Hamer Chaparall

Hamer USA Chaparral, 24 frets, ebony board, three-piece 25.5 scale bolt-on maple neck, MOP (real not fake or plastic) bomerang inlays, Mahogany body, H-S-S with twin-blade Sustainiac in neck, stacked Seymour Duncan Trembucker in middle, and standard Seymour Duncan Trembucker in the bridge. Schaller Folyd Rose bridge and locking nut, Hamer-branded Schaller tuners. Brushed aluminum back plate covers, thumb flip-switch compartment for two 9 volt batteries to run the Sustainiac. Volume control, tone control, five-way switch, and two mini-toggles for a wide range of variations with the Sustainiac. Body is cut to make the heel small thin and smooth, and it's easy access to the 24th fret. Neck is wide-thin. This guitar in my opinion is the ultimate superstrat.

This guitar is a shredder's dream. For rock you can't get a better guitar. I run through a Marshall JCM900 with a Boss TU2 and Crybaby and sometimes an Ibanez TS10 for boost. Guitar has a rich, bright sound, and there are a ton of options and sound variations possible with the triple-humbucker and five-way set up then add to that the Sustainiac option and WOW.

Hamer USA is high quality. This guitar is hand made. A lot of attention was given to this baby when it was made from start to finish. Hamer says you can remove the screws from the neck pocket and it will stay - I don't know about all that but it IS TIGHT. Perfect cuts. Everything on this guitar is flawless. Probably the best built and made guitar I've seen in more than 25 years as a player.

I used this guitar for gigs and everything for years. Guitar is well made, but tilted headstocks always make me nervous if dropped. Unlike early models, the nut on mine is NOT drilled through so that's good. Schaller hardware is tops. Paint is really good but mine has faded and chipped and has the typical neck pocket finish cracks. I always use locking straps and always have a backup at gigs. Make sure you have extra batteries with a Sustainiac because it eats them up and it won't produce any sound on any settings without the batteries in there - the whole guitar is "dead" with no batteries in it.

Hamer USA is a GREAT company. I hope they never sellout to a major corporation. Jol is the best. The whole company is friendly, helpful, and willing to talk to customers. I've contacted them to get old articles, manuals, and answers to questions. Solid.

I've been playing guitar for about 25 years. I have previously owned guitars by Gibson, Fender, Jackson, Martin, Ovation, Kramer... currently own guitars by Ibanez, ESP, Peavey, Wollerman, and Hamer. I've had 3 USA Hamers in my life and made the mistake of selling one (1984 KK Downing V) I will never sell the 2 I still have- this Chaparral and a USA Daytona. Neither of my Hamers can be replaced, they are both out of production - they are honestly the best guitars I've ever played. Custom shop quality. WAY above the quality of Gibson and Fender. My Hamer Chaparral is the favorite of all the guitars I've ever owned, and I've had more than a hundred, so that's saying a lot. I currently play an ESP MII as my main guitar at gigs and rehersals and stuff because the Hamer is too special to take out anymore. If you like superstrats and see a Hamer USA Chaparral for sale get it.

My Chaparral is a standard USA model made in 1989. As far as I know the second version was produced between 1987 and the early 1990ties (until 1991?). The street price at that time in Europe was above 3,000 US$. It has the typical Strat body style, a one-piece-Honduras mahogany body, a maple new (3 pieces) with a rosewood fretboard. The finish is a kind of dark red and black metal finish. It is quite similar to the finish of some current Ibanez RG prestige models.
Like all of the 2. version of the Chaparral it has a bold-on neck and the (longer) Strat scale. The shape is a kind of medium thin D-scale and the frets have medium jumbo dimensions. The radius of the neck is 14???. Compared with a Strat the neck is much more ???faster???, perfect for all kind of shredding.
Hardware: Schaller tuners and Schaller Floyd Rose (all labeled as "Hamer"); Originally Hamer HSS pickups which were made exclusively for Hamer by DiMarzio and an additional Sustaniac GA1 system. Volume and treble control, 5-way PU selector and two mini-switches for the Sustaniac system. Only because of personal taste I replaced the bridge HB by a Seymour Duncan TB6 and the neck SC by a Seymour Duncan Little 59. What is more I installed both humbuckers with the split option. All in all I have an enormous variety of sound options. That means I have now a HSH combination and the additional Sustaniac option.
A disadvantage for some extent is the fact that the Sustaniac needs two 9V-block batteries and when I use the e-bow effect the power consumption is extreme. Although all ???normal??? pickups are passiv, they are connected to the Sustaniac electronical unit and the guitar will not work properly with completely discharged batteries. I guess this is the main reason why a lot of people exchanged the Sustaniac in their guitars in the past.

