So, time to write Hamer's obituary?

[tbonesullivan]

I would wager that the custom orders have, and will continue to be, a small part of the total number of guitars put out by the USA shop. If Hamer is only taking custom orders, that means that they pretty much dead in the water. That doesn't mean they are sinking or sunk, but that does mean something serious is going on, as for the most part they are just sitting around working on any "in progress" stock instruments, and custom orders.

Of course only someone who works at hamer could let people know what the ratio of "custom" to "dealer stock" is, but in most cases, it's pretty low, and not nearly enough to sustain a company with a bunch of poeple working for it. If it was say, one or two guys, then it's doable.

[tbonesullivan]

Ok ...enough. We get the point. Lets get back on topic.

The topic was about Hamer being able to keep afloat being only a Custom Order shop.

(Poe puts some Vaseline in his leather glove to keep his pimp hand soft.)

They would most likely have to cut back staff, and in this economy, I'm sorry but I don't see a "custom only" shop that doesn't have a huge amount of marketability to be able to survive.

Heritage guitars survives because they are "almost but not quite just like Gibson" guitars, and offer custom colors/options at far less than Gibson. Both makes are relatively expensive. Being a semi-pro trombone player, prices around 2K do not scare me. But in the end, custom guitars are always a risk compared to stock guitars. you have to wait for them, they are usually not returnable, and cost more. And with PRS and Gibson both diversifying their product lines and price points...

Heck even Fender just slashed the prices on just about EVERYTHING. They lowered the price of the Highway 1 strat/teles by $100, put out a new "special" that is somewhere between the highway 1 and the american standard, and cut the price of the american standards by $200.

So, to survive as a custom shop, they'll really need to cut back, and get their name really out there, and convince a lot of people that it is really worth it to get their guitars over standard stock ones that are 1-2K less in price.

[DavidE]

I would wager that the custom orders have, and will continue to be, a small part of the total number of guitars put out by the USA shop. If Hamer is only taking custom orders, that means that they pretty much dead in the water. That doesn't mean they are sinking or sunk, but that does mean something serious is going on, as for the most part they are just sitting around working on any "in progress" stock instruments, and custom orders.

Of course only someone who works at hamer could let people know what the ratio of "custom" to "dealer stock" is, but in most cases, it's pretty low, and not nearly enough to sustain a company with a bunch of poeple working for it. If it was say, one or two guys, then it's doable.

Can anyone say with any certainty what guitars will be built in the former Hamer/Ovation facilities other than Hamer, Ovation and Guild? Are any of the Hamer guys working on Guilds?

[eightyfour]

My 2 cents; who cares? They are still cookin up the dope shit, and prod models are everywhere for damn near nothin. Hamer goes out of biz than I raise a glass of black label to nearly 4 decades of bitcheness, and call it a day.

[MCChris]

Ok ...enough. We get the point. Lets get back on topic. Personal attacks have been removed by myself. We can disagree without name calling.

The topic was about Hamer being able to keep afloat being only a Custom Order shop.

(Poe puts some Vaseline in his leather glove to keep his pimp hand soft.)

I cordially invite you to ..... ah nevermind.

[specialk]

Apropos of nothing, I just never get to use this cool .gif:

[santellavision]

Hamer goes out of biz than I raise a glass of black label to nearly 4 decades of bitcheness, and call it a day.

And then watch the prices of 4-digits and other choice pieces go up!

[tbonesullivan]

Can anyone say with any certainty what guitars will be built in the former Hamer/Ovation facilities other than Hamer, Ovation and Guild? Are any of the Hamer guys working on Guilds?

none of us can. those that might know are most likely under NDA, or just taken in trust to not let people know what they know. I think it would be a complete and total waste/shame to take an existing high-level custom guitar shop that is already set up and just get rid of it, so I would hope that if they aren't going to make production hamers anymore, at least they'll be used to do something else. Now, they aren't really set up for hollow body making, so the only real option would be Guild Electrics, if they choose togo that way.

But, I don't really know anything, that's just speculation on my part.

I certainly HOPE that they keep making hamer guitars. The hamer product line doesn't really interfere with anything FMIC already does. Some might say "GRETSCH" but that's a completely different market.

[ArnieZ]

For those who care and don't know, almost every piece that Willcutt orders is a custom piece. They are Hamer's largest dealer and buy a significant % of their output.

ArnieZ

[SteveB]

its been pretty obvious for a while that this is the direction Hamer has been going. Hamer doesn't want to be a big production shop. Its basically the same as if PRS jettisoned their entire business except for the private stocks. I'm sure some Hamer dealers will order up "custom orders" for stock just as PRS private stocks are often ordered for "stock". At least Hamer wins the "value" award if you compare them directly to the PRS private stock program, and even against Gibson custom shop stuff.

[edgar_allan_poe]

I cordially invite you to ..... ah nevermind.

LOL!!! That's what I'm talkin bout...

Clever comeback.

[serial]

I would wager that the custom orders have, and will continue to be, a small part of the total number of guitars put out by the USA shop. If Hamer is only taking custom orders, that means that they pretty much dead in the water. That doesn't mean they are sinking or sunk, but that does mean something serious is going on, as for the most part they are just sitting around working on any "in progress" stock instruments, and custom orders.

