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Hamer in a local shop

#21
Hi lowplaces :)

lowplaces said:
Can anyone tell me about this bass ?
Click to expand...

I don 't know that model. But Hamer was Always a first class guitar and bass boutique brand!

They were the first to build a Flying V bass (1973) (Gibson in 1981!!)

and they were the first to build a 12 string bass! (1977)

IMO you can 't go wrong with a US built Hamer! Of course you have to find out for yourself if you like it!

Too bad that they do not longer exist as an independent boutique workshop! :(

bobyoung53 said:
I'm not sure what happened to them
Click to expand...

FMIC Suspends Hamer Production

Quoted: Fender... is suspending production of Hamer ... to focus our efforts on other brands ... and to continue to address musicians' needs by designing and building the highest quality, most sought-after instruments in the world.

Makes us all happy how Fender cares about us! (sarcastic :D)

greetings

Wise(b)ass
 
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#24
Getting rid of a US Hamer bass from around that time is one of my biggest regrets. Mine was a J/J PU setup, but they are top notch. Solid neck and tone for days. The import Hamers are trash, IMO, but the US models are some of the best out there. Having said all that though, I personally would not pay that price unless it was mint. The most I'd pay for this Hamer in "good" condition is approx. $650.
 
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#25
Lava said:
Getting rid of a US Hamer bass from around that time is one of my biggest regrets. Mine was a J/J PU setup, but they are top notch. Solid neck and tone for days. The import Hamers are trash, IMO, but the US models are some of the best out there. Having said all that though, I personally would not pay that price unless it was mint. The most I'd pay for this Hamer in "good" condition is approx. $650.
Click to expand...
Well the shop has had it listed since back in the spring and they had it on Reverb (marked sold ) before that. The old Reverb listing description is more detailed regarding wear and tear.

I have bought instruments from them for years and can haggle a bit. They actually have a very generous trade in policy and I have some trade bait to take with me.

They check out any used instrument they take in very well. The price you mentioned is pretty much what I had in mind. Unless it's a consignment. Then there won't be much wiggle room.

We'll see. As I said earlier, if the neck profile doesn't grab me right off the bat, I'll pass no matter what the price.
 
#26
Wisebass said:
Hi lowplaces :)



I don 't know that model. But Hamer was Always a first class guitar and bass boutique brand!

They were the first to build a Flying V bass (1973) (Gibson in 1981!!)

and they were the first to build a 12 string bass! (1977)

IMO you can 't go wrong with a US built Hamer! Of course you have to find out for yourself if you like it!

Too bad that they do not longer exist as an independent boutique workshop! :(



FMIC Suspends Hamer Production

Quoted: Fender... is suspending production of Hamer ... to focus our efforts on other brands ... and to continue to address musicians' needs by designing and building the highest quality, most sought-after instruments in the world.

Makes us all happy how Fender cares about us! (sarcastic :D)

greetings

Wise(b)ass
Click to expand...
Informative post ! Thanks for those tidbits :thumbsup:
 
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#27
You cannot go wrong with a USA Hamer bass. I currently own four Chaparral basses. Bolt on 4, set neck 4, set neck 5 and a B12L set neck 12 string. Recently sold my Scarab bass. And my prize Hamer is a 1991 Impact bass. That one is rare as hens teeth. You are correct to actually play that bass to see if the neck profile is a fit. The early 80's Hamers had thin fast necks, but would move quite easily until they went to thicker profile around 1986. I believe they also went to three piece necks at that time. The Chaps are all three piece and stable. The set neck construction has unique mid range tonality. The bass you are looking at should have a Honduran Mahogany body with a maple neck unless it was ordered with different woods. Hamer was one of the original custom shops, I priced a 12 string Standard (Explorer shaped) bass in the mid 90's to replace my long ago sold Standard 4 string bass, and the price came to $3,500 with all the options I wanted. I went with a stock black finished B12L instead for $1,800 with HSC. If you get that bass consider replacing the 35DC pickup in the bridge position with a 35TW pickup. That way you have a P/H and P/J pickup selection on tap. I had a Chap with the P/35DC pickup combination with a black/white marble finish. Wished I had kept it and put a TW pickup in it. I hope you find you like that bass, but I would also go $650 maximum for it myself.
Cheers,
Mike
 
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#29
Here is my Impact bass. It is a very light and compact bass. I have put some EMG Select high impedance pickups with a BAZ clone of the Spector HAZ two band preamp in it.

1208182046b.jpg


Here is a picture of the contoured set neck heel. This is one of the boutique touches Hamer produced. The battery cover is magnetic on these, but I need put another magnet in mine. Gaffing tape is holding it closed for now. My bass is not pristine by any means, but it is a fine playing instrument.

1208182048.jpg


The body is carved like a Spector NS-2 and definitely has a Spector vibe to its playability and tone.
 