The sound is difficult the describe. On the one hand this guitar is a typical (Super-)Strat and not only because of this it resembles a Strat . One the other hand due to the mahogany body the sound has much more sustain and is not as bright like ??? for instance ??? the sound of my Fender Strat Plus. So for a certain degree it is a perfect combination of a Strat and a Les Paul. This is exactly what I searched for years.
All in all it is quite versatile and you can play every style of music you like. But I guess it is perfect for Rock and Metal. And of course I wouldn???t use it for Jazz or Blues. To conclude: I never played a better sounding guitar. I play mostly a kind of rock , hard rock.
My other equipment: Mesa Boogie DC 5 Combo and a Engl VH 212 box with two Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, TC-electronic G-Mayor and a Tech21 PSA 1 SansAmp for playing at home.
The Sustaniac is something very special. It is a kind of e-bow and / or endless sustain effect. For some people it might be not more than a gadget. But for some occasions it???s really nice.

When I get it of ebay the guitar was already 14 years old. But despite that there were almost no visual marks of being used so far. The first and before me the only owner obviously did not play much with that guitar and he was definitely not able to tune a Floyd Rose equipped guitar properly. Good for me, so I got a almost new old stock guitar. I spend a lot of time in order to get a low action but now everything is fine. The above mentioned pickup exchange was really tricky because of the really sophisticated Sustaniac unit.
I should mention that due to the thin neck the guitar is relatively sensible to changes in temperature. I guess that is similar to some Ibanez guitars with wizard necks.

This guitar is a high end instrument and it will last forever. When you perform with this guitar you should hold a pair of 9V-batteries in reserve.

Hamer USA still exists as a company but the actual company seems to have not much in common with the great company of the 1980ties. So customer support is no topic.

This guitar is a perfect (hard-)rock and metal guitar. Compared with other Super-Strats made by Jackson, ESP or Ibanez it is definitely much more better. It seems to be really difficult to get used US model nowadays. I???m pretty lucky that I???ve got one and I will never sell it. So if you are able to get one, don???t hesitate. These old USA Hamer guitars are today some of the most underrated guitars. So if you get one , the price-performance-ratio should be fantastic.

I was fortunate enough to have been working at a local music store (Amercian Music in Bellevue, WA) when I met Mr. Paul Hamer at the store during one of his visits. I was looking for a "Lake Placid Blue" Fender-style color for a custom guitar, and Paul said that he would try. He brought back some polaroids of the color on my guitar when it was being painted on subsequent visits and it looked pretty close. When the final "clear" was put on, the color changed to include a slight greenish hue. I actually liked this better, and Paul told me that this would be a unique color for a very unique guitar coming out of his factory.
The Body is a strat style body.
The Bridge is a Black Floyd Rose with mini tuners for fine tuning. It is a "floating" bridge -- usually floating bridges sacrifice sustain but not this guitar!
The tuners black Hamer tuners -- non-locking since the guitar has a Floyd.
The neck is a medium scale (24 3/4) 24 fret neck. It's not a very wide neck, with an ebony fret board with boomerang mother of pearl inlays. It's a neck-through-body construction.
This was made at the USA Hamer factory, under the supervision of Paul Hamer -- I believe it was completed in 1986.
The pickup configuration is one of my favorites: S/S/H
The original came with OBL (Bill Lawrence) pickups even though I wanted EMGs but Paul told me that they didn't install active EMGs back then. The day that I was handed this guitar, I took it to get the EMGs installed.
The controls are unique for this year and make of Hamer too. I have a 5-way selector (I believe all Chaparrals during this time had mini toggles but no 5-way option) for the pickups. I also had a mini toggle swith installed under the Volume and Tone controls to be able to split the rear humbucker to a single.
All hardware as I mentioned in Black.
The back access panels are also Black.
The Jack is in the front (Strat-style.
It came with a very sturdy Hamer case -- extras? Who needs extras when the president of the company helps you to create a one of a kind guitar?!!!

Having owned multiple guitars over the past 30+ years, this Hamer is still my number 1 guitar! I've played Top 40 with it on stage, showcasing its versatility. I mostly use it now in the studio -- gravitating more towards rock and funk styles. I mostly run this through a Mesa Boggie Mark III combo (SimulClass)and it matches up well. I had Mike Lull (Redmond, Washington) the only person that I would ever trust to touch any of my guitars install EMGs replacing the original OBL pickups when I first bought this guitar. It's a great match! The sustain is incredible! (Is this a Spinal Tap comment?!!) Since I can split the rear humbucker with the mini toggle switch, it adds even more versatility to the sound than any of the Chaparrals that were made back then. This is to me, the perfect guitar!

The guitar came setup perfectly from the factory. Actually, it HAD to! Paul Hamer himself was overlooking the build of this custom guitar. The finish was a custom color and the whole guitar didn'have a single scratch on it.

I've had this guitar for 20 years now and it's NEVER failed me, on stage or in the studio. Very solid hardware, although I did replace the strap buttons with strap-locks in the 80's. I would always have a backup on stage since this guitar is setup with a floating Floyd -- break a string and you're out of commission!

Never had a problem, and Paul Hamer himself helped me design this custom guitar.

