Hamer Archtop Studio

USA model, sunburst, 3 controls, 3 way switch, SD pickups. Paid 500 brand new at a guitar shop going out of business. It was listed there at 1899.00. This was about 10+ years ago. Came with Hamer hard case. To me it was pretty heavy since I was changing over from a Strat Squier, but I liked the weight.

Best sounding guitar I have ever played. I also own a Gibson Standard Les Paul, a Gibson SG, and an epiphone LP. It puts them all to shame. Clean settings it sounds wonderful and rich, obviously with effects you can get it to sound however.

SOOOO easy to play. It was flawless when purchases and still is, as are all of my guitars except the Epi, who cares about it, LOL. I had to have the input jack replaced a few months ago, but it was my fault for always stepping on the cord. I was also going to change pickups, but the guy at the Guitar shop was very ademate that it would be a mistake.

Like I said earlier, best guitar I have ever had, this is in comparison to my 2 US Gibsons. Quality COntrol is obviously super tight, at least on my USA model.

Never had to use them.

Been playing for 17-18 years. If it was stolen, broken or lost, I would def get another one. No dislikes at all.
Truth be told, it seems every bit as heavy as my Gibsons.

1994 Made in USA version, which means it has a wrap tailpiece and a contour cut into the back of the body. Mahogany body, 3 piece mahogany neck (to resist twisting) flame maple carved top and rosewood fingerboard. 22 frets, which allows the neck humbucker to go where it should, at the 1/4 point of the string (24th fret). Came with the venerable Duncan set of '59/JB pickups, but, as you can see from the most recent reviewers, that sound has become a little dated, and many people are subing in a more balanced pair. I went to the Gibson Burstbuckers, and I am very happy with my choice. This is not to say that the '59/JBs aren't good in this guitar, or in others. I have a ash/maple telecaster that was custom made for those exact pickups, and they sound perfect in it. So there. Nothing against Seymour. 2 volumes, one tone, like an Explorer. Pickup switch is way down behind the tailpice, where you never accidentally bump it. Double cutaway, but thicker than an SG, thinner than a Les Paul. 8 lbs even, isn't life good. Well balanced, not head heavy like an SG.

The sound is what you would expect from a good Gibson. Lots of thick midrange, shaded toward the dark side. I play a Mesa Nomad or a Marshall JMP. I can turn up the presence and get the great English rock trademark sound without it getting brittle or shrill, as it would with my Fenders. Great guitar, dark without being dull, thick without getting muddy. The Burstbuckers were a nice improvement. The neck is brighter, with more punch than the '59 had, and the bridge is just as powerful as the JB was, but more touch sensitive.

Here is where the Hamer kills the Gibson. The neck is a good, moderate carve, round all along the back, neither tree trunk, nor pencil thin. The frets have a proper crown on them. They are dressed, and their ends are snag-free. I can't find that on a Gibson made in the last 15 years, even by the Custom Shop. Hamer started off by making proper Gibsons during the bad seventies, and they still pride themselves on workmanship. I think Gibson makes beautiful guitars, their woods and finish are top quality, and their designs are eternal. But every time I buy one, I have to put up with frets that were flat-filed, and fingerboard edges that tear up my hands. The Hamer control cavity is also the neatest I have ever seen in a production guitar, and their custom taper pots are smoother and more predictable than others.

Rock solid. Indestructable. All that being said, when you buy a used Hamer, look for two possible problems: There might be a little bit of milky white discoloration right at the neck joint, and the clear coat sometimes lifts along the edges of the fingerboard, because the rosewood is oily. Both of these problems are what is generally called "Hameritis", and are only cosmetic. The milky color is from glue migrating out of the neck joint before the varnish had fully dried, and it's reported to be limited to production in the '90s. The rosewood problem can be cured by floating a little super-glue in under the clearcoat.

Don't know. Never broke.

If you want a Les Paul, but don't want the weight or the price, get one of these. You'll never go back. I sold all my Les Pauls.

