Hamer Monaco Elite

Already mentioned.
This is a 2006 model, and compared to my previous Monaco Elite this one has TonePros bridge and tailpiece, as well as a different output jack that is recessed and perhaps easier to access.
The color on this one is called '59 Burst.
I changed the pickups to Burstbucker Pros. More on this later.

I'm not sure why Rick was so harsh when rating the stock pickups. I changed them, but they're not that bad. We all have our preferences :-)
Here are some samples with the stock pickups. Excuse my playing. These were recorded rather quickly, and the only effect is some reverb to "gel" the guitar to the backing track.
http://rapidshare.com/users/8YZVV1

My criticism is that the bridge pickup lacked clarity and definition when using overdriven sounds. For this I prefer the BurstBucker Pros, but the clean sound of the neck pickup was probably better with the stock Seymour Duncan.

I would rate the sounds in the range of 8 to 10.

As a side note, the SuperPro has these same pickups and I did not like them at all on that guitar. On the Elite, as mentioned, they're not bad. It depends on personal taste and preference.

Flawless.
Unfortunately for other luthiers/manufacturers, Hamer sets a high standard.
Just yesterday I received a guitar and will return it tomorrow since it has minor flaws. It's a $1600 instrument with a street price of $1150.
A similar thing happened when I got a Les Paul with an $1800 street price.
The Hamer's action, fit, and finish are what you would expect from an expensive instrument. Superb.
When I got this one, it had maybe 5 small dents in the neck. This was not Hamer's fault, and the store salesperson said he would refund my money if I wanted, but I decided to keep it. With any other guitar chances are that I would have returned it, but this Monaco Elite is a keeper.

I take care of all my gear, and one day found myself really giving this guitar a workout, playing like a teenager with a "beater" guitar. :-)
I think it will work as well in 70 years as it does now. Maybe it will sound better!

No comment

This is my number one guitar. I don't care about brand names, and try to find great guitars at reasonable prices. I found a good deal on this one and bought it. With some brands a person pays for a name on the headstock. In Hamer's case, I paid based on the quality and craftsmanship of their instruments.
It's certainly not cheap, but it exudes quality.
YouTube has some videos showing the Hamer Factory Tour. Highly recommended.

I have owned this guitar for a little over a year. It is USA made. Many highly flamed guitars are just too much for me. I think this one is beautiful. Subtle but gorgeous. There is little point in going on about the details. I will say the neck is very much to my liking. Kind of a fat C. It feels good.

I loved the look and feel of the guitar as I received it. I bought it new. I thought the sound sucked. I have no idea why they put the pickups on it they did. The guitar is incredibly alive acoustically. The pickups are fine if you are into heavy metal and shredding. In fairness, I don't like many Duncan pickups and these are some of the worst I have heard. The guitar acoustically is a touch bright. Perhaps that it why they have decided to use these overwound abortions. I have talked to several dealers who think it is a great guitar with godawful pickups. I agree. This is tough to give a rating for. With the Custom pickups I would give it a 5. OK for massively overdrive stuff, no finesse at all. I put a pair of Fralins on it and it was a little bright. It made me realize why they put such overwound PU's on it. I put some Dimarzios on it and had basically the same reaction too bright. I put some Su hrs, a DSV and SSV on it and it is incredibly good. Lush, lots of harmonics, and sounds great when overdriven. The Suhr neck pickup is one of the few I have ever heard that actually sounds good when split. With the Suhrs, a 9.5 With the Duncans, a 5. All due respect, but for my style of playing, they suck. If you are totally a heavy metal guy, maybe OK

Beautifully made guitar. The appearance and finish is in the PRS range. Fretwork is excellent. The feel of the neck is great, but this is obvously subjective. Sort of a 59 Les Paul profile but a little less chunky. I don't like skinny necks so take that into account.

It is hard to describe how beautiful it is. I have several guitars that sound great, which is why I own them, but are butt ugly. Not the case here.

Everyting looks great. The build quality is to a very high standard. Beyond that, I can't say. I am not a "gigger". I own a high end stereo store and don't play out much. I have no reason to believe that this would not rank with the better Les Paul's, although the fit and finish is better than most Gibsons. I will call it a 9 on general principles.

Next to no contact. I own a Newport Pro that came from the factory with a bad Bigsby. They were of little to no help and I bought a new one out of pocket which fixed the problem. Based on that I would say not great, but I am not going to rate this because I said screw it and didn't push it very hard.

