Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

[MountainDog]

I think its a Chapparral with Sustainiac model GCSS based on the blue book. USA on headstock, Ebony w/boomerangs & binding, 25-1/2" scale, original floyd, 2 hum, 3-way switch and two mini switches attached to a circuit board (I'm guessing the sustainiac) and a separate battery compartment. The pickups are changed to Duncans, and all the wires on the circuit board are clipped off (why do people do that anyway?, would be nice if they left some wire and labeled everything!).
[image][/image]

[shredmonster]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

I don't know what that is. Hamer Californians are the only ones that I have seen with the boomerangs.

Hmmmmmmmmm....I'm sure someone here knows.

Looks like a nice guitar though and they have great necks.

[markD]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

i think it's a chapparral because of the smaller horns.

[txcharvel]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

Body looks like a Chaparral. I would say it's a custom with the H/H layout. Every Chaparral I've seen has been H/S/S. I have a Chaparral and use to own another.

What year is it? By the OFR I'm guessing an '86 or '87. In '88 they went to Schallers.

The first # of the serial # is the year it was made. 721450 would be an '87 and the 21450th Hamer made.

[1trussell]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

Here ya go:


Chaparral (1st version) (1985 - 1987) - contoured body with offset double cutaways, glued-in maple neck (24.75 inch scale length) with 24 fret rosewood fingerboard, dot-inlays and steeply angled peghead. Fitted with a humbucker and two single-coil pickups (usually Hamer Slammers) and Floyd Rose trem.. Some guitars are fitted with Kahler trems.. The Chaparral Custom is as above but has an ebony fingerboard, boomerang inlays and upgraded pickups (usually OBL). Usually fitted with three mini-switches and front mounted output jack.

Chaparral (2nd version) (1987 - 1994) - the Standard version is as above but has a bolt-on neck (with a modified peghead) and a 25.5" inch scale length. The Elite has optional figured maple- top, ebony fingerboard, boomerang inlays and upgraded pickups. The Custom is essentially the same as the 1st version but has a 25.5 inch scale-length. Also sometimes fitted with Sustainiac circuitry (circa 1990 only). All are fitted with 5-way switch and side mounted output jack. Single humbucker versions are also seen. 12-string Chaparral has a glued-in neck.

I'm thinking custom Chap.

[MountainDog]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

Thanks guys...it didn't seem to fit the blue book description exactly. Travis could be right, a 2nd version 1990 custom Chap (1990 from the sustainiac, custom being the pickups and OFR). Where's the serial number on these? The neckplate didn't have anything on it. Would it be stamped on the back of the headstock? I noticed in the spring cavity writing in silver magic marker of 557 and below that R22 if that means anything.

I also don't remember seeing neck binding on very many Hamers so that struck me as odd. My two USA Californians don't have that.

Nice neck and it plays great!

By the way, on the Duncans, I was told they were 'Seymour Signature', but never heard of that. When I took the pickups out, they indeed have "Seymour" signed in black fine marker on the back of each, along with a long serial number, and one of the serial numbers was signed too. Anyone know what that means?

[j2379]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

its a custom, or a roman.

[txcharvel]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

[ QUOTE ]
Where's the serial number on these?

[/ QUOTE ]

Stamped on the back of the headstock.

[toejam]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know what that is. Hamer Californians are the only ones that I have seen with the boomerangs.

[/ QUOTE ]
Old USA Californians have 27 frets with the slanted fretboard. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[txcharvel]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

I had a Chaparral with boomerangs. Those were the signature Hamer inlays on their metal guitars back then.

[1trussell]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

Hope you don't mind but I posted this over at teh Hamer forum and got a couple of responses. Here's one that might help:

"I got some pictures in the mail last week of/from the guy who bought the Sunburst that was pictured on the '91 Catalog (whoah!). Anyway, there's a picture of him holding the Sunburst in a shop with a guy I assume was the owner. In the background, there's a large hand-lettered poster mentioning that they were taking orders for a limited edition, Granite finished, 2 HB, ebony/boomered Guitar. I'll have to look at it a little closer tonight, but that picture really rang a bell. I believe that it mentioned some special pickups as well as being a very small run (1 of 6 or 8?).

Not saying that this is one of those, but it shows promise... "


I'll keep you posted on what I find.

[Jerry From Ghana]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

it's a custom chaparral elite sustainiac. normally it would be H-S-S plus a sustainiac pickup , this one was likely a H-S + sustainiac pickup. Sucks that a prev owner removed it.
This is assuming it wasn't rerouted/refinned.
The binding on the neck is also a custom option.
It's likely an '89 (s/n begins with 9 or 0 for a 1990)

[MountainDog]

Re: Hamer fans: what did I just buy?...

Serial number is 025110, so that means 1990 like we were thinking.