Hamer Newport Pro

This Newport Pro is a Custom build from Willcutt Guitars. Its a highly figued Birdseye Maple Bound Top, on a Maple body. The neck is Mahogany with a Wide-Fat PRS carve and also bound. It has Victory Inlays starting at the first fret instead of the third. And the board is Ebony instead of Rosewood. The Headstock in bound and the HAMER logo is done in Abalone. So in this sense its a little different than s regular Newport Pro. Woods aside from the Ebony board are very similiar to a 335 only no-where as big of a body. And all Solid woods not laminated. Hamers are very, very well built instruments and their attention to detail in un-matched. To find an instrument of this quality you would have to pay 3-4 times as much and go with a Collins or a instrument of that caliber for example. As far as Bang for the Buck..........you can't beat these.

The Newport is loaded with Custom Wound Seth Lovers with a Blade 3-way and a Master Volume and Tone. I also own a Spruce top Newport with a rosewood dot neck and I seriously like the voice of this Maple body Newport much better. I'm not getting any microphonics out of this one and the clarity, balance, and edgy, woody Tones are just amazing. I also have Seths in a Artist Custom Hamer and this Newport for whatever reason is "THE ONE". This is the one I go to all the time. Without a doubt it cops the late 50's PAF Tone with just a hair of rawness to it. I don't know if its the woods or if the pups are EQ'd slightly different? But this set works. Matter of fact I pulled the Seths on my other Newport and sold them to finance a set of VooDoo 59s [another great set of pick-ups]. Being this is a different beast than a 335 I didn't think I was going to be able to cop the 335 Tones. Man..........was I wrong not only will it cover 335 Tones but also SG Tones as well. Very versitile instrument.

These are hand built instruments. The attention to detail is amazing. You will be hard pressed to find a better built instrument in this price range. Or ANY price range!

Well these are not Bolt-on neck guitars, So they do require a bit of attention. You have to be carefull with them. But they will last a lifetime.

Doesn't get any better. Simply put they are a remarkable group of fellows!

I love this guitar. And while if anything happened to it, I could build another? I just could never replace this one. It just wouldn't be the same. I know, I already have a couple Newports.
Get out there and play a few Hamers and see which one "you" Bond with. You will find a lifelong companion! Be it a Newport. a Korina Artist, or a Talladega? Hamer builds some fine instruments. If you haven't tried one or bought one yet............you are seriously selling yourself short!

Finish: Natural (Korina Wood)
Body: Standard Hollow Body for this model
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Tuners: Standard for this model
Neck: Korina neck with ebony fingerboard, pearl fret inlays, neck and headstock tortoise binding (gorgeous)
Case included
Made: 2004 USA -- Connecticut
Standard Frets for this model
Standard controls -- tone, volume, pick-up selector
Pickups: Duncan Seymore Seth Lover
Body: Korina, bound with tortoise shell binding

I play blues, classic rock, jazz, country, and praise worship. It's perfect for blues and works well for the others. Effects defeat the purpose of this guitar in my opinion.

My favorite artists that I try to emulate include Hendrix, Synyrd, Doobie Brothers, and CCR. I also like the Doors, Foghat, Aerosmith, Buchanan, Bad Company, Zepplin, ZZ Top, and several other "classic" rock groups.

I'm using a Marshall DSL 401 superlead valve amp. It's all EL-84 tubes, and this guitar is made for a tube amp. Gain is all the effect that's needed, and that's the way the pick-ups were designed. Take a look at the artists that use them over on the Duncan Seymore site -- Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and 2 of Synyrd's lead guitarists. Seth developed this humbucker back in the 50s for the ES-335.

The Newport is Hamer's shot at the Gibson ES-335. I played and compared. The ES-335 sounded sick, and maybe it was (it was used). I also compared it to a Les Paul custom custom w/burstbucker pickups (very very nice vibe), a Hamer Monaco (I hate "the shelf"), PRS Swamp Ash (excellent all around guitar), Newport Spruce top (softer vibe than korina). My second pick was the Les Paul, but it got muddy on the low end. The highs and midrange were spectacular on the LP. I did not like the P-90 pick-ups on another Newport. The Korina Artist with SL pick-ups did not have the "aggressive" tone I found in the Newport.

Now let me say what set the Newport Korina Pro's sound apart from all the rest. It's a combination of the wood (korina "limba" african mahogany), the pick-ups and the body design. This particular guitar is "punchy", "aggressive", "sharply defined", and has a distinctly robust "wood" tone. A slight variation in the gain changes the tone from "pristine wood" into a snarling-growling tone which is perfect for rock and blues. What I mean by "pristine wood" -- it's kind of like the sound you get when a 10 foot long 2x4 board hits the pavement. For lack of a better work I say it "barks". It's a little aggressive for easy listening laid-back jazz but would work fine for a lively tempo.

I play in a band with a piano, electric keyboard, bass, another electric guitar, drums, and 3 vocalists. We play for about 400 people maximum at a time twice a week. This guitar punches right through all of it because of the tone. There is no fuzziness, no mud -- the tone is so focussed, which I can not overemphasize. I have to turn it down, and I like this very very much.

This guitar sounds best in the medium-high range of the fret-board but it has a focussed attack at all points. There were a few slightly muted "dry" spots amid all the juicey tone, and I adjusted the pick-ups as explained in the next section.

Crowned and bound -- flawless set-up. Ebony fretboard is smooth as glass. The finish on the back of neck is smooth and waxy (it does not stick to the skin). I can honestly say I see no flaws and I know what to look for.

It was set up with 10s, and the action was about medium. The neck is somewhat slim. All strings are easy to reach in all positions thanks to the double cutaway and neck shape. It's just a tad neck heavy, but that's typical for hollowbody guitars.

I had to adjust the bridge pick-up to juice up the 5 and 6 strings which were a little on the dead side before the adjustment. Now they come through strong -- almost too much bass now -- and the sound is still clearly focused.

I compared the Newport to a new ES-335 and what a difference on the finish. The fret wires on the ES-335 were so rough -- I couldn't slide my finger up the neck without the wires grabbing my skin. Pitiful -- not the Gibson of old.

This is a very sturdy guitar. I have no problem gigging with it. I really like the tuners a lot, they are so easy to work with and look nice. The strap buttons are very strong.

I've heard the binding comes unglued on some of the older Hamers. We'll see if they got that problem fixed.

There isn't much to go wrong with the electronics. They are simple. I was getting a little bit of static on the pick-up selector switch, but fixed it with contact cleaner.

By the way I've only had this guitar about 3 weeks, but I spent many many hours doing my homework both before and after the sale. With this kind of an investment, I do not want to risk any mistakes, and a lifetime warranty gives me a lot of confidence. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 10+

As mentioned before --a lifetime warranty. If the neck binding comes loose, then they will take care of it. Otherwise I don't know how to rate them.

I've been playing off and on since 30 years ago. The last 4 years I have played almost everyday. I'm in my second band. I've owned 2 fender usa telecaster customs, a Gibson D-30 acoustic, and currently own a Guild acoustic, and a Carvin AE-185 electric acoustic,. I've also owned some cheaper guitars.

I have an acoustic amp and a Marshall 401 DSL. I have a univibe Leslie pedal I like a lot for the Hendrix/Trower sound. They match up well with the Newport.

If something happened to this guitar, I don't know if I could replace it with the same thing. Every guitar has a unique character to me. My two tele customs were not the same. I played Newports beside this one and they were different. I think mine is a keeper and I have no intention of selling it.

By the way, I was at the local music store, jamming the blues with a Marshall tube amp, and some guy made two offers to buy my Newport after I told him what I paid for it. He was probably just blowing smoke, but the Marshall/Hamer combo sounded great.

This one is a keeper.

This is a 2000 Newport pro. Tune-o-matic bridge, 2 humbuckers, volume, tone and 3 way. Grover rotomatic tuners (I love these things, I don't know why I don't see them more.) Mahogany chambered body with a spruce top with f holes, sparkle orange nitrocellulose finish, one piece mahogony neck, rosewood board, MOP dots, medium frets, 12 or 14 inch radius on the board. Everything but the back is bound in ivroid (cellulose plastic that looks like ivory). 22 frets. Pretty much a chambered double cut Gibson LP, but high quality. The design of the body (chambered with a cap) is actually very similar to the Ric design in use since the 50's. It doesnt sound like a Ric though. The neck is really comfortable. I thought it was a little small at first, but I've grown to like it alot. I have big hands, and it's alot more comfortable than my Gibby with the 59 LP profile.
It came with Bill Lawrence (the real ones, not Bill Lawrence USA) p/u's, both single coils. The neck was an L490 and the bridge is an L495. Great p/u's, but the 490 just wasnt my thing. Kind of straty, but it went right through me, in a bad way. I swapped it out for a Duncan 59 and all is well. Now I get more variety of tones. The L495 is closer to a P90, but without the noise. Cuts like a knife when needed and very sensitive to attack and responsive to the tone control. The tone control on this axe actually works.
I think most Newport pros come with SD Seth Lovers. Great pickups (I have one in the neck on my ASAT) but since they're unpotted, they tend to squeel.

