Hamer Californian

This is a Korean built guitar, info I got off of a Hamer fansite says it was built between 1987 and 1997. It's kind of a funky super strat. 27 frets, double cutaway body, one humbucker in the bridge and a single coil in the neck. The single coil in the neck is slanted down towards the high strings and the fingerboard comes down to meet it at the same angle, which is kind of a cool look. The frets are medium jumbo and the bridge is a licensed Floyd Rose.

I play avante garde jazz, so I like guitar that can go from screeching metal to a far more mellow vibe. I also like to pick up cheap 80's metal machines at pawn shops and on ebay fix them up. This one seemed like likley candidate. It has a really different look, and the body is mahogany. The stock pickups were terrible, so those were the first things to go. Replaceing pickups on a guitar like this is must, not many Korean built guitars from this era have decent pups. So I stuck a couple Dimarzios in it, a Breed in the bridge and a Chopper in the neck. That sounded a lot better, but the real tradgedy on this ax is the bridge. It is way to light to provide any sustain. Combined with the small mass of the medium jumbo frets that became a real problem. Such a problem that this ax now sits in the corner collecting dust.

This guitar was very sloppily thrown together. There are some decent guitars that come out of Korea, this wasn't one of them. For example, the Trem claw screws are drilled up through into the neck pickup cavity! Just sloppy, ya know! I was very unhappy with the mass of the tremolo and the neck in general. I like a neck to have a slight bow toward the bridge, this neck is more or less flat. It might be usable but it needs a major fret job.

As for durability, the body is solid and the strap buttons havn't ever come off. Like many of these 80's era pointy headstocked axe's mine is starting to develop a crack in the headstock. Other than that it seems pretty solid.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing guitar for four years. I've run into a few nice buys in the eighties era shredder market and this wasn't one of them. By comparison, my Ibanez gr1550 with the pro rock'r trem, or my Model 4 Charvel, which has a Kahler, run rings around this Hamer. And they were both cheaper! I like an old ax that I can pop some new pickups in, restring, and then rewire with a decent tone capacitor, and jam. This Hamer would take far more work than that to bring to life. You may just see it up on ebay.

This is an American, 1987 Hamer Californian. Best guitar I have ever played, 24 frets, black floyde rose, locking nut, hamer tuners, on/off controls for both pickups (Seymore duncan (?) humbucker at the bridge and a lace sensor at the neck that says OBL) and a volume and tone control. thing has a paper thin neck (long scale) and bannana shaped head. I wanna replace the humber'dinker with one with more output so I can get some more distortion but either way, sounds awsome.

This thing has to be the most versitile guitar ever made, it can be fat, thin, or lead a full frontal metal assualt on your unsuspecting neighbours virgin to the concept of metal. And if you down have a noise gate, well when the damn highwatt is pumped to ten OF COURSE IT WILL HUM! I've made the cattle and horses stampeed in chilliwack valley with this damn thing, the rednecks chased me all the way back to Vancouver!

This guitar was set up perfectly when I got it from the lazy mexican SRV wanna-be I got it from. So I'll just say how I got it, perfect. I'm think'in its a custom made guitar seem as though the finish is pretty bizzar... large red and purple checkerboard. Very 80's

EVERYTHING on this guitar is rock solid, but I'm really cautious with the head because at the nut its pretty thin and it has the locking nut bolts goin through so theres not alot holding it but, nothing has happened yet and its held up for years.

Never bothered, all my guitars are Hamers and not once have any let me down!

I've been playing guitar and bass for 5 years now and I've owned and repaired various guitars and not ONCE have I found one as beautiful as this. If I lost or had it stolen I'd go to bed like a little girl, because I'll NEVER EVER find something like this again! I run all my guitars through a GNX 1 for reverb and delay and such but without any amp modelling strait into a highwatt stack, sounds great.