I think I have covered everything. With the stock pickups, I would sell it in a hearbeat. I have no idea why they put the garbage pickups they use on it. I love the playability, and the overall feel of the guitar. The only reason I stayed with it was that I am a firm believer in the acoustic response of a guitar. With the Suhr's, I love it. With the stock pickups, I thought it sounded like a $500.00 Epiphone. With the huge disparity in sound, I am not going to give it a rating.

I won't repeat the features, so I'll just list a couple of interesting aspects.
This Monaco Elite does not have TonePros, and the output jack is a "regular" one. More recent versions of the guitar have TonePros and the jack is recessed to provide easy access to the cable.

By itself I loved the sounds. After comparing it with other guitars I thought that the overdriven sounds could benefit from more clarity and definition.
I loved the clean sounds. Overall the guitar sounds great. I mainly play blues and classic rock. I could use the guitar to cover some jazz and funk as well.
No noise at all.
I'm currently using it to record, as well as playing through a zenTera and a Cruise MQ4.
I have other guitars with 2 humbuckers, so the 8 comes from comparing them side by side. It is not bad sounding, but can sound better.
I did like it better than a Monaco SuperPro. Both use the same pickups, but with the stock pickups the Elite sounds better than the SuperPro IMO.

Flawless.
I've played guitars ranging in price from $150 to $7300. I put the Hamer at the top of the list. Impressive.
In addition, it is a beauty. I'm glad I found a good deal on this one. While the guitar is not cheap, it is evident that the guitar is a very high quality instrument. From the woods to the hardware to the setup to the finish everything is impressive. I've played more expensive guitars and their quality control was inferior to this one.

I foresee no problems. I got it used and it's in perfect shape. I've had it for a few months and have not had any issues with it.

I asked them for a DVD of the factory tour, never received it, and never received a reply.
Months later I did receive a 2008 calendar, which was a pleasant surprise.

I've been playing for over 20 years. My favorite guitar was a Baker B1. My current main guitar is a Monaco Elite with BurstBuckers. I liked this one so much that I got another one.
I was looking for a Les Paul. I actually purchased an Edwards and a Gibson, but preferred the Hamer by far. The Gibson has been one of the best sounding guitars I've had, and that's why I installed the BurstBuckers on my other Monaco Elite.
Overall this is an amazing guitar. I would prefer different pickups and a contoured heel, although that has not really been a problem. I would rate it a 9.7, so I guess it's a 10.

I have a 2005 Hamer Monaco elite with the stock duncan custom/custom custom humbucker pickups and locking tonepros bridge with schaller tuners. It is the sunburst model but seems to be a bit lighter than the picture on te internet. It has 14 layers of laminated greatness on the body. You know the rest of the specs. I think it would benefit from having a more subtle neck pickup maybe like the duncan 59, but I have the feeling this is a modern take on the Les Paul design, more on that later..

This suits my style good but not great, the sound is very thick and with a bit of mid boost. I am usig this with the great Crate Palomino series of amps. It is not noisy infact less than my les paul with the 490-498T. The guitar has a very full sound but lacks the sweetness you get from a gibson 57 or a duncan 59 in the neck. However I think this is made to sound like a modern version of a Les Paul. The pickups match each other perfect and maybe they choose a ceramic duncan 11 in the neck becuase they liked the tight bass response and lack of any muddyness. I prefer to have a duncan 59 more more brightness in the neck position. Like I said before it is very middy and modern sounding with great bass response, but it does not clean up very well on the clean channel thats why I think that a coil tap in the neck would have sealed the deal. To retain some brightness lossed I actually took off the chrome/nickel pickup covers and noticed a pretty cool difference especially on the middle toggle position, I was going to change the pickups but I like the sound much better now.

I love the feel of this guitar but I think it could be a step better if it wants to be a total Les Paul killer. Everything from the factory was flawlessly set up and I have no doubt this is one of the best made guitars around. My main issue is that it could be more playable, lighter and contoured for the player. The neck joint where the body joins together is a bit blocky and tends to get in the way of any easy upper fret playing. Compared to my Les Paul with a 50's rounded neck the Hamer neck is a bit flatter and not as smooth to play. By the way thank god I have big hands because the neck radius is 13 or 14" so this guitar is made for larger guys.

I have no doubts this guitar is one of the best made in the world. The body is hard to even scratch because of the supreme job with the 14 layers of laminated top. This is a heavy, heavy machine that is probably one of the most durable guitars made today.

No dealings with Hamer

Well I see a lot of 10's but I think if I am honest I would say it needs to be lighter more playable and have more pickup configurations to kill the Les Paul for the price. I respect the value, woods, look, build of the guitar I just think the designs needs to have more of a player in mind and less the feel of a big heavy tone machine. I give it a solid 9 overall and with a little improvements it can easily be considered on the best guitars made today. Thanks for your time.