Of course only someone who works at hamer could let people know what the ratio of "custom" to "dealer stock" is, but in most cases, it's pretty low, and not nearly enough to sustain a company with a bunch of poeple working for it. If it was say, one or two guys, then it's doable.

Can anyone say with any certainty what guitars will be built in the former Hamer/Ovation facilities other than Hamer, Ovation and Guild? Are any of the Hamer guys working on Guilds?

I thought this was common knowledge at this point.

[cmatthes]

Can anyone say with any certainty what guitars will be built in the former Hamer/Ovation facilities other than Hamer, Ovation and Guild? Are any of the Hamer guys working on Guilds?

Yes...

...and, Yes.

[DavidE]

Can anyone say with any certainty what guitars will be built in the former Hamer/Ovation facilities other than Hamer, Ovation and Guild? Are any of the Hamer guys working on Guilds?

Yes...

...and, Yes.

I'm pretty common, but don't have much knowledge. So, what is being built other than Hamer, Ovation and Guild? What guitars are the Hamer guys building?

[BCR Greg]

Guilds.

[Pieman]

Guilds.

Not to be silly but is the "Hamer crew" building "custom order" Guilds or production guilds or both?

Greg, I owe you a call about that Standard you sold me on in December. For the rest of the world, this is related to this thread.

In December Greg posted photos of a Standard that somebody walked away from. Supposedly one of the last of the prod line whatevers. Quite frankly I am not sure if I believe all of this stuff about the last of the prod line guitars but I trust what Greg says. It was the first new Hamer I ever bought and I have owned only 4-6 (currently have two). Greg almost had to talk me into it because it was before Christmas, tuition bills were on the table, etc. I bought it because I drink the Hamer Kool-Aid and am not sure that there will be any other chances to pick up a Standard built while the company was focused on Hamers and seemlingly comfortable in their zone. It was exactly the questions being raised here that caused me to buy this. It cost me twice what I ever spent on a guitar. Was it worth it? To me yes. If forced to flip it, I'd lose a good chunk, but this is not going anywhere. I will shoot some photos soon.

[mc2]

OK...I own up. All of this is MY fault!!

I collect mainly Hamer, Kubicki and SUNN. Ever since I went to that Fender NAMM party back around '93 and made fun of Bill Schultz to his face about having Steven Segal jam with Bonni Raitt and The Ventures, Fender has just been trying to get me back by buying up the brands I collect and do strange things with them, just to fuck with me.

Yes,it's MY fault!!

Crazy bastards

If you don't believe me...then why did Steven Segal also become a sheriff in Jefferson Parish, just over the New Orleans city line, just waiting for me to cross over?

Never tell an actor that he sucks on guitar.

[guitarzandstuff]

What I'd like to know is "Can I get a REAL custom order"??

4 diggy headstock and logo placement???

[tbonesullivan]

Are these acoustics, or are we once again going to have access to Starfires and S-100s?

[esquared]

If it is really just custom, then can I order something with boomers now?

HFC limited edition with boomers, hmmm?

Please, please, please.

[bubs_42]

The Horse is Dead!

LOL!

[cmatthes]

Are these acoustics, or are we once again going to have access to Starfires and S-100s?

Just really fine acoustics for now, at least.

[diablo175]

I'd order one, but I'm simply full up on guitars. Two hamers, two heritages, three carvins, two carvin basses, two gibsons, and a ton of amps.

One of my friends said he'd heard of hamer but they were "too expensive"... and then he bought an LP classic for $1600. Hamer makes great guitars, but they don't have the brand recognition that larger brands have. Even their import models still sell a lot less than other brands, even though their design is just as good.

What hamer really needs is someone big and famous (moreso than Cheap Trick) to be seen with Hamer guitars. Not easy, considering the big F and G are very quick to find artists, as are a lot of other makers like dean, washburn, ibanez, esp, etc. It's a jungle out there.

+1. Too full up on guitars to afford a custom ordered. 4 Hamers, 3 BC Richs, 2 Jackson, 2 Ibanez, 1 Charvel, 1 Gibson, 1 Fender, 1 Dean and 1 Peavey.

[Scottcrud]

What hamer really needs is someone big and famous (moreso than Cheap Trick) to be seen with Hamer guitars. Not easy, considering the big F and G are very quick to find artists, as are a lot of other makers like dean, washburn, ibanez, esp, etc. It's a jungle out there.

Kind of hard to do that when Hamer doesn't give out endorsements... Robin doesn't either. I guess some companies just don't want to get bigger.

[Steve Haynie]

What hamer really needs is someone big and famous (moreso than Cheap Trick) to be seen with Hamer guitars. Not easy, considering the big F and G are very quick to find artists, as are a lot of other makers like dean, washburn, ibanez, esp, etc. It's a jungle out there.

Kind of hard to do that when Hamer doesn't give out endorsements... Robin doesn't either. I guess some companies just don't want to get bigger.

Jol and Frank explained their position on free guitars at an early open house. Free guitars do not guarantee anything other than the company is out of a guitar. Paid endorsements can get expensive.