Hamer Echotone GC Aztec Gold

Korean built Hamer 2001 Echotone. The features are typical of an ES-335 copy and are well documented in the previous reviews, but I'll add the following........The Duncan Designed pickups are model HB103, a high output ceramic design similar to the U.S. made Duncan Distortion SH-6. The scale length on this guitar is 25.4" and not the 24.75" listed in the Echotone specifications on the Hamer site. With the pickups removed and after a little scraping of the shielding paint, it would appear that the top is laminated, but the flame is very nice. A TKL hardshell case was included in the purchase.

I like the tones that this guitar produces. I think that the Duncan pickups are fairly clear and don't detect the mudiness that others have mentioned. I play through a Fender Blues Jr. and a Marshall DSL401 and the guitar matches both amps nicely. Roll the tone controls off a bit , switch to the neck pickup and the clean tones are adequate for jazz and great for classic rock rhythm. Playing through the Blues Jr with Boss DD-3 delay and CS-3 compression pedals, and the Echotone becomes a rockabilly machine (think Scotty Moore). Distorted rock through the Marshall is also very good, but the pickups are a little harmonic and have a tendecy to feedback at higher volumes. This guitar is at it's best playing the blues straight into the Blues Jr with the FAT switch on. Except for the feedback which can be controlled, I can't find anything wrong with the way this guitar sounds.

The set-up was quite good when I bought the guitar, but that was done by the tech at the store. I'm sure most people would have been happy with the guitar the way it was at that point, but I can't keep my screwdriver away from a guitar, so I had it layed out on my workbench within a couple of hours of getting it home. First, after removing the strings and pickguard, I removed the pickups. The cavity was shielded with shielding paint and it looked like an 8 year old had slopped it on. The holes for the pickup wires looked like they had been made with a pocket knife and the cavity still had wood chips and dust in it. On the positive side, where the dovetail was visible, the neck joint was tight and secure, and there weren't any noticeable gaps. In comparison, I've seen the inside pickup cavity of a U.S. made Hamer and it was as nicely finished as the guitar itself. This no doubt one area where they are able to save costs. After cleaning up the cavity and touching up the shielding, I re-installed the pickups. I cleaned up the nut slots, and put a touch of graphite in them. I checked the frets and found them to be nicely finished and level, after applying a little lemon oil on the fingerboard, I installed .011 strings, set the action, tweaked the trussrod and set intonation. The tune-o-matic style bridge had a noticeable rattle so I made sure that the heads of the saddle adjusting screws were seated against the body of the bridge and placed a drop of clear nail polish at the heads and also on the threads on either side of each saddle. Once it dried, it wasn't visible and that took care of the rattle. If I need to change intonation, the screws will easily come loose.

The guitar itself was finished beautifully. The binding is precise and smooth and the binding around the F-holes is also well applied. There are no flaws in the finish and it has a deep shine. The gold hardware looks nice, but I'm sure that it will eventually start to wear thin.....time will tell.

The tone and volume controls are adequate and are quiet. The pickup selector is also quiet. The jack is located on the side of the lower bout and I like that. I am a little concerned that it doesn't have a positive feel when the cable is plugged in and the cable can pull out while I'm playing. I may end up replacing it with a better quality jack. The tuners seem to work fine and I haven't had any problems with the guitar staying in tune.

It seems well built and solid.

Hamer has a good reputation for their U.S. built guitars, but I have no idea how they deal with the imports.

I've been playing for almost 30 years. I currently have a G&L Comanche, Fender '57 American Vintage Stratocaster and the Echotone. I bought the Echotone because I was looking for a humbucker equipped guitar that I could use for playing rockabilly and blues. The Echotone was exactly what I was looking for and it's a nice compliment to my other guitars. It is also a great value. I would highly recommend the Echotone to anyone looking for a good quality semi-hollow bodied guitar.

Nice wood, but only fair hardware. I replaced the nut and the pickups and this thing went from a great guitar to an excellent guitar. I highly recommnend changing out the pickups. It made all the difference in the world.

