Hamer Sunburst Archtop SATQ

Others have covered the technical details well. My particular guitar has the flamed maple top, mahogony body, large bindings, in-lay around the rosewood fingerboard with large rectangle fret markers, and "made in china" stamped on the back.

With switch in the middle (2 pickup) mode, if either volume pot is at zero, there is no sound (I like this feature).

Out of the box, the Duncan Designed pickups sounded great in some configurations, but very muddy in others. The stock neck pickup is to blame.

I changed out the pickups with some Duncan Seymore Jazz (neck) and JB (bridge)... now it is clear with great sustain for the highs and still has a good growl for the lows. I highly recommend this upgrade.

Pre pickup change: 6

From day one, this has been sweet. No complaints. Unbelievable at this price. I feel guilty knowing that it puts American artisans out of work.

I'm an enthusiast - been playing for 10 years but rarely gig. Seems like its road worthy, but I'm not really qualified to say.

For $275 guitar + $130 pickups, I've got a beautiful axe that plays like butter and sounds like cream.

This is an update of my previous post. The only things that are stock now are the neck and body wood, frets, and input jack.

Replaced the Duncan Designed pickups with a Duncan Jazz(n)/Pearly Gates(b). Replaced the pots to get master coil cut, a Torres Tone control/Mid switch (master), and a modified TBX Tone control (with true bass roll off from 6-10 and a VH Audio 0.033??F V-Cap for treble rolloff from 5-0). Also added 2 mini toggles to reverse the phase of each pickup (allowing for 3 different out of phase sounds, and access to each of the 4 coils in coil cut mode).

With the tone wide open in "standard" configuration, the Jazz neck tone is warm but still maintaining clarity on the top end. All of the covered woofiness of the DD neck is gone. The Pearly Gates neck has an aggressive, brighter tone than the DD with top end clarity and warmth at the same time. The DD pickups really were lifeless with no top end clarity and so-so dynamics. They sounded better with some type of distortion.

I'd say a change of pickup is worth the effort. Now, this guitar really sings and has very good sustain. Getting a chance to hear a friend play it at a gig, I was surprised at how good it sounded.

Even with 2 different master tone controls and a volume pot (that's 3 pots in the signal chain) the guitar has more clarity, dynamic punch and volume than the original pickups/wiring scheme.

Got a chance to do a "side by side" with an SATF I purchased from ebay, and the stock Duncan Designed pickups had a similar tone to the originals. The difference was eye opening.

That said, when trying the SATF in the store, I was able to adjust the amp (Fender Super Sonic) to the guitar and get a good useable sound out of it, but the change to better quality pickups will unlock doors for this guitar.

The Sperzel locking tuners have a higher gear ratio than the stock tuners and are more precise and easier to tune. After the minor fret dressing, the action can be set so that the guitar is absolutely effortless to play. The neck has remained very stable as the seasons go from summer to fall.

I have still not gotten the chance to play a USA Hamer, but my Import Series SATQ (with some tweaking) has become an instrument that has a tone that continuously "pleases my ear." Overall the sound now is warm but retaining clarity and power. Sounds great clean or distorted.

The usual, listed before, but I'll point out a few things.
Transparent black stain on a quilted top veneer. Poly finish. . .very subtle and rich looking with the abalone(ish?) binding. Definitely catches your eye. Tune-o-matic type bridge and stop tailpiece. The bridge felt light (not very massive), and the wire that held the screws down was very flimsy. Upgraded it to a TonePros system 2. Hamer USA uses OEM Tone Pros parts, but but not the import. Had to have the bridge altered to fit the larger sized thumb screws as the Tone Pros didn't fit.

"Hamer" tuners. They seemed decent, but did not like the low gear ratio. Replaced with Sperzel Locking tuners with a higher ration and more precise tuning. Note that the Schaller locking tuners should fit the screw holes and not require drilling for the extra lugs on the Sperzels.

The neck has a pretty large radius fingerboard, but has enough of a curve to work great with slide! Better than my Brian Moore i21. Medium frets.

No case (looks nice in the TKL Les Paul case). Chinese made.
Quilted maple veneer on top. The Hamer site says the body is mahogany. Probably a sandwiched core with a better veneer on the back. 2 volume, one master tone.
P/U's are Duncan Design with Hamer stamped on the covers nice look.

On the whole, not bad. . . in fact, pretty good.

Tone wise? It is very "smooth." In the store, running it through a Fender Super Sonic, I was able to get some "response" from the pickups. Decent thick sound on the Bassman setting, some chime on the Vibrasonic setting, but I had to run it through my setup.

I was comparing this to a Squire Masterbuilt Esprit (tones very comparable as they both had Duncan Design p/u's), and an Ibanez double cutaway which had a brighter but thinner sound.

