Hamer was a small custom builder starting in 1973 in Illinois I believe. Their reputation grew due to the high quality of their guitars and were endorsed and played by many artists like Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Rick Neilson (Cheap Trick), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger) and many others. They were purchased by Kaman in the early 90's and moved to Connecticut to build guitars closer to Kaman headquarters. It wasn't long after they began bringing replicas of their American made guitars from overseas in addition to building USA models. At some point in time Hamer was sold to Fender and the USA guitars were phased out. Jol Dantzig (Co-Founder of Hamer) still builds custom instruments under the name Jol Dantzig Guitar Design.
Hamer Fan Club used to have a get together in Connecticut every year. Went twice myself & met Jol. He's a genuinely good dude who's been there, done that, & knows what it takes to build them right. You can't go wrong with one of his instruments. 👍
I owned a lot of Hamer guitars and still have 13 of us made ones though some Korean ones were great once you changed pickups + electronics and tuners.... The usa made hamers are the best guitars for the money .
That Hamer A/T P90 belongs to the XT series that started production in 2005 when the Slammer series was discontinued. All the XT models were made in China and Indonesia. The A/T P90 guitar is considered a vintage Hamer original; a collectible instrument made with all Hamer pickups.
Great looking rig. Hamer U.S.A put out alot of quality guitars back in the late 80s, early 90s...& I believe they came with a REAL setup already done. No sharp ends
Mr. Zimm, I own a guitar very much like the one in this video. The model is Hamer Sunburst Archtop, "Archtop" being what I think the "A/T" designation stands for. However, mine has different pickups: Duncan Designed HB-101s, Asian-built and patterned after Seymour Duncan's Vintage Blues humbucker set. These are the same pickups referred to as Duncan '59s, so they're vintage-style, Alnico 5-powered humbuckers in the PAF vein. I'm not in love with the look of the guitar. It looks fine, but it has a flamed maple veneer on top of an otherwise all-mahogany body, while I would have preferred a painted finish or a plain mahogany look -- or an actual maple top, whether veneered or not. Even so, it sounded and played so well as to be irresistible. Like the original Gibson Les Paul Customs of the 50s, this puppy's all-mahogany body lends it a very warm tone, so I've toyed with the idea of swapping out the HB-101s for a set of P-94 clones. I'll be glad to hear the sound samples when I get to them. I might consider it a go-ahead.
I've owned three, Hamer Standards, (two made in Korea, one USA made). One MIK was burnt orange/rust color, and was very heavy, I think it was all some type of hardwood. It sounded fantastic (after I replaced the Hamer pickups with DiMarzio). I still have the other MIK (black w/white pickguard) I think it's alder wood. The USA was korina, also very heavy. All sounded/sound great, and have perfect balance.
Steve Stevens [Billy Idol, Vince Neil Band] had a signature model based on the Slammer design. I have 4 XTs. Good axe! I can get a beefy/chunky Les Paul tone out of it, but I'm also using it for [learning] Jazz. Tried to find the dates but the Hamer Serial # system is so janky. 1 China, 1 Indonesia, 2 Korea.
I really wanted to hear that guitar plugged in, I'm obsessed with P -90's keep making these videos,, please,they have shown me the way to properly restore/repair,it is a process...
Just found 1 of those for sale, in Australia for $350. This was the 1st review video I saw. I love P90s & have a MX 16 Mustang 90 & a Epi 56 goldtop. Awesome Guitars! I'll try to buy it. Good review & chat.
I got a Epiphone Les Paul with Hamer pick ups in it. They are verry versatile in tone. I play with the volume nob alot. Cheap $ but rich in tones. Why is it written Sunburst on the headstock ?
this is a really nice set neck hamer and you did a really great job cleaning and fixing it up for sure. great guitar. if anyone is interested in a really nice vintage fender strat. gruhn guitar in nashville has my original 1959 burst strat for sale as of friday. they fixed her up and she is for sale. plays great sounds great. much better than these aged up relic guitars fender sells for huge prices. this one is all original
Wow, haven't seen one of these in years~!!! My first expensive guitar was a Hamer Explorer. I doubt they'd be able to make those anymore with Gibson enforcing their IP and all. Always loved their doublecuts and Monacos.
I saw you oiling a fret board on another video. Do you just use olive oil? I found linseed oil works but is sticky if you dont remove the residual properly.
Right. Because you've just GOT TO "hydrate" that dead piece of wood. Oil will attract dirt, giving it something to "cling to" just as you mentioned with linseed oil. You'll have better luck with a tiny bit of water or spit.
Great looking guitar, love that body style, used to play a heavily modified one back in the late 80s, scalloped neck humbuckers, body had like a sort of 3/4 circle that was about 4 inches around cut out by the tail where the strap button would be, sorta made it look like a spider or something. That guitar was a shredder , hot pickups. Thanks for bringing that memory up 🤘
OMG what a beauty, Hamers are hidden gems I have a purple HSS slammer with a floyd rose that is a honey of a guitar... bought it for 150 bucks with the case... What a deal... like all mass-produced guitars, quality varies widely. Some are good some suck...
