No Serial-Nr. Checkerboard Special: were there any prototypes?

[Vintage Hamer-Lover]

Neeed help to identify this Hamer Special(?). Because: she's got no Ser. Nr.

 

Checkerboard-Logo. So apparently she must be from early to Mid '80s. But for me the body seems a bit different: the upper horn of the body is a bit hornyer than at my other Specials from early '80s. And nothing seems to be changed or overpainted, but no Serial Nr. Quite a heavy weight. Bought her 2010 via eBay.

 

Has anyone a similar model? Or any experience or information about no-Serial-Nr-Hamers with a different longer upper horn?

 

Thank You very much in advance for Your help.

[crunchee]

I don't think that Hamer USA originally made any guitars with a three-screw truss rod cover, so I would want to check under that cover for sure to make sure something hasn't been 'improved' upon.  Also, what does the back of this guitar look like, does it have string ferrules from a 'sustain block' bridge or not? 

[velorush]

18 minutes ago, crunchee said:

I don't think that Hamer USA originally made any guitars with a three-screw truss rod cover, so I would want to check under that cover for sure to make sure something hasn't been 'improved' upon.  Also, what does the back of this guitar look like, does it have string ferrules from a 'sustain block' bridge or not? 

I took these to be the original string ferrule holes in the bottom of the Kahler route.

If the Kahler installation included the behind-the-nut lock, could material have been removed around the original nut-side TRC hole? Looks like a void there.

[Jimbilly]

The Special should be the same body shape as a Sunburst?, so the body contours are odd, I would suspect 'modded' contours during a refin and when the Kahler and switches were added.

 I think I see a 3 piece neck?, it not I would go with 'replica', from what I know, a Special must have the 3 piece / tri stressed neck.   The inked serial could have easily been removed if refinned, why someone would do that, I don't know. The tuners, headstock shape, along with the knob placement look very similar to my '81 Special.

 The 3 screw truss cover could also have been added when all the other mods were done, so I'm not thinking 'replica' based on that alone.

Edited October 24, 2024 by Jimbilly

[cornjulio]

The cutaways don't have the correct shape/ curving. It's too pronounced and I think the logo looks like it's off-center. The PU routing looks pretty wild too.

My bet would be someone tried to build  a special from parts. Then again I hardly know a thing about building guitars 😉

My b&w special that I got from Serial does not have a serial number btw ( go figure 😜)  I thinkt he yellow on black stamo wasn't the greatest idea although it looks cool and sometimes necks got refinished (broken headstock etc) though I don't think that's the case with mine.

[BadgerDave]

Just from the photos, it looks like an original '80 -'82 Special modified with a Kahler, replacement nut (possibly originally a locking nut, then a brass replacement), replacement pickups and added mini switches.

I'd speculate that the horns were re-shaped with an angled widening chamfer on the inside top edge of both and the body was refinished with either a dark stain or brown paint.  The refin (if that's what it is) looks professionally done, the routs are definitely not factory.

 

Edited October 25, 2024 by BadgerDave
spelling

[kizanski]

That poor Special.

The '80s were so cruel to guitars.

[crunchee]

4 hours ago, kizanski said:

That poor Special.

The '80s were so cruel to guitars.

Along with previous owners.  

[Jimbilly]

Have you used a black-light to look for a serial? it doesn't really seem to make mine more clearly visible, but maybe worth a try

[hamerhead]

You know how some older women have 'cosmetic' surgery that doesn't really work out?

This is the guitar version of that.

On 10/25/2024 at 8:55 AM, kizanski said:

That poor Special.

The '80s were so cruel to guitars.

That. All of that.

[Vintage Hamer-Lover]

Thank You very much for Your answers for my special Hamer Special with no Ser. Nr. 🙏.  I was not at home awhile, so please pardon my late reaction.

 

My Special seems to be an early 80' model, with modifications like the unnamed vibrato, two Out-of-Phase switches, woodwork at the PU cavity and with carving at the more pronounced cutaways (Thanks Velorush and Cornjulio). And she has the old (with Kahler system now unused) string ferrules on the backside.

 

Because of the very probably untouched lacquer at neck and backside of the headstock with no Ser. Nr. she seems to me original.

My question is: Has anybody heard or red about Hamer as prototypes or other reasons without Ser. Nr.?

Thank You very much once more for Your help and expertise.

 

P.S.:

@Jimbilly: She has a three piece-neck. The strange three-screws-Trussrodcover happened very seldom. I.e. on a '78 Hamer Sunburst (link below).

I have no black light, will try next month at my luthier Lars Riemer in Frankfurt, Germany.