Hamer_SS_guy

The great Cozy Powell

I have always been a Fender and Gibson guy from the early beginning. I was into Kramer for a moment ( they did some nice stuff). Fender and Gibson have the playability, sound and looks for me. Of those two, I am more towards Fender. But I really love my Cali and Steve Stevens (as well as my Chaparral Bass, which is my most-played Hamer)

I just bought two new amps. Nothing special. A Fender Super Sonic and a Marshall SV20H. But man, they really come close to the sound I always wanted. I have always been a guy who likes a good amount of treble in my sound. But somehow, when it came to amps, I chose something that was more midrangey. The Marshall 6100 was nice, but the JCM 900 1960A cab loaded with Celestion G12T-75 fell out of favor after years. The Prosonic was my next amp of choice. I wanted it because reviews said back then it was Fender's best two-channel amp. But I never warmed up with the distortion channel. Then I got a Mesa Mark V:35. My first low-watts amp. While I think it is a nice amp, it is very midrangey. Then I became kind of obsessed with the Plexi sound. Also, the Super Sonic has been a favorite of mine for quite some time (though I was thinking about a Deluxe Reverb as an amp for use with a pedalboard I was planning). Now I got the Super Sonic and the SV20H, and I also started buying some pedals for a board. So far, Dunlop GCB95 Wah, Boss TU-2 tuner, NEO Ventilator 2, Source Audio Spectrum Filter, MXR Carbon Copy Mini, a Boss RV-5 reverb (for use with the Marshall). Still missing is the board itself, the power supply, a Xotic Super Sweet, a Foxrox Octron 4 and maybe an MXR Phase 90. I rediscovered the fun with pedals. And I really like my new amps. But hey, GAS never dies.

In 2016 I got a Mesa Mark V35 and I think, small size low watt amps are enough for me. Yet, I don't want to give up on my Marshall 6100+1960A and 6101 amps. The 6101 is compact (though with 35 kg it is heavy gear, I am able to carry it though). I want to get a SV20H Plexi and a Jubilee 2525H in the future as well as a Fender Super Sonic 22W combo. I might then be done with buying any more amps... hopefully. I want to get a new pedalboard too. There is still the guy in me who would love to get wild in front of a loud fullstack amp with noisy feedback stuff, though I could do that on a fullblown 30-50W amp too, with two 4x12 cabs. No real need for 100W.

I like the new album by GOV'T MULE. I also recently listened to early 70's Santana and (pre-Perry) Journey, some early 70's Johnny Winter, 70's Pat Martino, Traffic, Beck, Bogert & Appice, Zep. I might be on an early 70's trip right now. I was too young to enjoy them as much as I would now. Maybe the trip has his origin from a "vintage US car" fest I visited. I love those old muscle car designs (no, I am no real nerd). I recently re-read some old comic books and watched some movies from that time too.

For this weekend I have put a short melancholic playlist with songs that have some kind of emotional effect on me. Over and over - Black Sabbath Highways - Jeff Beck Group Rendezvous 6:02 - U.K. Uncle Remus - George Duke The Long and Winding Road - Beatles Where Is Happiness - Vanilla Fudge Rain - Dr. John Again - David Sancious Try Me - UFO Prisoner - Barbra Streisand The Sun Goes Down - Thin Lizzy The Verb to Love - Todd Rundgren Definitely Maybe - Jeff Beck Group Lonely Is the Word - Black Sabbath Dream Gerrard - Traffic Smouldering - Sensational Alex Harvey Band Lost Horizons - Michael Schenker Group Better World - Toto Turn to Stone - Joe Walsh/Barnstorm Dust In The Wind - Todd Rundgren Song For You - Temptations Where is my Answer - Tear Gas Old And Wise - Alan Parsons Project

After I spent some time listening to newer stuff, I recently spent some time to listen to some old 60's/70's stuff, Traffic, Zappa, Cozy Powell, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, early (pre-Perry) Journey, Todd Rundgren, Tubes

Recently, I havent thought about the value of my instruments. I admit that most of the nicer ones were bought used, and though many remain in their cases, they are all player guitars. It is okay for me to get the money I paid for them, that is if I ever think of selling some...

When I discovered the most bands I like I was 11 to 17. That was late-70's to mid-80's. I discoverd interesting stuff till mid-90's, the grunge scene wasn't my thing. I went from hard rock/metal to jazzier stuff. Nowadays, there are few bands I discover, sometimes old stuff like John Coltrane, to new stuff by older guys, like Black Country Communion, Flying Colors to newer stuff sounding like older bands, like Vintage Trouble, Into the Presence. I like classical music and film scores too. There is no new music anyway, I don't need it. I am living in the past, mostly 60's to 70's music. Many 80's-90's stuff I don't listen to that often.

Eddie Jobson playing a Hamer mandolin:

Today I am "lost" in the 70's again... (all albums put on a USB-Stick) Narada Michael Walden - Garden of Lovelight UK - Danger Money Joe Farell - Upon This Rock ELO - A New World Record Jeff Beck Group - Rough and Ready Rainbow - Long Live Rock and Roll Alan Parsons Project - I Robot Billy Cobham - Funky Thide of Sings Queen - Jazz

In 1996 I bought a used one for $ 380. It was one of the earlier examples with a non-recessed Floyd Rose and 22 frets. I'd prefer such one to a 24-fretted one. And I'd prefer a "non-recessed Floyd" one to a later one. But I admit I'd value a crowned one (with ebony board) higher than one with rosewood board and dots. Would people here make a difference in matching headstocks vs. blackfaced headstocks? I have seen one with a curly maple body in cherry sunburst which would be my favorite one. I think earlier examples might have a mahogany neck instead of a maple neck.