ALL DETAILS DESCRIBED BELOW SO I WON'T BORE ANYONE OR TAKE UP VALUABLE TIME. I WILL SAY MY AX HAS A TUNE-O-MATIC BRIDGE AND STOP TAIL. I'VE PLAYED BOTH WAYS A DC GIBSON I SOLD HAD A BADASS STOPTAIL BRIDGE. I PERSONALLY LIKE THE TUNE-O-MATIC BRIDGE,BUT THIS IS A SMALL THING.

THIS IS A SUPERB SOUNDING GUITAR. WHAT EVERYONE SAYS BELOW,ABOUT SWITCHING THE JB FOR A 59 is right on the money. I WILL LEAVE MINE AS IS ONLY BECAUSE I OWN A GIBSON CLASSIC WITH A 59 IN THE BRIDGE. YOU CAN TELL BY THE AMOUNT OF REVIEWS, THE HAMERS ARE STILL NOT VERY POPULAR. THIS IS A MATTER OF TIME. I PLAY PRS,GIBSON FENDER,AND IBANEZ. THE TWO HAMERS I OWN ARE THE BEST SOUNDING GUITARS. MY OTHER HAMER IS A ARTIST CUSTOM [READ REVIEWS] THERE IS NOTHING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THIS AX. QUALITY IS BETTER THAN PRS AND GIBSON HANDS DOWN.

THE BEST YOU WILL FIND. HAMER Q/C IS UNREAL. FAR SURPASSES GIBSON AND PRS. I AM VERY CRITICAL AND CANNOT FIND A FLAW IN EITHER HAMER.

WILL LAST FOREVER. A INCREDABLE AX.

NEVER HAD TO USE.

PRICE I PAID WAS A STEAL. IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A BETTER DEAL.

This USA made Hamer is a '95 model with a nice '59 burst finish over a beautiful flame Maple top.The body is one piece Honduras Mahogany,and the neck is the sturdy Hamer three piece Mahogany.The tuners are Schaller,the dot-marked fingerboard quarter sawed Indian Rosewood with medium-jumbo frets that are finished superbly,the bridge is the excellent Wilkinson one piece stop-tail.The pickups are quality Seymour Duncan,with a zebra '59 in the neck position and a black JB at the bridge.I replaced the JB with a Duncan zebra '59 to give,what I feel,a better balance in looks and tone.The JB is a fine pickup,that sounds very good in certain guitars,but I prefer the bite and vintage tone and output of the '59 in this sweet Hamer.The controls are a volume for each pickup,and a nicely voiced master tone.The Studio Archtop has a Gibson style 3-way pickup switch.All the hardware is nickel plated,the hardshell case sturdy and the scale length the Gibson 24.75.The Studio is basically influenced by the great Gibsons of the late '50s,somewhat like a Les Paul Special with humbuckers and an arched Maple top. This guitar,over the years,has been called the Studio,the Archtop and the Sunburst;also offering a Tune-O-Matic bridge.The Studio does not have a ton of features,but that's what you expect in a vintage inspired instrument.

I've owned several Gibsons,and all were well made and fine sounding guitars.Having said that,I feel that USA Hamers have a vibe and responsiveness that my Gibsons were lacking.My other Hamers have this same quality.The Studio really comes alive at stage volume;I can feel the tone and vibe through my entire body!The neck '59 is well voiced for fat chord comping and smokey blues/jazz soloing.The bridge position '59 really cuts through a live mix,and gives a great vocal-like quality through a good overdriven tube amp.The in-between position is super for open chords and funk/blues solos.This Hamers,IMHO,gives more overall tonal flexibility than a Gibson Les Paul.The acoustic quality of my Studio Archtop just seems more open and alive than my old Gibsons.This guitar does everthing from metal to uptown blues.There is nothing I dislike about my Hamer.If I want to "twang",I'll pick up my Tele.

