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1970s Hamer 12 String Quad Bass
- Thread starter Homz
- Start date
Cheers dude. There was a bit of a story to it. I think the person who sold it to your friend never owned it in the first place. He sold it before winning the auction....he got outbid, by me. Really he was gambling that he would win the auction and must have been so confident that he sold the Bass before he even owned it! There wouldnt have been a chance to open up the back prior to the auction ending so I dont know how he got that information.
The electrics in mine are in pretty good shape by all accounts, not sure if anything is missing.
Thats pretty cool that you owned two of them and that Tom Petersson is using it now! Very cool.
You dont happen to have any information on the electronics - like a schematic do you? Would be very handy for the guys working on it at the moment...
I can send you some pics of the electronics and you will laugh.....looks like a big bowl of spaghetti. Some of this pics in the Hamer Book are mine. I've owned around 200 Hamers, about 3/4 Basses. Lots of other rare stuff. Besides being longtime player, also have written for a lot of magazines and was the TV reporter at NAMM for 10 years.
Haha - classic! I would love a pic dude, that would be mega. Im sure anything could help the guys as they are working on it blind at the moment.
Wow - so you are a real Hamer expert - its a pleasure to meet you - albeit virtually!
I think I have uncovered the actual amazing history of my particular Bass, (why its in the UK, who it was made for etc), with the help of someone. Well really that someone did all the work I just provided the pics.
I'll post that up soon!
I have been told on good authority that the early Quads electronics were made by Rex Bogue - would he have done the electrics in yours too?
I checked with two other good friends, who are also in the expert category and owned Quadbasses. We think the one you have is the trade show demo one that Hamer used in it's booth, after the built the one Tom Petersson was playing. BTW, Tom is pictured with what looks like two different Quads but it is the same bass....it was dark green and also natural at different points in its life.
I think you have hit the nail on the head there as that is the same conclusion I have come to - thanks to Mark Rowe over at 12stringbass.net - he has been helping me piece together the history...
Mark figured out why this bass showed up in London - it has been there since 1978. In the book about Hamer Guitars, "The Ultimate", on page 55 it reads, "Although the instrument (Quad bass) was intended to be built for Petersson alone, Paul Hamer mentioned the bass to Jethro Tull's new bass player, John Glasscock, who was interested in the idea. At one point when Tull was in town, Hamer happened to have Tom's bass in the shop for some minor adjustments, so he brought it down for Glasscock to see. Glasscock was so impressed that he ordered one immediately. Glasscock's Quadbass was completed just before the 1978 British Musical Instrument Trade Show in London, so Hamer brought it along with him when he flew overseas to attend the show. He asked Glasscock if he could display it at Hamer's booth and Glasscock agreed. Martin Barre arrived at Hamer's booth to demo some instruments and, while there, The Who bassist John Entwistle happened along. He examined the bass and, excited about the possibilities of the instrument, ordered one for himself in the Explorer shape of the (Hamer) Standard."
So yes - it does seem like this bass is that Trade show Bass and subsequently owned by John Glasscock of Jethro Tull! So we can assume that Entwistle would have played it at the show too! Mark also has a picture of legendary Nitebob holding my exact bass at that show in London 1978.
What a great story and an amazing bit of history. Thanks to everyone who helped piece this together!
Mark figured out why this bass showed up in London - it has been there since 1978. In the book about Hamer Guitars, "The Ultimate", on page 55 it reads, "Although the instrument (Quad bass) was intended to be built for Petersson alone, Paul Hamer mentioned the bass to Jethro Tull's new bass player, John Glasscock, who was interested in the idea. At one point when Tull was in town, Hamer happened to have Tom's bass in the shop for some minor adjustments, so he brought it down for Glasscock to see. Glasscock was so impressed that he ordered one immediately. Glasscock's Quadbass was completed just before the 1978 British Musical Instrument Trade Show in London, so Hamer brought it along with him when he flew overseas to attend the show. He asked Glasscock if he could display it at Hamer's booth and Glasscock agreed. Martin Barre arrived at Hamer's booth to demo some instruments and, while there, The Who bassist John Entwistle happened along. He examined the bass and, excited about the possibilities of the instrument, ordered one for himself in the Explorer shape of the (Hamer) Standard."
So yes - it does seem like this bass is that Trade show Bass and subsequently owned by John Glasscock of Jethro Tull! So we can assume that Entwistle would have played it at the show too! Mark also has a picture of legendary Nitebob holding my exact bass at that show in London 1978.
What a great story and an amazing bit of history. Thanks to everyone who helped piece this together!
Amazing bit of detective work! Now that we know it's history, can somebody explain what all those knobs and switches were for?
Really amazing detective work. There is a vast wealth of knowledge amongst the guys here. Very impressive.
Thank you all so much. But the story doesnt end there.....if anyone knows what this bass has been up to post Glasscock do let us know.
Cheers.
Hello, I was the person that thought he'd bought it. The seller - "jamesdgaynor" advertised it on Ebay, I bought it, and then the night before delivery he calls me with a story about how he "turned it down" at the auction house for having a dodgy truss rod, bad electronics and chipping away bodywork. It appears he was lying.
Interestingly I did my own research. This bass at one time belonged to Paul Raven when he was in The Hellfire Club. Paul Raven was in the bands Killing Joke and Ministry and it can be seen here:
Paul Raven sadly died years ago but his bass lives on.
I hope the OP/new owner really enjoys it although I must say I'm gutted I don't own it myself!
Interestingly I did my own research. This bass at one time belonged to Paul Raven when he was in The Hellfire Club. Paul Raven was in the bands Killing Joke and Ministry and it can be seen here:
Paul Raven sadly died years ago but his bass lives on.
I hope the OP/new owner really enjoys it although I must say I'm gutted I don't own it myself!
Hey Dbraz
Err yeah, hes telling porkie pies for sure (lies), what happened was exactly as I mentioned in a previous post. He must have been so confident that he would win the auction, he decided to sell it on before waiting to see if he actually won it. Then obviously made some bull***t story to you as to why he doesn't have it for sale. Bit silly really.
Also there was no way he could have checked the electrics before buying it and the neck seems straight as a die.
I'm sorry you got messed about, must have been gutting to say the least.
I'm over the moon with it dude, just to have a piece of history like this, and to be able to help piece its story together is amazing. I probably wont own it for long as it will be for sale soon, but just to be involved in its journey is wicked.
Thanks for the little bit of history too, so Paul Raven must have owned it at some point after Glasscock. This puzzle is on it's way to being complete!
Thanks for the link too - nice to see it in action. I wonder if it was Raven who added the '3' sticker as its featured in the clip...
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............WRONG!!!!!! DO NOT BELIEVE THIS!!! Check you mailbox. Will send you some pics and info.