I'm not a pro, gig maybe a dozen times a year. I play blues and rock through some good tube amps, usually straight through or with a stomp box distortion for a little boost for lead breaks. This thing sounds fantastic if I let the guitar and amp do the work. I don't need alot of variety. This gives me the warm woody tones (with the humbucker) and the cutting twang (with the P90) that I need. I expected more squeeling from a hollow guitar, but this thing can get pretty loud and dirty without feeding back. Clean tones are great and I can't play much jazz, but this thing could pull it off in the hands of a real player.
I agree with other reviewers regarding this thing coming to life when you play it. I've never had another guitar that was this feather light, yet you know its in your hands from the good vibrations.
This is not a 335. If you need a 335, get one (better yet, get a Heritage 535). This is a Newport, and there is not much else out there like it.

I got this thing used. Everything is perfect. The only negative I can find is that there is a bit of orange peel in the finish that is undetectable execept with really close inspection. The finish is thin (which is good), and I suspect they couldnt take any more off when they did the final sand/polish without going through. I'll take it, if that's what it takes to get a super thin finish.

Everything is top notch, no worries. This is not a delicate hollow body. It's built very solid, even though its so super light that it seems delicate. It's not. I took it apart to swap the neck p/u and the quality is evident throughout. Set ups are a breeze.

Sent them an email with a question, they replied immediately. I think that's pretty good.

This is an absolute keeper. I got it for under a grand in almost new condition with one of the best vintage style cases I've seen. I can take it out of the house and not have to worry about my "investment". This axe is for playing and is perfect for my style. Now that the pickups are right, there is nothing I don't like about it. Hamers are the best deal in the used market. New, they're a little too pricey for me.

Mine is a NOS 2004 black cherryburst that i bought about 6 months ago. It had been sitting in a music store for a year, and nobody bought it, so they auctioned it off, what a steal, the guitar is in perfect condition. It has an nicely matched top and beautiful finish, i took it to my guitar tech for some modding, and he was knocked out by this guitar. I played the seth lover pickups for a few months, but recently had a set of Lollar Imperials with push-pull pots for series parallel switching. I liked the Duncans, but wanted the tone options you can get with the push-pulls, plus, the Lollars sound REALLY nice, man the tone really knocks me out now!
The Hamer case is super nice, too, never had one fit an axe that nice, just like a tight glove, wowee!

I use this guitar for blues and fusion, mostly. I have done some jazz gigs with it, too, and it does pretty well, it's not quite the L5 tone, but it's nicely detailed and warm, especially when you back off the volume pot a bit.
I use a Fuchs SLX50 head with an eminence red, white and blues speaker that's housed in a ported 1-12 cab. I also have an evans RE150 jazz amp, that guitar really smokes for bebop through that amp, but i already have a Yamaha AE1200s that i use for that stuff.
Tonally, this guitar is pretty much in the 335 camp, but has a different vibe of it's own. The top is very vibrant, the lead pickup is really fat, but detailed. The neck pickup just drips of woodiness, if you know what i mean. I really like this guitar with the volume pot on 9, or so, ir can do the Scofield vibe very well. With the series/parallel, you can get some nice thinner funk tones, and even a passable country tone on the bridge pickup, cool!
I really can't think i don't like about this guitar, man it fits my body and hands so nice, i usually play it most of the time anymore.

The guitar had sat in a music sture for a year, but the neck was still pretty much in, maybe a minor bit of tweaking, but not much.
The routing and inlay work are excellant, the finish is killer, no kidding, i still just stare at this beauty sometimes, holy crap! My tech went all over it, and couldn't find anything wrong with it, and he's really picky.
The factory pots have a really nice rolloff, if you switch the pickups, i would seriously consider keeping them, unless you are going to push-pulls. I couldn't bring myself to install switches on this guitar, so i changed out the pots.

I have no doubt this axe will last a LONG time in my collection. The Hardware is top-notch,
and the finish is very durable. I sold a herit#ge Prospect because i couldn't stand the nitrocellulose finish it had, man what a big step up!
The strap buttons are nice and oversized, no problems with them.
I would have no problem whatsoever gigging with no backup axe, as long as i had extra strings with me (DUH)!!

I emailed Hamer about replacing the pots, and they got back to me the next day, and were very polite and helpful.
Other than the initial mod work and tweaking, i haven's had to get anything done to it. the neck seems rock solid, in fact the whole guitar smacks of QUALITY!

I have been playing for 30 years off and on, i think I'm back to stay, now.
I also own a Yamaha AE1200S, a Zion strat with kinmans, a cordoba RCWE, a Taylor 714,
and a carvin 727 (a gift from My brother).
If it were stolen or lost, i would be mad, then go buy another one, probably the Newport Pro Custom with the trapeze tailpiece for something different. I carefully looked around and asked a lot of questions, and really liked the look and features of this guitar. the cutaways make this so much easier to play than a 335 style guitar. Also the body being more compact makes it really comfy to play long gigs with.

Mine is one that was custom ordered by Willcutt Guitars to their specs, and then they waited for me to find it on their website. It's a rock maple birdseye top with incredible figuring. 22 frets, dual Seth Lover humbuckers, three way selector switch and single master volume/tone controls. Beautiful body, neck and headstock binding. The finish is vintage natural. The fret board is ebony. The guitar is truly hollow forward of the bridge, where there is a block to the butt of the guitar to support it and the tail piece. The neck is similar to a PRS wide/fat carve, which I was afraid I wouldn't like, but now find it to be quite comfortable and fits well in my somewhat large hands. The body style is a dual cutaway semi-hollow with great access to the upper frets. It's size compared to say a 335 is quite a bit smaller but larger than Hamer's Artist series semi-hollows. The top on this guitar is not laminated like a 335's is. The thickness of the body is about the same as a 335. The tuners are Schaller Super Rotos, and work very nicely and look great on this instrument. It came with a hard shell case, neck adjustment tool, manual, and certificate of custom order.

This guitar is amazingly resonant and loud acoustically. It's just fine to play it unplugged and hear every note defined. I am a blues player, and I plug directly into whatever amp I'm using. I rarely use a pedal and only when the amp doesn't have a good overdrive channel. In those cases I use a Hot Chili Tubester which is as good as it gets for a pedal tube overdrive.

Most guitars will have a couple of places on the neck where you get a slightly muffled or even dead spot. This one has a minor dead spot on the A string 14th fret. Not completely dead, it just doesn't ring as long as the other notes. I do use this note frequently, but mostly with passing tones, so it's not really a problem for me.

Hamer uses the Seth Lover pickups in this and some of their Artist series guitars. These pickups are very rich and thick, but because they're unpotted have a tendancy to squeal at high volume levels, particularly the bridge pickup. This one is no exception. You can have them potted, but that will change the sound. It has been suggested to me that by removing the magnet and potting just it, most of the squeeling issues can be eliminated. I'm going to see if I can learn to live with the occasional feedback squeal, and if not try potting the magnet only. I wish Hamer could find another pickup for their guitars that had the Seth Lover tone but didn't have the occasional squealing issue.

I should mention how nicely the tone and volume pots interact. Hamer uses a different kind of taper on their volume pots, so with just a slight rollback you can get from dirty to clean. Rolling off the tone pot has a very even effect all the way down to "0" and makes it very easy to find a sweet spot for any amp. I really like how they've engineered these controls.

Hamer gets a one point demerit for the squealing. Maybe I should learn to play with less volume.

If you're familiar with Hamer's USA made guitars at all, you know of their outstanding quality. This guitar is flawless. The frets are perfect and the finish is outstanding. The guitar arrived with a little more relief in the neck than I like to have, and the action was a tad high for me. I don't want the strings right on the board, but I like a little less effort than this one required for fretting. I made a minor adjustment to the relief, replaced the standard tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece with Tone Pro's equivalents, set the action, locked it down and voila! Perfect.