I installed a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge postion and a Seymour Duncan 59 PAF pickup in the neck position. It totally changes the tone and in my opinion, for the better. It now sounds more Les Paulish, than 335'ish, but nonethess the two different pickups give it a wide variety of tones.

The nut was in bad shape. I replaced it and had a setup done on it. It made all the difference in the world. It made a huge difference. Evereything else looked pretty good.

I LOVE gigging with this guitar. It feels soo natural and takes a hell of a lot of abuse.

Have not dealt with them yet.

Change the nut and the pickups and you have an outstanding guitar with a great value for money.

Hamer Echotone Flametop Aztec Gold semi-hollow guitar. Built in 2001. Korean made. No second. Solid flame maple top, maple sides and back, 2 Duncan-designed humbuckers. Tune-O-Matic bridge w/Stop tailpiece. Gold-plated hardware and rosewood fingerboard. Ivoroid binding on the body, neck and f-holes.

Okay, this guitar is GREAT! I've had it almost a year and waited to rate it because I didn't want its initial impressions to influence my feelings. I'm happy to say I feel as good about this guitar today as I did the week I received it. (Had a bit of minor work done the day I received it. Details to follow.) I play blues/rock (who doesn't?), jam band styles and a bit of progressive jazz and this thing sings! Each note in a chord rings true through my Marshall. When I run it through my dirty channel it even gets better. The versatility of this guitar is awesome. My only dislike is the gold-plated hardware, but so far so good. No discoloration or rubbing off.

This was my only disappointment. When I received the guitar, the nut needed some minor filing and the pickups needed to be lowered a bit. $30 total and the dealer paid for it. No other flaws. The bookmatched top is excellent and gets compliments wherever it goes. The action was excellent as I prefer a slightly lower setup. A music teacher I showed it to thought it was a $1,200.00 minimum guitar. This work of art totally changed my impression of Korean built guitars. The neck is silky smooth and the frets are perfect.

I have no problems taking this guitar out as my only axe. It covers all the ground I play. The finish looks hand-rubbed (although I doubt it). VERY oversized strap buttons, and I had to take a knife to my Levy's strap holes and slit them to make them large enough to fit. This sucker stays in tune too!

I've never dealt with Hamer, but looking at their web site, they spell out exactly what's covered and what's not. Limited lifetime warranty, whatever that means... I'm not expecting to ever need it.

If it were stolen, I'd replace it with the same in a minute. I've been playing since 1971 and this is as good as it gets. I messed with a Gibson 335 in the store and this Hamer outperforms it at a fraction of the cost. No lie dudes! What I love is the feel and the tone. Pure delight! There is simply nothing to hate about it.

THIS IS A 2001 MODEL I BELIEVE. THE FEATURS ARE PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A ES-355 COPY. IF YOU ARE FARMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF GUITAR THEN THERE ARE NO SUPRISES HERE. IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN KOREA AND HAS A GOLD FLAME MAPEL TOP.