This is a '91 Hamer Californian made in the the good ol' USA! She's got a solid mahogony body, 27 frets, maple neck and an incredibly thinck ebony fingerboard. With no-frills simplicity being the key here, this guitar features a 3-way switch that controls the bridge Seymour Duncan Trembucker humbucker with the slanted neck single coil Seymour Duncan Trembucker which are passive electronics. She also features the holo-skull finish (way cool!) on her strat-style boday. She's got the HAMER floyed (best licensed floyd you can get), standard tuners and a Fender scale-length with jumbo frets.

As I play mainly late 80's and early 90's shred, this guitar suits my style perfectly. She works great with my two rigs (MesaBoogie Triaxis and TC Electronics G-Force with Mesa2:90 poweramp and Marshall 30th Anniverseary head - both used with a Mesa Boogie 4x12 cab with Celestian Vintage 30's). While this guitar is super silent when it needs to be, it has an incredible full "chunk" sound that just slays any other guitar I've ever owned (including a Jackson PC-1 and a Tom Anderson Drop Top). This guitar can not only achieve every crunch/chunk/lead shred sound I've ever wanted, it also is the BEST PLAYING GUITAR I've ever encountered, bar none! I really think these things are like secrety treasures, as you can get 'em for a steal on eBay (less than a grand is a serious deal for this baby - everything else in it's category cost tons more!).

While I bought her used a year ago, she's been absolutely perfect. In fact, I think the previous owner left her under his bed! The frets are HUGE and perfect, the pickup heights complement the output very well, the finish is cool as hell (holograms). What can I say....those late 80's/early 90's Hamers are just the greatest guitars available....ESPECIALLY for the price!

As everyone else has said, this thing is built like a rock! Everything on this guitar is top-nothch....that's why so may people love these guitars....they stay desireable cuz the were so well designed and manufactured. While no one should ever gig without a backup, this guitar has NEVER failed me. I gig in a cover band and had never broken a string at a gig with her. I've got my Jackson PC-1 as a backup and never use it (unless I want the Sustainer). I've actually thought about getting an ebow so that I don't have to switch guitars!

Never had a problem so I couldn't tell you. That said, I take all my gear to my local guitar/amp tech to overhaul before the start of every gig season. This guitar has really stood the test of time with me....and I'm the type of guy that can wear through jumbo frets in a year!

I've been playing for 16 years....giging three nights a week for the last five years. While I still hold on to my Jackson PC-1, it's just there for the sustainer. I've owned Tom Anderson drop top's, Wayne Guitars (by Wayne Charvel), Fenders, PRS Custom 24's.....you name it, I've tried it. This Californian is the BEST guitar I've ever owned. If she were ever stolen I'd hunt down the bastard that did it and get her back....but I'm also looking to get another....these guitars are so undervalued and so well priced that their perfect for working musicians.

If you find one...and NOT the cheap Jap ones their making now.....buy it....you will not be disappointed!

USA 1989 Hamer Californian, 27 fret on treble side solid top. One volume control with a three way selector switch. Pickup configuration is one humbucker at the bridge and one slanted single coil at the neck. Someone had replaced the bridge pickup so I replaced both with a Barden S-style in the neck position and a Barden two-tone humbucker at the bridge. I changed the volume pot with a pull-up type volume pot to activate the single coil sounds of the Barden two-tone. Guitar has a three piece maple neck with big slab of rosewood fingerboard and a really nice neck joint. The three piece neck is extremely stable. The body is solid mahogany and is painted a vintage white (cream color). It is a modified strat body design with a Floyd Rose and locking nut and especially nice tuners. This guitar has a very nice neck and is 25.5 scale length. There was no case but I use a gig bag for this guitar anyway. This was "saved" from a pawn shop and lifted for $200. It was terribly dirty and in terrible shape. After a good cleaning and tweaking, it is the best playing guitar that I own. The finish was pretty beat, but it's kind of like buying a relic. It's definitely a players guitar.

I play a variety of music styles but I lean towards blues and rock. Believe it or not, this guitar competes with my Tele for spank and country sounds also. My main amp is an old Pro-Reverb and I have the typical arsenal of effects. The guitar is extremely quiet with the Bardens and it sounds wonderful. It is very versatile especially with the Barden Two-Tone humbucker. I like everything about the sound.