I've been playing for 30+ years. I have many guitars in my collection, but I PLAY them all! I'm not one of those collectors that never touch their guitars -- these instruments are made to be played! I tend to gravitate towards Strat-type guitars and as such I have owned many Fenders. I currently have a Takamine acoustic 12 string, Ovation Balladeer 6 string as well as a couple of Yamaha bass guitars. I have one Fender Strat with Lace pickups right now as well as a couple of heavily modified FrankenStrats with anything from OBL to Duncan Jeff Beck Humbuckers -- all with Floyds. My current Amp setup is a Boogie Mark III combo simulclass model, but I also run multiple amp simulators and rack mount devices for recording.
I would be petrified if this guitar ever got lost or stolen! It's like one of my children!
This guitar has also become an extension of myself -- I really can't say this about any of the other guitars that I have owned or played.

The Hamer Chaparall Custom was made in the USA
Solid Mahogany Body
Maple Neck with 24 frets and ebony fretboard with boomerang inlays
Schaller M6 mini tuners with Hamer logo
Original Floyd Rose
OBL first series 900XL in the brige and 450L in middle and neck pos.
metallic blue colour and chrome hardware
original Hamer case includet
the guitar was built around 1986 -87

80`s rock at it`s best
great variety of sounds (strat style)
no noises `cause of the OBL double blade humbuckers
the 450`s sound like a single coil

Tthe guitar was well fitted from the factory exept of the paintjob on the neck at the fretboard

If you look for a very versile guitar the Hamer is a very good choice
The hardware is nearly mint condition (remenber the age)

a long time ago the headstock was broken but the guitar was out of warranty

I got some other guitars (strat, Tele, Les Paul, Ibanez RG)
this one is one of a kind
My favorite feature about this guitar is the tone
the incredible sustain (for a floyd rose guitar)

I had played years ago a chapparal that belonged to a friend of mine and ever since i've been looking for one..........Mine is a 86 hamer chapparal custom which i bought over the magical place called ebay :-)for 600euros. Mahogany body, set neck (short scale 24.75) maple, floyd rose and it came with a jackson humbucker and two dimarzios HS-3 pickups which were probably installed by the previous owner. Has three mini toggles which give apart from the classic pickup selections various other possibilities(pickups out of phase). The previous owner of the guitar stripped the guitar from the bright pink (........ah the 80's!!!!) colour it came with from the factory and now it has that beautiful natural colour of the mahogany (much better this way...i would never play i pink guitar lol). I soon changed the pickups to my favorite emg 85/SA/SA set (by the way the two dimarzios HS-3 were nice pickups). Only thing i miss is that with the emgs i lost the out of phase sounds.

I play mostly rock and hard rock and some blues and i also gig with some covers bands. I am using it through a BOOGIE DC5 combo, a Marshall jcm2000 and a rocktron replifex for some delay and reverb.....Well....i wish hamer still made this guitars.......i do not see the reason why someone would prefer a jackson over this hamer...amazing fat, full , warm sound......and endless sustain.......I have never seen a floyd equipped guitar with such a good sustain. The set neck and mahogany body help for that. One other thing i like very very much is the feel of the neck........I do not like fat necks.......I know fat neck are a trend right now but when i am playing i am not influenced by trends.i want to play a neck that feels comfortable and makes me play better and this one fits like a glove..........Stays also well in tune even after heavy tremolo use. I really can't find something i do not like about this guitar. Soon it has become my number one guitar (and is the main responcible for selling my other floyd equipped strat a fender US strat special floyd rose hss). 10++

Well it's a 20 years old guitar.......there was some wear on the frets and on the fingerboard and some finish cracking on the headstock but that's to be expected from a guitar this old. Overall it was an 7.5/10 condition which is good. One more thing.usually i find that floyd roses meake gutars feel a little stiff..........not this one after i have set it up it plays like a dream....low, fast action, very easy to play...........And for playability another 10++

As i said before the guitar is in very good shape considering it's age so i think it is quite durable. One thing though you must take care with chapparals is that they are notoriously fragile in the neck/headstock area....the tilted back headstock is the cause for that....most of the chaparals i have seen have susatined a damage in this area.......so be careful when leaving the guitar on a stand or at the bed with the headstock facing up......

I've been playing for 13 years and if my chapparal was lost or stolen i would immediately buy another one.........if i could find one that is...........short scale chapparals with the set neck were only made through 85-86 so they are not so easy to find.......I used to work at a music store so i have got the chance to play and test from tom andersons down to squiers.........i also own some other guitars...(mostly strats) but my hamer chapparal is the #1. Better than any US Jackson and for less than 1/3 the price......Hamer always made awesome guitars. It has everything a guitarist want...........tone, playability, warmth........it even brings me some nostalgia for the 80's era :-) .......
10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Stunning Cherry flake USA handmade Chaparall. Dont know the year (serial 820606) I think it has DiMarzios in it? Not EMG's anyway! Excellent Floyd trem. Two pots and a five way selector

Running it through a JCM 800 2204 and 1936 Cab - Totally blows your head off and thats without effects! Very clean sound. Humbucker has a very dry powerful edge, nice and clear! The singles are very crisp sounding with a good bark to them - very nice combination. I have to give it 10 out of 10 considering what I paid! It compares to guitars I've paid MUCH MUCH more for.