I really like hamer guitars bought to USA hamer's new late 90s camen music that owns ovation bought out hammer and moved everything to Connecticut that was the end of the USA college Park Hammer factory got closed as far as I know we had a Hammer dealer in my hometown back in the the 90s.
Thanks again for your awesome videos Dane . Unfortunately I cannot visit your store atm (I live in Australia) . Please let it be known that if I had a place to visit like your's , in close proximity , I would probably annoy the hell out of them . Cheers mate !!! 👍
Hamer was a small custom builder starting in 1973 in Illinois I believe. Their reputation grew due to the high quality of their guitars and were endorsed and played by many artists like Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Rick Neilson (Cheap Trick), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger) and many others. They were purchased by Kaman in the early 90's and moved to Connecticut to build guitars closer to Kaman headquarters. It wasn't long after they began bringing replicas of their American made guitars from overseas in addition to building USA models. At some point in time Hamer was sold to Fender and the USA guitars were phased out. Jol Dantzig (Co-Founder of Hamer) still builds custom instruments under the name Jol Dantzig Guitar Design.
Hamer Fan Club used to have a get together in Connecticut every year. Went twice myself & met Jol. He's a genuinely good dude who's been there, done that, & knows what it takes to build them right. You can't go wrong with one of his instruments. 👍
I owned a lot of Hamer guitars and still have 13 of us made ones though some Korean ones were great once you changed pickups + electronics and tuners....
The usa made hamers are the best guitars for the money .
That Hamer A/T P90 belongs to the XT series that started production in 2005 when the Slammer series was discontinued. All the XT models were made in China and Indonesia.
The A/T P90 guitar is considered a vintage Hamer original; a collectible instrument made with all Hamer pickups.
Wish Hamer was active now. Love to see the return of Californian, Chaparral, and the Diablo.
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest is also a huge Hamer guitar player
I find videos of people refurbishing guitars so therapeutic so my mental health thanks you!
LOVE that guitar. Really cool guitar, and man she cleaned up nice!
Love Hamer Guitars! I have 3 Hamer Phantom guitars.
Great looking rig. Hamer U.S.A put out alot of quality guitars back in the late 80s, early 90s...& I believe they came with a REAL setup already done. No sharp ends
Mr. Zimm, I own a guitar very much like the one in this video. The model is Hamer Sunburst Archtop, "Archtop" being what I think the "A/T" designation stands for. However, mine has different pickups: Duncan Designed HB-101s, Asian-built and patterned after Seymour Duncan's Vintage Blues humbucker set. These are the same pickups referred to as Duncan '59s, so they're vintage-style, Alnico 5-powered humbuckers in the PAF vein. I'm not in love with the look of the guitar. It looks fine, but it has a flamed maple veneer on top of an otherwise all-mahogany body, while I would have preferred a painted finish or a plain mahogany look -- or an actual maple top, whether veneered or not. Even so, it sounded and played so well as to be irresistible.
Like the original Gibson Les Paul Customs of the 50s, this puppy's all-mahogany body lends it a very warm tone, so I've toyed with the idea of swapping out the HB-101s for a set of P-94 clones. I'll be glad to hear the sound samples when I get to them. I might consider it a go-ahead.
Good looking guitar! I have a 1995 Hamer Mirage II (made in USA carved maple topped 2 humbuckers, trem) and love it. A lot like a generic PRS.
I've owned three, Hamer Standards, (two made in Korea, one USA made). One MIK was burnt orange/rust color, and was very heavy, I think it was all some type of hardwood. It sounded fantastic (after I replaced the Hamer pickups with DiMarzio). I still have the other MIK (black w/white pickguard) I think it's alder wood. The USA was korina, also very heavy. All sounded/sound great, and have perfect balance.
love the content -- thanks for all your efforts
I actually like your Repair hangouts, very relaxing and you dont have a hateful bone in your body. good job
I believe Tom Dumont from No Doubt played Hamer guitars
Rick Neilson's guitar collection is incredible
No, Fender strings are not made by D’Addario. While D’Addario is a very popular string manufacturer, Fender has their own in-house string operation.
Steve Stevens [Billy Idol, Vince Neil Band] had a signature model based on the Slammer design. I have 4 XTs. Good axe! I can get a beefy/chunky Les Paul tone out of it, but I'm also using it for [learning] Jazz.
Tried to find the dates but the Hamer Serial # system is so janky. 1 China, 1 Indonesia, 2 Korea.
At the end you should show us how LOUD those P90s are................
Another satisfying cleanup! Love it.
Martin Barre played Hamer guitars 🎸
What an incredible sound he had .
I really wanted to hear that guitar plugged in, I'm obsessed with P -90's keep making these videos,, please,they have shown me the way to properly restore/repair,it is a process...
i put 9 to 42 GHS strings on all my les Pauls and strats and have since 1976. they play great
Just found 1 of those for sale, in Australia for $350. This was the 1st review video I saw. I love P90s & have a MX 16 Mustang 90 & a Epi 56 goldtop. Awesome Guitars! I'll try to buy it. Good review & chat.
Also, yes, D'Addario makes Elixer.
