Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

[442w30]

I've got LP Standarditis, but I played a Monaco Elite I really liked it. I'm not a huge fan of Flametops, so a solid color is OK. Given that info, what are the pros and cons of each? The Gibby can't go wrong, but my thoughts are there may be some improvements in the newer elite design. Anyone here have an informed decision? BTW: I'm not a big fan of the tulip tuners on the Gibson either, but I dig Gibson pickups. WWYD?

[Accept2]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

I prefer the Gibsons any day. Hamer makes a lot of cool guitars, but I have never liked the necks on them. If you like the necks, then thats great as Hamers are alot less coin to throw around. There is also more mojo with the Gibson, and I still say, nothing sounds like a real Gibson Les Paul...............

[edgar allan poe]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

I am as big a Hamer fan as it gets..but the Monaco fell short IMHO. First of all, the body isn't deep enough to get a real deep LP sound. The Monaco sounds like a cross between an SG and a LP.

HOWEVER

Fit and finish on a USA Hamer is light years better than Gibson. Its simple...Hamer USA makes about 3 guitars a day. Gibson makes more guitars in a day than Hamer makes in a year. Because of this, quality control at Hamer is way better.

Other than the fact that they are both Single cut guitars...they share nothing in common. If I had to choose between the two, I would go with the LP. But only after I played about 100...it might take that many to find one that is on par with the Hamer in the fit and finish department.

[edgar allan poe]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

"I prefer the Gibsons any day. Hamer makes a lot of cool guitars, but I have never liked the necks on them. If you like the necks, then thats great as Hamers are alot less coin to throw around. There is also more mojo with the Gibson, and I still say, nothing sounds like a real Gibson Les Paul..............."

Oh boy...where do I begin with this..I'll start here..

"but I have never liked the necks on them. If you like the necks, then thats great."

Which neck profile would you be referring to? The neck on the Monaco Elite is VERY similar to the LP Standard, the Neck on My Hamer Jr is identical to an original 1959 LP Jr. Hamers neck run the gamut of sizes..a blanket statement like this doesn't make much sense to me.

"then thats great as Hamers are alot less coin to throw around."

A decked out Monaco Elite will run you more money than a LP Standard.

"There is also more mojo with the Gibson, and I still say, nothing sounds like a real Gibson Les Paul...............""

Statements like this make me laugh....mojo...WTF is mojo? Is there some Hatian witch in the Gibby factory giving them "mojo"..lol. FWIW..I have played lots of guitars that "sound like a real LP"..its just that the Monaco isn't one of them.

[data187]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

if you are looking for the les paul sound, than then monaco falls short...
however, i think the monaco has its own sound which is very similar to a prs singlecut.
the hamer's fit and finish is usally better than most les pauls, i think the neck/fretwork/inlays is cleaner and the monaco is moe comfortable to play.
if you are looking for a les paul sound but better value/playability/workmanship,try a prs mccarty.

[edgar allan poe]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

"There must be a Hatian witch, otherwise why would everyone have so much desire to buy or copy the Les Paul. Perhaps Hamer should hire a witch too, then maybe they could increase their daily output beyond the 3 they make a day......"

It couldn't be that the great players of yesterday played LPs..could it? Guys like Clapton, Page, Beck, Allman, Betts, etc, etc.... NAH...ITS THE MOJO!!!! [img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img]

BTW...Hamer has no desire to increase production. They are owned by Kaman, which is a *huge* conglomerate that lets the Hamer USA shop do as it pleases. There is no way that Frank and Jol at Hamer would want to increase production at the expense of quality.

Have you ever owned a Hamer? If not...then I guess you really have no frame of reference and are talking out of your ass. [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[Accept2]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

Originally posted by edgar allan poe:


Have you ever owned a Hamer? If not...then I guess you really have no frame of reference and are talking out of your ass. [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Its long gone, replaced once again by the Gibsons that it replaced........Like I said, Hamer makes some nice guitars, but they arent for everybody. What Hamer might need to do is reNeducate their fans, as they seem to have an inferiority complex when it comes to these discussions................Like this discussion, if you like the Hamer, buy it, but most people will choose the Gibson, end of story............