Tremendous feel on this guitar - inspires confidence!

Doesnt have a single scratch and considering this guitar is getting on for 15-20 years it must bode well! The Floyd feels like it was made in a tank factory! The 5-way selector feels good quality and wont need constant attention. The pots feel like real pots - not toy ones! Stays in tune no problem! The Floyd is is the business as long as you dont break a string.

I bought this guitar because I loved the playing of Vernon Reid in the 80's & here is a very close example of the guitars he played; one that I paid all of $300 for! This guitar was worth circa $1500 when new and I get it now for $300 - go figure? I suppose thats fickle guitar fashion for you!? Just because Nirvana etc didnt play these type of guitars doesnt mean they're not great instruments! As far as I'm concerned this guitar is a CLASSIC and will now be a mainstay in my arsenal! $300? I'm still laughing about it. If you can get one like mine my advice is grab it while you can!

It's a 1991 Chaparral Deluxe, made in USA. The body on this one is made of alder and is in a blueburst metallic finish. The hardware is gold, of course the standard features, Schaller/Hamer Floyd Rose trem and Schaller M6L mini tuners (also w/Hamer logo). I don't know if all Chaparral Deluxe guitars came with EMG pickups, but this has stock ones (two SA and one 89 humbucker, which has coil split w/push-pull-pot switch). Also here, as on other Chaparral models, 1 Volume, 1 Tone and a 5-way pickup selector switch. The neck (25.5" scale) is a 1-piece maple neck with ebony fretboard and is bolt-on. The fretboard has 24 medium frets and offset pearl dots, except for the 3rd and 12th fret position markers where it has Hamer's trademark boomerang inlays, the fretboard radius seems to be 12", while the back of the neck has a nice D-shape. By the way, the FR locking nut is drilled from above (not drilled through as on earlier Hamers). I also have a '89 Chaparral Standard, which seems to be an entirely different guitar except for the name, it is in pink with a mahogany body, stock Hamer/Dimarzio pickups, Sustainiac device. Also the neck on that one is different, as it is a 3-piece maple neck with rosewood fretboard and a meatier neck profile, also the neck on this is drilled through for the locking nut. Also, the the Deluxe Chap has bevels on the cutaways (though not as extreme as on the Californian), while the older Chaparral models didn't have this (at least not as standard feature).

The Chaparral Deluxe is a very versatile instrument. The EMGs deliver a nice sound (I tend to think that they're responsible for the "treble gain"). It was a popular combination that time (very similar to the guitars Steve Lukather used). It sounds great with my Marshall (30th Anniversary, regular edition), but also on Fender and Peavey amps. I also played it through a small Mesa Boogie combo, but didn't like it that much. The EMGs aren't noisy at all, the SA are bright sounding, but the 89 in humbucking mode has a very fat sound. Good for clean and distorted sounds, nice long sustain. The other Chaparral is also different in sound, less treble, more mids and bass. Well, it also cuts treble when lowering the volume, which is a bit too much for my tastes, I bought this guitar for the Sustainiac device with provides e-bow-like sustain effects (with harmonics) in first place.

One can set up the action on the Chap Deluxe one very low without fret buzzing. The pickups are also easy to adjust. The only flaw on this one is the finish, which has some cracks in the clear laquer (though maybe this is common on metallic finishes). The Chap Deluxe is light, and balanced well. Those with mahogany body (or maple which was a custom option on this model as well) are heavier (though also balanced well)

Well, Floyd Rose-equipped and with active pickups, this wouldn't be a great candidate to use without backup (I have enough guitars to take 2 of them to gigs), though I always use these without backup when having set -up a new set of fresh strings and a new batterie. Great guitar, though not my main instrument (I like my other guitars as well, there is no real No. 1)

Well, there was a time when guitars like this were pretty common. Floyd Rose-equipped "Super Strats" were almost standard in the late 80'/early 90's. But now, about 15 years later, and retro vintage style rules the guitar world once more, the great "super Strats" of yesteryear are a rarer find. While Jackson/Charvel still produces these kind of guitars with sucsess, Hamer gave up building these instruments in 1997. Today, Hamer is also a little more vintage-oriented (they're still great guitars), but models like this Chaparral Deluxe are worth it, actually, most of those guitars used the same hardware and electronics anyway. These can be found very cheap sometimes, but there are still many fans of these guitar types. Just remember, these are the vintage instruments of tomorrow, and there will always be people remembering them as being great guitars, and yes, this Chaparral Deluxe is a good-looking and good-sounding guitar, what do you ask for more?

