narad
Progressive metal and politics
Maybe the 3rd of 4 of the impeding NGDs I wanted to do, but definitely less cool than the last two, but still well steeped in the 80s vibe.
This is a Hamer Steve Stevens signature model. I'm not a huge fan of Steve Stevens, or this model usually -- I always thought it was one of the worst looking of that Hamer era. But if you like the Californian or Chaparral models, they are almost always bolt-on -- the set neck versions exist, but they're very rare, and they get quite expensive. The last Californian set neck I saw had fancy wood, but it I think the construction also played a large part in it going for like $5500 on Reverb (well, maybe it was sold outside of Reverb, who knows). The Steve Stevens model is an option for a set neck Hamer floyd guitar for far less. So that's one advantage. The other is that, while this model can look pretty bad IMO, when it's in black, with inlays, and EMGs, it has a whole different vibe and I actually thought it was cool enough to fight another guy on Mercari for it, and violate the usual etiquette of the public bartering typically used there, and just snatched it up after the price was lowered for the other guy!
Anyway, as a guitar, pleasantly surprised. Very resonant, pretty lightweight, just a great voice. It's got that 85/89 style bridge sound that, like the VAG posted earlier, I tend to like even though it's out of fashion. Another 24.75" guitar with a floyd, which is pretty hard to come by and I really enjoy -- I think these days people would push you towards a Caparison Horus for that, but this is way better than the Horuses I used to have. The double cutaways are pretty extreme, and aesthetically bad in another other color IMO, but they do make it play really easily -- there's just not a lot of guitar north of the neck pickup. The guitar seems mostly cared for, but still 30+ years old so it has plenty of scratches and wear. I should have tried some polishing before doing a round of photos! The black and the nice quality MOP on the fretboard overall gives it a nice vibe.
The switching is also pretty interesting -- one 3-way switch selects between bridge / bridge + neck / and neck. The second brings the middle pickup in or out. I kind of like. The switches are also some rare or prorpietary thing with rubber tips that feels either premium or just out of place on a guitar.
The last thing that stands out to me is the heel carve. It looks blocky and maybe a bit crude, but the angles are just right, and it honestly is one of the most comfortable set neck heels I've ever had. I'd push for something like this if I was doing customs still. It's hard to believe from the pics though.
Overall, a very nice guitar that's representative of Hamer's quality and pursuit of their own vision. It's a pretty quirky design, but aesthetics aside, it's a pretty nice playing experience. I'm not sure I'll hang on to it when I start downsizing, but in the meantime I like it quite a bit.
Anyway, pics:
Dupes:
View attachment DSC00327.jpg
View attachment DSC00333.jpg
View attachment DSC00338.jpg
This is a Hamer Steve Stevens signature model. I'm not a huge fan of Steve Stevens, or this model usually -- I always thought it was one of the worst looking of that Hamer era. But if you like the Californian or Chaparral models, they are almost always bolt-on -- the set neck versions exist, but they're very rare, and they get quite expensive. The last Californian set neck I saw had fancy wood, but it I think the construction also played a large part in it going for like $5500 on Reverb (well, maybe it was sold outside of Reverb, who knows). The Steve Stevens model is an option for a set neck Hamer floyd guitar for far less. So that's one advantage. The other is that, while this model can look pretty bad IMO, when it's in black, with inlays, and EMGs, it has a whole different vibe and I actually thought it was cool enough to fight another guy on Mercari for it, and violate the usual etiquette of the public bartering typically used there, and just snatched it up after the price was lowered for the other guy!
Anyway, as a guitar, pleasantly surprised. Very resonant, pretty lightweight, just a great voice. It's got that 85/89 style bridge sound that, like the VAG posted earlier, I tend to like even though it's out of fashion. Another 24.75" guitar with a floyd, which is pretty hard to come by and I really enjoy -- I think these days people would push you towards a Caparison Horus for that, but this is way better than the Horuses I used to have. The double cutaways are pretty extreme, and aesthetically bad in another other color IMO, but they do make it play really easily -- there's just not a lot of guitar north of the neck pickup. The guitar seems mostly cared for, but still 30+ years old so it has plenty of scratches and wear. I should have tried some polishing before doing a round of photos! The black and the nice quality MOP on the fretboard overall gives it a nice vibe.
The switching is also pretty interesting -- one 3-way switch selects between bridge / bridge + neck / and neck. The second brings the middle pickup in or out. I kind of like. The switches are also some rare or prorpietary thing with rubber tips that feels either premium or just out of place on a guitar.
The last thing that stands out to me is the heel carve. It looks blocky and maybe a bit crude, but the angles are just right, and it honestly is one of the most comfortable set neck heels I've ever had. I'd push for something like this if I was doing customs still. It's hard to believe from the pics though.
Overall, a very nice guitar that's representative of Hamer's quality and pursuit of their own vision. It's a pretty quirky design, but aesthetics aside, it's a pretty nice playing experience. I'm not sure I'll hang on to it when I start downsizing, but in the meantime I like it quite a bit.
Anyway, pics:
Dupes:
View attachment DSC00327.jpg
View attachment DSC00333.jpg
View attachment DSC00338.jpg