Typical USA Hamer quality here.Flawless finish and great attention to detail are Hamer trademarks,and my Hamer Studio Archtop is no exception.The woods used not only are beautiful,they are instrumental to the guitar's tone and vibe.I honestly could not find a flaw on this American made beauty.

With a little TLC,this guitar should easily outlast myself.I did add a set of Schaller strap-locks to insure no unwanted accidents happen.I usually bring a backup guitar to all gigs.

Kaman/Hamer has always been helpful and polite when I've called for help or information.I feel confident that Hamer would make things right if I ever had a problem with any of my USA Hamers.

I love this guitar!It sounds awesome,plays like a dream and looks simply fabulous.I've been playing blues,rock,"old school"metal and fusion for about 25 years.If lost or stolen,I would hunt down another Studio,preferably with the Wilkinson stop-tail,and buy it in a heartbeat.My other gear includes a Fender American Standard Strat w/CS '54 pickups,USA Fat Tele w/Duncans,a USA Washburn MG-120,USA Washburn WMS ,USA Washburn WM200 w/Duncan Antiquity and Duncan Vintage Lipstick pickups,a USA Hamer P-90 Special,USA Hamer 25th Anniversary Edition Artist,a Carvin SC90 w/Duncans,Martin DM w/Fishman and a Warwick Streamer Standard bass.My amps include a EL34 modified Mesa Boogie MKIIC+,Fender Prosonic combo,Valvetech all-tube combo,a cool little Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ 1-12" combo,a Tech 21 Trademark 10 and a sweet and tiny early '60s Supro 8 watt 1-8" combo;my bass amp is a nice and compact Hartke B30.I am very happy with my gear,with the majority coming to me as real bargains.I feel that the Studio Archtop is the true "king" of my guitar harem.

1994 USA made. Has the Wilkinson wrap around bridge with adjustable G and B saddles. 22 frets. Beautiful carved maple top (59 Sunburst) over a one piece double cutaway Honduran mahogany body. Rosewood fretboard on a 3 piece quartersawn glued in mahogany neck. 3 way switch, 2 volume pots, 1 master tone. Duncan humbuckers, 59 at neck, JB at bridge. Came with original Hamer hardshell case. Gets a 9 instead of a 10 since it came with Schaller tuners instead of my much preferred Sperzels.

It really does sound like a Les Paul except that its meatier and has a richer tone. i replaced the JB at the bridge with another 59 since the JB is too hot for me on clean settings. Gets a killer creamy tone with just a bit of amp driven overdrive. The Wilkinson wraparound bridge actually does help it sustain a bit better than the usual tune-o-matic bridges also.

Excellent build quality...much better than a standard Les Paul and I feel I practically stole it for what I paid. No finish flaws..string geometry was perfect and setup was good though it was for 009s and I just had to put 010s on it..(009s sound a bit wimpy to me). Remarkable craftsmanship.

Guitar will age better than I will for sure...premium woods, no scraps glued together and finished with tone deadening bondo (are you listening, Fender?) Came ready for Dunlop straploks which was nice. I would have used it at gigs and have yet to break a string and I do tend to strangle the thing...never gig w/o backup though, you never know...

I have been playing for 17 years, most of them semi-professionally. I have had dozens of strats, Gibsons and a PRS....This is my second Hamer (other was an FM Special) and its even better than the first!!Tone and playability have always been very important to me and the Archtop Studio more than fits the bill. I tried it against a $2200 Gibson DC Pro and the Hamer absolutely blew it away...Hamer is such a well kept secret that I'm loathe to gloat about them since others may find out and drive the prices up! Seriously, do yourself a favor, buy a Hamer instead of a Gibson...why do you think Gibson suddenly introduced the cutaway Pauls in the first place?