'88 Hamer Chap with bolt on dot rosewood neck. It has a red sparkle finish body. It has all black hardware with a hamer/floyd rose. The pick-ups are s/s/h with a 5 way switch

I play blues, rock, hard rock, jazz. To say this guitar can do it all is an understatement. I have 12 guitars this one cost the least and it's the 1st one I reach for. I plug directly into the amp and use the selector switch and volume control for the sound I want. You can get a tele, strat, sg and 80's hair metal sound in one guitar.

Hamer USA guitars are the best quality guitars I have owned and this one is no exeption. The parts are top notch, the finish has held up well for a guitar of this age. The guitar is so tightly put together that it can be played and heard without an amp.

The only flaw that I have found is that the finish seems to wear quicker than some of my other guitars. The overall package seems like it should continue to hold up for long time to come.

Never delt with'em, I use the Hamer fan club site.

This is one 13 guitars I have right now. This was the least expensive and it is my favorite. Most guitars seem to be 1 or 2 trick ponies but this one can change with my mood. The sound just kills...I've use my bronco (amp),classic 30, and my MKII C+...can't beat the sound. If I have to go down to one I'll keep this one.

This Hamer was made in the USA in 1987. It has 24 medium jumbo frets, with a solid body. one volume one tone and a 5-way switch with s/s/h. Pick-ups are emg with active electonics. Neck is rock maple, body is honduras mahogony. Stat body style with a floyd rose tremolo, schaller tuners.

I'm strictly a gospel-blusy player with an agressive attack. I play thru a hot-rod deville with 4 tens and chorus, delay effects. This guitar is quieter than any gibson I've played. The pick-ups are very rich and full, just right for the beautiful honduras mahogany body with a set rock maple neck. You can play metal-rock-blues, just about any sound you looking for. No dislikes about this Hamer.

This guitar has great action and the capability to be set up just the way you like it. The finish is the only flaw, needs more applications of lacquer and detail to the headstock.

It definitely will take an agressive attack. Hardware in a class with gibson. No need for a back-up guitar, only extra strings.

The customer service reps were very friendly and knowledgable about this hamer chaparral 1987 model.

I've been playing for fifteen years, own gibson sg, gibson special double cut-ta-way. I would definitely get another Hamer USA chaparral. I love the overall feel of the neck and the balance while holding the guitar. The favorite feature that I'm impressed with is the strength in the sound of s-s-h configuration. I chose this hamer because of the powerful sound and it's a usa model.

1986 and 1987 Chaparral, both USA, both 24 fret Rosewood board, both set neck, both dot inlays, both S-S-H, both 'super' strat style, both Floyd Rose originals. Both long scale fretboard, frets medium wide and medium high, somewhere in-between old Les Paul frets and modern jumbo 'railroad tie' frets. Ivory white one: EMG-81 (silver logo) humbucker, stock single coils, back of neck is bare wood, individual switches for each pickup, input jack on body. Black one, original Seymour Duncan Trembucker, S/D Classic Stack in middle, S/D Hot Rails in neck, single 5-way toggle switch, three individual pickup coil tap switches for each pickup, back of (was) neck painted, input jack on side of body. Don't know what kind of wood in body but they're heavy guitars.

Great sound. My style is metal, trash thrash, but mostly good ol' R&Roll and whatever I'm in the mood for. Amps: Peavey Classic 2x12 tube, ADA MP1 tube, Alesis 3630 soundgate / compressor, Alesis Quadraverb (sometimes, not often). Actually, guitar sounded gr8 from factory. Not sure why I decided to play with pickups, probably young and stupid with too much money, but basically, the EMG and Trembucker rocks, the Hot rails in neck position DOESN'T, the classic stack rocks, and the factory pickups (I wish I knew where they are) rocks. EMG definately hands down gives greatest R&R modern distortion megadeth metallica soloing ultra modern tone, but it sucks for clean tone. Trembucker overall most versitile pickup, sounds great in all apps. Classic stack sounds just like a strat pickup, very nice clean. Hot rails, too much hype, not bad but very humbucker like sound in single and dual-coil modes. Despite all these mods, still feel factory pickups sounded awesome! Lots of mid.

Don't know what factory setup was, bought them both used. Black one had since 17 years old, white one recent rescue. I like medium high action, finish on white guitar has finish cracks all over body. Cannot see unless you look really close but they are there. This is definately not my doing, it's a factory thing. Not thrilled about that. Black guitar worn out beyond belief but it is my fault - was young, stupid, disrespectful, and ungrateful of such a fine instrument. Oh, another thing, don't like painted neck backs, easy to fix - take off all finish, sand, apply oil with 4-600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, wax. Overall, fit and finish held up ok for 14 - 15 years.

