Northfield Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 We've been kicking this idea around for a while in the shop. What do you guys think?Nothing fancy, just a real kick ass guitar, well built that guys like us could afford.
Tres Aardvarks Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 As in what would we want, or what would we pay for it? I honestly think that was a lot of the appeal of the less tricked out Hamers. Still the same awesome build, great sounds and playability but a little less pricey.
diablo175 Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 DO IT! DO IT NOW! Just make sure it has a Floyd, dammit.
Northfield Posted January 4, 2014 Author Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 8:42 PM, Tres Aardvarks said: As in what would we want, or what would we pay for it? I honestly think that was a lot of the appeal of the less tricked out Hamers. Still the same awesome build, great sounds and playability but a little less pricey.How about both..
G Man Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Set neck tele, stop tailpiece, HB bridge, splitable, P90 neck, all hog with a simple cherry wash finish, 25.5" scale.
Northfield Posted January 4, 2014 Author Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 9:14 PM, G Man said: Set neck tele, stop tailpiece, HB bridge, splitable, P90 neck, all hog with a simple cherry wash finish, 25.5" scale. Nice!!!! Price????
G Man Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Keep it under a grand with quality hardware and electronics and I'll get in line for one.
unfun75 Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Here's my idea:The Hamer shapes/designs with plain tops, no binding, dot inlays, minimal options, etc. at affordable prices. $1500 or less. Kind of like the PRS S2 series or the Suhr Pro series.
veatch Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 A single bucker single cutaway like a Krautster or Rist Workhorse. 1000 to 1500 - yessir. I'd be in. Likewise for a double cut P90 junior or 2 pup "senior" Keep that one around 1000. Then do custom orders for 2500 and up depending on options. I'm all giddy with excitement. Please do this!
hamerhead Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Specials with pickup options.Specials routed for 3 humbuckers, and swappable pickguards with a variety of configurations.Specials with no hardware at all - buyer supplies and installs.I like Specials.
cynic Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 On the low side my interest would be strongest with a 25.5" wraptail Special/SG type thing w/ 2v/2t and a pickguard to allow a variety of neck pickup configs.On the high side, a hog/maple plain top bare-bones Tally Pro style.
Steve Haynie Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Northfield, you described the Hamer Special.
crunchee Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 9:22 PM, G Man said: Keep it under a grand with quality hardware and electronics and I'll get in line for one. Under a grand? For a USA build? AND quality parts? Somehow, I don't think that's gonna happen. The old SD Curlee guitars from the '70's had a very similar body shape to the Hamer Special/Gibson Junior/Specials, and it seems like I remember that they were selling in the 'budget' niche of the market back then. I just did a Google search, and apparently SD Curlee has been revived...but the prices are in the Two Grand range. http://www.sdcurleeusa.com/more.htm http://www.sdcurleeusa.com/index.htm Robin Guitars would have been the rough equivalent of what Northfield's suggesting...but there seems to be a reason why Robin is on hiatus...IF they ever come back. Didn't Nathan mention something about Jon Kammerer's almost getting ready to fold up the tent, too? That is, unless it's a no-overhead, word-of-mouth, private builder type of organization. THEN, that might be workable. Ain't I just one big bright ray of sunshine?
cmatthes Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Sounds VERY intriguing...Something direct from the builder to cut out the middle man would be the only way to make that work. Definitely has potential!
rugby1970 Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 10:12 PM, cmatthes said: Sounds VERY intriguing...Something direct from the builder to cut out the middle man would be the only way to make that work. Definitely has potential!Sounds like Carvin but with better quality.......that is not to say that Carvin does not have good quality.A workhorse to me would have to be something that could do both the 25-1/2" scale and the 24-3/4" scale tones, so essentially that is two guitars. One with singles, maple neck, ash body, no trem, no bling, etc. T-51 or Tele. And one with P90s or buckers. all mahogany, no trem, no bling, etc. Studio or similar.Did I just describe the Talladegas?
specialk Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 9:14 PM, G Man said: Set neck tele, stop tailpiece, HB bridge, splitable, P90 neck, all hog with a simple cherry wash finish, 25.5" scale. Hard to beat this logic!
rj2858 Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Set neck not a requirement in my book, and I'd suggest a Strat body shape for the comfort, accessibility it brings.Ash body works for me too. Hey, why don't I just modify Daytonas to my liking?
bubs_42 Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Special, On 1/4/2014 at 9:58 PM, Steve Haynie said: Northfield, you described the Hamer Special.Or the Phantom. Special or Phantom, Mahogany, Sustainblock Triplecoil, P90, little checkerboard stripe under the logo. Sub 2500. I'd go with two p90's even. This whole thread is going to get ridiculous.
Willie G. Moseley Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Jazzmaster body shape on accounta it's the most comfortable.Three pickups, with the switching ability to use any pickup individually and any combination of 'em (seven different options) without complex switching (one reason I like the Peter Frampton Les Paul and the Harmony H77)Coil tap would be nice but not mandatory.Price would be lower if you do not have a vibrato system. If you're taking the Ford truck approach, owners can add their own choice of vibratos....and/or pickups, for that matter.Basic colors. Aftermarket refinishing shops can be utilized by the owners.The proposition sounds, in some respects, like Hartley Peavey, whose mantra is still "quality equipment for working musicians at fair prices."
bubs_42 Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 8:51 PM, Northfield said: On 1/4/2014 at 8:42 PM, Tres Aardvarks said: As in what would we want, or what would we pay for it? I honestly think that was a lot of the appeal of the less tricked out Hamers. Still the same awesome build, great sounds and playability but a little less pricey.How about both.. On 1/4/2014 at 9:14 PM, G Man said: Set neck tele, stop tailpiece, HB bridge, splitable, P90 neck, all hog with a simple cherry wash finish, 25.5" scale. So like a TLE? A Sustainblock 22 fret hog would be cool as hell.
Tres Aardvarks Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 For workingman's guitars I'd say you have to keep it simple. Few options, no crazy fancy stuff. A couple kinds of inlays(dots or crowns), your pick of bridge but not too many choices(Floyd, classic trem, tom, etc). Maybe start with a couple models like a Studio and a more stratty double cut(but dont just make a strat copy, the Chaps and Calis had distinctive shapes). Let the users pick their pup config. With even just those two you could cover a LOT of bases.I'd a Studio type with fixed bridge, HB bridge and P-90 neck and mid. Throw crowns (or something similar) with a mahogany body and ebony or rosewood neck and you'd have a tasty fiddle!
sixesandsevens Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 There's totally a market for it. The big question is how do you differentiate it from the other instruments out there? A friend in marketing recently told me that if you're not "first", "best", or "only" in your market, you've got a long slog ahead of you. I think one differentiator is the idea that it's one guy (or a small team) who are picky about the wood they use. You could probably sell another line of "seconds" for cheaper, but if you make the wood selection process "transparent" to the buyer ... to give the corksniffers warm fuzzies about the parts they won't be able to change easily later... I think they'd flock to it. Esp. if you provided "provenance" on each guitar kind of like in the build threads here... Just some simple photos of the raw materials becoming the guitar that someone's gonna love. Maybe you could try offering it as a bound book from one of these print-on-demand places that goes along with a hand signed certificate. I could even imagine folks getting wet to hear about what was happening around the shop during the time their guitar was built (like, what was on the stereo, or what was in the news). What other big differentiators do you guys think the market's ready for?
Northfield Posted January 4, 2014 Author Posted January 4, 2014 On 1/4/2014 at 9:58 PM, Steve Haynie said: Northfield, you described the Hamer Special.That is one of my special ones.
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