GAS Hamer double-cut - Korean. Talk me into or out of it.

[Engine Swap]

Hi All,

I've always loved the look of the Hamer double-cuts. Vintage US made ones are out of reach, but it seems like the MIK models can still be had for around $350.

Any comments on sound, weight, playability, etc... appreciated. I have a Gibson SG, but these seem more like a LP copy.

 

[stepvan]

Buy it.

 

[G.Rotten]

Hi All,

I've always loved the look of the Hamer double-cuts. Vintage US made ones are out of reach, but it seems like the MIK models can still be had for around $350.

Any comments on sound, weight, playability, etc... appreciated. I have a Gibson SG, but these seem more like a LP copy.

I briefly had the Gold Top P90 version. It was a fun guitar. Don't expect me to be the voice of reason. I hear many voices but the reasonable ones are the most quiet.

 

[backporchmusic]

They are more LP like than SG.

And no, I won't talk you out of buying one. In fact, you need one.

 

[Orpheum]

Very pretty guitar.
I don't know their quality level (hardware, pickups, woods...).

 

[hamerfan]

I always had a point where i went back to the original. I had a 1984 MIJ Squier, some years later a bought a US Strat, I had Korean Epi Les Paul in the 90ies, years later i bought Gibson Les Paul, but i resistet to buy a Korean Hamer and bought a used 1979 Hamer Special. No regrets.

 

[TheMattJones88]

I had one for a year or so. It was ehhh? It was nice and lightweight, sounded fine, but I couldn't bond with it. It felt like I was playing a plastic guitar, and it just didn't inspire me to play it. It was a good guitar for the $200 I paid for it, but I don't know that I'd pay much more than that for it.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Drop ... some money... on something ... ...

 

[naveed211]

You can sometimes find a USA Hamer for under $1000, if that’s more in your reach.

That said, the Korean ones are in Epiphone territory to me, sometimes you can find a gem, but many are just okay. I’ve played a lot of them over the years, Hamer is one of my favorite brands (owned a couple USA). I had an MIK Duotone and a lower end one. Both were good guitars for the money, especially the Duotone which was very good.

I’d be confident it’d be a pretty good guitar.

 

[Rich_S]

Are you sure that one’s Korean? It looks like a later Chinese model

I have a red “Slammer Series”, which was the first Hamer import import line. They seem to be the most highly-thought-of imports, made by Cort. It’s a great guitar and the only Gibby-scale mahogany humbucker guitar I own.

 

[Jupiter]

You should get it

Or don’t

 

[That Cal Webway]

IT'S HAMER TIME!!

 

[richiek65]

I briefly had the Gold Top P90 version. It was a fun guitar. Don't expect me to be the voice of reason. I hear many voices but the reasonable ones are the most quiet.

I have the Cherry Sunburst version. As mentioned elsewhere here, Epiphone quality, the pickups are hot but have a beautiful growl to them. Nice timber and very nicely put together. The tuners are reasonable only, but overall it's a decent axe and I paid almost nothing for mine.

 

[Dan R]

I'm not sure about the quality on those but I love the look of them. Hamer USA would definitely be a winner. Hamer made some fine guitars along the way.

 

[G.Rotten]

I have the Cherry Sunburst version. As mentioned elsewhere here, Epiphone quality, the pickups are hot but have a beautiful growl to them. Nice timber and very nicely put together. The tuners are reasonable only, but overall it's a decent axe and I paid almost nothing for mine.

I bought mine used for $160 CAD with a hardcase about 4-5 years ago just to goof around on for a bit and see what it was all about. It was a decent guitar with no quality issues. The pickups did love gain but didn't clean up as nice as other P-90's. I might have kept it a while longer but lucked into a Gibson with P-90's.

 

[Engine Swap]

Are you sure that one’s Korean? It looks like a later Chinese model

I have a red “Slammer Series”, which was the first Hamer import import line. They seem to be the most highly-thought-of imports, made by Cort. It’s a great guitar and the only Gibby-scale mahogany humbucker guitar I own.

Yeah - stock photo, might be Chinese. Nice to hear you got a good one.

I'm not sure about the quality on those but I love the look of them. Hamer USA would definitely be a winner. Hamer made some fine guitars along the way.

Would love a USA Hamer, but my main guitars are always Fenders. Can’t justify the cost for a backup guitar.


I’ve been doing more research and it’s hard to pin down specs and models. Some of them seem to have narrow necks, which would be a deal breaker.

I’m going to (try) to be patient and see if anything shows up locally. The quality and reviews are all over the place on these. Would want to try before buying. May launch a parallel search for a Les Paul.

 

[Zepfan]

PRS SE Santana model looked just like These and were usually around $700.

 

[ChicknPickn]

For myself, I have the two-week rule. Think on it for two weeks. If you still must have it, buy it.

 

[carpenter]

NO

 

[widefault]

Are you sure that one’s Korean? It looks like a later Chinese model

I have a red “Slammer Series”, which was the first Hamer import import line. They seem to be the most highly-thought-of imports, made by Cort. It’s a great guitar and the only Gibby-scale mahogany humbucker guitar I own.

I had one of these myself, although with black plastics and Duncan Designed pickups. Had it the same time I had a Korean PRS SE. For me, there was no real difference between the two. I preferred the Hamer, but mostly because I like the way it hung on a strap better, the PRS was always slightly off-center for me.