Not bad. Broke the headstock clean off the neck a couple times on the black guitar. Ya, maybe because of recklessness, but first time it happened, I just lightly stepped on guitar on floor. Upon closer inspection, neck is set back at an angle (sort of like a les paul, not like a fender) so when it's back on floor part of weight rests on headstock. Not like say, a fender when it's flat on it's back, headstock not supporting guitar. The headstock was internally splined and repaired. Second time, it was on a stand, tripped on strap, it fell forward onto a piano and broke clean off again - not at same place (glue joint did not show) so I cannot fault repair. Yes, it shouldn't have been on the floor, and I should have taken the strap off before putting it in stand etc... but these things happen, I feel guitar should be able to hold up to *some* abuse. Finish completely worn off black guitar, but that's from overuse, not factory problem. Also, the knife edges on the Floyd Rose are dull on the black one, but again, that's normal wear and tear from teenage rock star fantasy abuse. Also, both of the metal post inserts in the wood got loose in the black guitar but this is almost expected considering how much use I put on the black one. Easy fix, may not be factory problem. Who knows.

Never was under warranty in my hands.

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years, since I was 13 or 14 years old. Was a piano player since young. Definately not a true professional, ie: never made a 'comfy' living off music, but lots of various experience. Quite possible the absolute best guitar I've ever played. Thankfully, it's severely and tragically underrated which makes it fairly cheap to buy. I just plain don't like fenders, not into paleontology(sp?) ie: vintage dinosaur things, but I've had fair share of various guitars I owned or played. If it were stolen or lost, yes, I'd definately get another one. Other guitars I use a lot include a Les Paul, and Jackson Soloist. Both very nice but not nearly worth the $ compared to Chaparral - not even close. What don't I like about Chap? Don't like 'moderate' body finish quality, don't like worrying about broken headstocks - should be able to take *some* abuse! Why I like it? Factory frets that don't feel like rail-road ties, big heavy guitar, ultra-reliable, easy access to all frets, long scale, dont feel like I'm playing at belly-button on upper frets (like Jackson), rosewood fretboard smooth and fast, doesn't play the 'endorsement' game so very reasonable price, people (ie: pawnshop) don't know what the hell it is - great price, for the same reason the headstock breaks - I like the playability of the neck that is set far back. Favorite feature: definately the weight - feels like I'm playing a rock solid guitar, feels very well balanced and solid. Quality from factory - little things like the pot / switch cavity is lined with a type of tin plating to electrically shield it (including cover plates). Despite a couple drawbacks, I have to give this guitar a 10. I have two, but would gladly get another one. Maybe red.

mid 80's U.S.A 24 Frets it has the standard s/s/H the pick ups are the same that came with it .has the off set Head stock, Locking Floyd Rose .custom paint job . Org hard shell case

It is the Best Guitar Ive ever owned ..it Play hard Core..to 80's 70's ive used it in blues Bands and dance bands ..its very wide ranged its can have a heavy FAT sound to thin bright and its Very Clean No Buzzing going on here ...

Factory set ups are all alike the 2nd day i had it i had the strings lowered and the pickups ajusted (always going for fastier action ) ... the Finsh was Perfect Just what i wanted .. and the craftmenship is flawless

ive done Live Giging with it.its my main Guitar and ive NEVER have been disappointed and ive done studio work and its outstanding ...Never let me down

nope never needed them

ive been playing for over 27 years i have a start,Gibsons335,Jackson and this is the cream of the crop for me ...if it was stolen if i could replace it i would but i think they are getting hardier to come by .. i play though marshalls and i couldnt be happier with the sound i get ...(if only they MADE More Like these ! ) .. if you have a chance to pick up one of these Do so and dont let go of it

1991 made in USA Hamer. Elite model. 24 frets on an ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl boomerang inlays. Three piece stress test maple neck. H-S-S configuration with a Seymour Duncan Trembucker in the bridge, stacked Seymour Duncan in the middle. Originally had a Sustanic single coil in the neck, but that was removed when I bought it. Right now it has a DiMarzio single coil in the neck, but I plan to replace that with another Seymour Duncan. I'm not happy about the Sustanic being gone, but I'm not paying $200 for a replacement. Solid "Strat" body style with bright yellow finish (not sure of wood type). Chrome knobs- one volume, one tone, 5-way selector. Two toggle switches were originally for the Sustanic, but now they are coil taps. Black Schaller Floyd Rose tremolo bridge and locking nut. Truss rod cover access on headstock. Headstock is not quite a banana shape and not quite pointy- it's a combo of those two. The headstock's black face is slightly off from the shape of the headstock, which Hamer does intentionally and looks cool. "Hamer U.S.A." logo kind of goes beyond the black and onto the "bare" wood. Schaller Hamer tuners, six on a side. I have the bolt-on neck version, which I like better than a set neck. The neck on this is kind of wide and flat compared to other "shred" style guitars. The neck is not painted, it's clear finished, so you can see the three piece construction which is interesting. I'm not a fan of the 5-way switch because I hit it sometimes when reaching for and using the tremolo bar. The pick ups are direct mount- no pickguard- which I like. But the stacked middle pick up is a little high for my taste even when it's all the way down.

