Heritage vs Hamer, fair competition?

[proxmax]

i like them both!

 

for me it is hard to tell which ones are better.

 

what are your opinions?

 

 

-klaus

[zookroo1]

You may get a few slightly biased opinions here...

[Thundersteel]

I responded to them over there.

 

Here's the link to the thread:

 

Hamer vs. Heritage

[JeffB]

BS thread imho.

Its a redundant argument like arguing over two different brands of well made clothes pegs. Stupid for grown men to do.

Ive got a Hamer, a Fender a Gibson a Heritage, PRS, Ibanez, Yamaha's, a Gretsch I cant bond with, a Godin a Jap Fender strat and a few other odds and sods.

For the most part theyre all cool great sounding guitars. Good workmanship. They all have their own vibe. Some fail where others succeed but show their strengths when the others are just the wrong guitar for the job.

My Heritage is by far my favorite guitar. It almost ended any further GAS. Its just right for me. I dont care if its not right for anyone else. I dont even care to much if someone else has problems with their Heritage. Or Hamer. They shouldve tried it first.

I play all my guitars before I buy them. The exception being one PRS. There are no nasty surprises. The exception being one PRS.

When buying, I might wade through as many as 20 guitars before I decide which one I will take. Never sell on, theyre all keepers. Even the PRS now that I found a fix for it.

Not all Hamers sound fantastic and neither do all Heritages. In my quest to find a 535 I only found one I liked and I let that slip through my fingers. Another HOC member got it.

So many of you guys judge guitars by the finish. Im just not to bothered as long as it is structurally sound and sounds and plays great.

None of my guitars are mint condition, theyre all played in with marks and scratches. A little bump in the binding or any other manufacturers finishing flaw is the least obvious blemish.

Out of the case my H150 was gig ready. Ive never adjusted anything other than change strings. Same as my Fender and Hamer and most other's the exception being one PRS, but thats fixed now.

All this BS about "my brands better than your brand" is the stuff of 5yr olds.

 

 

Ok...... cranky rant mode: Off

[Steiner]

Gees Tully, If I bought 5% of the guitars I tried, I'd have about two. Do you know somebody at a music store?

[Kuz]

I mostly agree with Tully.

 

Two completely different types of guitars. Both with excellent handmade quality.

 

Heritage is definitely THE vintage sound.

Hamer is more a modern sound. (For me if I want a more modern sound, I go the PRS route)

 

 

So basically there is no comparison, apple to oranges. As always, YVMM.

[JeffB]

Gees Tully, If I bought 5% of the guitars I tried, I'd have about two. Do you know somebody at a music store?

Well it is a strange thing, and slightly tragic thing for a grown man to do, but yes I do. Im both strange and tragic.

 

But before I started working in a guitar store I always had the policy of trying out all the guitars of a particular model that were accessible to me if I was looking to purchase one. It mightve meant a bit of travel and a lot of shop bothering, but I always had it in my mind that the guitar I was buying was the last one I was going to buy so it had better sound, feel and play right.

Ive got some great guitars that Ive never had a problem with that are ugly colours

 

The store I work at doesnt carry every brand so I still go to other stores if Im looking for something we dont carry. They know who I am and I get some funny looks.(pity, fear, bemusement, hostility. You know, the usual stuff)

 

If I bought 5% of the guitars I tried, Id have a storage problem.

[proxmax]

You may get a few slightly biased opinions here...

 

same as at HFC

[Dick Seacup]

Insofar as Hamer and Heritage both produce guitars, it is fair to compare them. In my mind, though, the respective companies have targeted different niches within the broader market for electric guitars. Hamer, IMO, builds furniture quality instruments that play well, sound good and look fantastic. Heritage, IMO, builds utilitarian guitars that play well, sound good and look fantastic.

 

I have been through both factories. The Hamer factory is very, umm, well, clean. Almost sterile for a place that turns big planks of wood into little planks of wood and lots of sawdust. The Heritage factory is very, umm, well, like the workshop in my basement.