Run through my pedalboard/rig on the cleaner settings, I found the the neck to be on the darker side. The response was there, but there was no real stringiness to the tone, and more balanced through the mids and bottom end; not a whole lot of midrange warmth. Tone gets muffled when you roll the volume back (expected). The tone control has some variation along its range, but the p/u doesn't really give you much variation. It's slight indistinctness goes to muffled.

The bridge p/u is also missing some top end "snap," but the tone control is effective along just about its entire range until you get to the very end of it's throw and the p/u get's dark. More useful tones. Also pretty balanced.

I got better response the more gain I added. The neck p/u does begin to sing a little as you go higher up on the fingerboard (better above the 12th fret on the E and B strings). The bridge p/u is nice and balanced, more polite and pretty articulate, but not a lot of growl.
Pretty good sustain. I was surprised for such a light feeling guitar.

Despite the fact that only the back of the control cavity cover was shielded (and not connected to ground), the guitar is extremely quiet.

Compared to my guitars with the Duncan Alnico 2 Pro neck/Pearly Gates bridge combination, or Pearly Gates neck/Custom Custom combination, the tone is a little bit muffled; a little bit lifeless. That said, if it is your only guitar, a bit of adjusting on the amp's tone controls should get you bright enough (definitely more Fender amp friendly to my ears).

The pickups were set up fine. Good balance between the two. I raised the bridge a bit, lowered the neck a bit, and raised the screws to try to get a little more top end from the neck p/u. The p/u switch is a sealed unit, all the pots are mini pots. The wiring looked a bit like a forest of vines. Lots of extra wire filling the cavity, but the solder job looks good.

The neck is pretty wide and a little bit chunky, though not overly so. Action wise, it felt comfortable even with the strings up just a bit. It was still a pretty fast setup. There was a slight bowing in the neck. When I got it home and adjusted the neck relief, intonation and action, I noticed that the 13th fret was buzzing out on the high e string, and it got worse as I pushed the string towards the edge of the fingerboard. Took the guitar back to the shop and got a fret dressing under warranty. That was the only noticeable action issue, though the frets did seem a little bit rough.

Only found one slight spot at the neck/body join where there was a small gap in the poly coat. Not really a problem.

Looking at the control cavity, I noticed the body wood to be very porous and soft looking but not overly soft. It has some kind of black paint sprayed on the interior. Looks a little bit gummy, and there was some sort of white powder through out. Had to clean it out and will do a better job when I redo the electronics.

The cavity was not routed out uniformly. There are circular areas for the controls where the interior wood was routed down farther. Adding mini switches will require some drill work with spade or forstner bits.

The lightness of the body has me worried (feels like an inexpensive guitar) but it feels very solid. Just about all of the import Hamers I have tried in stores had either a switch or volume or tone pot that didn't work, and so I shied away from them for a while.

The switch gives a solid click, but seems to have a short travel compared to a Switch Craft (which will replace it).

Don't know. The Hamer USA website looks user friendly though.

Playing a long time. Have a bunch of guitars, some expensive, some not expensive. This guitar is meant to be a backup to a Brian Moore i21 which is outfitted with a Duncan Alnico2 Pro neck/Pearly Gates bridge p/u combo. They do compare well, though the i21 has a more contoured body, a slightly faster neck, and a much heavier body (the SATQ is just a little bit neck heavy, but overall, a nice, light guitar). I think the guitar would benefit from dual tone controls and a master volume, but that is just me.

In comparison, the Ibanez double cutaway was heavier in the body and the neck wasn't as comfortable as the Hamer. The Ibanez was brighter and thinner sounding, also with a 3 knob setup. The Squire Masterbuilt Esprit has a similar feeling neck (SATQ being a little bit easier), but the body was larger (like my ES 335 but not as big). The SATQ was a little more comfortable. They sounded comparable as they share similar p/u's.

If lost or stolen, I might get something else, or hold out for the USA built Studio or Monaco, or check out the Gibson double cutaway (which does have a little better access to the upper frets).

Love the bodywork and finish. Neck is good. Don't like the electronics or the way the cavity is finished. Wish it were completely shielded too.

Surprisingly enough, the whole comes off well. I read a lot of reviews on this guitar and most of them are positive. I'll have to agree.

The body/neck platform seem very solid, and so the guitar is very playable!
While the p/u's weren't to my liking, they are usable and smooth. The electronics were "standard" also. What you'd expect for this price range. The good part is that all of these things are replaceable if the platform is good, which it seems to be.

The electronics will all be replaced very soon (coil splitters, phase switches, treble bleed circuit, TBX style tone control, Torres Engineering Mid control/tone control). For pickups either the Alnico 2 Pro/Pearly Gates combination or maybe a pear of '59's like the more upscale USA models.

