Hamer Archtop Sunburst

This is an update to the review I submitted at 12:55 on 10/09/2002.
Details and specifications are in that review.

See my previous review.

OK, here are a couple of things I wanted to get at: If you go to Hamer's Website where they feature the Hamer archtop sunburst,

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=detail&mid=401&sid=185

In their description of the guitar, they include this little item:


Cap: Flamed Maple

From my previous review I quoted Mr. Frank Rindone of Hamer, who stated (statement not modified in any way, and was pasted directly from his e-mail), quote:

No low priced guitar company would state that they use a maple cap, which would mean a thick piece of maple especially on guitars priced between $500-$800.

I rest my case.

N/A

They will tell you you have not seen things you actually have seen, they will become quite peeved with you for bugging them with facts. They will tell you that you are full of crap. If you buy an imported guitar from them, caveat emptor!

Now these can be a pretty fun guitar if you do these things: Once you get over your initial disappointment from discovering it does not contain the actual woods you thought it did, you still can achieve happiness: I replaced the switch with a Switchcraft; I added '60s Gibson knobs; I added Paul Reed Smith Vintage Bass and HFS pickups; I added Schaller Straplocks; upgraded tuners have been added; you can either grind close to an eighth of an inch off the existing plastic nut or do as I did, make a brass or bone nut. I manufactured a brass nut for it. I rewired it from Vol/Vol/Tone to Vol/Tone/Tone. A little tweak of the truss rod, which actually is a good and quite responsive one, and the thing sounds great and plays great. It's still not what they advertise it to be, but it's very playable and gives the illusion of being a more expensive guitar--really does have great looks, which, if you don't want to take your PRS to a particular place, could be handy. Mine has extremely low action with no buzz, feels very good, actually.

My only real bitch is their deception and their acting like I'm a damned fool for suggesting such a thing when I can prove outright and very easily that what I say is true.

I buy something, I want what I thought I was getting. If I wanted to buy a song and dance I could go to a strip club.

If anyone needs any tips on wiring or upgrading their instrument, if I'm able to help I'd be glad to. No charge for advice. You want me to do it for you, it gets expensive.

2000 or 2001, not sure on year, Hamer SATF (Sunburst Arched Top Flamed), Aztec Gold glossy, Korean-made, 22 frets, laminated top, Vol/Vol/Tone from the factory (see below for my changes), three-position switch, two humbuckers (Duncan Designed) passive, woods--I'll get into that later. LP DC body style. Gibson-style tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece. Tuners? Those are tuners? Neck is fat/wide/flat radius.

I do instrumental rock recordings. I use a variety of guitars for that purpose.

It sounds great now!! With original pickups I'd still say this guitar sounds very good.

I have a Seymour Duncan Convertible 100-watt set up to sound like a Fender Twin clean (a pretty good approximation) and a Mesa dirty (damned good approximation). For recording I use a Behringer V-amp (very, very nice sound quality).

I like the shape. I like the color. The knobs are nice. Hey, it is pretty to look at, I will give it that. The action is outstanding and the fretwork is very good.

For dislikes, see Action, Fit and Finish.

Flaws? Setup? Time to put your glasses on, gentle reader, get a coffee, cigarette if you hate yourself that badly, and pull up a chair.

HERE WE GO! I think it's a pretty good guitar overall now, although I'm thinking of making a new body for it out of real wood. Doesn't it have real wood, you ask? Yes. It has a real wood body. It has a paper-thin piece of real wood called "the top" that is actually bookmatched flame maple. The fact that you can read a newspaper through it does not detract from the fact that it is real wood.

Underneath the flamed maple veneer and between the veneer and what is alleged on the Hamer Website to be "mahogany" is a substance that I cannot at this time verify is balsa, but resembles balsa to an extremely high degree to me. Therefore, I will not tell you it is balsa. I will tell you it does an outstanding imitation of balsa. Here is what Frank Rindone of Kaman wrote to me in e-mail, copied and pasted directly from that e-mail. I have not altered his wording in any way whatsoever:

"The SATF's body and neck are made out of an imported wood similar in charactaristics to Mahogany. Your guitar was not made out of balsa wood. We do say we use a Flamed Maple top like other manufacturers. The top refers to a real piece of Flamed maple as opposed to a photo flame or film. No low priced guitar company would state that they use a maple cap, which would mean a thick piece of maple especially on guitars priced between $500-$800. In a review of our Vector flametop in Guitar One magazine they mention that the top is a
flame maple veneer. Manufacturers are not trying to deceive anyone by
stating the words "flamed maple top." There are guitars out there that sell for $1200+ that are using these laminated tops, not caps. These tops vary from guitar to guitar because they are real wood not a picture so that every guitar looks the same. Some companies even grade the maple veneer used."