PLAYING STYLE: HEAVY ROCK & BLUES (LED ZEP, SABBATH,KYUSS,DOWN,GOATSNAKE,C.O.C.,QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE,FU MANCHU, ORANGE GOBLIN...ECT. THIS GUITAR SOUNDS VERY, VERY GOOD. NOT JUST FOR AN IMPORT, JUST GENERALLY SOUNDS GREAT. IT HAS RICH TONE WITH A CRISP TOP END. IT SOUNDS BEST WHEN OVERDRIVEN. CLEAN TONES ARE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT, BUT IT SHINES WHEN HEATED UP A BIT. THE PICKUPS ARE NOT GREAT, ALTHOUGH THEY SEEM TO BE OF A BETTER QUALITY THAN MOST IMPORTS. AS A GENERAL RULE I DO A PICKUP UP GRADE ON ALL MY GUITARS (AND I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF SEYMOUR DUNCANS, BUT A JB WHOULD PROBABLY SUIT THIS AXE QUITE WELL). I AM RUNNING THIS GUITAR STRAIGHT INTO A PEAVEY 5150 OR A BOOGIE TRIPLE RECTOFIER.
ONE WORD OF CAUTION THE STOCK "DUNCAN DESIGN" PICKUPS ARE HIGHLY MICROPHONIC AND WILL FEED BACK AT RELATIVELY LOW VOLUMES (IT IS ASEMI-HOLLOW BODY AFTER ALL). IF YOU RUN A HIGH GAIN SET UP (LIKE I DO)THEN YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE PICKUPS. I REALIZE THAT MOST PEOPLE LOOKING TO PURCHACE A GUITAR OF TYPE WILL NOT RUN AS MUCH DISTORTION AS I DO BUT IT IS SOMTHING TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. WHEN THIS GUITAR IS DRIVEN PROPERLY (QUALITY, HIGH GAIN TUPE AMP) IT SOUNDS THICK, BUT NOT MUDDY AND HAS THAT GRAINY, VINTAGE QAULITY THAT BLUES, AND CLASSIC ROCK FANS WILL LOVE. NOT A GOOD CHOICE FOR STRAIGHT "METAL" APPLICATIONS. I AM MORE THAN SATISIED WITH THE MAJORITY OF TONES I GET FROM THIS GUITAR. I

OK, THE GUITAR WAS SET UP VERY POORLY (AS I EXPECTED) STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. NOT A BIG DEAL. I WOULD ALSO HIGHLY RECOMEND UPGRADING THE STOCK HARDWEAR ON THIS INSTRUMENT! THIS GUITAR SIMPLY DESERVES BETTER THAN THE LOW QUALITY PRIDGE AND TUNERS (DOES NOT STAY IN TUNE PROPERLY)THAT ARE STOCK. OTHER THAN THAT THIS GUITAR HAS THE COSMETICS AND FEEL OF AN INSTRUMENT FOUR TIMES THE ASKING PRICE. THE FLAME TOP IS GEORGEOUS AND THE BINDINGS ON THE F-HOLES AND FRETBOARD ARE A NICE TOUCH! IT HAS A HEAVIER, STURDIER FEEL THAN ANY EPIPHONE OR IBANEZ (I TRIED THEM ALL)AND THE NECK RESEMBLES A SLEEK FAST LES PAUL, SG OR EXPLORER ALTOUGH NOT AS THIN OF PATHETIC AS A JACKSON OR TELE. I REALLY LIKE THE GENERAL FEEL AND PLAYABILITY OF THIS GUITAR. AGAIN OTHER THAN THE HARDWEAR AND PICKUPS I FIND THE WORKMANSHIP VERY GOOD, ALMOST COMPRABLE TO A GIBSON ES-355. GOOD WORK OVERSEAS HAMER.

THE STRAP BUTTONS ARE HUGE (I THINK THIS A GOOD THING AS IT WILL NOT FALL OF DURING LIVE PERFORMANCES). THE GOLD FINISH ON THE GHEAP HARDWEAR WILL WEAR OFF, THATS A GIVEN. OTHER THAN THAT I BELIEVE IT WILL HOLD UP WELL, JUST FEELS VERY SOLID TO ME. I ALWAYS GIG WITH A BACK GUITAR BUT I'M NOT SURE IT IS REALLY IMPERATIVE IN THIS CASE. AGAIN REPLACE THE STOCK TUNERS AND BRIDGE IF YOU WANT THIS ITEM TO RESONATE PROPERLY AND STAY IN TUNE FOR AN ENTIRE GIG.

