Hamer USA Sunburst 1982 Bound & Crown All Original Paperwork Rare Custom Order Onboard Clean Boost

Here we have one of the cleanest early 80's Hamer Sunbursts I've ever seen. You'll be hard pressed to find a cleaner example of what some consider the best year for a Hamer. A true case queen, this guitar is completely original and unmolested. This is your chance to own an ultra-clean, top-of-the-line, vintage Hamer Sunburst with the highly sought-after bound neck and crown inlays.

The quality of wood Hamer used to craft this Sunburst is unparalleled. You just don't see wood like this on modern guitars. Every piece is a stunner, from the rosewood of the fingerboard to the flamed maple top. The one piece Honduras mahogany body has a subtle flame figuring which I haven't seen before on a solid body guitar. Hamer was notorious for the amount of wood they rejected, and this guitar is a wonderful illustration of their ridiculously high standards.

The hand-carved neck is one of the most comfortable I've ever held. I would call it a full C shape, but not too chunky. The frets are all in like new condition with the exception of minor surface corrosion due to lack of play. They will polish up nicely and show virtually no play wear.

The finish is practically flawless, with the small scratch on the back illustrated in the photo to be the only real blemish I can find. I've seen new guitars at shops with more wear than this thing.

The Schaller tuners and sustain block bridge shine like new. The grained ivoroid binding and pickup rings show no signs of aging. One of the benefits of spending so much time in the case.

The Hamer branded original hard shell case is the ultra-rare brown with purple lining version. It is starting to show its age around the edges, but is in excellent condition considering it is nearly 40 years old.

I've only pulled this guitar out of the case and played it a handful of times and I've owned it for over ten years. It's time to let it go to someone who will enjoy playing this guitar as much as I have on the few times I've plugged it in. The tone of this guitar may outshine the appearance.

This guitar has every custom option available at the time and features a factory onboard clean boost circuit. Apparently this was only available during a short window in the early 1980s. The original receipt shows this option cost $43 in 1982.

The clean boost is activated by a switch behind the three-way pickup switch and replaces the tone pot with a boost gain control. Instead of the standard volume, volume, tone this guitar has volume, tone, boost gain. The guitar remains a passive instrument and sounds amazing without a battery powering the clean boost.

The clean boost is simply incredible. When engaged, it offers a transparent umph right where you need it. The guitar just gets louder. I presume that's due to the fact that it's wired into the circuit so there is no latency or loss due to a chord in the way. Just plug straight into an amp and you have the benefit of a completely transparent boost pedal controlled from the guitar.

All original paperwork is included including the deposit receipt and final receipt, the warranty card, and the letter signed by Paul Hamer verifying the warranty registration. At the time, the original owner took advantage of the option to have his name etched into the truss rod cover. He also bought a spare blank one just in case he wanted to swap it out. Both are included in the sale.

I acquired the guitar from  Bob Mann, the original owner. If you are unfamiliar with Bob's work, according to his wikipedia page he has played with James Taylor, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Cher, Neil Diamond, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, Brecker Bros., the Crusaders, Aaron Neville, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Astrud Gilberto, Steve Tyrell, Lionel Hampton, Chico Hamilton, Melissa Manchester, Tony Orlando, BJ Thomas, Kenny Loggins, Mountain, Linda Eder and many more.

Guitar will be professionally packed and shipped via USPS or FedEx, insured for full value, depending on buyer's location and/or preference.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or if you'd like more photographs. Thanks for looking!