None of the above was taken out of context. It was copied in its entirety from the e-mail.

Because there are actual maple wood molecules in the top, it is a maple top. And note he said they use a wood similar to mahogany. On their Website they state the guitar is mahogany back and neck with a flamed maple top. A wood similar to mahogany is not mahogany, now, is it? The substance in the laminated top underneath the veil of maple molecules that I discovered will have to be turned over to Agent Mulder of X Files to be investigated apparently, because it does not exist.

OK, look, he has a point, folks: You buy a guitar for not much money, you get a guitar of lesser value.

Now that we have determined that the actual wood as advertised on the guitar amounts to 1/32" thickness overall, let's get to the other appointments.

It came to me with Gotoh tuners as replacements for the Go-Away tuners that come on these things, which are basically useless. Normally I take Gotohs off and put Grovers or Schallers on, but the previous owner knew what he was doing, I think, because these seem to work very well. There are upscale guitarmakers using them, they're not bad.

The switch is a toy, a toy you get with your Happy Meal, not even one you would buy at Wal-Mart. It weighed about as much as the seasoning on my tuna sandwich at lunch and was about as durable as Keith Richards is good-looking. After removal you could hold it up and it would wobble all over the place. The tricky part is getting it to stay in position. It was built to last long enough to get the guitar out of the store.

The pickups ain't bad. Duncan Designed pickups really are decent, folks. They are wound in Korea to SD's specs, and while they're a little on the dark side they sound great distorted and they're really not bad clean. I replaced them with a set of PRS--an HFS for the bridge and a Vintage Bass for the neck. But it was not an absolute necessity. I just wanted more clarity. I would like to stres

Well, unless you're Pete Townshend most guitars will withstand live playing. I've played a lot of guitars on a lot of stages, in front of rock and redneck crowds and never damaged one. Unless you're doing circus acrobatics with your guitar or you have a balance problem and you tend to fall on them a lot you shouldn't need one with armor plate.

I don't think they like me very much at Hamer.

Frank invited me to call him for further discussion, or possibly to invite me to Connecticut to relocate my schnoz over by my ear (I'm kidding, Frank) but there was no real point. He's just doing his job the best he can and he made a good point, you buy cheap, you get cheap, what did you expect? He's absolutely right.

As for warranty stuff on a new guitar--you'd have to ask the guys who bought a new one. I'm only talking about things I have actual experience with in this situation. I want to keep it honest.

I've been playing/tinkering/rebuilding on guitars for 33 years.

If this guitar were lost or stolen, I'd sure miss those Paul Reed Smith pickups! Would I buy another one? Oh, hell, no. Never, never, never.

I'd buy a beat-to-hell old Gibson or a neck and build a Les Paul DC style guitar myself. I've done it before. I'm just not good with fretting and truss rod installation, but I can build a good body.

LISTEN TO ME: This doesn't mean you shouldn't buy this guitar. If you're just starting out or you desperately need a guitar, it's definitely a good beginner's guitar or something to tide you over in an emergency when you don't have much cash. And they're beautiful to look at, just like my wife, but she is 100% French woman molecules, not a veneer, for sure. I have been spoiled by 33 years of Gibsons, Fenders, American Hamers, Gretsches--well, you name it, just about.

I actually chose this guitar--and you have my permission to laugh--because I believed it had a mahogany body and a maple cap of substandard bookmatching and overall quality, figuring you get what you pay for, and figuring on replacing all the hardware and electronics and having a pretty decent little guitar, there. Now I believe Frank when he says Hamer does not set out to deceive (well, any more than Chevy, Kellogg's, Pfizer or any other commercial enterprise would, i.e., maybe stretch a little to generate your interest in their product), but even with my experience over a broad range of guitars I didn't know to expect this. There was nothing in their literature or advertising anywhere that gave me the ability to make a decision on purchasing based on an understanding that there is a sandwich of woods there comprised of imitation mahogany, extremely thin veneer top and in between some unknown substance resembling balsa to a high degree that they won't even acknowledge the existence of. I probably wouldn't have been so tempted to buy the guitar if I had known about that. Like I told Frank, call me ignorant or a dumbass, but I took them literally at their word and honestly did not know better.