Had a Hamer in the late 80s they were big back then lots of Guitar World ads
I use Fender flatwound stainless strings for my bass, and it's like playing silk. They sound amazing too.
Everyone buys Ernie Ball because of the packet, the strings suck and destroy your fingers. D'darrio 10's are a game changer.
Try Hoppe’s 9 - cleans everything but electric components.
Of all the guitars I've owned over the years, my Gold, 88 Hamer Chaparral Custom was the one that got away.
I got a Epiphone Les Paul with Hamer pick ups in it. They are verry versatile in tone. I play with the volume nob alot. Cheap $ but rich in tones. Why is it written Sunburst on the headstock ?
How hard would be to put a Bigsby on that? Also the nice Studio Lord?
this is a really nice set neck hamer and you did a really great job cleaning and fixing it up for sure. great guitar. if anyone is interested in a really nice vintage fender strat. gruhn guitar in nashville has my original 1959 burst strat for sale as of friday. they fixed her up and she is for sale. plays great sounds great. much better than these aged up relic guitars fender sells for huge prices. this one is all original
Wow, haven't seen one of these in years~!!! My first expensive guitar was a Hamer Explorer. I doubt they'd be able to make those anymore with Gibson enforcing their IP and all. Always loved their doublecuts and Monacos.
That's a funny looking sunburst, as it seems designated by the truss rod cover....
There was a Hamer in that body style, in a store in my town, back in like 89 or 90.
I saw you oiling a fret board on another video. Do you just use olive oil? I found linseed oil works but is sticky if you dont remove the residual properly.
Right. Because you've just GOT TO "hydrate" that dead piece of wood. Oil will attract dirt, giving it something to "cling to" just as you mentioned with linseed oil. You'll have better luck with a tiny bit of water or spit.
Did you check the intonation?
Great looking guitar, love that body style, used to play a heavily modified one back in the late 80s, scalloped neck humbuckers, body had like a sort of 3/4 circle that was about 4 inches around cut out by the tail where the strap button would be, sorta made it look like a spider or something. That guitar was a shredder , hot pickups. Thanks for bringing that memory up 🤘
Very cool!
This comment, however, is just to profess my sincere love for this channel. STOP CLIPPING THE STRINGS TOO SOON!
I bought new USA hamer telecaster 51t and the USA eclipse looks like a double cut Les Paul
I love this guitar! The DC is my favorite for the upper fret access!
I really like the Fender Bullet strings, As for as Hamer, that is the 2nd one I have ever seen.
I have a Hamer Eclipse, I love it
Sweet Axe Dane shes purdy,Cheers!mums the word on strings!lol.
Cleaned up nice!
OMG what a beauty, Hamers are hidden gems I have a purple HSS slammer with a floyd rose that is a honey of a guitar... bought it for 150 bucks with the case... What a deal... like all mass-produced guitars, quality varies widely. Some are good some suck...
I believe that was one of Hamers first designs? original, USA.. some nice USA models out there
I really like hamer guitars bought to USA hamer's new late 90s camen music that owns ovation bought out hammer and moved everything to Connecticut that was the end of the USA college Park Hammer factory got closed as far as I know we had a Hammer dealer in my hometown back in the the 90s.
Good vid, Dane, thanks!
yes d addario makes fender strings. thats a fact
I have that exact same guitar, same color same pickups. It's great, super fast playing neck.
Love your ethics. And historical knowledge.
What happened to the hamer revival of some years ago? Did it failed?
Thanks again for your awesome videos Dane . Unfortunately I cannot visit your store atm (I live in Australia) . Please let it be known that if I had a place to visit like your's , in close proximity , I would probably annoy the hell out of them . Cheers mate !!! 👍
my buddy had a slammer about 25 years ago
Would have been nice if you played it through an amp to hear how the pickups sound in the various combinations.
What a gorgeous guitar.
I've got a Korean made flat top Hamer, very well made guitar
Where are you located?
i tried rotosounds once. sounded like they went dull really quick. i guess that's ok for some people and bassists, but i didn't like it.
you may have put the bridge the wrong way around. But overall nice job and cool guitar.
A world of difference between a Japanese Squier and a Chinese hotdog wood Fender...🤷♂️
Sweet guitar despite the grime!
Def Leppard played Hamer guitars in their early days.
I dig this guitar. It’s dirty but has mojo. It just needs love
you have no idea how much worse it can get as far as being dirty 😅
I love how he just makes shit up about companies
Better than the importance of "hydrating" a dead piece of wood?
Ed Van Halen played a Hamer in his Early days
So much for plugging it in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🤐
So why is it a Gold-Top? And why aren't you shipping it to me RIGHT now?
Yeah some of those Hamers were pretty bitchin guitars.
#Golden!
Ick!
this guitar the hamer has the little pots 250 k not the good 500k pots
cheap is good ! I would have blown it off with compressed air first that dust is like sandpaper if ya rub it in
Pretty good news that Biden said covid is officially over!!! Love you both and have a blessed day !!!
Believe everything you see but not everything you hear.
Ask him who the president is...😂
where do you buy your dust to simulate a guitar sitting dormant ?
Was just thinking about Hamer guitars.