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Hamer Watson


BubbaVO

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Posted

Jeff Watson from Night Ranger was a Hamer endorser in the late 80s. Hamer built a few guitars for him and there was a run of around 50 Watson's for the Japanese market. They ceased prduction around '91.

Similar to a studio, they are a maple topped mahogany guitar, but 25.5 scale, tummy cut, longer horns, blended neck heel. Jeff's had a fine tuner tail piece. In 2004, fellow HFCer Mobster asked Hamer to build one as close to Jeff's specs. They obliged and I think they said they would have made one prior, but no one asked. Can't remember exactly. Shortly after that a killer blueburst quilt with boomers was made for someone. I ordered mine in late 2004 and got it the next april. Mine is on the Hamer website in the designer gallery. Another fellow HFCer has some original run Watsons.

HamerGuitarMagAd90lg.jpg

Some originals:

watons3.jpg

wat6.jpg

watsonflyd.jpg

Guest pirateflynn
Posted

I like your's best, silentman.

Posted

A Watson is the same body shape as...

A Mirage.

Posted
I like your's best, silentman.

Yea. The slanted neck pickup and un-Floyd make it for me.

A Watson is the same body shape as...

A Mirage.

LOL! The horror!!

Posted
In 2004, fellow HFCer Mobster asked Hamer to build one as close to Jeff's specs. They obliged and I think they said they would have made one prior, but no one asked.

Valley Music Source in Livermore California BEGGED them to build them for a decade and they always refused. Their original claim was they could not use the name "Watson" anymore since he was no longer an endorser, so they recommended "Studio California" to which the response was still no.

Guest brinkmanship
Posted

Would they still make a watson model? Anyone have an idea of what they cost? Those things are sick!

Posted

Here's the blue-burst one:

BlueWatson2-1.jpg

I believe they will still make one. I think someone has one in the oven right now. Not cheap, but a killer guitar.

I still think that Lou's with the slanted pickup (that straight pickup was the one aesthetic no-no to me on the originals) and the sustain block is THE hottest Watson, if not the hottest Hamer EVER.

Posted

I much prefer the slanted pup version...Greg knows how to order his stuff! Which one is yours Silentman?

My Hamer collection will never be complete w/o a Watson :P

Posted

Mine is the one that Greg posted. I got inspiration from cajunboy's studio that he ordered. Cajun Burst, baby! I suggested the neck pup slant as I really didn't like it going straight accross. The other reason is that I thought I'd try and spread the pickups apart a bit more since 27 frets got the neck pup very close to the bridge. I'm a big fan of the sustain block, and I asked on both things and they agreed. The guitar is beefy on the bridge pup, and can spank a bit like a tele/strat because of the bridge influence. A TOM bridge would have a totally different feel/sound. I'd love to try a wraparound on it - that would be cool.

Guest big steve
Posted

in the latest guitar world mag,there is a 1/3rd page add for

a new watson guitar made by swinger? or stinger? something like that .have any of you guys seen it?

  • 2 months later...
Posted

I wonder if Hamer will make me one with 24 frets and a full-sized humbucker in the neck position. PM me if you can swing the special order....

Posted

I wonder if Hamer will make me one with 24 frets and a full-sized humbucker in the neck position. PM me if you can swing the special order....

Even if the fretboard were stopped after the 24th fret, it doesn't look like there would be room for a straight neck humbucker due to the treble cutaway.

-Austin

Posted

that's what I thought at first as well, but after much viewing of Watson porn, I think it can be done. At a minimum, it can definitely be done if the pickup is angled Diablo-style.

Posted

that's what I thought at first as well, but after much viewing of Watson porn, I think it can be done. At a minimum, it can definitely be done if the pickup is angled Diablo-style.

Yeah, an angled pickup would definitely work. Let us know if Hamer will actually build one of these for you!

-Austin

Posted

yep, I'm going to move on this. $2500 deposit, I can squeak that past the wife under the radar with some fancy accounting :)

It's just that a year from now, when a new guitar shows up...that'll take some explaining!

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