 

I have listened to Jol Dantzig give his tour presentation over the wireless headsets. I have listened to Ren give his tour, uh, well...you can't really call it a presentation, as it is more of a walk down 50+years of musical heritage (no pun intended) and is less about the owners of Heritage Guitar, Inc. than it is about, "Dang, you know, we've all been blessed to have experienced some fantastic moments in musical history."

 

I own several Hamers, one of which I sold and then spent two or three years tracking down so I could buy it back (yeah, silly, huh?). I own several more Heritages, two of which I put up for sale but changed my mind about almost immediately.

 

Would I put Hamer and Heritage in the same class? No, and I won't apologize to my friends here on the HOC, nor to the owners and craftsmen/women at the factory for not doing so. As Bill Kaman, Jr., son of the inventor-founder of Ovation and Adamas, and at one time the President (IIRC) of Kaman Music (the parent company of Hamer from the mid 90s up until last year when FMIC bought them and North America's largest musical instrument distributor) has said repeatedly when similar threads pop up over on the Ovation Fan Club (OFC) board...they're like ice cream; not everybody likes the same flavor, but they're all good in their own way. From what I've seen, Heritage doesn't mind building vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and the occasional Neapolitan flavor guitar. Hamer seems content to focus on high butterfat content, only the freshest of organic ingredients, you'll-eat-what-we-felt-like-making-this-week flavors of guitar.

 

With all of that being said, and completely off the topic of "can you compare Heritage to Hamer," I know which group of factory owners I would rather sit around with in a 100+ year old barn, throwing back Oberon and talking about the myriad small things that make up a full life.

[fxdx99]

With all of that being said, and completely off the topic of "can you compare Heritage to Hamer," I know which group of factory owners I would rather sit around with in a 100+ year old barn, throwing back Oberon and talking about the myriad small things that make up a full life.

 

oh yeh - I like that! Nicely put, mr cup - and increased my anticipation of PSPII another notch (not that I needed THAT!)...

[Jazzpunk]

The Hamers I've played were fantastic instruments but I don't find myself lusting over them. Now a 525 on the other hand...or an Eagle Classic...or a sweet 550...or...

[golferwave]

I owned an early 90's Hamer Sunburst model and it was very nice but the neck was too thin so I sold it. The new ones have to be nice or Jay wouldn't be selling them. There's just something about an H-150 that makes it hard for me to stop playing it and put it away. I think it's the magic that comes from being produced in the Holy Temple of stringed instument factories - 225 Parsons Street.

[pro-fusion]

If, by "compare", you mean saying "this one is better than that one", I don't think you can do that. Both Heritage and Hamer make professional-grade guitars. Feature-wise, they're a lot alike, I think, and they occupy roughly the same market niche. Personally, Heritages feel and sound better for me than Hamers do, but that's just my own personal taste. I feel at home on a Heritage in a way that I don't on Hamers. But you can't actually go wrong either way.

[Kuz]

I owned an early 90's Hamer Sunburst model and it was very nice but the neck was too thin so I sold it. The new ones have to be nice or Jay wouldn't be selling them. There's just something about an H-150 that makes it hard for me to stop playing it and put it away. I think it's the magic that comes from being produced in the Holy Temple of stringed instument factories - 225 Parsons Street.

 

Huh?

 

Please don't take this wrong but since when does a store only stock the "nice" stuff.

 

Stores stock what they can sell and make a profit on (hopefully that stuff is decent)

 

Maybe Jay is different. Or maybe it kind of fits a PRS like niche for him. Or maybe he is the only Hamer dealer around so that's why he stocks Hamer. Maybe he didn't want to pay for the huge "buy in" stocks of Fender, Gibson, or PRS, so he stocks Heritage, G&L, and Hamer.(maybe his profit margin is higher on these brands)?

 

Just question, that's all.