PROS:
It has an awesome finish. Great shape. sturdy.

CONS:
Could use two tone selecters. Would be nice with 24 frets.

PROS:
Duncan designed pickups. Sounds eccelent wether playing blues or full out shredding.

CONS:
None

I didn't notice anything, but I had it set up at a shop. Otherwise NOTHING wrong with it.

PROS:
sturdy, thick finish, closely cut.

CONS:
Only problem is it didn't have a full through neck.

Never had to deal with it.

Experienced (Playing on stage with $$$): Good guitar for practice.

Intermediate (2-3 years): great guitar Definitely BEST guitar for price range.

Begginning: Eccelent guitar.

if it were stolen or lost, I would definitely want to do everything to get another one.

Chrome Hamer machineheads, rosewood fretboard, 2 Hamer/Duncan humbuckers, offwhite binding along with abalone inlay along the top outer edge of the body neck and headstock, chrome stop tail with tune-o-matic and chrome knobs. V-T-T with Gibson style 3-way, set neck, arch top. I looked at a few of these online. Most of the black transparents were the same, but this one is an actual sunburst, dark edge to lighter middle. Came with a Hamer hardshell case.

Only Les Pauls get 10's

This thing rivals my Les Paul for sound. It's definitly not as thick as the Paul, but it comes close. Lots of sustain.

Right out of the box, beautifully setup, but not sure if the place I bought it from did a setup. Came with very light strings.

Very light, but would be good for gigs. I'll propbably change the pickups for a chrome set of Gibson 57's, and I'm definitly changing to a set of Sperzels with a roller bridge with Schaller staplocks and Diadarrio 12's, but I do all this to every guitar I own. The finish is beautiful, and seems strong enough. I would definitly depend on this instrument to perform, but I never go it alone. I always have at least 2 backups.

Never called.

I have been screwin' around with guitars for the last 20 years. I have played most major brands and makes. I play mostly rock stuff, mainly in dropped D.

I opened the box for the first time and almost passed out. This is one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. The sound is great, the feel is great. I can't say enough about this thing. If it were stolen, I would replace it in a second, then find the dude and beat him with a Hondo Strat copy. I had never played Hamer before yesterday, and I'm glad I purchased this based on the reviews here and the overall look of the instrument online.

This is a Chinese made Sunburst Archtop Quilt top, in Transparent black. It was bought new in August 2005 and came with passive H/H pickups and 2 x volume and 1 x tone control. The finish is high gloss polyurethane and the double cutaway body styling is IMHO the best shape a guitar can have. It has a lovely thick single cream binding with an additional stunning 'sparkle'inlay that follows the body, neck and headstock contour. The neck has a fabulous feel and plays beautifully. The bridge is a chrome tune-o-matic and the tuners are Hamer logo'd with a chrome finish.

As bought, the pickups were fairly generic sounding with the bridge being unsuitable for anything other than single note lead work as chords can become muddy. The neck was much better, providing a really nice tone and some promising clean sounds, although chord work can still be mushy.In my opinion the sounds here are not even close to a Gibson Les Paul although it is advertised as resembling one.

The action as supplied was quite high, but a little tweak of the truss rod and a turn on the tune-o-matic helped make it much more playable. The intonation was also way out, but again a little bit of work and it is now spot on. The finish on the front was excellent and this is where this guitar shines - quite simply it looks superb!! The lacquer is excellent, the veneer is well matched and the paint finish on the back was flat and smooth with no flaws.

The tuners are the biggest disappointment with this guitar. I would describe them as 'gutless'. They continually allowed the guitar to de-tune and spoil the playing enjoyment. (This does not help the already average pick-ups to shine). The strap buttons are solid enough but I would not risk live playing with the tuners as you would be continually re-tuning. The other hardware looks very solid and dependable and a quick look in the controls cavity is very impressive and leaves no doubt that everything has been well wired and connected.

Not dealt with them.

Despite my criticisms of this guitar I love the shape and appearance and would buy it again if it broke. Since purchasing it I have swapped the two pickups for a DiMarzio Fred in the bridge and a Di Marzio Air Classic in the neck and swapped the tuners for Grover 18:1 rotomatics and the results are stunning. The guitar stays in tune all day and the pickups sound awesome. Playability from the neck was always enjoyable, so right now following the changes I have made, I would rate this guitar as a 9. Even though I have had to spend another $100 to achieve the desired results, it has been well worth it. I love it. However as purchased this guitar would only really rate a 6 or 7.