Mine is a 1995, US made, 22-fret masterpiece. Your basic Les Paul/McCarty setup, with two Duncan covered humbuckers, three position switch, a volume for each pickup and a master tone. It's got the Sunburst body style (double cutaway, straight cut that joins the body between frets 20 and 21) with a gorgeous arched, flamed maple top, the kind that changes colors and striping patterns when you look at it from different angles. Rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. Wraparound Wilkinson bridge/tailpiece with PRS-style intonation adjusters at the mounting posts, with additional sliding saddle for the G and A strings. Lubitrak nut, Schaller tuners. Coolest stock feature has to be the strap buttons that accept Dunlop strap locks. Some may consider this to be a trivial thing, but it's one of the many reasons why I prefer Hamers to Gibsons. If you're like me and absolutely have to have strap locks, figure an additional $50 to $75 per new guitar for the hardware and a quality strap. With the Dunlop buttons already installed, not only do you save some cash, but clicking from one guitar to another is a breeze. Now I use one strap for all my guitars. A great touch. The only modification I made was switching the wiring for the volume pots so the knob for the bridge pickup is closer to the bridge, instead of in the middle. I frequently roll tones in and out on the lead pickup, and rarely do so for the neck pickup. A personal preference of mine, and a little quirk that will readily identify the guitar if it gets stolen and I see some asshole using it two months later. Gets a 10 from me for the strap buttons alone, not to mention the stock Duncans (all of my guitars have Duncans; most have required additional expense and personal installation after the purchase) and the tone control that's actually useable.

My tone is definitely high gain in nature (I play through Marshalls and Soldanos, with Boss MetalZone and MXR MicroAmp stompboxes) but I'm not a metal player. My style and sound definitely lean toward Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham and Gary Moore. That said, this guitar suits me perfectly. Thick humbucker tones (especially the neck pickup), singing sustain and wonderful character that doesn't get lost in distortion. And as I mentioned above, the tone control really works, shaving off top end without muddying your sound when you roll it back.

I bought it "new" (no previous owner) in 1998, so it had been hanging around the shop for a few years. Regardless, the setup was perfect -- action right where I like it, and intonation on the mark, proving to me that less-complicated wrap-around bridges are as good as a tune-o-matic, as long as they're high quality like a Wilkinson. Immaculate finish (better than some Gibson Historicals I've seen), perfect fret dressing, tight pots, switches and jack, the whole nine yards. Hamer's workmanship is certainly on par with PRS, and both are heads and shoulders above Gibson.

Certailnly could hold up in any situation, but haven't been willing to subject it to the rigors of the road (that's what my Hamer Prototype and Big Apple Strat are for). Rises to the occasion in rehearsals, though, and records beautifully, particularly through the Soldano.

I guess my wiring mod voided the warranty, but who cares? Warranties are for hobbyists, not working musicians.

Though I'm admittedly biased toward Hamers (I've had a soft spot for them ever since I saw a wall of Sunbursts in 1979 when my dad took me to the corner shop to get my first guitar), this is the sweetest guitar I've ever laid eyes on. It's basically a PRS McCarty at two-thirds the price (although unlike some other players who own Hamers, I don't forsake them for all others; I'd love to add a McCarty to my arsenal in the near future). Gibsons have always been too heavy, awkward, and ornamental for my tastes. Hamer and PRS are the best electrics going today, as both have that small-shop, high quality vibe that really comes through in the finished product. This particular variety of the Studio Archtop is out of production, but if you come across one and you're in the market for a double humbucker solidbody, give it a try. Trust me, you'll dig it.

1995, made in USA, 22 frets, mahogany body with a bookmatched flamed maple top, mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, 1 vol. and 2 tone. The volume is puch-pull and alloows to split the neck pickup. 2 S.D. humbuckers, JB in the bridge and ALnico II in the neck position. The finish is what Hamer calls Aztec Gold, wich is natural-yellow-honey see-through finish. The maple top flames show exceptionally well. Double cutaway with a Wilkinson wrap-around tail, 24.5 neck scale and 11 radius. Comes with a guitar shaped deluxe case.