So with Hamer gone, could I order a GUILD B-301A-fretless now? :-D

I liked the instruments that were made from 1980 on. Fender and Gibson did interesting things. Kahler and Floyd Rose tremolos became popular. Also Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, EMG pickups and Schaller hardware. Some guitar manufacturers were rising, like Hamer, Schecter, Kramer, Charvel/Jackson. Some companies were out of favor like Guild or Gretsch (later even Gibson and Fender). As the times go by, many things I grew to like became out of favor again. So, to me a good Gibson is made until the early 90's, Fenders were great in the Bill Schultz era (I liked the last few years of the CBS era too), Hamer became interesting to me when they introduced the Steve Stevens model until they stopped producing the "shredders" in the 90's. So I like instruments from that era. I haven't been a potential customer for a new Hamer anyway. In the last 20 years I bought some 2nd hand gear that I love. But how many instruments do I really need?

David Sancious Max Middleton (though haven't heard him play organ, but he is a badass Rhodes and Clavinet player) Jon Lord Eddie Jobson Brian Auger Rod Argent

70's Fender Vibro Champ Marshall Lead 75 1x 12" transistor combo Fender Princeton Chorus Marshall 6100 (30th Anniversary) + 1960 cab Trace Elliott 715 bass amp Marshall 6101 (30th Anniversary) combo Fender Prosonic Ampeg V-4BH + 1x 15" cab

Wow, great guitar. That's how I would have wanted it too (maybe I would have liked a maple neck better, but I understand that it wasn't a choice). I guess if that guitar ever hits the market, it may cause a stir among Gibson fans as this IS actually a Gibson. Wouldn't it be nice to document (for the future) how and when this guitar came to be? That is an interesting history this guitar will have.

Does Hamer ever build a Jazz box in L-5 style? I had an idea for a Hamer archtop. Actually a L-5 design but with two venetian cutaways since Hamer made Gibson's two cutaway design popular for themselves. Adding a Newport tailpiece, nice inlay work (the Hamer logo is styled by the same font Gibson used in the 20's and 30's). Do they have archtop builders? Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Well, I started on a tube amp (Fender Vibro Champ) in 1983, but then I didn't know the big difference between SS and tube amps. So I played only on SS amps from 1985-1992. But then I got a desire to have a tube amp again and bought a Marshall 30th Anniversary that I still use today. I also played on my Fender Princeton Chorus for a while and I still like to use it on several occasions. For bass I have been happy with the Trace Elliott 1x 15" 150W combo that I use for 9 years now but I bought an additional bass amp a few months ago, an Ampeg V-4B. For jam sessions I take the Trace, but for guitar I prefer taking a tube guitar amp. I bought a Gibson Chet Atkins two weeks ago which sounds nice on the Fender Prosonic but maybe would sound nicer on the Princeton Chorus.

Well, I like to listen to Barbra Streisand. Sometimes I like to listen to Barry Manilow's music, or some "cheesy" 70's disco stuff. Most people I know or meet in internet forums don't seem to be openminded in their music consuming habits and stick to particular genres. Well, nevermind, I must admit, I don't like everything either...

I like this bridge: http://bass-pickups.com/hp135064/Vintage-T...22aee0167cX7321 It is a cross between FR and vintage Fender.

Gibson's creative output nowadays isn't something for me. To me it looks like an attempt to design something that captures the spirit of the 60's/70's, designed by someone born in the 80's. There are many Gibson's I like but few models only that I like from their recent catalogue, mainly acoustic guitars or classics like the L-5. My interest in Gibson instruments started with the Explorer 2, RD series, Victory series, ES Artist, XPL series. There were designs that weren't typical for Gibson. But nowadays most of the stuff they do is based on Les Paul and SG models of which I am not a big fan of. What I liked recently is that they brought back some older models like Ripper/Grabber basses or the RD guitar (which wasn't that consequent, but shows that they still remember their past) or all maple instruments (Les Paul Raw Power).

I bought a Steve Stevens in 1989, still have it and more Hamers were to follow. But my main guitar is a green maple Cali w/EMG's now. Still use one of my SS occasionally.

I have a Firebird, white w/black hardware. It is not my favorite guitar, the neck is kind of big to me, and the missing body contours are hard to get used to. I love the body shape and recently I got into the music of Johnny Winter again (the old stuff). But if Gibson style I prefer the Steve Stevens model. I also have a Gibson RD Artist, its body and neck are far more comfortable to me compared to the FB. I used the FB as my main guitar for a few months, sound and looks are great but playability is not so great to me, rhythm is okay but playing licks above the 12th fret is kind of hard for me.

I connect the term "super strat" with the old Charvel San Dimas, Kramers and Schecter (Tom Anderson-era) guitars. They had produced lots of Strat-style guitars with modern features when Hamers designs were still based on Gibson's designs (set necks, mahogany bodies 24.75" scale). Late 70's it was Schecter and Charvel up to the early 80's, then it was Kramer/ESP in'83 to 87, Schecter in 1986, Jackson/Charvel from 1988 on, this is how I felt the time line of super strats was in popularity. Saying that, my favorite super Strat is the Hamer Californian (though I also enjoy Fender's 98-02 Am Dlx and AS Strats, Classic 70's)