Hamer Guitars: Amazing Custom Guitar Designs by Jol Dantzig. Handmade Guitars

More Keb' 'n' Monaco

Couldn't resist showing this surprise inside the new Keb' Mo' CD. Now I've got to get back to work.

Monday... So Many Possibilities

Some folks dread Monday, but not us in The Workshop. As the beautiful New England fall sunrise burns the fog off the sparkling river outside our shop door, we're reminded of the possibilities we're handed each week. Can't wait to see what's in store.

Here's the fly fishing nirvana just outside our window—like living in a watercolor painting.

Tone in the Ear of the Beholder

Tone could be one of the most misused words in the guitar lexicon. It's a word that gets thrown around to describe any number of attributes of a guitar's (or guitarist's) sound. "Oh, he's got great tone." I'm sure you've said it yourself, but did you really know what you were talking about? Is it the touch, the attack or the bloom? Is it the balance and relative amplitude of the different frequencies—or is it all of the above and more?

Even more frustrating can be the fact that not everyone hears things the same way. I think Robert Cray has a great sound, but you think he sounds thin and weak. Who is right? Well, that's easy, I'm right—but that's another story. One can only imagine the amount of energy required to archive and serve the number words of internet babble about Clapton's "Woman Tone" or Peter Green's out of phase sound on old Fleetwood Mac recordings. 

Here's a funny little thing that occurred as we were filming Jon Herington's video segments. Jon was demonstrating how the neck pickup sound on his Talladega Pro was so fat that he used the EQ on his Tube Screamer, not to add distortion, but to cut the bass and add clarity to the notes. As he played the "undesirable" sound of the guitar unmodified, I noted that a lot of players would like to get such a sound. "It doesn't work for me" was his reply, as he forged ahead with his explanation of how he changes it to fit into the Steely Dan format. Take a look:

One of the things you can take away from this is that even a great sound may not be appropriate in every setting. Of course, I'd take it one step further and say that any sound can be used in the right place. This probably comes from spending a lot of time in the studio, dissecting mixes and adding overdubs. You learn very quickly that there's not a lot of room for big sounds once the rest of the band is in the mix. If you listen to "Outside Woman Blues" you'll hear that it's primarily the hook—and the huge holes that the rhythm section leaves for Clapton's fat sound is why, in that case, it works.

Mothra Visits Guitar Workshop

This little guy was outside our loading dock, recuperating after a battle with a small bird. It has a wingspan of about five inches, about the size of a finch! Seriously, I'd never seen one this big—except in movies. It's name is cecropia, which is a silk-moth.

Not wanting it to get crushed by a truck, Mark scooped it up and put it in some grass by the river where it could rest up to fight another day. Sorry for no guitar content, but some days it's not about the guitars.

Video Crew in the Workshop

By now our guys are used to it—cameras poking at them and microphones shoved under their noses. It seems people can't get enough of what we do and say. And why not? We're a dying breed—an anachronism in the world of instant communication and impulse gratification. People love that. We take our time and do things to a level that is beyond just function. It makes great copy and it also makes great video. It's a little distracting, but we're proud of the instruments we make, our shop, and what we do for a living.

 

So when Public Television showed up this week, Dave and the guys were ready for their closeups. Yes, Dave is actually hand-carving a guitar neck—but you already knew that, right?

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Talladega Pro Nominated: Best Electric Guitar of 2008

Just a little end of year surprise—we got news that the Talladega Pro has been nominated by the prestigious Music & Sound Retailer awards for Electric Guitar of the Year honors.

When a custom-made, handbuilt design like our Tal Pro gets to mix it up with the heavyweight factories for an award, we feel like we've really done our job. Hamer has never been mainstream, so the strength of the design has to be showing for something like this to happen.

The voting isn't over yet, but we are happy to get the acknowledgement, now we'll get back to preparing "thank you" speeches.

Guitar Workshop Blog Readers Invited!

Our friends at RealWheels Corporation in Gurnee, IL have extended an invitation to Workshop Blog readers to visit their facility and view the Dream Police Tactical Vehicle! 

This opportunity will give everyone interested, a chance to see the vehicle up close, prior to its trip to Vegas.  Bring your camera, see a selection of show vehicles, meet the project team, and maybe even challenge them to a quick game of ROCKBAND! 

Where:  RealWheels Corporation – 3940 Tannahill Dr. Gurnee, IL 60031 

When: Tuesday December 23rd.  (Open House) 10:00 am – 6:00 pm 

For additional information, contact us at: (847) 662-7722 or jdolphin@realwheels.com 

Talladega Pro Wins Hamer's8th Editors' Pick Award in a Row

The headline says it all. The guys in the shop are doing exactly what they do best and the acclaim from the reviewers is pouring in. Today they are celebrating yet another Guitar Player magazine Editors' Pick award—our eighth in a row!  GP has reviewed eight of our guitars since 1999, and every one has recieved this award, quite a feat. That's what happens when great design meets flawless execution.

L to R: Mike, Enrico, Dave, Tom, Todd, Mark, Collin, Gary, Mike D. and Jamie.

Congratulations to the Hamer crew, world champions and the best builders in the business!

Hamer Guitar Workshop Featured in Premier Guitar Magazine

We've worked hard to create great products that bring joy and satisfaction to our clients. Our efforts are acknowledged worldwide by collectors and fans, artists and our peers in the industry. Today is a good day for the guys in the shop as their latest work, the Talladega Pro is featured on the cover of the October issue of Premier Guitar magazine.

 Click here to read the entire article

Cars, Guitars and Old Friends

It's always nice to reconnect with old friends; especially when they share the same passions. So I was stoked to see my old buddy Mark Elias, who dropped by on Friday as he was passing through the area with his wife Pam. Originally from Chicago, Mark was often a guest in our Arlington Heights shop, where he fueled his early guitar habits. Back in the day, Mark worked as a photographer for Associated Press, but he also loved guitars and automobiles.