THIS GUITAR CAME WITH USUAL "LIMITED LIFE-TIME WARRANTY". SOME PIECE OF MIND THERE. OTHER THAN THAT I HAVE HAD NO PAST OR PRESENT DEALINGS WITH THIS COMPANY.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING GUITAR FOR NEARLY 12 YEARS AND I HAVE PLAYED IN 7 BANDS (ONE OF WITCH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF). I ALSO OWN A GIBSON EXPLORER WITH EMG 81 PICKUPS, AN ERIC CLAPTON STRAT, A ESP VIPER SG WITH EMG 81 PICKUPS, A VINTAGE GIBSON FLYONG V, AN ORIGINAL RUN IBANEZ ICEMAN AND A FERNANDES MONTEREY ELITE. I PLAY THESE GUITARS THEOUGH A PEAVEY 5150 (SACARY GAIN), A MESA BOOGIE TRIPLE RECTOFIER, A WIZARD CUSTOM 100 WATT, A VHT PITTBULL, A FENDER BASSMAN, AND A ROLAND JC-120 (NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!). OK HERE IS WHAT I DID. I BOUGHT THIS GUITAR HAD IT FITTED WITH A GOTOH BRIDGE AND TUNERS, HAD THE NUT REPLACED (I LIKE GRAPHITE) AND DROPPED IN A SET OF GIBSON'S TONY IOMMI SIGNITURE SERIES HUMBUCKERS. I NOW OWN AN INSTRUMENT THAT SATISFIES MY DESIRE FOR THE SEMI-HOLLOW TONE AND FEEL THAT SOUNDS/PLAYS GREAT, LOOKS EXCEPTIONAL AND ALWAYS STAYS IN TUNE. THE IOMMI PICKUPS SOUND INCREDIBLE IN THIS GUITAR AND THEY ARE WELL COATED AS TO PREVENT THE ANNOYING FEEDBACK I HAD MENTIONDED. MY TOTAL INVESTMENT IN THIS GUITAR IS NOW $720.00. I FEEL IT IS COMPRABLE TO MANY GUITARS RETAILING AT TWICE THIS PRICE. WITOUT UPGRADES THIS GUITAR IS A 7 (A 10 WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER GUITARS IN IT' PRICE RANGE, HOWEVER) AND A 9.5 WITH THE UPGRADES I MENTIONED ABOVE. I HOPE THIS HAS HELPED ANY OF YOU OUT THERE CONSIDERING THIS GUITAR.

This is a 2001 Model made in Korea. I found this at a Guitar Center labor day blowout sale for 299 bucks. Your expectations run fairly low for a 300 dollar guitar, but i wanted a 2 humbucker guitar with some vintage tone and this seemed worth a look. You can see the descriptions above, your basic les paul humbucker config. 2 HBs, 2 volumes, 2 tones and a 3 way selector switch. Gold hardware, very pretty top. I have read conflicting reviews that it is solid, and that it is a veneer, whatever it is, it looks good - again for a 300 dollar guitar, who's complaining. In the features department, I have to rate it down a smidge for some cheap components that i will probably need to replace. But value for the money, it's still up there.

The sound is great. The duncan design pickups sound very nice. If you read SD's website, you'll see that the duncan design are not for sale, only sold to manufacturers who want a lower cost good sounding pickup. In a nutshell, the duncan design humbucker might be a similar spec as the JB, but it is manufactured on a mass scale in china or wherever. It is definitely much better sounding than complete no-name cheapies you would expect to find on a guitar in this range. I play through a tube amp and i get a great warm fat tone from the neck PU and a good biting, but not shrill meaty tone from the bridge. Tone controls are useless, as they are on most guitars. With the exception of the neck - you can roll the tone off 50% and get a great neck jazz tone. In the sound dept I couldn't be happier.

I have to drop some marks here. But this is probably more of a slight on guitar center rather than on hamer. The strings were rusted, the action and intonation needed adjusting, and there are some sticky places in the plastic nut where it wasn't filed wide enough. I'm a tinkerer so these weren't huge deals - some pencil lead took care of the nut problem and of course some new strings.. I see no flaws though in the general construction of the instrument. For a mass produced axe, the binding is quite well done, and even the f-holes are bound.