This guitar sounds awesome. I'm using a Fender Blues Deville and I can overdrive the amp very smoothly, something I was unable to do with my Fender Strat. The bridge pickup sounds sharp and powerful, somewhat similar to a Les Paul. The neck pickup sounds big and fat. There's not a lot of tonal choices but the coil split brings some variety. When split the tone is pretty good but a little thin (no kidding!). If you're into fat Gibsonesque osunds you'll love this guitar sounds. I'll give it a 9 only because it could have a little more tonal choices.

I bought this suitar used so I have no idea about the factory setup. I adjusted the truss rod and the string height although there was no big need for this. This guitar is of exceptional quality. Similar to PRS or Gibson Custom Shop, witthout having to spend a fortune. The top is beautiful, flamed bookmatched maple finished in gold/honey color. The hardware is premium quality. The neck is not thin but not too fat. It's a little slimmer than a Les Paul and I think it allows for some interesting technique.

I have had this guitar for about 5 month and had no problem. It seems very reliable and dependable. All hardware is of the best quality and I have gigged without a backup.

The folks at Hamer are fabulous, I have dealt with them on unrelated issues and they were always very helpful. I don't personaly know of any other guitar company to have that level of customer service.

I have been playing for over 18 years and currently own a two Fender Strat's, one Plus and one Floyd Rose. I would buy this guitar again any time, it feels great (similar to a Les Paul but lighter and more beautiful) and the tone is big and meaty just like I love it. I am mainly playing classic/southern rock and blues and this guitar is matching my style perfectly.

1996 USA Flame maple top, 3 way toggle, 2 volume, 1 tone, 2 Seymor Duncan humbuckers,natural color top, 3 piece mahogany neck, mahogany back, double cutaway,tune o matic bridge, good case, jumbo frets

If you are fond of a Les Paul sound you have to love a Hamer because there as good as any Les Paul at 1/2 the price

The guitar was already set up perfectly the day I tried it at the store. I've been playing for 30 years and didn't have to play this guitar for more than 5 minutes when I told the salesman to wrap it up.Beautiful fit and finish

I also own an American Standard Strat, American Standard Tele, 59 Burst Hamer Archtop Studio.The Hamer Archtop Studio is a great guitar comparable to guitars 2 and 3 times it's cost

I've had my Archtop Studio for three years and it is still my favorite guitar. I sold my Strat Ultra a few months after buying the Hamer, but I still have my old Les Paul and a Takamine acoustic (I'm not in the guitar collector biz!). It would be best to compare this guitar to the double cutaway Les Paul, but with a premium carved flamed maple top. Hamer deserves credit for making this type of quality in a $1,500 list axe. Tops like this are usually reserved for the PRS's and Brian Moores of the world. THe p/u's are two Seymour Duncan Humbuckers, my favorite p/u combination.

No doubt I prefer a Les Paul type of sound. This guitar does a good job of delivering that without all the weight. If you want a strat, buy a strat. This guitar is a great guitar for most musical styles since you can "blend" the bridge and neck pickups real well and the neck is kind of middle of the road (not too fat or thin, deep or shallow).

The Studio was either set up well at the factory or the local store I bought it from did a set up. Love at first play. I had immediate comparisons to my Les Paul. We did do a truss rod adjustment after the the first three months, but that was a couple years ago and all's been fine since. Lotsa gigs under its belt.

No problems with reliability. A few other guitarists told me that the necks on Hamers break more easily than some others, but I'm sure most guitars don't take to dropping on their headstock too well. I just take as much care as I would my other guitars. That means not leaving it leaning against your amp with the cord plugged in so someone can trip on the cord and cause you grief. The finish has held up well.

Never had to deal with Hamer. They have decent representation on the KAMAN web site (http://www.kaman-music.com).

I've played on and off for twenty years and have gone through a lot of guitars and amps. I consider this guitar to be one of the better values out there as far as what you get for your money. The only real "frill" is the flamed archtop.