Nowadays, Mark is a respected photojournalist who specializes in the automotive field; writing for magazines and online publications such as Leftlanenews.com, Motor Trend, Car and Driver and Autoweek. Here's a couple of his shots, starting with a one-off Iso Grifo built in Italy with a monster Corvette motor.

And one of my favorites:

Mark's latest assignment was to field test the newest Mercedes BlueTEC ML320 starting in New York City. You can see where this is going—somehow, this time he's managed to cram all of his obsessions into one trip. Naturally, as soon as he left Manhattan, Mark aimed the big Benz straight for New Hartford.

Upon arrival at our little enclave, our guests were treated to a tour of the Hamer workshop. Much to Mark's delight, Pam was really fascinated and impressed with all the handwork and artistry involved in making our guitars. I could see the wheels turning in Mark's head. After meeting everyone and sampling some guitars, it was time for lunch and a demo of the new Mercedes. The drive into town is only about a half mile so I couldn't really tell much, but Mark assures me that I'd love to own one! The fare at Chatterly's cafe is surprisingly world-class for a sleepy little town smaller than the size of your average shopping mall, so our guests left satisfied and primed for the rest of their trip. Here's a shot that Mark took just down the road:

I was sorry to see our friends leave so soon, but there's always more work to do in the workshop.

You can read about the trip here.

Guitar Makers Get Airport Display

Hey, a cool thing happened and I just thought I'd share it with you. As I mentioned, I just got back from a vacation, and as I passed through the airport terminal in Hartford, I saw a display that had been set up of our guitars. It was in the state's Connecticut Artists Showcase, which makes pretty good sense to me because I think of our builders as artists.

Of course I knew it had been done, but I didn't go to the opening ceremony or whatever they call it and had honestly forgotten about the whole thing. So when I walked through the terminal and saw the display for the first time it took a second to sink in.

It's pretty cool—in addition to about a half-dozen guitars, there are pieces of wood and guitar parts strewn about in the case along with chisels and other guitar making tools. Our web-guy Scott and Frank Rindone had made up some posterboard blow-ups of the our catalog with photos of the guys in the shop and it looked great.

I had my wife take my picture in front of the display, just like a tourist! Now that's culture!

Handmade Guitars, Really Made by Hand

Today, I was working on a project and glanced over at Tom, who was drilling the tuner holes in a trio of Korina Standards that he was building. He'd measured and marked out the locations, then center punched each one with a scribe. As he began to work on the drill press, I thought about how many times I've read about "handmade" guitars that are really just made in a factory—so I grabbed the video camera. Here it is folks, the real deal. No marketing BS or mojo-spin, just real artists working without a net.

Music Radar Provides Talladega Tuesday

Very few things in life can kick-start your day like some really appreciative feedback. Out there, in the corporate world, savvy managers know this, and use it to motivate their team. Nothing is more counterproductive at 6:00 AM than a dour remark. Luckily, here in the workshop I don't have to manufacture reasons to praise our guys. Our customers, associates and peers cherish our work and heap praise upon us—I merely pass it on.

Sometimes uplifting news is from a client who has left a voice mail or email about how blown away they are, having just received their new guitar. Other times it's news from a touring artist who is getting some great performance out of one of our instruments. Or, like today, someone sends a link to a magazine review of our stuff—like this one. It's an outfit called Musicradar in England, and they've done a history lesson about Hamer as well as a Taladega spread.

I don't know who these guys are or how they got their hands on a Talladega over there in Britain, but they seem to really like it. They've obviously done their homework, as there are a ton of quotes lifted from interviews and promotional material. I'd have to say that they've captured the essence of what the Talladega is all about. You can read it here.

Of course, we're professionals and know all about "self-motivation" so nothing inspires us as much as knowing we're doing our own best work. Our allegiance is to our craft. That said, it is nice to know that we're appreciated. It made us feel so good that we put on some Greg V music and got right back to work.

Long May She...ROCK!

Girls in uniform! We got a little note today from one of our customers who received the custom airbrushed "flag" Standard.
I'll just fast-forward to it:

I'd like to thank you guys for makin' this possible. Yes she cried when she saw it like the last one haha. I'd like to tell you how much I appreciate you making guitars to my specs. I may own a few other brands but I always play Hamer!

Randy

Randy and Lisa, thanks to both of you for helping to keep ALL our dreams alive!

Guitar Builders turn Rockstar!

Building guitars by hand is a somewhat solitary venture; a stark contrast to the the world in which those instruments are meant to perform. Most days, we go about our business quietly, almost secretly. Ok, occasionally, we have to let the world know we exist in order to remain in business, but for the most part we're really quite happy to follow our hearts and stay focused on what really matters—doing great work.

Other times, we're thrust into the spotlight, like when we're interviewed by a magazine or filmed for television. When I go on the road to visit our dealers I literally take the stage for Hamer. But sometimes, it's a customer who swings the white hot beam of light into our workshop, and puts the guys center stage.

That's what happened this week when one of our good customers, a guy who has a nice little collection of super-customized Hamers, asked us to autograph his hat. Of course we were happy to oblige, but the guys in the shop were almost embarrassed about it. We like to let the work speak for itself, and believe me, it's a team effort. So, in that spirit, we all signed the cap as a team. It's just a way for us to say thanks, and connect with a "fan."

A good way to end the week...

Dave takes the first swing as the rest of the crew watches.

Todd puts his mark on the back while Gary, Tom, Mark and Mike wait their turns.

Mark, Jamie and Todd loom in the background as Mike D. wields the pen.

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