I play some heavy thrash, some punk, some classic 70's rock, some mellow 60's rock, and an 80's power ballad thrown in once in a while. I play through a Fender Princeton Stereo Chorus 2 x 10 solid state. My effects board is a Dunlop Crybaby> DOD Tuna> Boss PSM5> Boss CS1> Ibanez TS10> Boss flanger> Boss HM2. The Hamer guitar is BRIGHT. The ebony board with the Seymour D Trembuckers is really quite a combo. This guitar was made for shredding, and it does not disappoint. Sometimes it's a little too bright and I roll the tone knob back a little. The volume control has the Hamer boost- the last 1/4 turn to full gives it a major volume punch. So I usually have the volume knob rolled back beyond that point. The volume boost is a nice feature to boost up a lead in a live setting. The guitar gives you the versitility of a Strat, but my goodness Hamer is such a better company than Fender. I mean, this guitar was hand made, and you can just tell it's a quality instrument. Plus the humbuckers add a lot to the sound, and the coil taps allow so many options. I'm giving it an "8" because it can be too bright if you don't cut the tone.

This guitar was set up poorly because I bought it used. The rear of the bridge was pointing up to the sky. After adjusting the springs it is great. Oh, I forgot to mention that the rear cavity covers are METAL. (adds even more to the brightness?). I think this is very cool. I don't know if I like it better than plastic or nor, but it sure is an interesting feature. It makes me think it's better quality, having metal over plastic. There is a battery compartment for two 9 volt batteries which were for the Sustanic. The battery cover is a spring loaded plastic cover. Everything on this guitar fits tight and snug as you would expect with a hand made guitar that retailed new for $1500. The bolt on neck heel is contoured for easy access to the 24th fret. Very slim at the neck plate. The whole rear of the body is very contoured- Very nice. Total quality. The electronics are excellent. Hamer uses a patented paint inside the cavity, and also carves out "cavities within the cavity" for certain parts. Did I mention the QUALITY?!?

This Hamer seems very durable. The strap buttons are recessed into the body to make for more secure straps. But I always use DiMarzio strap locks on all my guitars. But even my strap locks are recessed now so it will never ever fall off! Schaller hardware is top of the line, and I'm sure will last a lifetime. The finish is very good but you can tell it's been around the block. A few dings but nothing major. I love the bright yellow finish, you might need sunglasses to look directly at it. I would never gig without a back up if you have more than one guitar, but if you only have one, I wouldn't worry if this were it.

I've never had to have the guitar serviced, but I have been in contact with Hamer. They are extremely friendly and very customer oriented. They have factory tours and have answered any questions I had about the guitar and Hamer in general.

I have been playing guitar for about 15 years. I currently have five electric solid body guitars. The Hamer is the most versitile one I own, and it gets a lot of use. It's officially my #2. I didn't know the Sustanic was missing when I bought the guitar, but I would have bought it for $300 anyway. I have seen used ones with dot inlays and lower grade pick ups for $800. Hamer has a well deserved reputation for high quality hand made USA guitars. If I could custom order the guitar I would get it with three mini toggles and no 5-way switch. Overall it is an awesome instrument.

Made in '85, USA. Chaparall Custom (paint job and OBL in the Bridge to make it custom I guess..). Copper finish ...nice. 24 frets.5 way, H-S-S - don't know about the 2 Ss, but the H is an OBL, neck-through, I believe. Strat style w/offset headstock, Floyd Rose, came with a HS case (which I still have). I had this ordered through MR C's in Marlboro, MA - not sure if they're still around, I live in MN now...
I'd give it a 10 if it had H-S-H with coil tap switeches, but heck, plenty o' features...The Floyd goes up, too ( a good semi-tone to a tone depending on the string), BTW

I suits my style pretty well ( I would like a single coil tap switch in the bridge, but ..).Sounds great. Very Bright yet warm - the OBL HB is really high-end Midrange, but gets me plenty of creamy tone, really wails ...in fact it screams when you want it to. It is a little noisy (both the singles and the HB, esp the singles) - I've had to rewire it a few times (jack keeps twisting the ground wire off..)So it may be the rewiring Job I've done. Sounds great for 15 yrs old though. Great sustain. It's unique. I've played it through a variety of amps Peavy, Dean Markley (BTW -great amps!!), Fender Marshall, I now play it through a Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 602 ( awesome Amp !!) - standard effects - I play modern Pop-Punk-Rock .. think Marco meets Hendrix meets Steve Stevens ... this thing nails it to a tee. The single coils could be beefed up and it is just a tad noisy, other wise a ten

This thing was setup so well at the factory that I've not needed to do ANYTHING to the setup in 15 years!!( And I've even had to replace a few of the Floyd's saddles (tightened too hard and broke a couple of 'em)I've managed to ding the finsh in a couple of spots, and as the years have gone by, there's a couple of imperfections now, you know - wear and grease stains etc ....the cool thing about is that as it stains it's actually a darker copper so the finish looks well, like an aging penny. The Floyd has some rust spots, as do the frets - hey it's gonna happen, right?