The guitar seems built like a rock - as far as the wood and main components. Some of the smaller things are a little more troublesome. For instance, the output jack came undone and the nut and washer only gets about half a turn on the jack post to hold it in. I've put some glue on it but i will probably need to replace it. Replacing stuff in a 335 style body will not be a fun task. My fingers are kind of large to have to be messing in there. It is quiet, so i don't expect to have to replace any pots or anything any time soon. It had been very un-dependable for staying in tune, so i always played with a backup, but after i figured out it was just the nut and not the tuning machines, i have had no problems. Soon i'll let my local music store tech put a bone nut on it and give it a good once-over. There is some rattling in the tunomatic bridge, where the springs are kind of cheap and don't keep enough tension not to buzz. Again, this could be fixed fairly cheaply.

No clue. Hoe to never have to find out. I understand Hamer to be a first rate company, but this is an import, not one of their hand-made babies.

Overall - again, i am very happy. Bang for the buck, you can't beat this guitar if you want this type of sound. It really sends my tube amp into crunch-ville much faster than my strat. The humbuckers have a good amount of complexity to their tone and are a joy to hear. Some of the small problems are just things you really ought to expect on a guitar like this. It pays to know how to work on one and fix some of these errors so you can truly enjoy an instrument that you didn't have to take a second mortgage to afford.

This guitar was made in 2001, Korea. It's semi-hollow body guitar with 22 frets, two humbucker Duncan Designed pickups and 2 vol, 2 tone knobs. From what I've read the body is solid maple top and back and the sides are laminated mahogany. I haven't looked inside the pickup areas, yet to verify. The look is ES335 all the way (better than Epiphone). The flame maple cap is amazing! I can't believe you can get this on a $300 guitar, albeit a factory 2nd. (The guitar was lightly stamped USED on the headstock from being a factory overstock. I really can't see anything on it that would cause this to be called a 2nd.)

The sound is good, though not incredible. I may have to change the pu's out at some point or at least atjust them. Doing an A/B comparison through a Line6 POD to some other guitars I have with known good pickups, I'd say these have less depth and richness of tone. They sound a little plastic or cheap when playing with overdrive or crunch, though not to a great extent. You can still get decent clean sounds, but not as much punch, bounce or wood as you want.

I had to do a small amount of setup when I got it. I changed the strings to 10's (from 9's I believe) and i raised the bridge up a tad. The is still some random buzzing on some frets but it doesn't come out over the amp and the notes still sound (My les paul buzzes all over the place but it still sounds great through the amp). I will probably change the nut as it's this cheap plastic thing, and at the same time, I'll have it set up professionally, though the frets are great with no sharp edges and raising. The gold hardware seems fine, but it's already started to show minor signs of pitting and oxidization. Not a big deal and this may be changed in the future, too. The finish on this is beautiful and i can't believe it costs what it does.

The guitar is solidly built. I'm surprised it's as solid as it is. The finish looks good but only time will tell how it will hold up. I doubt anything would happen on stage during a show, but I would bring a back up just in case.

No idea. They guy on ebay was nice enough

Amazing. I own a bunch of other guitars and while this isn't as good as my PRS or Diodatis it's a fine semi-hollow body guitar. I kind of had the jones for a 335 jazz/blues guitar but didn't want to spend a lot of dough. I looked at epi's but something bothered me about the goofy headstock and the cutaways never looked quite right. I was checking out ebay for an 80's ibanez when I came across this beauty for $300. I'm definitely glad I went for it. This is a Korean made guitar, but it's put together very well. As I said in the review the woods are high quality (might even be solid, not laminate) and so a hardware upgrade (pu's and tuners, bridge, etc.) would turn this into a real monster. Right now, I'm very happy with my purchase. If you're looking for a semi-hollow jazz/blues guitar ala ES335, check this out -- you will not be disappointed.