The action, fit and finish were stellar on this guitar. Since it was hanging in a pawn shop it needed a good setup and complete cleaning. Since that was done, the guitar plays great. A little bit of wear and tear on the black hardware and quite a bit on the finish. I don't really care since this guitar has paid its dues and held up well. You can tell that at one time the finish was tremendous. This has one of the best neck joints in the business.

This guitar is extremely stable and I have giged with it many times. Everything is built to last. The strap buttons were real nice but I changed them for locking buttons. I would always have a back up guitar for any gig incase something would go wrong. It never has but better safe than sorry. Because of the Floyd, if you broke a string you would have to wait until break to change it.

Never had to deal with Hamer, but I heard they were really good at one time.

I've been playing a very long time and I own many guitars. One of my hobbies is to buy cheap and fix them up. If it were stolen, I have a Hamer USA Diablo, but I would probably look to replace it or buy a custom made model. I am extremely satisfied with this guitar and wouldn't do a thing more to it.

Made in '88. 27 Frets. one volume control ( no tone control ). A slanted singel coil in the neck and a HB in the bridge. Body has a sparkled pink-purple kind of hue (call it .. coral ?). Schaller designed Floyd licensee. Rosewood neck. Came with OHSC. Bolt-on Neck

Sounds incredible. These are stock Hamer pickups .....This is the quietest guitar I own, to my surprise. Punchy, as you would expect from a bolt-on, yet somehow ( even with the floyd ) sustain for days ...geesh Hamer made incredible guitars in the '80s. I like the combo of HB/Bridge and single/neck ...really provides all you need .. the lack of tone control just seems to make it sound much more pure.

Can't say how it was setup up at the factory, I got it used a couple of weeks ago. I haven't had to mees with it at all. Neck is Perfect!! ( set low, yet manageable with bite) super slim neck ..takes getting used to, but then you just fly ... I mean fly !! Everything is perfect. The finish is a little worn ...but not at all bad for being 13 yrs old....it's held up really well. I don't care for the color and I wish it had a finished neck ( even though I don't like the color) but still .. they build these right.
Absolute perfection

I've only had this guitar for a very short while, but the other '80s HAmers I've owned have been perfect in ALL regards ...well, there was this slight problem with an 87 SS2 and it's input jack ...geesh big DEAL !!! Built like a tank.

Never dealt with them ...I would bet $$ that they are fabulous, though ...heck they make like what, 3 axes a day ???

this is my 6th USA HAmer ( all from the '80s ). They are all incredible. This particular wonder isn't a model I cared for back then ...which is a shame...it's the best playing axe I've EVER played ...if you shred (or heck even if you need to bite into the neck ala blues)This axe, for me at least, is maybe the best player I own. and hey for like $300 with OHSC .... what ??? You can NOT beat that

1989 USA model elite custom,27 frets ebony board,bound neck,solid flame maple body in aztec gold paid $1034.00 US (used). dimarzio x2n in bridge and dimarzio fasttrack 1 in neck,flush mounted jim dunlop staploks, tremsetter on original hamer/schaller/floyd rose

thrasher/heavey metal rocker,sustains for days,through a complicated rack set up in stereo. modified guitar to make only two really good sounds(one neck/one bridge)

could not ask for a more flawless instrument

good giger, solid, stays in tune well, also have backup but used rarely

na

playing over 30 years, owned almost everything at one time or another.
Couldn't ask for a better guitar but could be comparable with a (real) custom Jackson,Warrior or a few other very high end instruments

Not sure on the year. Maybe 91 or 92. 27 frets, rosewood fretboard, humbucker in bridge, single coil at neck, red sparkle finish, 3 way selector switch, 1 volume knob, 1 tone knob, hard case, Folyd Rose bar. I like the access to the higher frets. I usually pick a pickup and run wide open with it, so that lack of gadgets wasn't an issue for me.

Bright tone when wide open from either pickup. Not deep or rich. Good clean tone. Good tone for most applications except for bone crunching rythym, however it gets by fine. It just doesn't have the deep saw sound of a Les Paul. I play through a Boogie rack set up. Great tone for screaming leads.

