Here is something cool for my MLP friends

As some of you know, I have an affiliation with a certain RnR Hall of Fame player. This past weekend, I sold an “extra” guitar that was made for him to a real American “picker”. We then walked over to the man himself to get it signed. That was as cool as it gets.. We talked guitars, antique motor cycles and life in the Midwest. Turns out the picker was actually a picker and collector of guitars too. Names withheld to protect the guilty

If that’s who I think it is, he is a well known Hamer player?

Yes, the guy sitting down is a well known Hamer player and owns the first Hamer Standard #0000 The other guys is a TV personality on History Channel.

Here is the sibling to that guitar.

I hear he has a checkered past.....

I remember being relatively new to the Inter-Webz in 2003 when I started looking at guitars on EBay.

I had read and heard so much about Hamer’s build quality, and I was seriously considering buying a used Hamer Standard and a Vector.

‘58-style Gibson Explorers and Flying Vs were getting too damned expensive.

I started shopping, and I just couldn’t swing the asking prices - some of the older ones were $3k.
Same for a new one.
Then Fender bought Hamer …

I missed several great opportunities.

Yes, it was a black day when Fender bought... (insert name of any competitor.)

Yes, it was a black day when Gibson bought....(insert name of any competitor.)

Both companies either nerfed the quality of the acquired brand to those of student grade instruments, or retired the brand from the market for all intents and purposes.

Fender did terrible things to Jackson and Hamer.
Gibson was just as bad to Trace Elliot, Steinberger, and...strange I'd care...acoustic guitar maker Garrison Guitars, which were a standout product at their price point. And I figure Gibson will eventually force Mesa to start cutting corners, too. Though it doesn't seem to have happened YET.

That's awesome!

The guitar’s alright, the player’s alright, they just seem a little weird…

Very Cool! Love Rick. Way back in the early days of my CT tribute band. Had a bunch of guitars done to look likes his I was his "evil twin", lol

Would love to see more pics of that guitar.

Spent time with Paul Hamer at the last two shows too. He is trying to buy back the Hamer name from Fender. Right now his sone and grandson are building under the PH name. We talked and bout maybe a collaboration of sorts, as they don’t have the machines they used too.

BrianM said:

Would love to see more pics of that guitar.

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Which one?

Here is a cool one for you CT and Hamer fans. This is the (1 of 2) Mandolcellos made by Paul Hamer for Rick (and Daryl Hall) and below that is #0000 Hamer Standard.

Joe Desperado said:

Which one?

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The Korina Explorer.

Love Rick! Hate seeing him and the band age as he has a timeless "live forever" persona and I wish he could!

Hamer was applying PRS levels of quality to Gibson designs before Paul Reed Smith had made his first guitar.

I have yet to own a USA made Hamer...and keep it...but it's on my bucket list. I've had a few butchered project Hamers that I repaired to one level of quality or another.

cmjohnson said:

Hamer was applying PRS levels of quality to Gibson designs before Paul Reed Smith had made his first guitar.

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I’ve never heard anyone at PRS say it out loud, but I’m willing to bet that Hamer was a huge influence on them.

The Gibson video going through Rick's guitar collection was amazing.