Korean made 335 copy, used, stamped second. 2 bubbles and a crack in the binding(I didn't see). Beautiful maple top, sides and back. 3-way swithch, 2-tone and 2-volume controls for two Seymour-designed humbuckers. Stop tailpiece, bridge was on backwards. Fat frets, slim neck and accurate tuners. Bought used without accessories, bought SKB case from MF.

I play rock and blues and this is one beautiful sounding guitar, clean or dirty. I used it on my last two gigs and someone commented about the sound after each gig. The sound is almost as if it were compressed. I owned a Guild Starfire V 25 years ago until someone dropped it. About 10 years ago a friend brought the same Guild into a studio and it was the best guitar I ever heard.
I read reviews here at Harmony-Central.com on the Hamer and desided to take a chance. Best decision I ever made.

Bought it as a second and it needed setup. Took it to my local luthier
and he fell in love with it. I mentioned the minor flaws I missed, he found them. I took this guitar home and played it all night. Got up the next morning and my fingers were too sore to play. I'm giving it a 9 here because it is a second. There are still several new on e-bay.

This guitar is solid in everyway. Body and hardware (gold) are beautful. Strap buttons solid, but huge. No slipping off here.
Can't believe this guitar would ever let me down, but I always take a backup in case some 'idiot' drops it.

N/A, bought used.

I've been playing 37 years. I own a Martin D-35, Ovation acoutic/electric 12-string, an 80's Yamaha triple pickup solid body.
A Dearmond M77, S73-12 and an X-155. Over the years I've owned Fenders, Gibsons, Guilds, Rickenbackers and others. This is as good or better than any of the above. If it were stolen I would track down the thief and ... oh well never mind. BUY THIS GUITAR.

I think it was made in 2000 or 2001. Made in Korea, although you can't tell. 22 frets. 2 vol., 2 tone, 3-way switch, H/H. They put some SWEET Seymor Duncan pickups on it. I think its a maple body, its in trasparent aztec or whatever color they call that. It's a semi-hollow guitar that RULES!!! Regular stop tailpiece (like the gibsons). I'm not sure what tuners are on it but they are very nice. The neck on this thing seems like it was built for me, it just felt right as soon as i started playing.

I play stuff like Metallica, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osborne, KoRn, Offspring, you know that kinda stuff. I use a setup of THIS GUITAR-MORLEY WAH-DIGITECH RP100-DOD DEATH METAL DISTORTION-DOD ICE BOX CHORUS-DANELECTRO QWIK TUNE PEDAL-HARTKE 30 WATT BASS AMP-DOD 15 WATT GUITAR AMP. This thing it the most amazing guitar ever with distortion!! I love it!! There is nothing I don't like about this guitar!

the action is a little low but i can fix that. the 6 string buzzes a little bit but i fixed that. i adjusted the pickups like a les paul so the tone things are all at 45 degree angles, that helped it big time. its got a bookmatched top or somethin that looks awesome! No flaws whatsoever

this thing is rock solid. It feels a lot better than those Gibson 335's for the finish. this thing has huge strap buttons and that was a pain in the a** to put the strap on but i will not come off. I will use it at a gig without a backup cause i dont got another semi-hollow guitar.

N/A

I have been playing for 4 years and this is that most awesome guitar ever. i also own a ovation celebrity deluxe, ibanez rg 220, epiphone les paul, yamaha pacifica, ibanez gr200 bass, some crappy primer guitar, and a really nice classical guitar. If it was stolen i will go take my shotgun to the robber guys head. the only problem with this shape on this guitar is its hard to get a cheap case. other wise it is the most awesome guitar ever

Copy of the venerable Gibson 335-ES, King of the Blues. However, this baby has a SOLID maple top -- not veneer like the current Gibson effort priced approximately 10 times higher. And the top is the FLAMIEST piece of wood I have *ever* seen on a guitar of this type, regardless of price or manufacturer. If you put a paper bag over the headstock, you could pass it off for a $6000 custom shop Gibson.