It is a double cutaway archtop solid body electric with two humbucking pickups and a three way toggle selector. It has two volume and one tone controls. It is made in China. The body and neck are mahogony with a glued joint. There is a quilted maple cap with a honey burst finish. the body and neck have a cream binding along with an abalone inlay. It is sriking in appearance to say the least. The tuners are sealed die cast and the bridge is of the tunomatic variety. The fingerboard has crown mother of pearl inlays. The neck is very Les Paulish in feel to me and the frets are fairly large.

I like classic rock and this guitar has the mid growl one would expect of a LP styled instrument. I am using a Epiphone Valve Special and an Ibanez Tube Screamer with it and getting good results.

It was set up well out of the box. I dropped the action just a hair to suit my liking and the intonation was good. The top is bookmatched, the strings pass directly over the pickup poles. The finish is flawless, the nut is neatly cut. My pickup selecter was wobbly and has a white stress mark across it. It broke within a day of owning it. I think it was a shipping issue though.

I think this guitar is built well. The switch was poor as mentioned above, but I think that happened in shipping. I replaced it with an identical one and it is rock solid. There is a poly finish so I think it will wear well. As far as the strap buttons, I replace all of mine with locking devices. I think it is dependable but who would gig without a backup?

I e-mailed Hamer about the switch. I received a response in ten minutes and a new switch is on the way. I told them I replaced it with one I had and they said that I won't need it but they are sending a replacement anyways. They also felt it was damaged in shipping but owed me a working switch.

I've been playing for 28 years and I own 14 guitars currently. I own two Les Pauls and this guitar measures up. It feels good in my hands and is an instant favorite, made in China or not. I would hate to think of losing it. The only short coming in my opinion is the tuning keys. They work smoothly, they keep the guitar in tune but the keys are thin and I like the feel of thicker ones. I have a couple of other made in China guitars and they are the same, namely my B.C. Rich Body Art Mockingbird and my Rogue Herringbone dreadenaught Acoustic. I can live with them though without replacement because if it ain't broke don't fix it. They work well.

2005 Sunburst Archtop AKA SATQ.Made in China.
"Honeyburst" quilted maple VENEER arched top over mahogany or a mahogany'esque type wood. Set neck, also of the same wood. H+H "hamer" branded pickups. Two volumes, one tone, black top-hat style knobs.
Abalone (probably 'abalaminate')binding around the entire body, neck and headstock. "hamer" branded tuners. Overall a strikingly beautiful guitar. Standard features for this type of guitar.

Pickups are fairly quiet. Pretty generic humbucking tones here. Neck pickup is slightly weaker than bridge. Playing thru a Behringer V-ampire head with an old marshall 4x2 wired stereo. Tones lean toward being Les Paul 'ish without quite as much sustain, probably due to the mahogany'esqe type wood. No coil tap function.

Guitar shipped with cheapo 10's. Changed to 9.5 immediately. Lowered the TOM bridge just a bit to my taste, and everything was golden. Action is now ALMOST as good as my Carvin DC127. No fretting out or dead spots. Overall the fretwork is good, but the frets need to be polished and or smoothed more at the factory to eliminate some of the gritty feel. I buffed them carefully with a dremel buffer, and they are fine now.

The binding, finish and attention to woodworking detail all seem to be first rate. I bought this guitar (at a very good price) as a "second" due to a finish flaw, and it is all but undetectable.

Tuners are just OK. Not great - but I've seen worse.

ELECTRONICS ARE CHEAP AS HELL. Pickup selector switch was broken upon delivery, and the output jack died a week after I replaced the switch. The control cavity is sprayed with some kind of black powdery crud that stains your fingers when you work in there, and the wiring looks like a 5th grade electronics project. Not great at all - but I suppose they had to cut corners somwhere. If you're reasonably handy with a soldering iron, and don't mind spending a few extra bucks for a higher quality switch and jack, then this is an easy fix. If you're looking for neat wiring and top notch switchgear - ala Carvin, look elsewhere.

After the aforementioned mods, the guitar should hold up reasonably well for live playing. It will sure look good, at least.

No dealings with Hamer.

Been playing 20+ years. Most of my other guitars (5) are fairly plain, I wanted a "looker" but not a case queen and I got one. Even my kids commented on the looks. FOR THE PRICE I PAID, this was a great deal. Kudos to guitarfactory for handling my complaint about the busted switch quickly and professionally.

Basically a LP DC copy, quilted maple top, two humbuckers, two vols and one tone control, 22 frets, I'm assuming a mahogany or maybe basswood body, rosewood board, they normally come with some kind of no name tuners, but I had mine installed with Grovers. Basically, a decent cheap Les Paul copy.