[TalismanRich]

A few years ago, my old band "got back together", along with a guitar player that worked with the drummer. He was a Fender guy, a couple of Teles and a couple of Strats. I had my 157, a Guild S100 and a Dearmond Starfire.

 

He decided he needed a humbucker setup. One day, he comes in with a really nice Hamer Newport, dual humbuckers, bigsby. Setup was great, played like butter. I have to say it played just as well as my 157 or S100... different but very nice. Fit and finish were top notch. Sound was excellent! I've looked at a few, but haven't written the check for one yet. (Instead, I added a 535) But, if the right one comes by for a good price, I would probably add it to the stable.

 

I like some variety!

[golferwave]

Huh?

 

Please don't take this wrong but since when does a store only stock the "nice" stuff.

 

Stores stock what they can sell and make a profit on (hopefully that stuff is decent)

 

Maybe Jay is different. Or maybe it kind of fits a PRS like niche for him. Or maybe he is the only Hamer dealer around so that's why he stocks Hamer. Maybe he didn't want to pay for the huge "buy in" stocks of Fender, Gibson, or PRS, so he stocks Heritage, G&L, and Hamer.(maybe his profit margin is higher on these brands)?

 

Just question, that's all.

 

Huh?

 

Are you saying that $2,000.00 Hamer guitars are easy to sell? Check out the prices on the USA Hamers Jay sells and let me know. If you look at Jay's inventory almost everything he sells other than the imported G&L guitars and some acoustics he stocks have a large price tag including the brands of amps he sells, and in this economy that's a challenge. The last time I checked Fender still owned Hamer and I don't think their buy in philosophy changes by brand. Just my observations.

[Gitfiddler]

Hamer= Very nice, almost perfect, modern guitars with somewhat limited options for their well thought out designs.

 

Heritage= Very nice, almost perfect, modern day vintage guitars with a HUGE list of custom options for their well thought out designs.

[Kuz]

Huh?

 

Are you saying that $2,000.00 Hamer guitars are easy to sell? Check out the prices on the USA Hamers Jay sells and let me know. If you look at Jay's inventory almost everything he sells other than the imported G&L guitars and some acoustics he stocks have a large price tag including the brands of amps he sells, and in this economy that's a challenge. The last time I checked Fender still owned Hamer and I don't think their buy in philosophy changes by brand. Just my observations.

 

GW,

 

I'm sorry and I hope you aren't taking my post the wrong way.

 

I was just a little confused when you said "The new ones must be nice or Jay wouldn't be selling them".

 

1, Does that mean that since he is selling a bunch of them they must be a great guitar?

 

or

 

2. Jay wouldn't sell anything unless it is great/special.

[Thundersteel]

No matter what forum you go on, they're going to be biased. If I were to go on The Fender Forum and ask which is better, Fender or G&L, what do you think the answer will be?

 

I like my Heritages, Hamers, G&Ls, Seagull, Tacoma, and Gibsons. They remind me of Baskin-Robbins--what flavor will I play today?

[JeffB]

No matter what forum you go on, they're going to be biased. If I were to go on The Fender Forum and ask which is better, Fender or G&L, what do you think the answer will be?

 

I like my Heritages, Hamers, G&Ls, Seagull, Tacoma, and Gibsons. They remind me of Baskin-Robbins--what flavor will I play today?

Yep. Play everything and enjoy them for what they are.

Hamer makes the best Hamer's and Heritage make the best guitars I mean Heritages.

[shook494]

Insofar as Hamer and Heritage both produce guitars, it is fair to compare them. In my mind, though, the respective companies have targeted different niches within the broader market for electric guitars. Hamer, IMO, builds furniture quality instruments that play well, sound good and look fantastic. Heritage, IMO, builds utilitarian guitars that play well, sound good and look fantastic.

 

I have been through both factories. The Hamer factory is very, umm, well, clean. Almost sterile for a place that turns big planks of wood into little planks of wood and lots of sawdust. The Heritage factory is very, umm, well, like the workshop in my basement.