[1959burst]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

24 fret necks and 22 fret necks make the guitar sound very different! with a 24 fret neck you get extra frets but the neck pickup is moved back. i find that for me if i'm using the neck pickup i prefer a 22 fret neck so the pickup is in the "sweet spot harmonicly". [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] btw. i think both companies produce some sweet guitars.

[No Use]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

i'm with 59burst, then again ya know, its all about that special LP or Monaco that you find that will push you over!

[442w30]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

Hmm, I haven't budged too much on my decision yet. Just as well as I'm more than one paycheck away from either.
The fit-and-finish argument steers me to Hamer, the sound was cool, but it wasn't my amp, it was a mesa nomad, still cool tho.
I had anticipated experimenting with pickups whichever I chose.
I originally hadn't noticed the thickness of the body, but that's a good point.
I keep saying it isn't a Les Paul... and that's the problem, maybe that's just what I want - a Les Paul. If that's what I want, then that's what I should get I suppose,.
I just keep telling myself that a more modern design from a company that takes their time has just got to be better. Plus, I saw that thread that showed the LP neck joints being so bad on everything but the Reissues. I still can't believe that one. If it turns out to be true, then I dunno if I won't just have to continue saving for a reissue.

[edgar allan poe]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

Did you read the post that I made where I said that I would choose the LP over the Monaco?

So far...the only reason you have given for your choice has been..."mojo".

I have never head anyone claim that they could get the LP neck pickup sound from their Soloist. A 25.5 scale, 24 fret, neck through guitar...will never sound like a 24.75, 22 fret, set neck guitar. However...my Bakers, McNaught, and Heatley can all get that sound, and I have played Hamers that can get it...in particular a 1995 Hamer GT Custom. I guess the witch visits other factories as well.

[edgar allan poe]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

"I still can't believe that one. If it turns out to be true, then I dunno if I won't just have to continue saving for a reissue"

Believe it...because it *is* true. Gibson themselves admit it...why do you think they tout the long neck tenon on their Historic models? The neck joint on the Hamer is far superior. It is wider and a *much* tighter fit that a LP Standard. It is even better than the Gibson Custom Shop models...I know...I have both. My LP Class 5 is a great guitar...no doubt, and the neck joint is the long tenon that Gibson proclaims...but the Hamer joint uses a much bigger tennon. At the Hamer factory, we watched them putting together a Monaco Elite, and the guy hand sands the neck tenon to fit the pocket. The joint is so tight that the guitar will actually stay together with no glue in the pocket...*that* was impressive as hell.

The Monaco is *not* a LP...I have already stated that. But it does have a unique sound. If you like that sound...then get the Monaco. If you have to have the LP sound...then get the LP. It is really that simple...apples and oranges...do you want an apple or an orange? The BS about mojo is exactly that...BS.

[toejam]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

Originally posted by 1959burst:
24 fret necks and 22 fret necks make the guitar sound very different! with a 24 fret neck you get extra frets but the neck pickup is moved back. i find that for me if i'm using the neck pickup i prefer a 22 fret neck so the pickup is in the "sweet spot harmonicly". [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] btw. i think both companies produce some sweet guitars.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I actually prefer 24 frets (and I prefer brighter sounding neck pups), that's why when I order my custom Monaco, it will be the first to have 24 frets! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I own a '95 Hamer Special FM and a '04 LP Studio. Both are great guitars in their own right, but I'd rather have the Hamer.

[SEEGERMANY]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

Isn't mojo a waterless hand cleaner?

[1trussell]

Re: Hamer Monaco Elite vs Gibson Les Paul

I played a Monaco Elite just yesterday. I have always loved Hamers and always will. They seem to fit me better than most anything else. I have never played a Hamer with a neck that didn't feel perfect right off the bat. My only complaint about the Monaco was the upper fret access didn't seem to be what I thought it would be. But I have short stubby fingers so that makes a huge difference. I compared the Monaco to a Studio archtop and the Studio won hands down. I just about messed my pants it was so comfortable to play. I have never been able to find a Gibson that felt that good. Between Hamer and Gibson, I will always choose Hamer. It is about the feel for me, not that "Les Paul sound."

That being said, decide what features you really want, play both and make an educated decision. All you'll get from us are arguments supporting both. If you want a Les Paul, get a Gibson. Personally, I want a Hamer.