Good, really good for a guitar of this price range. The pickups are a little mellow, not exactly bright and edgy, but the can be remedied by changing tone setting slightly. Plus, I like the fact that these pickups have good defenition, they don't go too much over the top, it makes me sound better. The only complaint I have is that the volume knobs for both pickups don't give a ton of difference when you roll them, unless you go almost all the way to 0. Anyway, this thing sounds extremely vibrant, both acoustically and amplified. Overall, the sound is definitely warmer and low key, which might make it a little underwhelming for playing with a metal band, but great for jamming and recording. I know lots of pro players use USA Hamers, but this Korean one is definitely a steal, pick one up if you can. Beats the hell out of any Epiphone I've ever played. Oh, BTW, my setup is Hamer - Boss dd-2, Johnson Tremolo, Ibanez sc-10 chorus, BBE 382 sonic maximizer - Trace Elliot Super Tramp, SS 2x12 80watt combo. Not exactly pro quality, but decent for a college student.

Great. Noramlly, cheap shiny guitars just look gaudy to me, but this one looks great.

It does kind of feel like a cheap guitar, but still plays and sounds great.

never dealt with Hamer.

Hamer must have been doing something right when they made this guitar, I was basically looking for a decent cheap Les Paul substitute, and this thing covers that ground really well. I might change the pickups eventually, I like these ones for now, but if I start gigging, or jamming with a real band, I'll probably need something a little hotter and brighter. Anyway, pick one of these things up and you probably won't regret it, I mean, for a usedprice of $300-400, it's a steal.

Made in Korea. This is the Honeyburst version and it is very good looking. I have scrutinised the finish and it it really nice especially when you take into account the price, 399 british punds.

The pickups are prette basic Duncan sounding, a little bit jazzy. I am not sure If I like the tone control if you want to adjust the tone, but usually I keep it on maximum so it makes no problem. With my Fender amp I really get a nice and warm tone. The Marshall stack I got sounds more vintage with this Hamer than with other humbucker guitars I've got. I do consider buying a new pickup for e bridge position, but I do that with all the guitars I've got. The lack of noice and buzzing from the pick ups are pretty amazing.

THe strings from the factory were dirty so had to change them and this got rid of all buzzing an the uneven feel. I can't find any flaws on it really, but maybe some of the frets needs some polishing. I consider taking it to a technicians, but I have to wait and see.

It seems like the guitar will last and it is solid.

No experience with support

This is my first Hamer guitar and even though it is not an American made one I am really impressed. Usually I do not get impressed but this time I was considering the price. I would say it is better than the cheap gibsons.

I believe this is a 2005 model. It has all the features of the previous reviews (H/H pickup config, 2 volume 1 tone, abalone inlays...etc)

This guitar is definately easy on the eyes, the paint and binding is top notch.

I paid $420 that included a very nice hard shell case via the internet.

I was working out in California for a short time and went into a music store close to my Hotel and saw this SATQ hanging on the wall. It was a nice looking guitar, so I took it down and started examining it closer, I couldn't find any flaws on the binding or paint job. I was looking for a backup guitar for a Samick AV-6 that I have.

When I played the first SATQ in Cali. I only played it clean through an amp they had in the store. It produced a nice jazzy type tone on the neck pickup and the bridge pickup seemed to be fairly bright.

I played this SATQ that I purchased through my Korg AX100 multi-effects pedal and noticed the bridge pickup doesn't seem to give me as much bite in the overdrive department as my Samick does, so I may be replacing the pickup with one with a slighty higher output. This is mainly due to the fact that I don't want to have to increase the gain on all the patches that I have configured on my effect pedal.

I play in a classic rock cover band, but I think this guitar will be a good fit in my arsenal of guitars for the kind of music that I play.

The SATQ that I ordered off the internet arrived in dire need of an appointment with the local guitar tech. Straight out of the box, the 15th and 16th fret on the high E string produced the same note, I cranked the action up until it was gone so I was thinking that it might have been a high fret and needed to be filed. I haven't talked to the tech that fixed her up for me so I don't know if he had to file the frets in the vicinity or not. It plays pretty much perfect now with the exception of a little buzzing on the bridge that doesn't appear at the amp.

One thing I noticed was when I bend the strings while playing a lead, the strings seem to bind, it's almost like a gritty feel, maybe this will go away in due time with enough playing. The tech put on a new set of strings and this helped, but didn't make it go away. Maybe the frets need to be polished a tad.

I think the guitar will withstand live playing without problem. The guitar seems to be well put together. I'm sure all the electronics are about what you'd expect in a guitar in this price range (decent, not top of the line). I will always have a backup guitar and wouldn't play live without one.

Never needed to deal with them.

