Gary Moore Owned 1984 Hamer Explorer #0731 Natural | Hamer Standard w/One-Piece Flame Honduras Mahogany Back, Flame Maple Top, Honduras Mahogany Neck, Scimitar Headstock w/Rare Flame Maple Veneer, DiMarzio PAF + Hamer Slammer Humbuckers & Sperzel Tuners

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Smokestack Guitars Limited are specialists & purveyors of the unique, boutique, elusive & off-beat!

Based in the North East (UK), we present a killer curation of some of the wildest and most unique six-string rarities around.

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**This guitar is UK delivery only at this time - please enquire for international delivery**

Gary Moore's 1984 Hamer Explorer #0731 Natural Finish | Four Digit Hamer Standard with One-Piece Flame Honduras Mahogany Back, Flame Maple Top, Three-Piece Honduras Mahogany Neck (Stressed-Neck System), Scimitar Headstock w/Rare Flame Maple Veneer, DiMarzio PAF + Hamer Slammer Humbuckers & Sperzel Tuners (Gary Moore Spec)

Serial: #0731

Built by Hamer for Gary Moore in 1984 Used On The Recording Of The Run For Cover Album, On The Wild Frontier Tour & Featured Heavily In Promotional Materials inc. For Promos Of Phil Lynott And Gary Moore's Final Two Songs Together!

Gary Moore Spec'd: Neck Pickup Magnetically Out Of Phase + Sperzel Tuners (As Per His Greeny!)

| One-Piece Flame Honduras Mahogany Back | Two-Piece Flame Maple Top | Creme Body and Fretboard Binding | Mother of Pearl Crown Inlays | 24.75" Scale Length | Three-Piece Honduras Mahogany Neck | Scimitar Headstock w/Flame Maple Veneer | Carbon Steel Truss Rod | 1/4" Rosewood Fretboard | 22 Frets | 12" Radius | Lubritrak Nut | DiMarzio PAF Neck Humbucker | Hamer Slammer Bridge Humbucker | Original Hamer Potentiometers & Wiring | Gotoh Tune-O-Matic Bridge & Stoptail | Original Aluminium Control Cavity & Plastic Toggle Switch Cavity Plates | Print Materials Providing Documentation & Provenance | Hardshell Case |

"Lately I have been experimenting with guitars like Hamers. I've got a Hamer Explorer which they built for me recently. It's a great instrument. They built it out of a beautiful piece of maple. It's the closest thing you can have to a tasteful Explorer shape guitar. It sounds really fantastic, so I've been playing that quite a lot..." - Gary Moore | Guitarist Magazine | Volume 1, Number 8 - January 1985 |

Our Price: £100,000 OIRO

**Many Additional Pictures Available Upon Request**

Overview

It is an enormous privilege to be able to offer for sale Gary Moore’s 1984 Hamer Standard #0731 - or “Hamer Explorer” as he referred to it!

This iconic instrument had widespread and prominent use by Gary during a significant part of his career including during the recording of his much-celebrated Run for Cover album (see Provenance & Documentation section below). 

It was also used live on the Wild Frontier Tour and in many of the promotional materials around the Out in the Fields & Military Man release - sadly, the final songs that Gary and Phil Lynott published together.  

Jol Dantzig (founding partner and owner of Hamer) gave some further information on Gary’s unique Hamer Standard: “I've confirmed that we did indeed build and ship a “Natural Finish” guitar serial #0731 for Gary Moore. It was invoiced on August 31, 1984 and shipped via air freight to Dirk Sommer in England. Dirk was handling the logistics of Gary’s equipment purchases. Gary purchased and paid for this guitar (our invoice #18917) as is our usual practice with artists. Gary was pictured with it in a number of photos including the now famous poster with Phil Lynott”.

This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to own a very special guitar admired, recorded and toured by Gary Moore. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! 

Provenance & Documentation

In addition to the below documentation, most of which will come included with the guitar, there is a signed letter by Jack Moore (Gary’s son) confirming that the instrument was owned by his father. There is also a copy of the message from Hamer’s Jol Dantzig (previously detailed above). Included are two signed letters from previous shops that were formerly in possession of the guitar.

-    Guitarist Magazine | Volume 1, Number 8 – January 1985: Gary mentions his fondness for his new Hamer Explorer right at the very beginning of the interview: “Lately I have been experimenting with guitars like Hamers. I’ve got a Hamer Explorer which they built for me recently. It’s a great instrument. They built it out of a beautiful piece of maple. It’s the closest thing you can have to a tasteful Explorer shape guitar. It sounds really fantastic, so I’ve been playing that quite a lot…” (Guitarist magazine included with guitar)

-    International Musician And Recording World Magazine | November 1985: Gary takes the front cover of the magazine, the article inside has Gary mention that he used the Hamer Explorer whilst recording Run for Cover: “On the album I mainly used this white Hamer which is based on a Les Paul special and has a Floyd Rose tremolo system fitted — it's clamped at the nut so it doesn't go out of tune. Eddie Van Halen was the first person to draw attention to the Floyd Rose, and I find them the best tremolo system around. Also I used this other Hamer which is based on an Explorer shape and it's made of Maple so it's much heavier built.” (Magazine not included – can send link to digital copy)

-    Gary Moore – Emerald Aisles. Live In Ireland: Used on the front cover of the VHS, LaserDisc and DVD release. (VHS included with guitar)

-    Gary Moore Live in ’85 Tour Programme: Features on the front cover and it is shown inside as part of his guitar collection on a double-page spread. (Programme included with guitar)

-    Gary Moore Run For Cover UK Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl: Photographed with Gary on Side A of the vinyl. Interesting note – Gary thanks Paul Hamer on the back of the vinyl sleeve (Vinyl included with guitar)

-    Shades (Japanese Bootleg Label) 069 Release “Gary Moore - Most Recall: Live at Nakano Sunplaza, Tokyo, Japan 14th July 1987”: From the Wild Frontier Tour. The back cover of the CD shows Gary playing his Hamer Explorer live here. (Copy of photo included).