This is a rock maple birds eye top, and I believe it is a single piece. I can't see where they may have joined two pieces, but if they did it was a fantastic job. I have never cared for "furniture" guitars. I've only cared what they played and sounded like. This one is not only an incredible instrument, but it's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, if not art, as well.

I haven't gigged this guitar yet, but will by next weekend. This being my third Hamer, I have no doubt about it's worthiness to be used live. These guitars are built with such care and attention to detail it amazes me how inexpensive they are. Hamer only produces five or six guitars per week from what I understand, and each one is basically handcrafted. They are far superior in quality to anything else I've ever played.

Hamer equips their guitars with Dunlop strap lock buttons. I prefer the Schallers, so those got changed. Whatever strap locks you prefer, ALWAYS use strap locks. Not using them is like riding in a car and not wearing a seat belt.

The only time I ever dealt with customer support was to ask an email question about a possible custom order. They responded quickly and thoroughly. Hamer genuinely cares about the quality of their product and their customers.

I've been playing close to 40 years. I also own a Hamer Artist Custom, Hamer Studio Gold Top (P-90's), hardtail american Strat with Kinman pickups, Taylor 814CE, and a MusicYo Steinberger with Pearly Gates pups for easy traveling.

Eric at Willcutt was very thorough in his description of the guitar and a pleasure to deal with. I didn't include the price in this review because this guitar has a few upgrades that make it cost a little more than a standard Newport. I will tell you this guitar is twice the quality of some of the other players, and probably cost less than half as much, even with the upgrades. I don't see how they make any money at this price point with the amount of work that must go into making one of these.

I went with the Newport because I got tired of holding a big, heavy 335 and trusted Hamer to make me happy. This guitar weighs a skosh over 7 pounds, is beautifully balanced and very comfortable to hold and play with it's smaller body. While the guitar is very resonant both acoustically and plugged in, the top doesn't vibrate under my arm like the laminated top of the 335 did. That's not a bad thing, just different. I don't know if it's because of the difference in size, or maybe related to the one piece rock maple top vs. the plywood on a 335.

There is obviously nothing I dislike about this instrument. The only quality related issue I can point out is that one of the pickup ring screws needed about 1 1/2 more turns to properly seat it. Shame on Hamer for missing this item. (I'm kidding of course.)

It might be interesting to have a push/push coil splitting pot, but I wouldn't want the sound characteristics or interaction of the controls to change. Maybe something like that isn't available in the pots Hamer uses. So be it.

If you're looking for any kind of electric guitar, whether it be solid body, hollow, Strat style, whatever, I urge you to find a Hamer dealer and take a look at these incredible instruments. I guarantee you'll be blown away.

I think other reviews describe the features quite well. Not sure what year mine is made--bought used. I really do like the big strap locks and the case is very nice. Yes, the top is solid spruce--rather thick, at about a quarter-inch or more--I'm not sure if this is a typical thickness for an electric, but it does vibrate and will, as another reviewer said, vibrate your belly! Mine is the "jazzburst" finish, which has a beautiful colour and sheen to it. The grain on the top is very straight and even. The hardware is top-notch--this guitar will stay in tune very well over several songs, with much bending of strings. The neck, string height, and pick-up height all combine to give a rather narrow area to pick, and the room over the pick-ups is tight--but I've been able to get used to this (coming from a Strat with low-set pick-ups where there is tons of pick-pluck space). I give it a "9" because, yes it could have no features, but what for?!

The sound is BEAUTIFUL--lush, full, and such a smooth tone. Depending on how you play it and pick-up settings, it can have very high shimmery overtones. Too much bass on your amp can cloud the very nice bass sound this guitar produces on the neck pick-up (or with both). It's very versatile. I love the sound of this guitar--my Strat and other guitars sound flat, thin, harsh or just plain dull compared to it. Every note is distinct and every string has character! Usually I finger-pick or pluck and the variety of tones and intonation available is refreshing. This instrument is very sensitive when played through a clean amp and so you can utilize a wide variety of playing techniques. I use a '68 or so silverface Super Reverb with no effects. On higher amp volumes, the guitar distorts very smoothly and is great for blues or jazz with this set-up. The sustain is extremely good, although around the "G" on the twelve fret, "G" string it fades a bit (not to the point of being a "dead spot").
The guitar is not noisy, save for pick-up switch static the first few times you use it, and some acoustic-vibration buzz from the switch when in the middle position (not a big deal, and is not always there).
This is the only guitar I've played where, at times playing live, it's "disappeared" from my awareness, like playing holding air--just my fingers on the frets, and the sound are there--I think the low weight, good balance, and general comfort of the instrument all contribute to that amazing experience.

I've set it up myself, as was bought used. The action is currently set low and is very nice--the overall impression is of ease in playing. The neck is SO comfortable and smooth and access to all frets is clear--so nice to have nothing in the way!! After many years of a maple fingerboard, I thought I wouldn't like the rosewood, but it is so smooth and well-selected, it's excellent. Intonation is perfect. The woods are excellent and the finish is so shiney, warm, tasteful, and well-done. It's like seeing sunshine when you open the case. The neck joint is extremely tight and well-done, as are the frets and neck binding. Sanding is impeccable. There are some very small imperfections in the binding-body border around the lower part of the body. Some of the pick-up mounting screws are oxidized, but maybe the former owner lived in a swamp. The chrome hardware is flawless. I love the sunburst, both front and back! I think overall that the guitar would look better, in terms of both proportion and line, with a slightly smaller headstock, and/or one with curved sides, as on an Ibanez. I like the small size of the body--other guitars seem overly large to me now.

Everything is solid and seems quite durable. The strap buttons, large, hold the strap very securely. It is dependable. The finish is very hard and thick--the "no pick guard" design works only with a finish that is as high-quality as on this Hamer. I would not need a back-up.

I've been playing over 35 years. I also own a late 70's Strat. I would definitely replace this guitar if stolen, likely with a new one. I love it's sound, but more than that, the way its sound and feel go so well together--it's a very unified feel. It has a "deepness" to it, or richness of tone which in my experience is rare in a cleanly-amplified guitar. I love it's lightness. I like the craftmanship that went into it, the all one-piece back/sides. I also like how you can play it unplugged and it sounds good and feels lively. I played many Gibsons and have had a hollow Gibson before (ES-225 TD), but this guitar is IT!

2002 Newport Pro in Jazzburst. Thought went into the cool features that I think are an upgrade to the ES-335 style guitars. Otherwise, there's not much going on -it's very straightforward: 2 humbuckers and a stoptail. Very nice ivoroid binding all around top fingerboard and headstock. Classy tuners.

Definitely loads of good tone. We have a carved (arched) solid spruce top instead of laminated maple, one-piece (flat) honduras mahogany back with a hollow section (between the bottom of neck pickup and tune-o-matic bridge), 3-piece mahoany neck with oversized dovetail joint, straight (and I mean STRAIGHT) grained rosewood fingerboard that is actually slightly thicker on one side ON PURPOSE. Excellent choice of Seth Lover pickups. Master tone, master volume. These guys thought about what they were doing in designing this guitar. I think it's fantastic. And for the price, it should be, but it's not much crazier than Gibson't top 335-style guitars, except it's way better built. The only reason I own this instrument is because I had a Les Paul stolen. And since those are WAY overpriced, the insurance money allowed me to get this Hamer which is a vast improvement over the Gibson. Now, I originally bought that Les Paul when I heard Clapton's Crossroads (live electric version) thinking it was a Paul, when in fact he played the 335. I had put Seth Lovers in it, which were taken with the guitar (obviously), so I know they were excellent pickups. Now I have a tone that is even better, with a semi-hollow body (Hamer calls it fully hollow, but I disagree cuz of the solid sections) that gets an even closer tone to the Crossroads track, which is probably my favorite guitar tone of all time (some of the best solos too).

The guitar is slick to play with 11's -they feel like 10's (I may go to 12's). I once owned a Gretsch whose neck I really liked -so smooth! But it was a little slim, and I slowly gravitated to bigger C-shapes. This Newport has something very close to the Gibson '59 shape everyone generally likes -not too big, but not skinny. The frets are very nice -I can't tell what size since I have 6150, 6105, and 6100's on 3 different guitars, and it doesn't seem to match any of them. They are nice & big for bending, beautifully installed. The finish on this guitar is stunning. The shaded part of the sunburst on the mahogany is semi-opaque, so that it shows the grain in strong light. Only gripe: the f-holes are only colored on one side, but really, who cares? Not all Newports have the truss rod cover that says "Newport" but I'm glad mine does. It's even more tasteful. The pickups are set real low in the mounting rings, so I may have to do something about that. They kind of rattle a bit. Overall, very good fit & finish.