No flaws in the finish. I bought it at a store I used to work at. They had it set up horribly. Not a problem though. They had 3 of them. I set all 3 of them up and picked the best while I was there. Action is definitely superior. This guitar is very, very easy to play. I have 7 great guitars, and this one plays the easiest.

I played it out. It was my main guitar after I got it. The finish hasn't held up. It's all cracked now. Other than that it's lasted great. I busted the headstock beating on a symbol, but that's another story. I fixed it with epoxy and metal mending plates. It's not pretty anymore, but it plays and sounds great. Holds a tuning forever and a day.

I got a steal. They mismarked the price during a sale and I was the beneficiary. The store paid about $700 for it! Been playing for 17 years. This was a great gig guitar. It was versitile enough and held a tunning for a whole set, with a lot of serious bending and sometimes heavy bar use. Great guitar for rock/metal leads.

This is an American made guitar with 27 frets. My color is black, and they come with no pickguard. One of the great things is the upside down input jack, which makes it so you have no problems with the strap and chord. It has 2 pickups, a Single Coil in the neck position, and a Humbucker in the bridge position (S/H) The stock pickups are Seymour Duncans, so they are good and you probably won't have to change them. It has a licensed Floyd-Rose bridge, with the locked nut. It has a very thin, very fast neck with low frets.

This is an excellent guitar if you're looking for something of a lead guitar for metal, but is very versatile, and can be used for almost any style of music. I use it with a Peavey Bandit 112 amp, and it sounds excellent. It is very quiet, except when on the single coil, but that is inevitable. It has a great, thin, punchy sound, so you won't get the fat, sustain that a Les Paul or a PRS gets. But, other than that, this guitar can play almost any style of music.

The action was in the middle, really the only problem was a buzzing D string, but just routing the nut fixed that. Other than that, it was perfect.

This is an extremely versatile guitar. I have dropped it on numerous occasions when the strap comes off, I have knocked it against walls, and basically beat the thing up, and it doesn't even have a scratch. The finish is incredible, and would withstand a gig with no problem.

Never dealt with them

I have been playing for a few years, and this is an incedible guitar. I love the incredibly fast neck, and espically it's durability. I would recommed this to ANY guitar player, as long as they don't mind losing that susatin that the Floyd Rose bride kills.

27 frets, bolt on hard rock maple neck, mahagony body. Rosewood fingerboards have dots, the ebony comes with Hamer Boomernags. Schaller tuners and Floyd inspired bridge.

I have two, a very rare Holloskull finish and a blue marble painted one done by Jim O'Connor.

It is a fantastically built rock guitar. I change the pickups in all of my Hamers to a lil 59 in the neck and a JB in the bridge, but that is just personal preference. It sounds like a great super strat, which is what it was designed to be.

All 20+ USA Hamers I have have been perfect in this catergory. Those who complain about finish cracks should consider the conditions the guitars were stored under. My Hamers are all in the same condition I purchased them in. In other words, if the last guy did something to make the paint crack, it is still cracked, BUT it has never gotten worse. You can't blame the guitars or Hamer. Some people polish their cars and others don't, doesn't mean Honda makes a bad car if the previous owner was lazy or irresponsible.

I always bring a spare guitar to a gig, no one wants to wait for you to add a string during your set list. As for anything else, Hamers are great guitars built by a company whose primary concern is quality, not volume or profit margin.

Fantastic, Kim Keller is great.

Great 25.5" scale length guitar, but I still prefer 24.75" feel, so I gave it a 9 for that.

