99 - Hamer Time

This weekend I shot my Hamer Special FM. The Special FM is no longer made, but it's basically a slab-cut Les Paul. It has the classic Les Paul formula of dual humbuckers, mahogany body and neck, and a maple top. It varies from the formula with a double-cutaway shape and a control configuration of two volumes, a master tone, and a 3-way toggle placed on the lower bout. US-made Hamers are great instruments with excellent woods, top-shelf parts, and superb fit and finish. The thick maple top on this one is PRS-pretty with an amber finish.  I bought this guitar 20 years ago and it's still in fine shape. It has a few surface scratches and the pickup covers have a fair amount of corrosion (one of the drawbacks of nickel-silver covers). I swapped out the original pickups for Duncan Seth Lovers, which are particularly authentic reproductions of '50s era Gibson PAF pickups. They're low in output and very warm sounding, with just enough bite to be articulate. All of which adds up to a vintage Les Paul sort of sound. I used this guitar for some of the rhythm tracks on my first CD and they ended up being the songs that had the best guitar sounds on the record. The only real criticism I have for the Special FM is that the short upper horn makes the guitar just a bit neck-heavy when balanced on a strap.

I've reached a crossroads with my guitar photo series. I have several photos left to post-process, but beyond that I'm trying to decide if I want to continue the series or not. I've learned a lot and of course there's always more to learn, but I think I could advance my cause more by moving on and finding some new challenges. On the other hand, the series has gone very well and has generated a fair bit of traffic to my web sites. Most likely, I will at least take a break from photographing guitars for awhile and maybe return to it in the future when my enthusiasm for it has recharged.

29 - What Would Ace Do?

In my last post I mentioned that I traveled to Dallas over the weekend.  The reason was to visit a dear friend and guitar collector in order to shoot several of his guitars for inclusion in my guitar series of photos I started late last year.  I got a lot of great shots, of which this is merely the first one I processed.  I'll be showing the best of them on my main blog as I finish processing them.  After I've completed the series, I intend to self-publish a photo book.  If you're interested in a copy, go to the main blog and get my contact information.

When my buddy pulled this guitar out of the case, I knew that it had to be in my series.  The cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul has a special place in my heart.  It's the very first guitar I lusted after.  The one that kindled a life-long passion for me.  I was a big fan of KISS back when I was 12 and Ace Frehley played a cherry sunburst Les Paul.  I wanted one in the worst way.  But of course, 12 year olds generally can't afford real Les Pauls.  Shoot, I'm middle aged and it's still a whole lot of money.  I shot this one in front of an old Marshall amp because that's what Ace played 'em through, and to my mind, that's the quintessential pairing with a Les Paul.

4 - Green Meanie

Today's picture is a new addition to my guitar series of photos.  I bought my first guitar with money I'd saved up mowing lawns over the summer.  I remember that one my friends thought I was crazy to spend so much money on it.  But in the end, it's been a passion for over 30 years, so I would argue that it was a very good investment.  I gave that first guitar to an old bandmate who had all his gear stolen from his van.  Like me, the guy lived and breathed guitar and it broke my heart to see him without one.

Oh, and the guitar in this picture is a '96 PRS Custom 22.  The Custom 22 is incredibly versatile and is probably the most playable guitar I've owned.  It sounds amazing through a vintage-type English amp, like a Marshall or a Vox.  Paul Reed Smith knows how to build an exceptional instrument.  Green is my favorite color and I particularly like this one's shade.