They don't get a whole lot more solid than this. Maybe some Tonepros locking hardware, but the old vintage classics never used that stuff and they sounded fine.

Dunno. As it turns out, this guitar was sitting at the canadian Hamer distributor for 2 years because a sales rep had put 2 tiny dings in the top. They are REALLY small, but it was enough for them to not be able to move it. I initially wanted an Artist because it was partly hollow and would keep most of the Les Pual flavor. A store owner brought a Sunburst and the Newport so I had to choose since it would either be all solid or all hollow. I sure am glad because the timing was awesome when I had to settle the insurance and the store owner picked up these 2 USA Hamers within a week. I decided the hollow vibe was more what I missed, so I put my name on it FAST! I did communicate with the company regarding the serial # and the finish which looked different than their website, and get this -they even put personal attention to doing their finishes in order to compliment the wood of each individual instrument.That's how it should be done. Oh -they also payt a premium for their wood so that they can have first pick when it comes into the country, and they onl sell somany USA Hamers a year so that they don't skimp on quality and craftsmanship. Seems like a FINE operation they got going.

Naturally, it's a beauty. When you think that an electric guitar doesn't rely on construction AS MUCH as an acoustic instrument, it's interesting to hear the difference when a company makes a point of building their stuff like it does matter. You get a pretty well perfect instrument, be it electric, and the tone is right there to prove that it's worth it to go the extra mile in design and construction. Does it sound better than a really 335? I don't know, but I am willing to bet it will cream most of them out there. The spruce top is what makes so much sense to me, along with the hollow body. You get all the 335 vibe, with a smaller body, more resonnance and just as much punch. I thought the name was a little geeky, and that it was an all-jazz oriented guitar, but noone can knock the build or sound. It's equally good for rock (335 tone) and fusion (think John McLaughlan) and even jazz (to a lesser degree cux it's not a deep-body fully hollow jazzbox). I find it best for blues. I won't use the word "value" because they are way pricey when nesw, and Hamers are known to NOT hold their value in the used market. Too bad, but not too many people should be selling their Newports to begin with!

2001 Newport Pro. Soild Spruce top and Mahogany hollowbody. Tune-o-matic bridge. 2 humbuckers. 22 fret, Gibson scale, highly playable Mahogany neck/ Rosewood fingerboard.

I play mainly Blues/Rock originals and have a total blast with this Newport Pro. Great percussive attack followed by rich sustain. Very versital instrument in it's 3 positions. Bridge and Neck have familiar Gibson flavors with more articulation. Use the volume control for various shades....dig in for wails on the edge of feedback and back off for cleaner passes. The Middle is wonderful as well and shows off the guitars acoustic properties. Germimo Masonette and Matchless Lightning are my amps.

Well, the guitar just looks and plays great. Beautiful Spruce top in natural with medium brown Mahogany back, sides and neck. Rosewood fingerboard has a very nice grain pattern to it.

Hamer has a wonderful rep in this area and I have no concerns. Be smart with a hollowbody and you should be fine.

No probelms.

I really like this guitar. I changed the PU's (Seth Lovers) to Fralin Unbuckers because I thought the unwaxed potted thing in combination with the hollow style was too thin and had a tendency to add noise. The Seth Lovers might sound really good in a solidbody...I just don't know since I haven't tried them out in one yet. Most people love the PU's.... so it's up to the individual. I personally think Hamer USA produces consistantly excellent guitars and share the top with only a handful of companys.

This is a 2003 model made in the USA, and I don't even think they were done building the guitar when I placed my order, so theres proof that Hamer is no mass-producing company. This is similar to the Gibson 335, except this is a true hollowbody, without the sustain block. It has 2 humbuckers, 22 frets, stop tailpiece, 2 control knobs. Basically, this is meant to be a simply hollowbody guitar with vintage design. That's all it is, and I don't need a thing more out of a guitar than what this one offers. Not sure on woods, but I believe it has a solid spruce top, mahogany back, neck, and sides, and a rosewood neck. Again, I'm not sure on the brand of tuners, but I believe theyre Grover Imperials. The neck is nice and thick, unlike the 335's. The closest neck I've played is one of Gibson's 58 historic reissues that they've done recently. The body itself is the perfect size, not as wide and thin as the 335, but nowhere near the thickness of a true jazz box. elsewhere. Lastly, it comes with a beautiful solid case, much like the ones the expensive gibsons come in.

I play mainly blues and jazz. When I bought it, I was more into blues, but 6 months later, I'm getting into jazz more, so in order to get a better sound, I'll increase the guage of the strings from 10's to 11's, and see if it helps. Out of the box, it's still a great guitar for jazz, but it just doesnt have the punch on the first and second strings that I hear on the old Charlie Christian tunes. Of course, he used a big Gibson jazz box, so those jazz purists may stick with one of those, but If you're into the blues and so much more than just jazz, there is no better guitar than this newport pro. It's unmatched in versatility, especially when paired with a good tube amp. My own setup is a 71 super reverb, and a borrowed TS-9 reissue. Nothing more, and I don't need anything more. Eventually I'll get a Silver Mod TS-9 from AnalogMan, and maybe one of his BiComprossors, but I'm in no rush.
If you have a Marshall, or something similar, you may run into muddy sounds when playing clean, which I thought was due to the pickups (SD Seth Lover's). When I sold my JCM600 for the Super, all problems were solved, and the pickups have remained in place.
As others have said, is has a great woody sound, not too bright, and very full on the neck pickup with the tone turned down to about 7. The tone knob itself is tapered, and is effective on every setting from 10 to 0. To me, 10 is too bright when added to the bright switch on the old Fender amps, but if your tone is on 10, ts-9 on full drive, bright switch off, neck pickup on, and reverb around 4, you'll find a textbook blues sound, straight from 'red house'. Any tone you could want, from Rockabilly to Jazz is in this guitar, and the beautiful thing about having 2 pickups and 1 tone knob, is how easy it is to find that perfect tone. Feedback is minimal, and very controlable. Its there when you want it, and not there when you don't want it. Much like the physical features of this guitar, it's sounds are very simple, and in the case of this, nothing but simple will do. I highly reccommend keeping effects to a bare minimum, just to retain the simplicity of the guitar's sound, which is ruined when fed through a chain of pedals. A good overdrive, maybe a wah or compressor or phaser or something, is all you need. If even that. Besides, at $1500, who wants to go spend another $500 or more on effects that just ruin the sound of this near-perfect guitar? This guitar and a good tube amp are about all the effects anyone needs, I can't stress it enough. Not many guitar/amp combinations can sound so good without some effect pedals in the middle, but this combination can, so dont ruin it if you have it!

Finish:
Beautiful Jazzburst, that almost seems 3-dimensional. The only flaw on the whole guitar was a minor knick in the finish, less than a millimeter long, which still takes me 5 minutes to find. The wood beneath is beautiful. This one doesn't have all of the fancy designs like some of the flame maple guitars do, but again, this is a simple guitar, and I personally do not care for flame maple tops.

Action:
The action from the factory is as low as any guitar I've played. I have raised it to my own preferences, and also because it has been fretting out on the 1st string. Even where I have it now, it is still as low as anything I've played, and if not, I don't care, because it's more comfortable than anything I've played. The neck is also a perfect fit for me, not too big, not too small, just right.

As for the rest of the details, I have no tuning problems at all, the only time its noticeably out of tune is when it's been in and out of the case for a week without getting properly tuned. I recall having something rattle on the guitar when I first got it, but if I did, I don't anymore, so either my guitar tech fixed it, or I'm just out of my mind. Everything else is exactly perfect, just as it should be, being a Hamer USA product.

This is the most durable guitar you'll ever play, and the finish will last forever. That's a fact. As long as your not using it as a baseball bat onstage, you should need no backup. The hardware is top notch, I've had no problems, the strap buttons are huge, unlike Fender's, and will hold a strap no problem. No need for squeaky strap-locks! If this did crap out on me while playing live, I'd stop the show and fix it, because I'd be far more likely to run into problems with my only backup, which is a 1985 MIJ 62 RI strat. And those are great guitars too. Fortunately, Im confident this would never breakdown, I havent even broken a string in my 6 months on it, and even though I dont often break strings, I know it has something to do with the way this thing is built. This is American craftmanship as it was meant to be, don't let the big name companies fool you with their ideas of "American Craftmanship." They've all forgotten what they're doing, and the small guys like Hamer and Rickenbacker are the only ones to count on.

