My latest buy...

[Jimi D]

...is this wonderful 1989 Hamer Chaparral, found in LITERAL MINT condition but with a TERRIBLE set up at a local guitar shop where anything from the '80s is considered anathema... It was strung with .010s, with the strings run OVER the retaining bar on the headstock, and the trem angled up out of the body because of the string tension... But besides the rotten restring job, it was perfect. As in ZERO wear! The orignal Hamer case even still SMELLED NEW when we openned it! Fifteen years in the closet, and now it's mine for the princely sum of $340US ($460CDN) out the door! I cannot stress enough how perfect and unmarked this guitar is! I know MINT is probable the single most overused word in the guitar market, but it really applies here. Spec: Mahogany body with Nitro finish on body (custom snakeskin) and neck, Schaller floyd, Hamer Slammer (Schaller) pickups... very cool guitar!
[img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[GodWentPUNK]

Re: My latest buy...

Great score and on great looking guitar! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

joe...

[Top Jimmy B]

Re: My latest buy...

That's a serious score, Jim. Congrats on a very cool guitar - nice to see you're "floating" again. [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[reprieve]

Re: My latest buy...

Great guitar, for a great price!

[fuel0707]

Re: My latest buy...

That's an awesome find! I have a weakness for well-done snakeskin finishes and that looks to be a good one. And aren't you glad that there are narrow-minded guitar sellers in those world who scoff at the '80's and can't recognize a quality ax when they see it? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: My latest buy...

[img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img] Sweetness!!!! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Jimi D]

Re: My latest buy...

Thanks for the comments, guys...

Jim - ya, the only reason I saw this guitar when I did was that I've been jonesing for another floating Floyd guitar, and I went to spend some tryout time with a Peavey V-Type NTB I've been looking at lately... I was still undecided on the V-Type (Sure, it's beautiful, but $1100CDN after tax for a Korean guitar?!?) and so I dropped in at the local Long & McQuade on the way home. I saw the Hamer on the "used rack" just inside the door, picked it up, gave it a quick eyeball, decided it would be pointless to try to play it, but felt the neck and when I realized what a nice, beefy shape it was, I went over it with a fine-toothed comb, examining every inch... I just couldn't believe the shape this guitar was in! I walked over to the counter and handed it to one of the salesdoods and said "I'll take it." - took about three minutes after walking in the door...

John ~ It's sad, but in a good way - this Hamer would make any blues guitarist a great axe - bend friendly frets with a healthy neck carve and great singlecoil tones - but it doesn't say "Fedner" on it or whatever... Well, their loss is our gain! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

As an aside, can anyone tell me if the fretboard is Brazillian Rosewood? It sure looks it to me - a very dark, rich, oily grain... it's just beautiful!

[charvelguy]

Re: My latest buy...

80's Chaparral's are getting good prices on eBay nowadays. I would say that would go in the 500's if not 600's US if I'm recalling correctly.
The snakeskin finish is really killer ..nice axe.

[Jimi D]

Re: My latest buy...

Originally posted by charvelguy:
80's Chaparral's are getting good prices on eBay nowadays. I would say that would go in the 500's if not 600's US if I'm recalling correctly.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's nice to know, but I have no intention of flipping this one - the more I play it the more I love it - the neck, the frets, the finish and the trem are great; the pickups need to be changed out, but I've got a whack of Duncans and Dimarzios in a drawer here, so I'll fool around and try some out over the next month or two until I get some combo loaded in it that I like... This one's a keeper!
[img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Wayniac]

Re: My latest buy...

I like how subtle the finish is compared to most snakeskins.. sweet score!