Hamer Californian Purple Sparkle 1988 Modified Electric Guitar with GK-2

This is a Hamer Californian electric guitar in Purple Sparkle finish. Hamer Guitars are widely considered to be the first brand to offer boutique vintage-style instruments to the professional musician. The company was founded in 1973 by vintage guitar shop owners Paul Hamer & Jol Dantzig. Initially the company focussed on making ‘modern vintage’ instruments that were designed for musicians to take on the road in place of their eye-wateringly expensive genuine vintage Gibsons. Hamer was acquired by Fender in 2007 before being completely discontinued in 2012. The brand was relaunched by KMC Music in 2017 with imported models.

This Californian model was made in the USA in 1988, and features a bolt-on construction comprising a Mahogany body, Rock Maple neck and an extended range Rosewood fingerboard, with 24 full frets and partial 25th, 26th & 27th frets. Black hardware is fitted including Hamer branded sealed tuning machines and an original Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo system. A pair of Hamer Slammer pickups are installed, with a humbucker in the bridge and a slanted single-coil in the neck position. This guitar has been modified to include a Roland GK-2 pickup for use with Roland guitar synthesizer units and other MIDI compatible devices.

The Rock Maple neck plays exceptionally well, with a profile which might be described as a slim ‘C’ shape. This offers comfortable and practical playability across the register without feeling too thin or characterless, as can be the case with some more modern ‘Super-Strat’ guitars. The Rosewood of the fingerboard is pleasant under the fingers, and with its 15” radius is in-keeping with the high-performance ethos of the instrument. The neck heel gently is sculpted to improve access to the upper frets, as are the two generous cutaways. This ensures that access right up to the partial 27th fret is a breeze for players with even the largest of hands.

The pair of Hamer Slammer pickups installed in this guitar deliver an impressive range of tones thanks to their HS configuration. The bridge produces a searing output which is sure to drive your amp into a saturated distortion with ease; perfect for those hair-raising, spandex-clad riffs and rhythm parts. The single-coil in the neck is of course rounder and clearer, and whilst it delivers a more modest output than the bridge still works well for lead lines and solos- not to mention crystalline clean parts. The controls are kept brutally simple, offering just a 3-way selector and master volume for ample control with no distractions. The installed Roland GK-2 pickup provides access to a plethora of synth sounds, and with it’s MIDI output can work with any MIDI device or DAW.