1990-made, 27 frets, mahogany body,EMG SA-neck, 89-bridge,Kahler Steeler tremolo with autolatch. scalloped frets 12-24. rosewood fingerboard

Great Sound, very clean, rich full sound, great for driving multiple effects in rack with active EMG pickups

Finish chips at times and became dull over time

Very durable guitar, only problems were with the finish, chips easily

I have been playing for 15 years

US made '89 Rock AXE. Miss the '80s new music is so processed, compressed & depressed. 2 pickups. Bridge bucker, neck single, 3-way switch, and volume knob. No tone knob, I rarely use them anyway. Upside-down jack input-cool just like my Jem-why isn't this standard? Schaler floyd licensed bridge-quite nice but the pieces that hold the strings need replaced-operates with a stiffer feel than the Ibanez Edge. Mahogony body-web site says one piece. Maple neck, with flame maple fretboard, and what looks like real abalone dots. Metalic burgundy paint Where's my spandex? Almost 27 frets-they're cut on a slant. Don't yet know if this is useful-they're tight up there.

There's only one guitar that gets a 10, one that I played at a show and told the Gary Jacobs, the guy who built it that it's the best sounding guitar I ever played. This Hamer sounds great. When I get time I'll tinker with different pickups to try to optimize the sound. It's got the standard Hamer pickups in there. I was looking for a crispness when I purchased it. A nice even tone throughout. I think the mahogany/maple gives the good defined bottom & mids with a crisp attack. String clarity is good, yet it's got a ballsy sound with good sustain. The notes bloom slightly not as much as a les paul. It's designed for rock/metal and delivers strongly. Due to the placement of the neck pickup, the neck tones aren't as fat as a strat, more like the middle pickup. The middle position on the switch doesn't quack as much as I'd like. When I change pickups I'll look for more variety in sound.

Just picked it up from a pawn shop. It's 11 years old, which is why I gave it an N/A. The neck had way too much relief, and the action was very high. It was dirty, and beat looking. Thought about it for 2 weeks before buying. I went in, and pointed out all the work that needed to be done to the manager, and that I was taking a gamble on the condition of the truss rod when buying. Talked him down some & walked out with it. When I set it up, sure enough the nut on the truss rod was completely backed off. I loosened the strings, said a prayer, and tightened the truss rod considerably. A few more tweaks and it's perfect- WAY TO GO HAMER!!!. I'll dress the frets when I get time. One problem I must point out. There is a body crack at the trem post holder on the side of the arm. It is at a point where the wood is thin, and thus perhaps too weak structurally. I filled it with some glue.

Knocked off a few points for the crack. Those aluminum neck guitars get a 10 in this category. But for something that sounds decent you make sacrifices here for real wood. I suspect it will need the normal truss rod adjustments from time to time. The pieces that hold the strings in the bridge should hold up better than they did. However it is 11 years old, and maybe the guy who had it before just tightened the hell out of them. Beyond that there is nothing to make me believe that there are any problems in this category.

Hamer is still a medium sized American company in the guitar market. Their name is associated with quality guitars, not endorsements. I expect them to be more than adequate.

Been playing 16 years.I bought this because I wanted something to play all the time. I played an Ibanez Radius (which is just like a Satriani) all the time before getting this. These are my beater guitars. The Radius has a slightly garbled sounding midrange for chords. I even have a FRED in the bridge. I have an alder bodied Jem which sounds and plays fantastic. Incidentally I only like the alder bodied Jems. To me Basswood lacks midrange definition. It's smooth but not at all complex. I'm afraid of beating the Jem up because it's so nice, and the neck is to wide for me (across the fretboard). This is more of a distraction than problem because you always have to be aware of it, but it is still very playable. I imagine Vai designed it this way because of his long alien fingers. Other guitars: Multicolor Universe (talk about wide necks). Les Paul Deluxe w/ P90s, G&L Legacy (best strat for the money). And last but certainly not least: PRS custom 24 ('87) WHOAH!!! The Radius will go. It met it's replacement. The Jem and Californian are similar in sound quality. There are differences in tone due to what you'd expect of the wood differences. The Jem is way more versitile due to it's available pickup combinations. But I have other guitars to get quack or great neck tones from. The Jem may go too. This Hamer is a suitable replacement, and for the money-forget it. Besides that when I pick up the Hamer, turn my eyes off and play, everything seems right. Haven't played many guitars like that. The universe will likely go in a display case. I just like looking at it too much to get rid of it. The Paul and Legacy are the best at what they do, and they'll have to pry my PRS from my cold dead hands when I go.