This is a HAMER MONACO ELITE customshop version w/sound chambers(makes guitar very light) & customcolor"Amberburst"...AMAZING FlameMaple top. Made in USA in 2006. This guitar is PERFECT! All mahogany w/maple top. Even the Wiring job is a thing of beauty.

I think the SEYMOURDUNCAN CustomCustom is PERFECT in the Bridge position(I thought it would be not hot enough, I was wrong)--the SeymourD CUSTOM is also perfect for the NECK(I thought it would be too hot)--I think the sound chambers add to the sound--This guitar is the BEST sounding guitar I've ever heard--usually the first thing I do w/any guitar is change the pickups! It sounds sooo good & the Wiring is so perfect & well thought out, I'm not even gonna mess with perfection(which is very rare for me)---I'm gonna actually leave it alone.

The SET-UP was perfect when I got this guitar--I cant find any flaws.
The 14 layer lacquer finish incredible!

I've been playing for 20years--I've owned Gibson Lespaul's, USA Jacksons(still do), Carvin's(still do), & I've played most everything. This guitar sounds better & plays better than ALL OF THEM! It weighs about 7.5lbs(I LOVE that)-If it was stolen I'd replace it asap.
If your debating getting a HAMER, get the free dvd from their websight-it shows them hand making their guitars, it'll make you appreciate their product even more...

Go to the web site to find out all of the features if you are so inclined. Mine was a custom order 2005 model with a "ultimate" quilt top and matching headstock in transparent black. It is gorgeous. Honestly one of the nices tops I have ever seen. It has a really tight quilt and the stain looks like it is a multiple stain job although Hamer doesn't do that. I've read elsewhere that PRS guitars have more 3D stuff going on in their finishes and Hamers have more wood grain pressent. I don't know about that. All I can say is that while not looking like someone painted a quilt top on my guitar, the bookmatching is PERFECT and I have never seen a PRS 10 top that looks as nice.

This guitar is great. I was a bit weary before I bought it because I read that a lot of people didn't like the Seymor Duncan custom and custom/custom combination. However, I've found them to be pretty versital. I can get a THICK, defined distorted sound from the bridge as well as a nice full and bright clean sound from mixing the bridge and neck pups. I admit that I rarely use the neck pick-up exclusively--but that's par for the course for all of my guitars.
Additionally, this guitar sustains foreverrrrrrrr. If you find one at a dealer, plug it in to an amp with no effects running and hit a note at the 15th fret or higher, it will sustain for a good twenty seconds. Try that with a Less Paul or PRS.
Personally I dig guitars with two humbuckers and don't try to copy a strat or tele's sound to often, so I can't coment on whether this guitar can do that (I know it can't, I'm just saying I'm not one of these idiots who faults a LP type guitar for not sounding like a tele). I can say however, if you enjoy Less Paul type sounds this guitar will do all of them as well and most of them better than a Less Paul.

I bought mine from an authorized dealer over the internet (risky I know, but its a pain in the butt to find dealers who actual USA Hamers). I don't know if the factory or shop set it up, but it was almost flawless. It had a tiny it of buzz on the low E and A strings between the first and third frets which didn't even show up in the sound when it was plugged in. The action is super, super low on this thing and he owner's manual actually had a section dedicated to fixing srting buzz if any occured between the time it was se up and arived with the buyer. Turns out my guitar was completed and set up in late winter 2005 in New England (guitar actually came with a completion date with the paperwork) and I bought it in the Summer in Kentucky. The manual actually takes the time to explain where buzzes might occur due to changing climates and seasons and exactly what to do to fix them. I would hope anyone paying over $1,000 for a guitar would know how to adjust it, but its cool that the manual takes the time to explain what to do anyway. I think its just another example of the attention to detail Hamer goes through when they create their insturments.
Other than that every detail of the finish on my guitar is pure artwork.

I haven't had the guitar long enough to make an educated assesment of the reliability, however I bet it will last longer than I do. I'm hoping to hand this down to my kid whenever I get around to having one and I'm to old and febble to play anymore (even then I might just hang it on my wall and oggle it until I croke).

Never dealt with their customer service. It came with a limited lifetime warrenty.

