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March 2004
Posts: 201
Location: Vernon, CT | I was watching David Letterman Tuesday night and the former guitarist from Living Color was guest guitarist for NBC Band (?) playing a cool looking and sounding Hamer solid body electric. Knowing that Hamer is Big "O's" cousin two times removed and not O specific it was a nice sounding guitar. Any feedback on these? Play On!
John L.
Std. Balladeer
Legend LX
Celebrity C026
Tornado
Takamine 12 String
Martin D16GT
Fender P-Bass |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | They are great. Might be a cousin twice removed but they live together now. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | great guitars
btw john I shipped your blue baby today send me an e mail I lost your e mail address |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I have a Hamer solid body. Incredible guitar. Quality far bypasses anything from the F and G folk, at reasonable prices. Hamer is the best "custom shop" for electrics in the US. I think of Hamer and Ovation as step-siblings ... same parent now and living in the same house. BTW, the (new) Viper line was a joint development effort.
Check out some of the OFC tour pictures scattered through the gallery to get an idea of how well the hand-crafted guitars are put together. |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Vernon Reid has been a Hamer endorser for many years, as has been the female guitarist in the Letterman show band.
Hamer guitars have come up on this board before, and some of us are fans. Al Pep and I split time between this board and the HFC, tho I think we are seen here more often and Al is a co-sponsor of this board.
Al, btw, has helped me out on Hamer special orders and is THE man for things Hamer as well as Ovation. And mauve shirts, or so I have been led to believe... |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Paul
I think you know the real reason why I am seem more on this board...but we really won't go there. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I was one of those "converts" to Hamer over the past year or so. Never gave'em much a look before that. After the tour when I saw how they were made I started to get hooked and have been looking for a model that is me. Hanging with Al at some of the guitar shows I get to see several Hamers go by, and I can say they by far one of the best guitars out there. The consistancy and attention to detail make a picky sod like me get all goosebumps. I don't think most people realize how close to completely "hand made" these guitars are. There are some big players out there that "claim" handmade workmanship, but aren't even close to what Hamer does.
I'm looking forward to making my first Hamer Open house trip. Just something about being able to pick out a piece of wood and hand it to the guy that is going to cut it into a guitar for me. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Went to an open Jam last night.
took my Hamer superpro.
It was the first time I was ever there so you kinda get the evil eye.
I was invited by a friend that figured we have known each other 26 years.
Anyway my friend got me an invite to jam, I played my 3 songs and the house band leader came up to me and said "hey Al, that HAMMER sounded good"
Next week I am sure I will be converting some more of the F & G guys.... |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | "...and then I saw her face.
Now I'm a believer.
Without a trace.
No doubt in my mind..."
Al,
Get them to make a Breadweiner/Deacon shape and I'll convert! |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | I too have been very interested in Hamer ever since visiting the factory and seeing how these things are made. To be honest it's more impressive than Ovation. The painstaking hand crafting of Hamers is just amazing. Sadly, other priorities prevent me from indulging now and for the forseeable future. But Hamer is definately on my "to do before I die" list. Small negative comment, in my opinion the headstock is fugly and WAY too big for the body size. But I'm sure that can be pared down via custom order. |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Felicia Collins is the "female guitarist in the Letterman band".
Felicia on the Hamer Web Site
I was playing my Hamer Custom Graphic last night, I R-E-A-L-L-Y want to pick up a new Monaco Elite with a Indigo finish my local dealer has right now..... |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Paul: my over the hill memory has Felicia Collins in there somewhere. It just takes too long to access the right file some days.
Al: "I think you know the real reason why I am seem more on this board...but we really won't go there."
What can I say, even though I laughed when I read your comment. I don't read all of the posts, so I must have missed most of the brouhaha. But what I HAVE seen of late is pretty infantile. It seems that 'back in the day' (several incarnations ago of the HFC board) that the flaming was hotter, but at least more creative. |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Right Paul B. For the longest time I didn't know her name, tried to look up "CBS Orchestra",etc. Everytime she was plying a Hanmer I would tell my wife, "Check it out, she has a Hamer"....
Finally I think David Letterman was talking to her about some crazy hat she was wearing and introduced her. She is a great guitar player.... |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | They're all VERY good!!
(Will Lee's a GREAT bass player!)
Unfortuanately, Paul Schaffer's an absolute "tool" . . |
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August 2002
Posts: 398
Location: So. Cal. | Al: "an invite ..."? What did I say about that on Saturday?
Dave: Right on about the disproportional headstock. Hamer's recent Jazz hollow body is by far the best looking and sounding contemporary jazz axe I have seen and heard... minus the unusally large headstock. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Michael
I KNEW that would get drag you out of the woodwork and onto the board!!!!!!!!!!!11 |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Hey Al - give me some credit here. I wrote that comment specifically to get Mike back on the board. Of course if MY office was decorated with as many to-die-for Ovations and Adamas as HIS, I doubt I'd be sitting here tapping on the keyboard all day either. But yes, the headstock IS ugly. Of course, in a way it's a GOOD thing that it's so big, because you could actually take it to a skilled woodworker and there's plenty of starting block for him to carve it into a nice OVATION shaped headstock. Hmmm ... don't put it past me. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | This may be a bit of a stupid question (shut up, Witko!), but wouldn't the "mass" (not neccesarily the "shape") of a headstock have a degree of bearing on the sound of the guitar?? |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Cliff, That's not a stupid question at all. It's well documented on acoustic guitars that when playng standing up they sound significantly better with the strap attached to the body/bowl, than with the strap attached to the headstock. With the strap pulling on the headstock, it just screws up the balance and it guitar acts like it has less mass in the head and thus sounds pretty weak. This is Physics 101 and Professor Temp can explain all about it. But that's why you should never, ever attach the strap to the neck/headstock even for an Elvis or Johnny Cash impersonation. That's also why most jazz players prefer to sit down. Those who do stand and use straps attached to the headstock sometimes attach extra weights to the headstock to counteract the change. |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The mass of the headstock is a (probably minor) factor in tone, sustain & the lack or presence of dead-spots on the neck, but that's about as much as I know. Ned Steinberger decided to do away with the headstock completely, which is about as low mass as you can get, and Aspen Pittman sells a gadget (The Fat Finger) which adds mass to the headstock. Go figure. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15685
Location: SoCal | I thought it was a bit of a stupid question...... |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | I am so glad that Al Gore invented the internet so that you guy's can live out the intercontinental version of the "barbershop"!
All we need is a little red and white striped pole underneath the counter.
Just lovin it! |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | The amazing thing to me is that some people seem to never sleep. Mostly people named "Paul". I guess for those of us religated to sleeping on the couch due to out of control GAS, it's pretty easy to just roll over and tap out a few lines on the keyboard, then doze back off. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Ah!! I believe you've stumbled upon Master Templeman's Secret:
He has his computer programmed to sound an alarm whenever somebody makes a post that ends in a question mark!!! ;) |
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January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | I too was super impressed at the recent OFC Tour of the Hamer quality. I wound up purchasing a used Hamer Studio guitar that really has my G and F beat. I bought it a the local GC. No one (salesman) new much about the Hamer line, which worked in my favor, as I got a great price for a guitar that is up there with the PRS's and the like. 13 coats of hand buffed paint and SM pick-ups that scream with tone and sustain. I'm sold on Hamer.
Tommy |
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Hamer Guitars
