and Canada, please contact either the Dealer from whom you purchased the product, or the Authorized Gretsch Distributor in your area for information and assistance. switch orientation. Paul was the salesman. The Sustain-block vibrato basically used the same components as the fixed version, with the bridge pivoting on two points. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Roy Buchanan Roy Buchanan Standards (2) Very soon the supply of Gibson pickups was gone. At some point after 84, the mahogany neck was changed to maple. [7], Hamer Guitars on display at a music exhibition, 2008, "Fender closes Hamer. The headstock was the split-V three-and-three with a black face. And they considered the copies emerging from Japan beneath their attention. There were two primary differences; first the Artist Archtop was a semi-hollowbody with a sound chamber and f-hole, and the second was in pickups, which were Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. reserved. Sweet Andy Scott Standard The Eclipses were eclipsed in 98. Questioned why the truss rod cover said "Sunburst", they didn't know so I bargained on the price and got it for $175 with a free PRS gig bag. All came with bolt-on maple necks, unbound rosewood fingerboards, dot inlays and chrome hardware. Mirage Slammer by Hamers available in late 98 included the Pacer PCC3 (Strat copy with pickguard, three single-coils, traditional vibrato), Centaura CT21 (superstrat with humbucker/single/single pickups and locking Floyd Rose), Special SP1 (Special shape, solid wood, twin buckers), Special 2 SP2 (single-cutaway modified Les Paul shape with body binding), XP-Standard XP1 (Explorer with pickguard), Vector VK1 (Flying V with Modern-style V-head), Chaparral Bass CP4 (one P-style pickup), and the Blitz Bass BZ4 (two J-style pickups). In 95/96 Hamer produced a limited number of Korina Standards, versions of the original Gibson Explorer of 58. Buy and sell used fender stratocaster bass guitars with local pick-up or shipped across the country . The Ultimate Hamer USA Guitar Archive - Buddleja Garden In 76, a meeting was called with everyone who worked at Northern Prairie Music Dantzig, Hamer and two repair guys. Finishes included 59 Burst, Honey, Kool Blue, Red Transparent and Tobacco Sunburst. However, PAFs were designed for jazz players in the 50s. I paid $350 with a hard case and couldn't be happier. the Sunburst mainly in that it lacked binding and an arched top. Paradise Derek St. Holmes Standard There was a small black pickup, three-way select, volume and tone controls. Where are Hamer Slammer guitars made? Artist Archtop, et al Looking at the company today, its interesting that Hamer still has somewhat of an ambivalent image, somewhere between high-end boutique and budget vintage, perhaps best summarized (yea, perpetuated) by its own well-used advertising slogan, modern vintage. Well, after surviving this long, Hamer can now lay claim to some real vintage guitars, too. Artist Ultimate These were used on virtually all two-humbucker Hamers up to 82. As alluded to earlier, in terms of design the Import Series was very similar to their previous American counterparts, although materials were sometimes different. Phantom Revisited Korina is a term which is generally applied to a lightweight mahogany-like tonewood known as African Limba. I was going to get one a while back, but ended up with another Gibson. We thought we could make guitars just as good and sell them for a third of that price. Relocation Standard Revisited This first version of the Special lasted until 84. https://reverb.com/item/12576731-hamer-stellar-rare-sunburst-quilt-top-korea-excellent-condition. They were, in fact, one of the early vintage guitar stores, before there was such a thing as the vintage scene we know today. Molly Hatchet Dave Hlubek Standards (2) . Bad Company Boz Burrell Standard A slightly downscale version of the Sunburst was originally released in 1980. In 81, finish options included sunburst, transparent cherry, natural, yellow, green, opaque red, blue, green, orange, and black. Its essentially a hollowbody version of the Artist, but with a wider body and a pair of f-holes. Kenny Passarelli Kenny Passarelli Mandocello Hamer Electric Guitars for sale | eBay The Explorer That Got Awayand Inspired Hamer Guitars The Artist Archtop (sometimes also called the Artist Arched Top or Archtop Artist -fun, eh?) The neck pickup changed, finally landing on a Hfner staple pickup. Ca. New Partner, New Digs As before, this new Phantoms triple-coil pickup was a combination of a humbucker and single-coil in a single pickup ring. Find great deals and sell your items for free. Futura was not the official name of this model. As with the Gibson, this was a limited edition guitar. The body was Honduras mahogany with an optional unbound flamed-maple top. $250. We didnt quite get it, explains company cofounder Jol Dantzig, discussing the birth of Hamer Guitars. Following delivery of the 12-String Bass, Hamer was challenged again in 78 by an order for an 8-String Bass. Noticeably absent were most of the Strat-style models such as the Californian, Diablo and Daytona, and the T-51 Tele, though some would soon reappear as Import models. So our perspective has always been a little skewed. The Ramones Johnny Ramone Sunbursts (2) You must log in or register to reply here. Artist Ultimate Around the time of the move Hamer introduced another variation on its semi-hollow Artist guitar, a top-of-the-line Hamer Artist Ultimate (ARTULT). It was a pretty nice guitar. Crushed, Dantzig returned to Chicago. In an undated promotional piece that sports the Palatine address (making it before 78), the Standard was being promoted as The Ultimate, a line that would be used for a few more years. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Guitar Brands That Came Back From the Dead | Reverb News Electric Guitars Solid Body Hamer Gear I Don't Need Anymore Elgin, IL, United States Hamer archtop - Korean made Used - Very Good $395 + $75 Shipping This piece of gear has sold View similar gear from other sellers on Reverb View similar gear Watch Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again.