I have been playing guitar for twenty years. In that time I've played everything from crappy three cord punk to super complicated death metal and jazz and fusion. I love this thing. I'm not real big into finding one guitar that does everything, and I don't gig enough anymore to worry if one of my four guitars is going to be stolen if I dare leave it for two seconds to get a beer from the bar (if you don't have chicks bringing you drinks up to the stage your not trying hard enough anyway and deserve what you get). That being said, if you want to get a LP or PRS singlecut you owe it to yourself to at least try out a Monaco first. You might not end up buying one, but I bet you'll think two or ten times before you buy another guitar. Even Ed Roman (and no I'm not one of these "Ed Roman is a profet freaks") does't say anything bad about Hamers. The best he can offer is that a comperable guitar/deal would be a $5,000 Jaros or his own manufacture. I think I'd take the Hamer again.

2004 Hamer USA Monaco Elite Mahogany (MONELM on the Hamer web site - now a discontinued model?). Arch top LP style solid body - all mahogany. Measures approx. 13" at wide bout, 7 1/2" at waist, 9" at upper bout, and 1 13/16" thick. Hamer kept it basic: two slabs of Honduran mahogany and two Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers. OK, there's more, but not much: Two volume and one master tone control, 3-way switch, Tune-o-Matic bridge. Chunky neck with dark rosewood fretboard, mother of pearl dot inlays, jumbo frets, 24 3/4" Gibson scale. Mine came with Schaller tuners. Excellent TKL hard shell case. Everything here is simply top notch, but those looking for coil taps, controls, and extras should look elsewhere.

The stripped down features of this guitar in no way result in a stripped down sound. I play mostly blues/rock style, and delve into country once in a while, and love the earthy, warm, mid-range tones that you get from all mahogany guitars. This guitar matches that perfectly, but the Duncan '59 pickups are versatile enough to do most every other musical style as well. I play through either a Rivera Quiana 1x12 or Mesa F-30, and, believe me, this guitar can take you all over the map, sound wise.

Low/medium set up, just right for what I do. Hamer USA is known for their incredible fit and finish, and Hamer lived up to its reputation with this guitar. The big frets and smoothly worked fretboard make picking and chording so easy. The nut (bone?) is a masterpiece of design: My occasionally ham-fisted attack can result in buzzing or slippage on the low E string when I play my other guitars, but never when I am playing this one. Stays in tune forever, it seems. This guitar is striking in appearance. Mine has the 2-Tone Sunburst finish, and the chrome hardware, dark rosewood fretboard, and black control knobs complement each another well.

The only issue here is some insulation that protruded from under the strap buttons after approximately ten to eleven months, but that has not impacted the structural integrity of the guitar and I consider it a minor annoyance. (I just loosened the strap buttons and stuffed the insulation back into the guitar.) There is nothing fragile about this guitar. It has a nice weight to it (about 8 1/2 to 9 pounds) and the construction, finish, and hardware should last and withstand live playing.

Never a need to contact customer service.

These Hamers really grow on you. I purchased this used Hamer Monaco Elite Mahogany from a music store on an online auction site in April 2005 as a possible replacement to my aging 1973 Guild M-75. At first I missed the extra controls (master volume, coil split switch) that are on my Guild, the chunky neck took some getting used to, and despite the cutaway I have some trouble reaching above the sixteenth fret. However, every time that I play this guitar it just seems to get better. I now love the neck, and have already raved about the playability of the fretboard. There is something to be said for just sitting back and appreciating a fine instrument for what it is and not letting preconceived wants and ideas get in the way of the music. I found this guitar superior in sound and finish to the LP Studios and Standards that I have test played. I believe that the Monaco Elite Mahogany model has been discontinued by Hamer, but they appear frequently, and at very reasonable prices, on the online auction sites. Given the superior quality of this guitar and increasing scarcity of Honduran mahogany, I will keep this guitar around. I have been playing for about five years. I also play a Guild M-75, a Hofner Verythin Standard, a Hamer Monaco Superpro, and have been messing around with various strats while I decide which suits me best.

USA 2005 - tobacco sunburst - standard specs tha you can get right from their site. As far as the features go, I was happy. I went into it looking as if I was buying another Les Paul, but something different. From that perspective, I thought everything was above board. Other than maybe split coils, which I tend to not use much anyway, and as someone mentioned they have another guitar for that. Two humbuckers, I was pleased with the combo, but I see others may not have been. I guess you can always perfect things to your liking.

It suited what I was looking for and more. In fact, I own a few well thought of guitars including 3 LPsCustoms, 1 SG, 1 strat, and a nice Gretsch. I was happy with what each gave me, as they all have their own attributes. I just wanted to try another Les Paul type, as the last one I got (99) was a bit substandard.