I emailed the company a few questions before I bought it, and got prompt, friendly response. From what I've heard, others have been dealt with equally as well. Fortunately, I don't need to test them, because the guitars they make seem like theyll never break.

Ted Brown Music Co. was also very nice and very helpful, which is good, because they're the only Hamer dealer in the Seattle area anymore.

Ive been playing about 4 years now, and Ive tried out about every guitar I've ever seen at the local Guitar Center. If someone were to ask me what my dream guitar would be, I could honestly answer "The one i own." That's something not many guitar players can say, and I'm proud that I can. I spent over a year researching this guitar and my Super Reverb amp before buying them, and I could not be more pleased. If you want the best respresentation of a thinline hollowbody, get the Hamer. It's half the price of it's nearest competitors. The same goes for the Silverface Super Reverb I got to go with it. It's half the price of the Blackface that gets all the credit. Just because you get what you pay for doesnt mean you still can't save a couple thousand dollars.

This is a 2000 model, USA made Hamer, 22 frets all 100 % accessible with hand-carved, solid spruce top and a mahogany back carved from one piece of wood. I bought it used through Ebay. I already knew Hamer quality, because I own an Artist Mahogany that is a super slick, sweet sounding axe. I like the Newport even better. It has two humbuckers, both Duncan Seth Lovers. They sound good, but the neck pickup was a little too bluesy for me, as I mainly play jazz. I called Kent Armstrong and he hand-wound a new 12 pole jazz humbucker just for this guitar. He even personally stayed on the phone with me when I installed it to make sure I did it right. With the Armstrong pickup, this guitar sounds so sweet and woody. Really fits nicely with a good spring reverb amp. The body is a double cutaway with a three piece (lengthways) mahogany neck and binding everywhere, including up the sides of the frets for a smooth, comfortable neck. Came with Grover Imperial tuners, which I switched for regular Grovers, since the long buttons got in the way of each other. My only other modification on this guitar is Graph-Tech saddles. Not only do these saddles practically eliminate broken strings, but they also smooth out the sound compared to the steel Schaller saddles that come stock. Of course, Hamer electronics are excellent, all hand-wired. The neck is so easy to play; not an extra-thin shredder neck, but slim enough for my short fingers to get around while still having enough chunk to fill the palm. The body is about 2 inches thick, much like an ES 335, though a little smaller across the lower bout, but truly hand carved with sexy lines and soft curves. Plays great, feels great, sounds great, a true dream guitar for the jazz/blues player.

The sound is just a litte bright for me with the stock Seth Lovers, but the Armstrong jazz pickup in the neck sweetens the tone and gives much better string definition. If I want to play SRV, I can switch to the bridge pickup and get gnarly twang. Although it is a hollow body, the top is a good 1/4 inch thick at the F holes and I haven't been able to make it feed back, even when I play it directly in front of an amp. You just have to play a Hamer USA to understand, but this guitar has such a great vibe, you can feel the tone in your chest when you strum a chord.

I bought this guitar used but very well cared for. It was very well set up. I haven't done any adjusting except for resetting the bridge when I put in the graphite saddles and setting intonation. The top is beautifully bookmatched. There are no flaws I can find anywhere: no glue visible, no binding gaps, frets smooth and polished. Truly a fine example of the best American craftsmanship. If you are interested, you should take the virtual factory tour at:

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=workshop

What you will see is a standard guitar that is built with more care than you will get from Gibson's custom shop.

Hamer USA puts 14 coats of hand-sanded lacquer on each guitar, so their finishes are thick and durable. I just don't want to bump it into anything that would crack the finish and ruin the looks. Except for the remote possibility of a string breaking, I'd definitely play without a backup.

I haven't had to have any warranty work done, but their customer support answered questions within 24 hours when I was trying to find out some of the features of the guitar.

I've been playing for 30 years, but seriously for about 3. I would replace the guitar if it were stolen, but I would cry because the vintage natural finish is very hard to find and I wouldn't want anything else. I have owned many guitars and played hundreds. This has ended up being my favorite of them all.

This is a 2000 model, USA made Hamer, 22 frets all 100 % accessible with hand-carved, solid spruce top and a mahogany back carved from one piece of wood. I bought it used through Ebay. I already knew Hamer quality, because I own an Artist Mahogany that is a super slick, sweet sounding axe. I like the Newport even better. It has two humbuckers, both Duncan Seth Lovers. They sound good, but the neck pickup was a little too bluesy for me, as I mainly play jazz. I called Kent Armstrong and he hand-wound a new 12 pole jazz humbucker just for this guitar. He even personally stayed on the phone with me when I installed it to make sure I did it right. With the Armstrong pickup, this guitar sounds so sweet and woody. Really fits nicely with a good spring reverb amp. The body is a double cutaway with a three piece (lengthways) mahogany neck and binding everywhere, including up the sides of the frets for a smooth, comfortable neck. Came with Grover Imperial tuners, which I switched for regular Grovers, since the long buttons got in the way of each other. My only other modification on this guitar is Graph-Tech saddles. Not only do these saddles practically eliminate broken strings, but they also smooth out the sound compared to the steel Schaller saddles that come stock. Of course, Hamer electronics are excellent, all hand-wired. The neck is so easy to play; not an extra-thin shredder neck, but slim enough for my short fingers to get around while still having enough chunk to fill the palm. The body is about 2 inches thick, much like an ES 335, though a little smaller across the lower bout, but truly hand carved with sexy lines and soft curves. Plays great, feels great, sounds great, a true dream guitar for the jazz/blues player.

The sound is just a litte bright for me with the stock Seth Lovers, but the Armstrong jazz pickup in the neck sweetens the tone and gives much better string definition. If I want to play SRV, I can switch to the bridge pickup and get gnarly twang. Although it is a hollow body, the top is a good 1/4 inch thick at the F holes and I haven't been able to make it feed back, even when I play it directly in front of an amp. You just have to play a Hamer USA to understand, but this guitar has such a great vibe, you can feel the tone in your chest when you strum a chord.

I bought this guitar used but very well cared for. It was very well set up. I haven't done any adjusting except for resetting the bridge when I put in the graphite saddles and setting intonation. The top is beautifully bookmatched. There are no flaws I can find anywhere: no glue visible, no binding gaps, frets smooth and polished. Truly a fine example of the best American craftsmanship. If you are interested, you should take the virtual factory tour at:

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=workshop

What you will see is a standard guitar that is built with more care than you will get from Gibson's custom shop.

Hamer USA puts 14 coats of hand-sanded lacquer on each guitar, so their finishes are thick and durable. I just don't want to bump it into anything that would crack the finish and ruin the looks. Except for the remote possibility of a string breaking, I'd definitely play without a backup.

I haven't had to have any warranty work done, but their customer support answered questions within 24 hours when I was trying to find out some of the features of the guitar.

Not sure of the year, but obviously 1999 or later. Beautiful black cherry burst finish with dark sides, but a nice transparent grain on the spruce top and mahogany back. Actually the top is solid spruce and the body is partially hollow carved from one piece of mahogany. Grover Imperial tuners, lubricat nut, tune-o-matic bridge and tail piece and two Seth Lover humbuckers. High quality rosewood fingerboard with medium/jumbo frets, real mother of pearl dot inlays and nice three ply white binding on the top and neck. The neck is a 3-piece mahogany stressed neck with a very very nice feel to it.

The electronics are controlled by a single volume and tone knob.

Nice guitar with some nice extras!

This guitar is very, very nice. The more I read up on Hamer, and the more disgusted I got with big name brand guitars, the more I bought into Hamer's concept of how they make guitars. I've owned a Hamer Studio with P90s and was already aware of their quality and sound. I nearly bought a Newport with the bigsby and phat cat single coils last year, but held off in favor of the stop tail and humbuckers.

It's true this is a thin line hollow body, but the neck joint extends under the neck pickup. The bridge pickup is left with air underneath it, but the mahogany body block starts again just under the bridge and tailpiece and extends to the back. So, while there is some hollowness to the body, there is also some wood, which I believe helps cut down on the feedback. Cranked, this guitar will still howl, though if in the bridge position. The neck pickup can go all night without a problem. Seth Lovers are non-wax potted, so they would squeal anyway at higher volumes.