 

I have listened to Jol Dantzig give his tour presentation over the wireless headsets. I have listened to Ren give his tour, uh, well...you can't really call it a presentation, as it is more of a walk down 50+years of musical heritage (no pun intended) and is less about the owners of Heritage Guitar, Inc. than it is about, "Dang, you know, we've all been blessed to have experienced some fantastic moments in musical history."

 

I own several Hamers, one of which I sold and then spent two or three years tracking down so I could buy it back (yeah, silly, huh?). I own several more Heritages, two of which I put up for sale but changed my mind about almost immediately.

 

Would I put Hamer and Heritage in the same class? No, and I won't apologize to my friends here on the HOC, nor to the owners and craftsmen/women at the factory for not doing so. As Bill Kaman, Jr., son of the inventor-founder of Ovation and Adamas, and at one time the President (IIRC) of Kaman Music (the parent company of Hamer from the mid 90s up until last year when FMIC bought them and North America's largest musical instrument distributor) has said repeatedly when similar threads pop up over on the Ovation Fan Club (OFC) board...they're like ice cream; not everybody likes the same flavor, but they're all good in their own way. From what I've seen, Heritage doesn't mind building vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and the occasional Neapolitan flavor guitar. Hamer seems content to focus on high butterfat content, only the freshest of organic ingredients, you'll-eat-what-we-felt-like-making-this-week flavors of guitar.

 

With all of that being said, and completely off the topic of "can you compare Heritage to Hamer," I know which group of factory owners I would rather sit around with in a 100+ year old barn, throwing back Oberon and talking about the myriad small things that make up a full life.

 

Very well put!

[Scooter]

Huh?

 

Please don't take this wrong but since when does a store only stock the "nice" stuff.

 

Stores stock what they can sell and make a profit on (hopefully that stuff is decent)

 

Maybe Jay is different. Or maybe it kind of fits a PRS like niche for him. Or maybe he is the only Hamer dealer around so that's why he stocks Hamer. Maybe he didn't want to pay for the huge "buy in" stocks of Fender, Gibson, or PRS, so he stocks Heritage, G&L, and Hamer.(maybe his profit margin is higher on these brands)?

 

Just question, that's all.

 

I've talked with Graham several times and he's told me on more than one occasion that they inspect every guitar thoroughly when they get it in. Graham is a fine luthier and knows what he is doing. He went on to say that they will and have sent Heritages back to the company because they were not the quality that he expects from Heritage. For example: They received their first Heritage 535 with P-90s some time ago (not the one on their site now, this was some time ago) and Jay and Graham rejected it and sent it back to Heritage because it didn't meet the standards they expect from Heritage. He brought up Heritage specifically because he and I were talking Heritage. I feel pretty confident that the same expectations apply to the rest of the manufacturers they carry, guitar or otherwise. Yes, they want to make a profit, of course, but they want to make a profit selling each instrument as long as that instrument meets the expectations of its particular company. If it doesn't meet those expectations it gets sent back. A guitar store has a reputation and Wolfe has its good reputation for a reason.

 

So it stands to reason that if one buys a Heritage from Wolfe they can be assured they are getting the "nice" stuff . Mamma don't take no mess.

HAAY!!!

[skydog]

 

[JeffB]

 

Yep.

My obsession is better than your obsession.

[Jazzpunk]

Yes, they want to make a profit, of course, but they want to make a profit selling each instrument as long as that instrument meets the expectations of its particular company. If it doesn't meet those expectations it gets sent back. A guitar store has a reputation and Wolfe has its good reputation for a reason.

 

So it stands to reason that if one buys a Heritage from Wolfe they can be assured they are getting the "nice" stuff . Mamma don't take no mess.

 

Unfortunately this was not my experience with Wolfe. They do seem like nice enough fellas but I honestly feel like they tried to get one over on me with that crap fill job on the nut of my new 575.