Two humbuckers -- "Duncan Designed" pickups -- which sound really great out of the box -- unlike most stock Gibson pickups which [if you care about tone] force you to spring for $300 parts and labor to swap them out with Duncans. And that's what I paid for the Hamer. It's your money ...

The only thing I wish Hamer would have done differently is put CHROME hardware on it instead of that glitzy gold. Yeah, it looks real purdy, but we all know what happens to cheap goldplate finishes after a while, right? And believe me, this guitar is gonna get used a lot ...

Neck was the best I've ever played on a 335-style guitar. Not as wide and fat as some Gibsons can be. Think really great Les Paul neck. Same goes for the other Korean Hamer I own, the "Sunburst" copy of their venerable Made-In-Chicago "Artist." Actually, the quality of that guitar [which I got for $350] is what made me investigate this one. And I'm glad I did.

Big, ballsy, open, loud, everything you want out of a bitchin' 335. You wanna play the blues, white boy? No problem. Wanna rock? No problem. Wanna do that chicken-pickin' country stuff? No problem. After 30+ years of playing all kinds of guitars, this one covers most of the bases and covers 'em well. But that's what the 335 does, and that's why it's so popular.

Do not fear the Korean "Duncan Designed" pickups. I have a Gibson DC with the real Duncans in it ... and these pickups sound just as good. Whatever Hamer is doing with their QC over there, it's working bigtime! And Seymour Duncan wouldn't put his name on anything that sucked. Guarantee that.

I'm in a rockin' contemporary worship band. In the space of an hour and a half at a single service, I need to play lead on rock, blues, country, ballads, and everything in between. And I don't have the luxury of having an arsenal of guitars up there with me -- one is all I have space for. And guess which one goes with me?!

UNBELIEVABLE. Absolutely flawless. Most beautiful piece of flame maple [soid, too!] on the top I've ever seen. Everything is done to perfection. Amazed me -- I was expecting some kind of problem with something -- after all, it's made in Korea, right? Nope. Actually better than most American guitars. Superb. Can't say enough here.

Plus, the varnish Hamer uses doesn't get sticky when you play it for a while like the Gibson stuff. I can play this "335" and my other Hamer for hours and just wipe off the back of the neck and where my arm rests on the lower bout of the body with no fear of it getting gnarly. Unfortunately, my DC Gibson isn't so cool in this department, which pains me since I paid more than three times more for it.

Action? Ye cats! Both of my Hamers played like silk out of the box. And I'm a picky SOB, just ask my luthier. The only thing that was wrong with this one was that they cut the grooves for the bottom 3 strings too deep, giving it string buzz. Easily corrected by a trip to my favorite luthier [John Bolin, guitarsmith to ZZ Top, Aerosmith, and a galaxy of rock royalty -- lives here in Boise -- nice guy, too]. I always put a graphite nut on all my guitars anyway, so that's a no-brainer. Neck is straight as an arrow. And thanks to the TunaMatic-style bridge, dialing in the action and intonation is a cakewalk once John gets the new nut in. I'm also putting on some Graph Tech String Saver graphite saddles. But like I said, I'm picky.

This thing is put together like a Mack truck. Much more solid looking and feeling than other 335 copies -- and most 335s. Not really heavy and clumsy, but more well engineered and solid-feeling. The other Hamer I bought a while back is a workhorse. It's on loan to another Christian musician right now so he can use it on an album. And that's one of the niftiest things about a $300 guitar -- you'll actually play it and drag it around and loan it out if need be. Instead of sealing it in a humidified tomb and worshipping it in your living room or hiding it away under the bed. These axes were created to be played. And I wish they'd been around at this price point when I was much younger. I wouldn't have spent 25 years longing for a 335 ...

I do a two-hour rehearsal once a week followed by three hour-and-a-half services with 15 minutes between on Sundays. I have no backup. My gear MUST perform ... and these Hamers have proven themselves. This is an instrument you can gig with without a backup. But at the price they charge, you CAN have a backup!

Don't think there is any. Don't care, either. If anything SERIOUS [translated: broken neck or headstock] ever happened, I'd cry and then get on ebay and buy another one for $300.