As for the Hamer it achieved what I was looking for, but even more. In fact, at first I was not as wowed holding it, but after inspecting it, I saw that the thing was perfect. I couldn't wait to plug it in, and when I did was smiling, and did not stop for a few hours. I play mostly hard rock, and this honestly was definately better in every way than two of the LPs and I have to say marginally better than my other, which was my favorite with the Gretsch. The botoom line is more clarity at the bottom, that was the difference.

Everything was perfect, I just lowered the action some as is a prefernce. It was obvious this company trule cares what they release. I have mixed emotions saying how good they are because although they deserve it, I'm afraid they might get too much recognition and have to grow and then inevtibaly loose consistency. But the guitar was flawless. I have been lucky with most of guitars, and the test of time will count, but 4 months in - happy

Maybe I should not rate it yet, but I will. I only used it for about 2 months of playing, maybe 35 shows. I used it for 5 of 12 songs or so per night, which was the most of my guitars. I have not yet used in a studio, but assuredly will. Everythihing seems solid from the get go - with real strap on locks. I can't see why this guitar will not take the beating I'll put on it

no idea, have not used. no need too. I heard good things, but in fairness, unless I deal with them, I cannot rate them.

I truly cannot recommend a guitar more. I like what all the guitars give you, but I mostly used a Les Paul for what I played. But, I have to say, that maybe I'm just still a big kid excited by the new toy - yet this Monico Elite is amazing. You can find a quicker neck, or a strat sound, or more flair elsewhere, but you are not going to get a better guitar for the money. I was looking to try something new and was not as thrilled, maybe it was the $$$ of PRS, but the few I tried in the store did not thrill me like I wanted. I still thank a now friend that we toured with for showing me the hamer before I made a mistake. He had three Hamers and by the third show he had me convinced it was the way to go. He was right. I'm looking to now sell one of my LP's to finance that. See you ltr 99. If it was stolen? I'd hunt the guy down myself.

Hamer Monaco Elite- tobacco sunburst. Beautiful bookmatched flamed maple top, great neck... Flawless finish, very comfortable. Single cutaway, Les Paul neck scale. Strap locks included (!). Duncan Custom and Custom Custom pickups (blah, ugh!). The fist thing I didn when I got the guitar was change the bridge pickup to something a little more vintage sounding, I chose a Burstbucker 3 and it works nicely.

As mentioned before in a previous review, the guitar is like a highly refined and retuned Les Paul. I play many musical style and the Hamer excels with all of the styles- rock, blues, jazz, rockabilly, punk, etc... Incredibly rich and full sounding, smooth sustain. I use a lot of different boutique amps and a few effects, they really bring out the best in the guitar. It is truly one of the best guitars I've ever played. It's right up there with the Historic Les Pauls, PRS McCartys and McInturffs. It is the best sounding humbucker equipped guitar I've played.

Hamer does a fantastic job, they make it a priority to to make a few guitars a month and give them plenty of attention. Everything was adjusted and set up. Cosmetically the guitar is stunning, the tone and feel are too. The straplocks are a great idea- Hamer didn't have to install them, but they install them on all of the USA guitars.

As mentioned above, the guitar is exceptional in all aspects. Very dependable.

N/A

Been playing about 14 years or so. I've been through tons of guitars and amps, I will be keeping this guitar.

2004 - Left Handed Model. This happens to be the first Monaco Elite Hamer ever made. Aztec Gold with a killer flame top. Tight bookmatched top. Duncan pickups. Les Paul style, but better.Ivoriod bound on neck, headstock and body. Real MOP fret markers. I special ordered mine with locking tunrers. Hamer uses only the planet waves aout-trim locking tuners on thier guitars. These lock the string inot place and cut of the excess automatically. They work great and keep everything in tune. If Hamer uses em' they have got to be good. CAme with nice hardshell case and custom shop certificate signed by the owners of hamer Guitars.

This guitar does it all. No matter what your style the Monaco Elite will handle it. No worries here. Coil splitting would be a nice feature, but I am happy without. I have other guitars for that.

Here is what sets Hamer way ahead of the pack. This guitar is perfect in everyway. They use only the best materials all the way around and you can tell they take the time to do it right. Gibson needs to take a lesson from Hamer. This guitar is a bargain for the price. I have a Custom Shop Class 5 Les Paul and it cost almost twice as much as my Hamer and the Hamer still beats it in overall build quality.

Everything about this guitar is top notich. You would have no worries. It is too nice to go on the road. I'll use the Les Paul for that.

Limited Lifetime warranty. I have e-mailed Hamer with a couple of questions and got a response within a day or two.

I have been playing for around 5 years or so seriously and I own 15 other guitars. This Hamer is one I would take to the grave with me.