My other stuff: '67 Hagstrom Viking, '93 American Strat, '76 Fender Precision Bass, '72 Gibson Blueridge acoustic with Hummingbird neck. Amp: Seymour Duncan Convertible 100-watter. Lovely amplifier. Wonderful sound. Louder than hell. Very potent. And a bunch of other stuff. I use a Dell for recording with a ton of software and an Echo Layla, DoD EQ, Behringer Composer, Behringer 12-channel Eurorack mixer, Fostex headphone amp, Edirol monitors, AKG 240 Monitor cans, etc., etc., etc.


In the words of Fox Mulder: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!

Thank you, Harmony Central.

I bought this thing used from a guy in a band called Hambone from Logan Utah.

This thing sounds really nice compared to the Hohner bolt-on that I used previously. The tone resonates throught the entire guitar thanks to the neck being glued in. The guitar does have a problem with higher frets. There is a lot of fret buzz and very little sustain once you move higher than the 12 spot on the fret board. You pluck the string and the sound just wimps out. I use the guitar for jamming rythem tunes which suits me fine. Not an incredibly fast solo guitar. Unlike the other reviews i have seen. Mine has ZERO tuning issues. It stays in tune better than any guitar I have. Probably due to Hamers manufacturing inconsistency again.

Great below 12. Not so great above 12. Finish is fine

This guitar is tried and trued for gigs. It was on the road with they guy that had it before me. Works great.

Seems like a great second guitar for somebody. Make sure you get one that tunes well.

Basic double cut away style guitar, 2 humbuckers nice flamed top, 2 vol, 1 tone. Finish is really great. tuning machines not too hot. feel s much like my les paul dc pro. tune-o-matic style bridge. nice neck.

Sounds ok, but i'm going to put emg's in it.

I reworked the frets & adjusted the truss. plays like a gem now.

This is my backup. seems like it will hold on for a long time.

I always do my own work

Not bad at all. plays well, but its not that expensive that if it got ripped off I'd be pissed. makes a great back up. very smooth transition from a LP to this in the middle of a song. I usually take this on jam nights & use it at practice. pretty well made & a good value for the $$. (looks fantastic)

Solid body, set neck, double cutaway, two humbuckers. It looks a lot like a PRS. The controls are basically a Les Paul configuration, but with a single tone control. The toggle switch is down below the knobs, which I personally found a little weird and awkward.

The humbuckers are "Duncan Designed", which I suspect is code for "Made in Korea to look like Duncans". They actually sound pretty good. The bridge pickup is very hot (and kinda nasty...I likes it) and the neck pickup could be a little smoother, but they're very workable overall.

I play a lot of blues and classic rock with an old-fart covers band. I also jam with guys that are into rockabilly and surf...I generally play Fender-ish sorts of instruments, but wanted something in a two-humbucker configuration to round out my guitar stable. I played this through a Fender Blues Deluxe (which isn't ideal for this axe), and sprinkled in occasional bits of chorus, delay, compression, and overdrive.

The tone is fine...I was able to get a decent generic Les Paul sort of tone, and the humbuckers have plenty of output to drive the amp.

The overall sound, however, is hampered by MAJOR tuning issues. I suspect that a bit of tweaking might overcome it...some graphite at the nut, maybe new tuning machines, a bit of work on the bridge, etc. There is a chance that the tuning issues are the result of an unstable design - the neck is pretty thin and a bit wobbly - but my guess is that the problems are mostly fixable to someone with the time and energy to track them down.

It's interesting...I read all of the reviews on this guitar (they're under several headings in this database), and was surprised that a lot of folks thought they were fine, and some were very vocal in saying they sucked. Most interesting was that a couple of guys wrote reviews praising them at first, then returned later to trash them.

So...I played through a stack of them at Guitar Center (manufacturing consistency is really poor), found one that was OK and took it home. It was fine practicing in the basement, and I figured I got a good deal. I took it to a jam last night, though, and the tuning issues were insidious. I gave it four songs, put it down and grabbed my Tele for the rest of the evening. Using it in anger with aggressive attack, it just doesn't hold up and stay in tune.

I generally do my own setups, but have decided that this particular axe isn't worth the trouble of seeking out and fixing the problems...it's going back to the store today. If I'd paid $100, I'd give it a go...for $300, there are lots of other options that will stay in tune.

A shame, really...I kinda liked it. If I find a cheap one used, I might pick it up and mess around with it.