I've been playing for around 20 years, I have a '90 USA Fender Strat, Samick Avion AV-6, SX Strat, Ovation CE57 Acoustic, Korg AX-100g multi-effect pedal and Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 amplifier. If I could afford a couple of Gibsons, I'd have those, but price is a factor and prevents me from making that a reality.

Overall, I really like this guitar, if it was stolen I'd probably buy one just like it or maybe another Samick or Agile.

If you're reading this review and want to know if this guitar is worth the money, I believe it is. Whether you're a beginner or intermediate player on a budget. It's every bit as good (if not better) than the Epiphones that I've played.

Someone once told me, "It's not the equipment, but how you use it". This guitar in the hands of a beginner just starting out is not going to sound good, neither is a $2500 Gibson, but in the hands of a talented musician, it can sound damn good (I say this because if I can make it sound good, a pro could make it sing).

The previous review covered all the basic features. The one I bought is decked out the same way, except that it is done in the TBK (transparent black) finish. One noteworthy exception to the previous reviewer's SATQ is the country of manufacture. The one I'm reviewing was made in China(!) rather than Korea (more on this later).

This guitar, overall, is pretty visually striking. I say this without reservation even though the "quilt top" on this guitar is about as ugly as it gets. I've seen pictures of the guitar with the Honeyburst finish and the quilting looked pretty impressive (even though we all know that veneer has to be whisper thin). The only thing that saves the one I bought from being a total disaster is the fact that the finish is so dark you almost can't make out the figuring. That's fine with me. Truth be told, if this model had been offered with a solid black finish, I would have chosen that, but it wasn't, so I didn't.

Other than the lousy quilt veneer, the finish on the rest of the guitar is really unbelievable for an instrument in this price range. The abalone (if that's indeed what it is) and mother-of pearl (ditto)inlay work is flawless, as is the paint and binding. I wished I could say the same for my Les Paul Custom, but that's another review (don't EVEN get me started). So again, this guitar gets high marks for its good looks. I haven't played out with it, yet, but I'll bet you a gross of 63mm Dunlop Tortex picks that all that abalone (if that's indeed what it is) will absolutely catch fire by the light of a SuperTrooper and have a few audience members 'ooohing and ahhhing'.

I don't know how many of you ever saw the 3-D Science Fiction 'classic' "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone", but indulge me for a minute. There's a hilarious scene in that movie where Michael Ironside, playing the part of Overdog - Mutant Ruler of Terra 11, jeers the hero Wolff (played by Peter Strauss) with the unlikely taunt, "You cannot hurt me. I am made of a substance you do not even know of." Well, whatever kind of wood they used to make this guitar falls into the same category. It's surely not indestructable, but what exactly it is is a mystery.

Someone reviewing an import Hamer Sunburst Archtop on this site took great issue regarding Hamer's claim that these guitars are made of mahogany and, in fact, challenged them on it. I'm no lumberjack, but I'm pretty certain the closest this guitar comes to mahogany is mahogany-like or mahogany-ish . . . and that's being pretty generous. Is that a bad thing? I think it certainly can be, but in this price range, hoping for a quality piece of tone wood is most likely unrealistic (but more on this later).

Whatever kind of wood they built this from is awfully resonant. Acoustically, this guitar is quite loud.

For me, personally, this 'acoustic' quality can be a positive or a negative depending on what I'm using the guitar for. Plugged in, this guitar has kind of an airy, woody tone to it that I've come to expect from electric guitars that are conspicuously loud when played unplugged. To me, that makes this guitar better suited to strummed or not-too-distorted, ringing, arpeggiated rhythm work.

That's not to say this guitar wouldn't cut it for lead guitar work. It's just that for my personal tastes, the tone lacks a certain density and focus that I prefer for most of my lead stuff. It's not bad, it's just not my bag, baby, and your results are sure to vary.

To be fair, I've only played this guitar through an effects processor to a digital recorder then out to reference-quality headphones, and not through an amp, but my experience tells me not to expect a singing lead machine no matter what it's plugged into. When I do get around to plugging in, it will be into a Marshall TSL100/1960AV, a Peavey Bandit, or a Behringer V-Ampire.

The guitar comes stock with duncan-designed humbuckers which do a pretty good job. These have a decent, though somewhat generic, humbucking sound to them, which in this guitar means fairly round and full without a great deal of harmonic complexity. The bridge p/u is ever so slightly on the brittle side, and backing off on the tone control makes it a little muddy, rather than mellowing it out. Still, working with amp/processor settings could probably overcome this. The neck p/u can get a little "pudgy" and "boomy" depending on settings, and as set up at the factory, slightly overpowers the bridge pickup.

Again, this guitar is not much of a surprise tonally (except that it sounds better than a guitar this cheap has a right to) and you'll get the 'type' of sound that you would expect from any guitar of this configuration. That is to say, it's not going to deliver anything near a twangy, Fender-ish guitar tone, but more of a, dare I say it, Gibson-like tone.

