Any Hamer Experts out there?

[Hyperfuzz]

Ok, I happen to be in a pawn shop today....and NO, I wasn't looking for guitars.....uh, I was looking for fake diamonds, lawn equipment for my apartment, a non-working chainsaw, and a mint copy of Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits on 8-track....I mean, come on...isn't everyone??

That aside....

This is what I DO know:

Hamer USA.

No case. No whammy bar. That's ok, because, we all know those can be purchased for 10 bucks at any Vicoria's Secr...er, uh, I mean, Radio Shack....yeah, that's it!

Has a Hamer logo'd Schaller Floyd.

I think it is a Chaparel(sp), maybe a Diablo, definitely not a Californian.

Reverse headstock. Has serial number indented on back of the headstock.

Has dot fretboard inlays at the top of the fretboard.

It is in fairly good shape, minus a few paint chips on the body and the headstock.

I'm thinking the paint chips on the headstock could be fixed fairly easily since they don't intrude on the letters.

The body color is kind of a turquoise color. (best I can describe) That color, I don't think will be easily matched, but the paint chips really aren't that noticable anyway.

Definitely needs to be cleaned up a bit.

Structurally sound, from what I could tell.

I didn't plug it into an ampifier or check out the electronics but I have no reason to suspect that it wouldn't perform.

Has original backplates. No bada$$ cardboard or anything.

They want $299 for it, "marked down" from $4-something... I don't recall now.


WHAT I DON'T KNOW:

A lot.

Is this one worth saving from pawn shop hell? It would have a good home. BUT..

What other questions should I ask?


[img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

What's the pickup configuration? If it's two humbuckers with the one at the neck being slanted, it's a Diablo. If it's H/S/S or H/S/H, I think it would be a Chapparal.

[ June 08, 2003, 01:49 AM: Message edited by: toejam ]

[pencilsketch]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

well i had a usa diabalo and i paid 400. it was mint with 2 bill lawrence pickups in it. it has a slanted neck pickup hamer challer floyd 24 frets reverse headstock. it was real nice that sounds like a ok deal to me. oh yea mine had the bar and the chandler case. i hope that helps

[slayer]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Sounds like a Centaura to me. Reverse Headstock,should be H-S-S, and Off-Set Dot markers give it away. With case in very good condition you can get them for about $350-400, so $299 seams abit high. Centaura`s bring the least resale value of any USA Hamer. I wouldn`t pay much over $250 for it. I have seen Minty ones with case on Ebay for $350-400. I paid $325 for one with case, black hardware in a Stone color, but I didn`t care for the thinner nut width and the thin/flat neck. But they were very expensive when NEW, much more than the Chapparel and Diablo. The chapparel by the way has the Short Scale and I am on the hunt for a Minty one, also looking for a Diablo, but NO Reversed Headstocks, can`t stand `em. Jack.

[Jerry From Ghana]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Hey Jack,
not all chaps are shortscale. The blue custom i recently scored is a 25.5" scale. I believe they switched over to that around 87-88. You still want first dibs on it if I can bring myself to sell it? [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[1trussell]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Sounds like a Centaura to me, too. As far as I know it was the only one with the reverse headstock and offset dot inlays. In my opinion, any Hamer USA is worth saving. Things can be fixed and it can be brought back to life. Decide if the price is right and act accordingly.

[Hyperfuzz]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Thanks guys. I think it is a Centaura. I knew they had another strat-type model but couldn't think of it. It is H-S-S, if I remember correctly. They open at 12:00. I have a few errands to run then I'm going up there to go give it another inspection and maybe offer $200 for it. I'll post the outcome tonight.

[slayer]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Good luck dood [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] I didn`t know they made full scale Chapps? I thought they were all Short Scale? Anyway, ya man shoot me an email if you decide to sell her, I am really looking for a Short Scale Chapp, but you never know I am a fickle buyer and seller [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Jack. [email protected]

[toejam]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the Centaura model. D'OH!! [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Hyperfuzz]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Well, I went and checked it out again. I plugged it into an amp and all was great. I was starting to look forward to cleaning her up and putting new strings on, swinging by Guitar Center on the way back and picking up a whammy and everything. I asked the dude if they would take $200 for it and lowest they would go was $289. The theory being is that they bought it for $200. Which I guess makes sense. If it had a case I would have snagged it. Oh well, it was worth a try. It would have cleaned up real nice too! [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

I didn't notice yesterday but they have another Hamer USA Centaura hanging way up high. It is a tobacco sunburst kind of color with a maple fretboard. It is in really good shape but doesn't have a case or a whammy either. They wanted $549 for it. I didn't even bother asking if they would come down on that one.

What's up with people hocking their guitars without cases? I got to think that these Hamer USA's came with Hamer USA cases originally.

Oh, wait a minute, I'm in Texas, they probably keep the guitar cases to put the guns in. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ June 08, 2003, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: Hyperfuzz ]

[BigDaddyD]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

$289 for a USA Hamer and you are *****ing? What the...If it isn't cracked or horribly damaged it is worth it. Does it have the preamp?

[Hyperfuzz]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Yeah, I hear ya BDD. You're probably right. No, it isn't horribly disfigured or cracked or anything. It is hella-solid . The headstock chips would be super easy to fix. The body chips, would be easy to fix if you found the right color. That would be the trick. There is only about 5 small chips on the back edges and they aren't that noticable anyway. I almost went ahead and grabbed it but, I thought I'd hold off and drop back by in a month or two and see if anything changes. The guy I was talking to said that the tobacco colored one has been there for about five years and I was probably the first one to touch it in quite some time. I actually really liked the maple fretboard on that one.

The electronic configuration on both of them is a 5-way pickup selector and what I believe to be a phaser switch of some kind that affects all pickups no matter what pickup combination you are using. Is that what you mean by a pre-amp? None of my J/C's have this so I am not very familiar with this switch. I had an old Peavey when I was a kid that had something similar but I'm not sure if it is the same.

[ June 08, 2003, 08:06 PM: Message edited by: Hyperfuzz ]

[BigDaddyD]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

I think at some point they had a preamp. I am not sure if they all did or not.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

I knew where some Steve Stevens guitars were for crazy cheap for the longest time. I also bought a neck through Chap for $269 w/case... Hamer guitars just don't hold resale value well, unless they have a flame maple top. At least it's like that around here...

Hell, I almost bought a zebra graphic sceptre for $250 a few months ago, but it would have just been to turn it around and I didn't feel like messing with it.

Pete

[Newc]

Re: Any Hamer Experts out there?

Pete - I'll take that zebra [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

And the Pawn Shop did not pay $200 for it. They don't pay more than $100 for anything except USA Gibsons and very good jewelry (maybe papered guns).

Newc