On this instrument, the fit and finish were pretty good...but remember that I played through a stack of them to find this one. I'd be pretty hesitant to mail-order this instrument. The variation between guitars was significant.

The finish was well done (if a bit thick), the binding was well fitted, the gold flame top looked great, and everything fit together well.

The one finish detail that was bothersome was the alignment of pickup pole pieces with the strings...at first, I thought they'd installed the pickups crooked. On closer inspection, the string spacing doesn't match the pickup pole spacing. This tells me that they got a deal on the pickups from one place, a deal on the mock tune-O-matic from somewhere else, and decided to ignore the mis-match.

It's mostly an aesthetic issue...output and balance didn't appear to impacted by the poor alignment.

The instrument itself is pretty stable - although I worry a bit about the neck, it's no worse than a lot of instruments on the market.

Most of the hardware is crap...the tuners in particular. Again, this would be a fun instrument if it was a yard-sale special - you could replace parts and try to tweak it into compliance. I just refuse to go to that much trouble with a new instrument.

Didn't talk to Hamer. GC takes the instrument back within 30 days...I wouldn't have bought it otherwise.

This would be a frustrating instrument for a beginner because of the tuning issues. For the money, there are a lot better instruments available...youngsters would be MUCH better off with a Standard MIM Tele or Strat (or any of a number of decent copies). A guitar like that can be a useful tool for the rest of your life...the Hamer Korean archtop doesn't qualify for that status.

Players with experience will most likely do the same thing I did...play it, decide "it might work if only...", then take it back to the store.

I've yet to find a workable budget, set-neck, dual humbucker guitar...this certainly isn't it, and I'll keep looking.

Korean piece. 2 Duncan Designed Humbuckers, passive, H/H. Almost too hot, if you prefer a paf vibe. 3-way switch, V/V/Tone. Mahogany with flame maple top, double cutaway, contoured/carved top. Neck is narrow, maybe too narrow, Mahogany/Rosewood. Reminds me of my old TV model Les Paul I had years ago.

Full and warm sounding, not bright or thin in any way. Great sustain, close to a les paul.

Original guitar purchased for son in summer for birthday, pickups were mis-aligned (nominally) but finish and action was ok. He took off to school and returned in December. I changed strings for the first time on guitar which was still in mint condition and when all strings were removed for change the relief of neck caused a 3 inch crack from the nut on the high E side to the center of neck. I found out this fall after purchasing 3 Hamer Archtops from Musicians Friend, which they were very gracious in returns, that the wood used in Korean instruments is mostly green or uncured. I returned all 3 instruments because of major finish flaws, cracked necks and the last which was perfect in appearance was totally unplayable to the 7th fret, all strings fretted out.

I originally though the first instrument for my son was fine so 1 out of 4 was ok, now I find it is junk also.

Hamer does not respond to warranty issues. I submitted pickup alignment problem with first instrument without a response. I'm Stuck!

Musicians Friend serviced me well with these problems. I purchased a Parker. I am a long time user of Fender and Gibson and I will never buy a Hamer again, period.

I compared 2 of the instruments side by side and one body was as much as 3/4 inches longer?? What is up there?

Score: 4 out of 4 was junk. I am not willing to go for 5.

Too bad, it is a beautiful instrument but certainly not worth the headaches that go along with it.

Advice: Don't buy this one.

Junk from the go.

What support? There are hamer forums/support groups and shops that will respond and support but nothing from hamer.

SATF current model made in korea. 22 frets, flamed maple top and maghogany body and neck. 2 vol and 1 tone. dual duncan designed humbuckers. Set neck. Mine is a blueburst that has a beautiful transparent quality to it, with a white binding around the body. Body style is a double cutaway with a tune-o-matic bridge. Grover machines with a rosewood fretboard.

Has the typical humbucker sound in a maghogany body. Using with a line 6 pod sounds very good in distortion. Very quiet pick ups. The neck sounds much warmer than the bridge.

Guitar was set up very nice from factory with 9's that I changed to a 10. Everything was clean and tight. No buzzing on frets no flaws in finish. Awesome for a guitar in this price range or any other.

Guitar seems to be a very solid built. Finish is durable so far. Strap buttons seemed solid.

Warranty is life of guitar at the place I got it.

I own a custom shop washburn strat and line 6 pod. This guitar is as nice as the custom shop except for the pickups. I don't think there is another guitar company that can touch this guitar in this price range and quality. I love the blueburst which has a real PRS style finish to it.