This guitar crunches up nicely and sounds similar to my Heritage 150 CM with Duncan Antiquities. However, you can hear the bass strings bring out the hollowness of the guitar. It can definitely get smoother and jazzier, and as with most semi-hollow guitars, you really don't start to benefit from the woodiness of the the semi-hollow tone until you're cranked into high overdrive where air, vibration and pickups start coming togeather. It also doesn't really sound like an L-5 (well duh!) since it's maybe a little less than 2" thick and has some middle body block in the guitar. I still get a nice acoustic resonance from the guitar and it does translate through the amp.

I'd say for those looking to experiment with a hollow/semi-hollow and want a quality guitar, this is a good, safe bet. If you're primarily a les paul player, an L-5 might be too much the extreme, but the Hamer Newport will give you a little of that jazz vibe, a lot of that blues vibe and a lot of blending in vibe to just about anything you want to use it for. The Seth Lovers are warm pickups, but seem to crunch nicely when applied.

Sounds great and have no dislikes.

Hamer knows how to build a guitar period. Their TV yellow paint on the special had a problem mixing with the glue, but other than that, you will generally find no flaws or any shoddy workmanship whatsoever on any Hamer. They really put Gibson to shame and charge a whole lot less. Plus, the same people that made my guitar probably made yours. The lack of turnover yields quality luthiers and as a result, quality guitars abound at Hamer USA.

Neck is built solid, but comfortable. Finish job is excellent, no popping or cheap switches used on this guitar and the hardware (tuners, pickups, bridge and stoptail) are top notch.

I'd most definitely use this on a gig without a backup if I had to.

Never had to deal with them. I hear since they are under the Kaman umbrella, they actually have gotten even better. Usually it's just the opposite when a larger company buys a smaller one. Not this time.

Will leave the customer support blank, but this is a great company.

20 years of playing and I have a Heritage H-150, an Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Super Sport, G&L Comanche and have an Albert Lee Music Man on order. I play through a Rivera Quianna and also use a pod.

I only wish it had a twin brother

Lost or stolen I'd definitely look at getting another. Have had a 335, 135 and like the Heritage 535s, but this Hamer does everything the above guitars do while still offering a vibe of its own.

I love the feel of the neck, the playability and the tone. I guess I don't dislike anything about this guitar. I do wish they offered more colors because I have a red guitar, but who cares, it's about tone first.

See above. Very versatile, but still unique.

Wish it had a twin brother or a clone machine that could make me a standard newport with the phat cats for some more versatility.

If you see one of these (which around Nashville is hard), you should jump on it. At least try it out. It's a great guitar and plays like a dream. It holds its tuning well thanks to the great neck and lubricat nut and the Seth Lovers really make this guitar multi dimensional. You won't get as much punch out of it than a les paul or PRS, but then again, that is why you buy a semi-hollow in the first place. You won't get as bouncy a sound when playing jazz chords which makes this guitar very sutable for playing jazz. By adding 11's or higher and using flatwounds you will be very close to Lee Ritenour's sound. I like using 10s and unwound thirds so I can get more classic crunch, but this guitar is more than able to handle the bebop if needed. In addition, it's a shame these don't have the same reputation as Gibson. These are not just as good, they are much better. I'm proud to say I'm no longer a brand snob. I sold my Gibson's Paul Reed Smiths and Fenders in favor of G&L, Ernie Ball, Heritage and Hamer. I like Robin guitars also. All american made, and high quality without the ridiculous price tage. In addition, it's nice to have something everyone else does not have. Your best bet is to buy a Hamer used as you will basically be able to steal it when you compair materials, workmanship, playability and tone.

The bottom line is this is a great guitar!

Covered already by others.

A beautiful woody tone that allows the notes to feel as though they are jumping from the fingerboard.

Perfect, no complaints.

I have other Hamers and they are all excellent and road worthy.

Kim Keller at customer support is great. Why Hamer allows BCR Music to be a dealer however is a mystery to me. He posts pictures of animals having sex on their webpage, obesses over the under age Olsen twins and is a real snake IMO. I prefer Wilcutt Guitars, avoid BCR as Greg is a two faced jerk that thinks if it was not for him Hamer would go out of business.

This guitar is wicked simple; a volume knob, a tone knob, and a pickup selector. The reason that i leave the rating blank, however, is that this is all the controls that you need. You can dial in any tone that you can get with the four knobs found on a gibson, and it's alot easier to get a good one. the volume knob is also placed really well for volume swells, and the selector switch is under the knobs, rather than on the top section, so it doesn't get in the way. Great setup, but i'd be lying if i said that it had "tons of features"

i run this guitar through an ampeg superjet and it sounds, well, dissapointing. I've used several guitars through this amp and have come to the conclusion that these pickups are subpar. with the treble turned up they sound weak, and with a bassier tone they sound positively muddy. I replaced the stock pickups (seth lovers, i believe) with gibson P-94s (those are humbucker sized P-90s). Sounds great, the best of both worlds, fat, loud, and biting. DO THIS MODIFICATION! the pickups are under $100, and for only a few hours of labor, you can infinitely improve the sound.

AMAZING!!!! i got a goldtop, and just out of the case this thing amazed me. Plays great and looks great. Only two beefs with this: one, the strings that come on it are a little bit light. you need at least tens or elevens. a bigger issue, however, is the pickup problems. the neck sits lower on the body than on a gibson, so the strings are closer to the body, so the strings were actually HITTING THE PICKUPS! I had to sink the pickups below the edge of their mounts to fix this, and now they wiggle around like hell.
On the positive side, however, the single best aspect of this guitar is it's balance. it is PERFECTLY balanced. I also have a telecaster, and it seems unweildy in comparison. This thing weighs very little, but one more time, BALANCE. This is made completely in USA, by the way.

This guitar seems pretty solid. i live in new hampshire, so the main problem that i have to deal with here is the cold, which can be a killer for guitars. i'm pretty lazy, so i've only been minimally careful with this thing, but it has stayed in tune and the finish has stayed flawless. I haven't really banged it around a whole lot, so my rating is a little qualified, but it certainly looks up to some serious playing.

my only delaings with Kaman (the Hamer distributor) was a brief email correspondance i had about the differences between the different models of newports. The guy i talked to was always polite and very helpful. I haven't had any sort of customer support dealings though, but the warranty seemed to work just fine.

In the end, i would highly recommend this guitar. It's built and finished flawlessly, and like i said, balanced superbly. The pickups are a real dissapointment, though. i had to spend some extra time and money replacing them, but it sounds great now. Hamer should offer the P-94s stock. Maybe its a problem since they're made by gibson. hmmmm.... Anyhow, this is a great buy if you're willing to invest the small amount of time and work to fix the electronics flaws. (for value comparison, just test this thing against an es-335. Blows it out of the water!!!)

Hollow-body thinline, electric. Double-cut, Hand carved spruce top. Mahogany back, neck, rosewood board. single bound top, neck, and headstock. Grover super rotomatic tuning machines, Duncan Seth Lover p/u's. Three way blade switch, tone, volume control. Which actually work. Tune-o-matic, stoptail. Double cutaway. Very well balanced. 59 Les Paul style neck. Duncan's sound great.

Great sounding ax

Hamer's are hand made. You won't find a better built guitar.

Solid like a rock

Doesn't get any better.

Before you buy any other 335 style guitar.....PLAY THIS ONE....IT IS NOT LAMINATED......IT WILL JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER.

Don't know what year it was made, but it was made in the USA.
22 frets.
Solid-top (I think). Hollow body, two f-holes.
One volume control, one tone and a pickup selector (N/B&N/B).
Don't know what pickups are in it nor do I know the woods.
Passive electronics, Cherry Burst Red finish - just fantastic.
No trem, Glover tuners.
Case and neck truss rod tool included. No manual.
I give it a 9, because it doesn't have "tons of features". But everything I need is there.

I'm not sure what my style is. I play mostly for self-enjoyment and a few gigs at local nursing homes. This guitar does everything I need with no problems. I can get a nice soft religious style of mellow with a deep throbing bass out of it for those kinds of songs. Or, when I'm alone at night, I can crank it up to do Queen leads with no problem. It seems to work well at anything I try. I also have a '91 Strat Deluxe with Kinman pickups and a PRS Custom 24. This guitar will be replacing both of those. It can do what either of those can do and better.

