• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Hamer Basses played by Sting

andreaska

andreaska

Mar 10, 2009
106
41
Germany
#1
Hi guys,

I actually work on a summary (a few words and at least 2 pics) of all basses played by Sting.
Maybe somebody could help me with some information and pics about the Hamer basses he played a few times around 1980/81 (Cruise and Explorer?).
I have already searched the whole internet and this forum but maybe someone has further information.

Thank you.

Greetings from Germany
Andreas
 
#2
I just recall Sting playing a fretless Ibanez Musician around this era, can't remember any other basses. I loved the sound he got from that fretless especially with that distinctive chorus(?) effect he had.
 
#3
In both Stewart Copeland's documentary "Everyone Stares" and in the photos from the live album you can see an eight string, maple fingerboard fretless Hamer. Red, explorer shaped. It looks like Sting was only stringing up the low strings, not the octave strings.

I want to know what happened to those Ibanez Musician's - there appear to have been a light colored one and a dark colored one. And the white Spector (?) he used during the Synchronicity concert in Atlanta.

Just ship those old basses over here, Sting. I'll take good care of them.

KO

Added: I don't remember seeing the Cruisebass.
 
#6
@KPJ
Sorry, but youtube makes it unable to see this video in germany because of copyright. any other source?

For the Ibanez: Sting used 4 different fretless basses all based on the musician model. The main was the MC940. He had also an MC980 (8-string) and two custom basses with maple fingerboard (different coloured bodies and number of knobs).
 
#9
It's the music video that The Police shot for "De Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da". There must be some source available in Germany for you to see it! If you have Stewart Copeland's "Everyone Stares" DVD, there is footage in that movie as well.

andreaska said:
@KPJ
Sorry, but youtube makes it unable to see this video in germany because of copyright. any other source?

For the Ibanez: Sting used 4 different fretless basses all based on the musician model. The main was the MC940. He had also an MC980 (8-string) and two custom basses with maple fingerboard (different coloured bodies and number of knobs).
Click to expand...
 
#11
If I can bring you some help, Sting played these Hamer Basses for the promotional purposes of two singles: De do do do de da da da and Spirits in the material world (for that one check out his performance at Paramount Comedy Show). Actually I'm not sure he played those "for real" 'cause The Police were endorsing the brand (Andy Summers also used several Hamer guitars at that time, particularly a pink (!) one resembling a Les Paul) at the time. He used (as noted months ago on this forum) a Hamer Blitz 8-string unlined fretless.
 
#12
Dogame said:
If I can bring you some help, Sting played these Hamer Basses for the promotional purposes of two singles: De do do do de da da da and Spirits in the material world (for that one check out his performance at Paramount Comedy Show). Actually I'm not sure he played those "for real" 'cause The Police were endorsing the brand (Andy Summers also used several Hamer guitars at that time, particularly a pink (!) one resembling a Les Paul) at the time. He used (as noted months ago on this forum) a Hamer Blitz 8-string unlined fretless.
Click to expand...

Sorry to push an old topic up again, but the Hamer 8 string WAS used live, Sting can be seen playing it in two big pictures in the booklet of the Police Live double CD.

1police.gif


And from what I can tell by this picture, it was strung up with all eight strings.
1sting.gif
 
#13
Dogame said:
If I can bring you some help, Sting played these Hamer Basses for the promotional purposes of two singles: De do do do de da da da and Spirits in the material world (for that one check out his performance at Paramount Comedy Show). Actually I'm not sure he played those "for real" 'cause The Police were endorsing the brand (Andy Summers also used several Hamer guitars at that time, particularly a pink (!) one resembling a Les Paul) at the time. He used (as noted months ago on this forum) a Hamer Blitz 8-string unlined fretless.
Click to expand...

It's not a Blitz, it is a Hamer Standard Bass.

T
 
#14
I owned that red Hamer explorer for a while. Apparently Sting wasn't all that impressed. It ended up at the big Hamer dealer (Swissvale Music) in Pittsburgh. It was a long time ago. I don't even remember who I sold it to. It was a terrible bass to be honest.
 
#16
fivelow said:
I owned that red Hamer explorer for a while. Apparently Sting wasn't all that impressed. It ended up at the big Hamer dealer (Swissvale Music) in Pittsburgh. It was a long time ago. I don't even remember who I sold it to. It was a terrible bass to be honest.
Click to expand...

Since it was made to feel a bit like his upright, I would imagine it was a rather beefy neck on it. Sting had used it qute a bit and sold it when he switched to the Hamer Cruisebass that later came out, which he also used quite a bit. The early Cruisebasses are great....Jazz Bass profile but all mahogony and passive like the 60s Gibsons. I actually own the Cruisebass SN# right next to Sting's and the neck feels like a 64 TBird profile with a similar sound.
 
#17
Andreas,
Oliver here, from good ole Germany as well.... :-)
Here are some pics of that particular bass, very hard to get photos and even harder to watch the video in Germany thanks to the GEMA.... :-(

12549.gif

62009797001_74538773001_vs-74533881001.gif

Sting8StringStandard.gif

stingiu.gif

ThePolice-DeDoDoDoDaDaDa.gif


Sorry, no big size photos found yet...
Hope this helps you a bit....

Oliver
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back