Steve_2020
Silver Supporting Member
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I need suggestions for a pickup/pickups change for my Hamer.
It's a Hamer USA Studio I bought new in 1996 or 97. It has the carved Sunburst maple top, mahogany body/neck, dots on the neck. Not the one with the fancier inlays, but what I considered the good bang for the bucks one. Paid around $1100 out the door. The neck was/is love at first play- a near perfect neck for my hands. Maybe a 12" radius?
It came stock with the Duncan JB/59 pup set. I believe Hamer was using this same pickup config in most of their guitars from the double cutaway line they introduced in the mid 90s, beginning with the plankish FM and FM Specials, then moving up into my carved top guitar and the one above it (Studio Archtop?).
Btw, the JB/59 pickup set has been my default replacement pickup setup since Duncan came out with them. I've put them in 1970s/80s Les Pauls and 335s, always with good results.
My benchmark Gibson bridge pickup tone is Bluesbreakers/Cream era Clapton-> Marshall. Updated benchmark would be Gary Moore's 1990 Les Paul->Soldano (iirc).
The Hamer always was intended to be my Gibson-type guitar, Les Paul-ish though I know nothing is a Les Paul but a Les Paul. The trade off being not *really* getting the fatter, howling Les Paul bridge pup tone, but something close to it - and a Great playing guitar.
Over the years, I've become a bit dissatisfied with especially the JB bridge pickup tone. Too bright and thin. Even rolling back the treble, it seems to be too thin.
The tube amps I play it through are a Marshall 30th Ann combo in the hottest JCM 800 middle mode, also sometimes though a Peavey Classic 30 at practice. It sounds good, but I'm thinking the bridge position could a lot sound better with a pickup change.
After I got my PRS Custom 24 I realized how far off the Hamer was from what I was looking for. I've been playing (yeah, shopping I guess) some Les Paul Standards lately and it's driving home how thin the JB is in this particular Hamer.
Guitar Center would love to sell me a Les Paul Standard which would fill the Les Paul hole nicely, but expensively. I'd have to sell the Hamer to make it work financially and I think I'd regret selling the Hamer as they seem to only go for about $800, maybe a little more... It's an undervalued guitar (if you're the seller).
I've believe I've read someplace that Hamer is now using a different Duncan pickup in whatever they're calling these guitars now. (I think "USA Studios"?). Perhaps a Duncan Custom or Custom Custom?
Does anyone have any experience with these pups (or whatever the current pickup is) or suggestions?
I hate the hassle and expense of changing pickups if I get the pup wrong. Hopefully my description of the tone I'm looking for is good enough to get some suggestions happening. Or perhaps this guitar just won't do it...but I think it will. Just fatter and narlier than what it's doing now.
I had an original Chandler Tube Driver when I first got the Hamer and used to run it through the TD into clean channel of the Peavey. The Driver (which has a power supply that died and appears to be irreparable) buries whatever guitar you run into it, does it's own thing to it...but it was a pretty cool thing with the Hamer. Fattened up that JB nicely.
Wondering if a pickup swap to a darker pickup might take care of thngs....?
TIA for any advice, experiences.
Steve
It's a Hamer USA Studio I bought new in 1996 or 97. It has the carved Sunburst maple top, mahogany body/neck, dots on the neck. Not the one with the fancier inlays, but what I considered the good bang for the bucks one. Paid around $1100 out the door. The neck was/is love at first play- a near perfect neck for my hands. Maybe a 12" radius?
It came stock with the Duncan JB/59 pup set. I believe Hamer was using this same pickup config in most of their guitars from the double cutaway line they introduced in the mid 90s, beginning with the plankish FM and FM Specials, then moving up into my carved top guitar and the one above it (Studio Archtop?).
Btw, the JB/59 pickup set has been my default replacement pickup setup since Duncan came out with them. I've put them in 1970s/80s Les Pauls and 335s, always with good results.
My benchmark Gibson bridge pickup tone is Bluesbreakers/Cream era Clapton-> Marshall. Updated benchmark would be Gary Moore's 1990 Les Paul->Soldano (iirc).
The Hamer always was intended to be my Gibson-type guitar, Les Paul-ish though I know nothing is a Les Paul but a Les Paul. The trade off being not *really* getting the fatter, howling Les Paul bridge pup tone, but something close to it - and a Great playing guitar.
Over the years, I've become a bit dissatisfied with especially the JB bridge pickup tone. Too bright and thin. Even rolling back the treble, it seems to be too thin.
The tube amps I play it through are a Marshall 30th Ann combo in the hottest JCM 800 middle mode, also sometimes though a Peavey Classic 30 at practice. It sounds good, but I'm thinking the bridge position could a lot sound better with a pickup change.
After I got my PRS Custom 24 I realized how far off the Hamer was from what I was looking for. I've been playing (yeah, shopping I guess) some Les Paul Standards lately and it's driving home how thin the JB is in this particular Hamer.
Guitar Center would love to sell me a Les Paul Standard which would fill the Les Paul hole nicely, but expensively. I'd have to sell the Hamer to make it work financially and I think I'd regret selling the Hamer as they seem to only go for about $800, maybe a little more... It's an undervalued guitar (if you're the seller).
I've believe I've read someplace that Hamer is now using a different Duncan pickup in whatever they're calling these guitars now. (I think "USA Studios"?). Perhaps a Duncan Custom or Custom Custom?
Does anyone have any experience with these pups (or whatever the current pickup is) or suggestions?
I hate the hassle and expense of changing pickups if I get the pup wrong. Hopefully my description of the tone I'm looking for is good enough to get some suggestions happening. Or perhaps this guitar just won't do it...but I think it will. Just fatter and narlier than what it's doing now.
I had an original Chandler Tube Driver when I first got the Hamer and used to run it through the TD into clean channel of the Peavey. The Driver (which has a power supply that died and appears to be irreparable) buries whatever guitar you run into it, does it's own thing to it...but it was a pretty cool thing with the Hamer. Fattened up that JB nicely.
Wondering if a pickup swap to a darker pickup might take care of thngs....?
TIA for any advice, experiences.
Steve