One thing that impressed me is how noise-free this guitar is. I live in an old house and the current is pretty dirty. My L.P. Custom buzzes like a beehive when I plug in at home. I have a Heritage 150 CM-CL that does the same thing. Even though the Heritage was doing it, too, when I took the Paul in for a fret level, I had the shop completely rewire the control cavity to make sure there wasn't a ground problem. When I got it home, the hum was as loud as it ever was. I only mention this, because the Hamer is dead quiet no matter how dirty a setting I've used on the effects processor and that's a good thing.

I've played a lot of guitars that were set-up worse at the factory than this Hamer. The action was actually TOO low for my taste. It's not that it was buzzing/fretting out, it's just I like to "lean into it" when it come to lead playing, and so I like the action to be a little higher for a little better grip when bending. The guitar was strung with 10s, which I use for some of my other guitars, but I restrung it with .09 GHS Fatties, almost immediately upon taking it out of the box. The neck was set up with the proper amount of relief, so the only adjustment I had to make to get the guitar playing the way I like it was to raise the bridge a bit.

The pickups on this model actually come with covers and the pole-pieces on both pickups are cranked up quite high. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I plan on screwing them back down and raising the entire pickup to see if the sound can be improved a little. Also, it may be interesting to see if popping the cover off the neck p/u will add a little brightness to the sound (worked for Jeff Beck).

As previously mentioned, the "quilt" is pretty abominable on this guitar, but I can live with it. All the hardware, though obviously of "economy" quality, was properly installed and functions flawlessly. There are no mysterious rattles or buzzes going on anywhere on the guitar. The sealed machine heads, though no-name, work very smoothly with a good tactile feel and effective gear ratio. The guitar tunes easily and stays in tune. The nut and saddle pieces were cut properly, and there is no string pop when tuning. I've read a few complaints regarding the quality of the toggle switch, but the one on this guitar works fine (so far). It's not Switchcraft, but it gets the job done.

One of the questions in this section is, "Will this guitar withstand live playing?" I'm not sure what that means, but I suppose it depends on what kind of "live playing" you do. If you're Ritchie Blackmore, Pete Townshend, or the two guitar players from Black Oak Arkansas, I guess the answer is no. If you're not prone to seeing how far up into the lighting trusses you can toss your guitar; taking the term "axe" literally and chopping your amps, the stage, and your drummer's kit with your guitar; or, climaxing the last number in your set by smashing your six-string together with the other guitar player's over the head of your kneeling lead singer, then I would guess this Hamer will do just fine for playing live. The guitar has a set neck and pitched headstock (although pitched to a lesser degree than your average Les Paul), so it will probably repay you for clumsily dropping it on its back with a cracked headstock, if not breaking off altogether. This isn't a criticism, it's just the nature of this type of guitar construction.

I don't build guitars, so I don't know what materials are used to finish these instruments, but I'm sure it's like what every other guitar in this price range is finished with. It ain't nitrocellulose, but neither should you expect it to be. Whatever the substance, I'm guessing it will hold up as well as any other in it's class. The hardware, though as I mentioned being "economy" grade, is as well made as can be expected, and should probably hold up fairly well over time.

Another question in this category is, "Would you use it on a gig without a backup?"

Well, there's nothing overt to suggest this isn't a dependable instrument, but unless you're playing in the living room for mommy, daddy, and two-panty granny, there's no way you should even CONSIDER doing a real gig without a back-up. When it comes to playing live, Uncle Murphy and the Law are almost always somewhere on the bill.

N/A

This is what it all comes down to:

A number of years ago, while cruising the Musician's Friend website, I stumbled across a guitar called the Hamer Sunburst Flattop. It was on closeout for $279 with an SKB hardshell case. I've always liked Hamer guitars and even though I knew it was probably just a cheap Korean import, it looked pretty cool, so I bought it.

When it arrived, I was stunned by what I found when I opened the case.

The guitar was gorgeous, with a bookmatched flamed top (a veneer to be sure, but an extremely nice veneer) finished in a very savory transparent cherry red (front and back) that displayed a very attractive grain throughout. The body and neck were both made from solid mahogany, not mahogany-ish or mahogany-like, but the real deal. The unbound neck fit my hand perfectly and the guitar played like a dream. Plugged into my Marshall TSL100, the guitar had that thick, but clear, tightly focused tone that I love for hard rock lead and rhythm playing. Even brand new, this guitar had a hard to describe 'vintage' feel to it, as if it had already been broken in by years of playing, and I would categorize it as falling solidly between an old Gibson Melody Maker and Les Paul Junior.