Well, except for the Input Jack which tends to twist and brake loose the ground wire ( this has happened at least 10 times in 15 years ...I just now look for it to be loose and then try to tighten before it becomes a problem) and the fact that I break a string every 2 shows or so...You have to have a backup. Other than that - this thing is amazingly solid. Like I said, after 15 yrs it still has PERFECT intonation and action. Changin string with a Floyd is a pain - but hey that's life with a locking unit. I replaced the straps with home made locks ( basically screws and washers ...;-), they're fine.

Never dealt with them - the thing arrived on time, I seem to remember.

I've been playing for ~20 yrs or so - This was my first ( and pretty much last)all-purpose 'real' guitar. I've owned 2 LPs ( including a 75 goldtop, P-90s and a bigsby that was pretty nice), quite a few Strats (some better than others) a couple of Ibanez models ( they're always a good bet for mid level axes), and a Dano double neck 6-12. This is my favorite guitar, by far ( it's been my main guitar for 15 years!!)I love it, great guitar- it's my baby - I call her Penny (hey, she's copper...). If it were stolen, I guess I'd weep - you can't really find another one, it'd be impossible, the new Hamers are - well... different...Sh'll brake down eventually, I suspect ,but for now ....heaven.

solid mahogany body, oiled finish...mid-'80s rocker! h/s/h pickup configuration. Floyd system and seymour duncan trembuckers all around. 24 frets, flawless ebony fingerboard and the coolest mop boomerang inlays! I bought this guitar, A USA HAMER, on ebay in an auction.........for less than $200. The guy who sold it had no idea what he had in hands and the guitar was flawless! Talk about blind luck!!!!!!!!!!

I own 10 guitars from gmw custom made instruments to esp tigers to ibanez jems and this guitar blows them all away. I'm not sure if its the pickups or the wood but it is full of tone both clean and dirty! Really sustains forever! I am using it witha bradshaw digital rack and a peavey 5150 and this guitar just smokes!

I bought this used so I can't speak for the factory but as with every hamer I have ever owned it is a joy to set up, is constructed with the utmost of quality in mind and even after 15 years or so of being played it is a pristine example of how a guitar should be built. I am into graphics so the dark mahogony body is as ugly as sin.....it is the worst looking guitar I own but the best constructed!

You could drive a truck over this guitar! It is heavy but not quite les paul weight. I have gigged with it for over a year now and it has never let me down......Besides the obvious drawbacks of a floyd loaded guitar I have and will continue to use this as my main axe without a backup.

Hamer in my opinion has the best customer service in the industry, period. I have owned several of them and made numerous calls to their main office over the years and have never been denied access to any information I have requested. I know they'll kill me for divulging this but I once had an archtop studio with a bad electrical problem and they sent me at no charge a new output jack and enough wire to install it properly myself.......(I own my own repair business so they did this with the idea in mind that a professional was doing the job!!!!!! Always have this kind of thing looked at by a tech or repair shop.) A super company and a solid 10!

If you can afford any USA hamer, snag it. They are the best value in the guitar market. There are tons of good used instruments out there for the taking.....Find one. I just bought a korean made Hamer explorer and they don't hold a candle to the USA stuff. They are still cool 'beater' instruments but for customer service, quality of construction and value go find a USA model. I will never get rid of this guitar. Over the years I have owned many hamers and have never been disappointed and I wish I could have a lot of them back but you know I have to keep my collection fresh! These are top quality guitars!

This guitar I bought second hand and in poor cond. I was not sure if I could repair it since it had a broken head stock. After much debate about repairing it or using it for parts I fixed it and never looked back. This guitar comes with 3 OBL pick-ups(S,S,H) ,Floyd Rose ,and the body is Strat type.

This Hamer always stay in tune and I can get alot of different sounds from the pick-up confugation.

After having the action set-up it worked great until I changed the strings know the action is to high , also the paint chips easly.

It was made in the USA in '82. It has Hamer Slammer pickups in a H-S-S configuration,Original Schaller Floyd rose locking trem w/ black chrome finish,24 frets, 1 volume and 1 tone control w/ 5-way switch. Jumbo frets and Black/white finish.

I play Techno-thrash-heavy metal like late def leppard, Smashing pumpkins etc and it sounds great.There is no noise at all, even when turning the amp to mega-distortion.The bridge humbucker is great for distortion, but clean sounds are best with the front single coil. I don't know about the mid singlecoil because i've turned it off comp?letely for thos Randy Rhoads toggle-flicking

It was used when i bought it, and it's just like new. This guitar will stand a nuclear blast. Guess that says it all.

I've yet to use it for live playing, but it kicks ass. The finish will last for ever.The trem is great but trying to detune is an absolute pain. I wouldn't care for a backup.

I'll keep this forever. If it was stolen i'd kill the guy. I love the thin neck.