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#30
Scootbass1 said:
You cannot go wrong with a USA Hamer bass. I currently own four Chaparral basses. Bolt on 4, set neck 4, set neck 5 and a B12L set neck 12 string. Recently sold my Scarab bass. And my prize Hamer is a 1991 Impact bass. That one is rare as hens teeth. You are correct to actually play that bass to see if the neck profile is a fit. The early 80's Hamers had thin fast necks, but would move quite easily until they went to thicker profile around 1986. I believe they also went to three piece necks at that time. The Chaps are all three piece and stable. The set neck construction has unique mid range tonality. The bass you are looking at should have a Honduran Mahogany body with a maple neck unless it was ordered with different woods. Hamer was one of the original custom shops, I priced a 12 string Standard (Explorer shaped) bass in the mid 90's to replace my long ago sold Standard 4 string bass, and the price came to $3,500 with all the options I wanted. I went with a stock black finished B12L instead for $1,800 with HSC. If you get that bass consider replacing the 35DC pickup in the bridge position with a 35TW pickup. That way you have a P/H and P/J pickup selection on tap. I had a Chap with the P/35DC pickup combination with a black/white marble finish. Wished I had kept it and put a TW pickup in it. I hope you find you like that bass, but I would also go $650 maximum for it myself.
Cheers,
Mike
Click to expand...

Man, thanks for that specs information and pick up suggestion !

I haven't been able to find out very much at all regarding the specs on these.

Are the Chaparral stock EMGs active ?
 
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#31
lowplaces said:
Man, thanks for that specs information and pick up suggestion !

I haven't been able to find out very much at all regarding the specs on these.

Are the Chaparral stock EMGs active ?
Click to expand...

You are very welcome, it can be very hard to get good info on these basses. To answer your question they definitely are active EMG pickups with an EMG BTS two band EQ, pickup pan and master volume in the stock configuration. Sometimes they came with OBL high impedance pickups, but that bass has the EMG actives.
Cheers,
Mike
 
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#32
A buddy of mine had a Chaparral back in the early-‘90s. Mahogany body. Maple set-neck. Pretty sure the headstock was reversed, but I’m not 100% on that.

Anyway, I do remember the build quality, fretwork, and finish were all impeccable. The tone was the typical “active EMG P-J” of that era: similar to the Spector NS.

bolophonic said:
I’d check out a cheap Hamer if I saw one in a shop, but I would probably never reach for a top-of-the-line version.
Click to expand...
wow...you've got that totally backwards! Hamer USA guitars and basses are some of the best ever (at least before 1993 or so). Their import stuff sucks pretty hard.
 
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#33
Scootbass1 said:
You are very welcome, it can be very hard to get good info on these basses. To answer your question they definitely are active EMG pickups with an EMG BTS two band EQ, pickup pan and master volume in the stock configuration. Sometimes they came with OBL high impedance pickups, but that bass has the EMG actives.
Cheers,
Mike
Click to expand...
Good deal then.

Btw, that older listing the shop had on Reverb stated this one is 8 1/2 lbs. I can probably live with that.

Thanks again. With that info you provided I can now make a decent assessment of the electronics. Hopefully no one has monkeyed around with it.

Cheers
 
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#34
The five string Chaps had reverse headstocks, the fours could be ordered that way as well. You could pretty much get whatever pickups, electronics, woods etcetera through them as long as it was one of their models including discontinued models. My Scarab was a 1991 with a custom ordered 1.75" nut width, standard was 1.65" except for the early 80's and the Impact (1.5"), the 12 strings had 2" nuts and 2" at the bridge. Yep, straight pull for intonation.
Cheers, Mike
 
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#39
Played an original 80s Cruisebass with pickguard for a couple years until a club manager at a holiday inn in Cincinnati we were playing plugged a vac into my powerstrip and wound up pulling my amp over which landed on my bass. Fd it up good.

Luckily our sound man lived in Naperville where Hamer was HQd, took it to the factory where they transferred all the electronics and hardware onto a brand new body and sent it back to me a few weeks later. New body had no pickguard, larger logo on headstock. Holiday Inn paid for it. I then played the snot out of that one until it was traded. Great basses!
 
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#40
LanEvo said:
A buddy of mine had a Chaparral back in the early-‘90s. Mahogany body. Maple set-neck. Pretty sure the headstock was reversed, but I’m not 100% on that.

Anyway, I do remember the build quality, fretwork, and finish were all impeccable. The tone was the typical “active EMG P-J” of that era: similar to the Spector NS.

wow...you've got that totally backwards! Hamer USA guitars and basses are some of the best ever (at least before 1993 or so). Their import stuff sucks pretty hard.
Click to expand...

I’m sure they are great, I just have a $0 budget for new gear right now. I didn’t mean for that to be a comment about quality or anything.
 

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