Using it with a variety of amps - Marshal AV50T, AV20T, Carr Rambler, etc.. It sounds good with all of them. It even sounds fantastic through my Passport 150! Which is good, because then I don't need to carry a mixer.

Since I got this and the Carr amp, I've been cutting back on my pedals. Don't need much with this or the Carr or Marshalls. I have a Boss tuner, Boss Auto-wah, Boss Distortion, Boss chorus and Boss Delay in my chain. I can get just about any sound I want with these.

The sound is "rich and full". I can even use it as a stand-in acoustic for practice playing. It's got a nice crunch if I turn the tone knob up and a real nice full throaty mellow bassy kind of sound if I turn it down.

The tone knob really works - unlike the PRS, which seems to do nothing and the Strat, which seems to do too much (although it is custom-wired with push-pull pickup pickup selector controls.)

This is definitely a 10 for sound.

Set-up was impeccable. Too good, as a matter of fact. The only adjustment I had to make was to lower the low E polepiece on the neck pickup, just because of my picking style. Otherwise, I haven't touched it. Action is very low and fast. Intonation was right on. Comes with D'Addario .10-.46 strings. Finish is perfect. I have not discovered any flaws at all in the guitar.

I haven't changed the strings yet, but will soon. (I know - I should have changed them as soon as I got it, but I figured who else had played it since I bought it new from Musician's Friend so why did they need changing?)

Don't know about this. It seems dependable, but until you actually try it, who knows? I will use it without a backup, however, just because I believe in it and can't carry everything very well as a one-man-band. The strap buttons are very solid, the hardware seems dependable, and the finish should last forever with proper care.

I had a few questions when I first got it. (Bought it sight unseen/unplayed from Musician's Friend.) Hamer doesn't really have a website (well, they do, but they seem to be web-challenged). I sent email to their parent company (http://www.kamanmusic.com/) asking a few questions and within 24 hours I had an answer to all of them. So that's not too bad.

Been playing about two years. Own lots of other gear - it's embarassing. I should stop buying stuff and start practicing!

If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely try to buy another one. This is my favorite guitar - beats my Strat, My PRS Custom 24 and even my Takamine 2001 Collector's Edition. I play this thing now instead of any of them, both plugged and unplugged.

I didn't really compare it to other guitars in an A/B situation because none of the dealers in my area had one in stock. I wanted a hollow body and the Gibsons seemed to be too high-priced for me. I read the reviews in here and decided to take a chance. I'm very glad I did.

I'm not sure what I love about it - it just sounds so great. It's not feature-laden and is pretty simple, but it can make some awesome sounds.

The only thing bad about it is its "balance". Seems like when I play it sitting down on my lap that it just doesn't want to stay put. I'm constantly adjusting it and myself to try to get it to sit "right". Same problem ocurs with a strap. But, it's not a killer and I can live with it.

This is a 2001 USA made guitar. The guitar has twenty-two frets and a solid spruce top, i.e., not a laminate. The Hamer Newport Pro has one volume and one tone with two Seymour Duncan Seth Lover model humbuckers. The Hamer Newport Pro body is solid mahogany with the aforementioned solid spruce top. The neck is mahogany as well with a rosewood board. The neck is constructed by using a "stressed neck" system whereby a straight grain is matched with two opposing grains and the neck is more dense, rigid and more resistant to warping and twisting. Hamer necks are joined using an over-sized dovetail joint. The neck joint is 25% larger than a tenon style and the result is more transmission of energy and vibration. The Hamer Newport Pro finish is a transparent orange sparkle, tastefully applied. The Hamer Newport Pro body style is similar to a small 330 style, but is really is its own thing. Both upper bouts are less rounded than a 330 and staggered. The Hamer Newport Pro bridge is a chrome tune-o-matic style with a stop tailpiece on the Pro model. Tuners are Grover Imperials! The Hamer Newport Pro neck is of subtantial girth but not a boat oar. Similar to a 1964 ES 335. Frets are medium-medium jumbo. Also included is a form fit hardshell case with five latches and a lock and protective feet at the base of the case, one side as well as the bottom of one side (three protected positions). A truss rod/philips head tool is included. I would like two volume and tone knobs in order to mix and match the middle pickup as well as go from rhythm to lead volume-wise. This is probably not a practical option since the top of the guitar is a little smaller and the knobs would be crammed together. Hamer offers a wide variety of custom options in a true custom shop manner including variations in neck size, beautiful and meticulous inlay work, body, neck and headstock binding, BOUND f-holes, gold hardware with a gold pickup selector not some lame attempt at a gold pickup selector, etc.

I play a bit of jazz and mostly blues with the Hamer Newport Pro. I have encountered no better guitar . I teach guitar lessons at a local music store (Willcutt Guitar Shoppe, Lexington KY) and try every guitar that comes in the upper to upper mid range (PRS, McInturff, Brian Moore, etc.) as well as all the amps (Dr. Z, Victoria, Carr, Vox, etc.). I use a '65 Vibro Champ, '70 Deluxe Reverb and a Victoria Bandmaster depending on the size of the gig. I prefer to wind the amp up some rather than use pedals. These amps and the Hamer Newport Pro are sweetly robust with shimmer in the full volume position and rolling off the volume yields a sweet yet still shimmering and woody semi-hollowbody tone. I mean by shimmering more of a bell tone rather than bright or spikey. Matches well with the wood. Very vocal. The tone knob is very musical; even turning it down completely you can still hear the whole note without tubbiness. Another reviewer used the example of David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas' wide use of tones for this guitar (I don't know if they use Hamer Hamer Newport Pros or not, but due to their need and utilization of such a wide range of tones it wouldn't surprise me if they did). I would have to agree. I can go from T-Bone Walker type clean to a more Cream-era Clapton. You can strum it unplugged and it vibrates your belly and chest. No kidding. The neck as well. No dislikes.

Best from-the-factory setup. I think the guys at Hamer are making a statement by sending the guitars set up so low. It's because...they can. I use higher action. I slapped on a set of EB Classic 0.11's and that was it. I did change the polepieces' height for a little fine tuning. But that was simply due to taste and having played it now for eight months. A magnificient neck. The total setup is the best I have ever seen. There are no gob spots on the body or binding anywhere. You run your hand along the binding and the body and it matches perfectly. All the way around, top to bottom. The binding has no tooling marks at the upper frets. No glue spots in the body. I know I am not supposed to give a completely glowing report here, but I cannot find a thing wrong with this guitar. Okay, I do wish that the Hamer name had come in pearl in the headstock (it is an option). These guys use pearl inlays and not pearloid. Even the dot markers in the binding on the side of the neck are pearl. Sheesh. This is more freakin' like it! These people obviouly care a great deal about what they are doing. This is best guitar I own. I have never played a clunker Hamer including their import series which are the bomb "in their price range" as well (more on price range later).

I do not see how there would be any problems with this guitar. Every bit of it says quality. The finish is flawless and well applied without being overdone. The strap buttons are mounted on a flat routed surface with a rubber "shock absorber" bushing that cushions impacts and stress from the strap. I do not know how this guitar could be any more solid. I absolutely depend on it. I use it without a backup.

I have dealt with the company. There was some finish damage to the guitar (my fault) and they took care of it perfectly, promptly, professionally and in an above-and-beyond the call of duty fashion. I am still amazed and over-joyed. I believe that there is a moderately limited lifetime warranty.

I have been playing for nineteen years. I currently own a '65 Vibro Champ (yes, I do gig with it) and a Victoria Bandmaster. I own a 1993 Les Paul Classic that I put some Tom Holmes humbuckers in. The Holmes pickups sound great although I still find myself tinkering with the Les Paul to try to get it like I want it. Almost no tinkering with the Hamer Newport Pro (except polepiece height to taste). I also own a MIJ Fender Strat I bought used and a PRS McCarty Model with P90's (another stunning instrument). Before I bought the Hamer Newport Pro I wish I had asked for a two-for-one special. I would buy another immediately if this guitar were lost or stolen. I guess my favorite feature is the solid spruce top and hollowbody. I compared the Hamer Newport Pro to a 1999 Gibson 335, a Guild Starfire IV (a nice guitar) and various vintage 335's and 345's. I bought this guitar because it sounded as good as the vintage Gibsons and it was new.