The irony of all this is the little Korean Hamer Sunburst Flattop has succeeded in kicking the dog squeeze out of all my other guitars and gets played continually while the Gibson, Heritage, Ibanez, et. al. stay in their cases. I love Les Pauls, but only after they've been "worked over". I recently bought and sold a '99 Standard (internet) that just didn't have the magic. The L.P. Custom I have still wears it's original frets (which I hate) and pickups because it galls me to fork out another $500 to have it outfitted with Dunlop 6200 fretwire and some flavor of Seymour Duncan pickups. The Heritage is just about a perfect guitar . . . but there's just something about that darned Hamer Sunburst Flattop.

Which all brings me to the Hamer Sunburst Archtop SATQ.

Despite the fact (or more likely because) the Flattop has become my favorite guitar, I'd be real skittish about playing out with it for fear something might happen to it. The Gibson or Heritage could be easily (though not cheaply) replaced, but not that little Hamer import. I've looked for another one like it for years without any success. They've been discountinued and the model that's in the Slammer line IS NOT the same guitar. So I was hoping against hope that lightning would strike twice (it didn't) and ordered the SATQ from the internet without having played one. I was also hoping that because of the arched top, the SATQ might have an even fatter tone than the Flattop (it doesn't). So the search continues.

Even though the SATQ is not what I had hoped for, I think it still represents a very good value for such a relatively small amount of money. The guitar is astonishingly well-made, is very attractive, and it's sound and playability are quite good for what it cost me. One big surprise for me was the hardshell case that came with this guitar. The price included a Canadian-made, TKL "California Girl" case which is virtually identical to the one my $1250 Heritage came with. I'm a little reluctant to mention this because I really doubt that this is a standard option everywhere this guitar is sold, but it was a really nice bonus.

All things considered, I am not sorry I bought this guitar. I don't think it's destined to become one of my all-time favorites, but after a little breaking-in period and maybe some tinkering, it might become a guitar that sees its share of use. And unless and until I find another Flattop, this will probably do a serviceable job as a back-up to my other guitars. But if anybody out there has a line on an original Hamer Sunburst Flattop for sale, by all means, let me know.

Made in Korea, 22 frets, quilted maple laminated top, vol-vol-tone 3-way, Duncan "Design" PUPs, mahogany looking back and neck (pretty sure it isn't mahogany. Full binding on body, neck and head. Honey burst color - very pretty guitar. Tune-o-matic style bridge, cheap tuners.

The look of this guitar is probably its best feature. As a part-time luthier I am amazed at how nice they can make an inexpensive guitar look.

I have been a bassist for 20+ years and this is my first electric guitar. I have no style for guitar - but have played rock as a bassist primarily. This guitar is well suited for that.

Fender 50w Bassman head (not pre-CBS)
Ampeg VT-22 2x12 cab
Lab Series L-4(made by Gibson circa 1979)200w bass head and 2x15 cab
MXR Distortion +
MXR Flanger
Alesis Midiverb

Can get a pretty raunchy distortion with the Fender
Can get either with the Lab

Sounds fine to me for just goofing around.

Action needs to be set up better. Right now plays with some fret buzz. I have not fiddled with it yet, but believe I will be able to set it up satisfactory.
Pickups height was too low when I got it. Easy adjustment
For a $379 guitar (brand new) the top is beautiful. Even if it is only 1 molecule thick, as suggested in another review, you would not know it unless you gouged the top. A couple of the frets could use a bit more dressing. You have to keep in mind the price of this guitar when rating it. No, it is probably no where near the quality of the "real deal" USA Hamer, but for a novice or a player that only occassionally picks up a guitar - it is great looking guitar that is more than adequate as a playing guitar.

I am very careful with all my instruments, so durability will not be an issue for me. The tuning machines are cheapos and I will probably upgrade those in the near future. For gigging, the tuners would probably have to be replaced with something that does not go out of tune so easily.

Can't comment

20+ years as a bassist (20+ years as a pretty shabby guitar player)
Basses:
Gibson RD Artist
BC Rich (USA) Mockingbird
BC Rich (USA) Eagle
Alembic Exploiter
Spector NS2-A
Hamer (USA) Cruise w/2TEK bridge (what an awsome freaking bass for the $$, I became a huge Hamer fan after this purchase. Absolutely blows away Fender Jazz)
Carvin LB6
Erebus (custom)

Guitars:
Yamaha FG-335 accoustic

Overall, I am satisfied with this guitar. I would have liked to have gotten either the Hamer (USA) Studio Custom or the Artist Custom but could not justify the cash outlay given my level of playing ability. This guitar is a trade-off I can live with. It looks beautiful sitting in the corner of the room but is completely playable.

Good value for the money