I've been playing electric for over 35 years. Until this Hamer and it's sibling, I've owned nothing but American guitars. But the beauty, quality, and performance of these Hamers has made a believer out of me [not to mention the price -- I have two kids, so I have to watch my spending]. Since I play out a lot, the prospect of it being stolen is very real -- but at $300, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

I play through a POD into a Fender Hot Rod DeLuxe amp, which we mic through the PA. Like I said, this guitar does it all and does it well. And looks good doing it. However, the Aztec Gold finish ones are LIMITED EDITION and if you want one of these beauties, you better get with it.

I'll guess it was made in 2000.The salesman told me it had been in the store for several months when I first picked it up in January.22 frets.Made in Korea.Hamer's site claims the top and back are solid maple.2 volumes,2 tones.2 Duncan Designed humbuckers,passive.Maple body and neck,rosewood board.The finish is a special run for GC,Aztec Gold top with brown back and neck/headstock.The top is flamed maple.Very pretty.Gold plated hardware and all metal tuners.25.5" scale (YES!).No case.

The pickups sound good enough to where I don't think I'll be changing them,because I mainly play Strat type guitars anyway.It has a decent sound w/o an amp,which is a good sign,they may be telling the truth about the solid top and back!I use it with 3 tube amps (not all at once),an Ampeg Reverborocket,a Groove Tubes Soul-O 45,and a Mesa Nomad 2x12 45.I also use a Digitech Valve FX and/or RP200 for delay and chorus. The sound is close to a "real" 335,nice singing tone for lead from the neck PU a la Larry Carlton,good sting from the bridge like Cream era Clapton.It also has a nice clean rythm sound for strumming and of course,roll off the tone on the neck for smooth comping.I actually like the bridge PU better than the last Gibson 335 I owned (1980 Dot Reissue).That guitar had a bark to it that was a little harsh sometimes.Soundwise,no complaints.

One little niggle on the factory setup:the high E string was too low and fretted out when bent.20 seconds with a screwdriver to raise the treble side of the bridge fixed that.Otherwise,I haven't felt the need to change anything.The pickups were at the right height,not too close to where they get in the way of my fingers.The top on this guitar is the best I've seen of all these guitars;very well matched pieces of maple with a very pronounced flame,simply gorgeous.I saw 3 other examples of this model while making my decision and this one had the best fit and finish of all of them,and I dare say better than any other brand at or even somewhat above it's price.Ispent a few evenings playing it and looking it over at the store and can;t find any flaws,whereas I did see some in the others,so I knew this was the one to get.

I first picked this guitar up in January,but I had it on layaway until 10 days ago;so far,it's only been out once,to a Blues jam where it got quite a bit of attention.If the Gold hardware is anything like Gibson's (which I hope it isn't),it will probably fade and tarnish,but that's life.The finish on the wood seems very solid and even,One thing that bothered me about my Dot was the type of finish on the neck reacted with my hand's perspiration and got sticky;not the case with this Echotone.I would gig w/o backup in terms of reliability (I'd still bring extra strings!),but not for sound;as I mentioned above I mainly favor Strat type guitars.

Have not had any need to contact Kaman yet.Limited Lifetime warranty.

I've been playing since 1964.I own far too much gear to list here;6 other guitars,4,5,and 6 string basses,amps,FX,recording,blah,blah, etc.etc.If stolen or lost I'd have to search to find another one as well put together and with as spectacular a top as this one,but I would make the effort.It plays very well,sounds good,and is a real looker.I did compare it to a Gibson 335 for a couple of hours of playing back and forth,and to be fair the Gibson was a good guitar as well,but I could have bought five of these Hamers for it's price,and yet I have absolutely no sense of having bought a "cheap" guitar here.I've played on Korean instruments in the past that deserved disdain in spite of their low price tag but not this one,everything is above what one would normally expect for a $1000 guitar,and I payed just over half that.