I must say I have observed a rather inane trend in the guitar community concerning Hamer products. These Hamer guitars are, in my opinion, without peer. That view seems to be strongly supported in other reviews in guitar mags, trade mags, etc. However, I always see the phrase "at this price". Now the other reason that I bought this guitar was for the value. However, the Hamer that I have consistently outperforms in all areas all guitars that I have played in its price range as well as those costing 150% more. I encourage anyone to do the Pepsi challenge with a Hamer and any guitar. I would be clear if ANYTHING were wrong with the guitar and there simply is not. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions as I understand that this is still a chunk of change for the average American. I also understand that my review would be more plausible if I had some more negative things to say about the Hamer Newport Pro, but I don't. And it's not for the lack of looking.

Handmade 2000. Cherry red. WOW what a finish! Hollow body ES335 style. Seth Lover humbuckers. Workmanship is impeccable. Love the look and build of this guitar.

I play with a GREAT setup through a 72 Fender Super Reverb. This guitar has nothing but tone to it. I've used it in a number of high profile gigs and the other cats have noticed the tone of the guitar. Fat sound when you want it. Can also get some biting tones. I'm running with a Martin Compressor>Reece Wah>H&K Tube Factor>Line 6 Modulation Pedal>Earnie Ball Volume>Line 6 Delay Pedal. I'm getting everytbing I need for rock, jazz, & funk. I'm definitely keeping this one.

Action was good. Adjusted it slightly. the workmanship on this axe was fabulous. the veneer is beautiful. Love it under stage lights.

It looks like this guitar will handle the road well. Neck is secure. I feel that I can depend on it. (I use it quite a bit already and plan to go to play Europe and Africa with it this year)

no opinion on this one yet

Been playing for 21 years. Have a Strat with Fralins and the Hamer has become my main guitar. I would definitely replace it. Compare this neck pickup with any other and you quickly move to the Hamer.

2000 Model. Made in USA.Vintage Natural finish with ivoroid bound Honduras mahogany neck (3 piece "stressed neck," very solid). ivoroid bound (wide)single piece Honduras mahogany hollow (totally except for a small block beneath the bridge) body with a hand carved, arched spruce top with two f-holes. Two Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups
Tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece, Grover Super Rotomatic tuners, chrome hardware. Think modern Gibson ES-335, slightly smaller, solid - not laminated - top, back etc. Typical Hamer double cutaway shape. Came with a nice hardshell case. Les Paul Scale (24 3/4?). I give the features a 9. A coil tap for the pickups would be a nice addition, and I would like to see nicer pickup rings (came with black plastic). Sorta nit picky stuff. Overall, enough features for me to be very pleased.

The sound is sublime. I play blues, rock, country rock, and attemt some jazzy stuff. Surprisingly adapable to all. I play through a Crate Vintage Club 5212 (50W, 2 12" vintage 30s, 4 12AX7s and 4 EL84s) with a solid walnut cab. I never played it through anything else, but I imagine it would stay warm and rich with any good amp. It will feedback fairly easily, but I sort of like that. The feedback can be easily controled at normal stage volumes if so desired. I have no dislikes what so ever. I can even get a Fenderish sound (twang) when I want. (even without a coil tap).

Set-up at the factory perfectly. Nice low action. Very easy to play. I had to adjust a bitfrom my usual electric (Gibson Nighthawk), but quickly learned to love the easy action. The pickups seem perfectly adjusted, just like everything else. The oly flaws I have found seem to be in the top wood grain. It looks as if a scratch or two made it into the top and were finished over. No big deal, but not perfect. It bothered me for about 5 min. Still beautifully crafted and finished. The frets are even and well dressed. The fit is flawless for all parts.

Not sure about this question. I seems very sturdy and durable.
Thick , beautiful, finish. Large, solid, sturdy strap buttons. I don't gig, but I would never gig without a backup if I did. This has no reflection on this guitar though. It seems very reliable and well built. I trust it to do its part.

No dealings with Hamer yet, but I have heard that they are helpful, friendly and fully support their products. LIfetime warranty to orig. owner. I'm giving this a ten based on the warranty and what I read and heard.

I've been playing for 15 years. I own the Gibson Nighthawk and Crate tube amp I mentioned and a Martin D-15. I also have a Palmer 12 string acoustic and a 1980 Epi 6 string acoustic that I hardly ever play (offers welcome!). Lots of pedals too, but I usually don't use them. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy it again. I might order it from the Hamer Custom shop though. Just to tweak the details I mentioned earlier.I researched guitars for months before buying this one. I wanted a 335 until I studied the details. The cost benefit ratio was much higher with Hamer. All solid wood. Hand carved. It is the guitar for me. I can't stress how much I enjoy it.

This guitar is it carved out one-piece mahogany body, hand carved SOLID spruce top, this guitar was made to be played. with it's two Duncan Seth Lover pickups it has everything, huge fat neck tone, a beautiful sweet and punchy blend in the middle position, and the most high output balls to the wall bridge pickup sound. Did i mention that this guitar has tone, this guitar will bulldose over any Gibson, PRS (yes even their hollowbody).Those guys at Hamer even set up the guitars amaizing specs super low action right out of the box, and the grover imperial tuning keys are the best. I've been playing for fifteen years and it takes a lot to knock me off my feet, and the Newport Pro does it.

Did i mention "Tone" I play a lot of jazz and rock and this box can dish out tone in spades. I only use a couple of effects: Danecho delay, an Ibanez Ts7(new tone-lock) so I really depend on a guitar for its own pure sound. this guitar has the smoothest sound from its neck pickup, I don't know who Seth Lover is but "keep it up man." When you get the chance really crank this guitar up, I don't know if it's the solid wood top or what but at high volume it really responds to your playing, it's as close as a guitar has been to being a part of me. I can get more different sounds out of this guitar than I know what to do with. If this sounds unbelievable don't take my word for it go find a hamer dealer and play one. you'll know, this is a dream guitar

when I opened the box,(I really did) the action was perfect, too perfect for me so I raised the action @1\64 or so beceause I really lay into the strings. The finish was the most beautiful (excuse me if I use the word beautiful a lot) transparent orange sparkle, yes sparkle, I'd like to call it "bass Boat Orange" totally breathtaking. The ivroid binding was flawless, and on the neck the binding "fret-caps" were a nice touch. the solid spruce top has a visibly nice bookmatch to it and the solid slab of carved mahogany caps off the back nicely as well. The materials used are definately top-notch it would be easy to pay a lot more for a guitar like this.

this guitar feels solid, I'm not gonna smack it on the floor or push it through my speaker cabs, but i'm sure it'll be with me for a long time. The hardware is tight I think the hardware is all Gotoh, wonderful choice, and the GroverImperial tuners hold up great. The finish is thick, there's something like fifteen or so layers to it so I cant see it rubbing off anytime soon. The strap buttons from the factory are a straplock type and they are solid. I think this guitar is seriously dependable and for gigging I probably won't ever need another backup electric.

I think it is a lifetime limited warranty to the origional owner.

If this Guitar were stolen or lost there would be a ten to fifteen minute time span where I would be completely un-consolable, and then I would replace it as fast as I could. for a handmade guitar for around $2000 you cannot beat the quality, looks, playability, did I mention TONE. Don't believe me find anything grab a PRS, Gibson, anything and compare them side by side and you'll see. Happy shopping

US made, stop tailpiece, 2 Seth Lover Humbuckers, gorgeous orange finish, great balance, 2 f-holes, cream binding, carved top, 335 style guitar

Tired of one guitar for this, one guitar for that? I bought this guitar because I wanted something versatile, light and comfortable, and of course huge tone.I can play it on a mellow solo jazz gig, or rock out heavy with great punch and authority. It's vibe when distorted excels at Petty, Wallflowers,Los Lobos sounds(whatever they may be). This is also a guitar great for country.

I'm a little disapointed in the set-up, it is not staying in tune as well as it should. I plan on having it set-up soon. I guess I'll see what happens. Action was fine, fretwork is great, attention to detail gets an A-.

Have not dropkicked it yet but I have no reservations about it's durability.

Have not contacted them. I forget warranty stipulations.

I would run out and buy another if it were stolen. I hope I can figure out a way to keep it in tune better, I think once I get it professionally set-up I will be happy. I love this guitar for the way it feels and looks, but mostly for the way it sounds. Through a Fender Vibro-King it rocks!!!! Makes me want to playplayplay!! Highly recommended. I've owned 15-20 guitars over the last ten years and I feel very satisfied with my Hamer Newport Pro.