-    Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields Promotional Poster: Features in the iconic image of Gary and Phil back together. (Not included)

-    Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields/Military Man Puzzle Picture Discs: Featured on Gary’s Side A (Out In The Fields) cut-out picture disk. (Not included)

Hamer's Heritage: Raising The Standard

Widely regarded as the first American "boutique" guitar company, any early "Four Digit" Hamer is a treat in its own right and they are highly sought by aficionados. 

Borne as a response to the guitar industry's shift to mass production and with a deep affection for what are now vintage instruments, Hamer showcased genuinely some of the finest luthiery of the time. With an unrelenting emphasis on craftsmanship, first-class materials, and with their instruments soon retailing for roughly double the price of a Gibson Les Paul Standard, unbeknownst to Hamer, they had kicked off the boutique guitar industry.

Their ethos was to craft guitars in the same way Gibson had when Ted McCarty was at the helm and to do so in a premium fashion. As such, their Standard was anything but; a pre-eminent take on what had been Gibson's then commercially unsuccessful Explorer. 

Vintage Guitar Magazine reported that when Jol Dantzig approached Ted with the Standard, he left dismayed at Ted's then lack of enthusiasm for guitars. Despite now owning Bigsby, his main focus at that period was on his Flex-Lite company. This might have been a net positive for the guitar industry, as Ted later suggested that the profits from Flex-Lite helped keep Bigsby afloat during a difficult time. In any case, Jol left his meeting with only a warning from Ted that Gibson's Explorer was a failure when it was released...

Luckily, this landed on defiant ears as Hamer's Standard became a resounding success. It was also the first Hamer to bear the name on the headstock. This stunning revision of the Explorer design, featuring a maple top and binding inspired by the Les Paul, combined with a one-piece Honduras mahogany back, established Hamer firmly on the map.

With Hamer's respect for the vintage guitar world, their "pioneers of premium" status and ability to break new ground in luthiery, it was only natural that Hamer and Gary Moore would find an alliance - especially at this time in his career. 

The shift in the early '80s to a heavier (yet still widely accessible) sound makes Gary's Hamer Standard the perfect symbol and embodiment of his musicianship from this venerated era of his discography.

Lucky Number 0731: For Gary and Built Accordingly

It is clear when looking at this exquisite guitar that Hamer knew they were crafting an instrument for an iconic musician and so it was built accordingly. The highly flamed maple top in its natural finish has loads of character and is tastefully accented by a solid creme with black stripe binding. It cuts a fine figure, blending a modern profile with a classy aesthetic.

One of the most outstanding features of this instrument is the one-piece flame Honduras mahogany back. The beautiful figuring, also visible from the sides, makes for a truly striking addition. 

Things get really interesting when we examine the scimitar headstock - Moore had the Schaller M6 tuners swapped out for Sperzels (like on his Greeny!). One of them is rotated at a slight angle, but we're leaving it as is - we don't want to alter anything on this guitar. It should be noted that all of the tuners are functioning smoothly. 

Another rare feature on the headstock is the matching flame maple, which ties the overall look together. Although it is difficult to verify with certainty, it is believed that no more than three Natural finish Standards were created with this matching headstock veneer.

The neck itself utilises Hamer's Stressed-Neck System. This is crafted from another beautiful piece of Honduras mahogany. The billet is cut into three sections with the center section oriented so that the grain opposes the two outer pieces, resulting in exceptional stability. It has a medium "C" profile, which is in the "Goldilocks" zone - not too slim nor too chunky. The neck measures approximately 41.8mm wide at the nut and 52mm at the 12th fret. Another point to note is the refined craftsmanship on display at the neck heel's joint. 

The fretboard has a 12" radius and is made from a 1/4" thick piece of dark rosewood. This contrasts nicely against the creme binding and the particularly iridescent pieces of mother of pearl that have been picked out for the crown inlays. Some of these also have some really appealing figuring on them. 

You'd be forgiven for thinking this Standard is overly heavy due to its materials and size. However, at 4.37kg (9.63lbs), it's towards the lower end of the scale of a traditionally constructed Les Paul and this guitar is really well-balanced. Anyone playing it for the first time will be pleasantly surprised!

The neck pickup is a DiMarzio PAF with an output of 7.4k. It is well-suited for the neck position as it has plenty of clarity while still providing warmth. At the bridge, we have a Hamer Slammer (also made by DiMarzio) with a hotter 10.2k output. It features lots of articulation with plenty of punch! 

All wiring and electronics on the guitar appear to be untouched from when it left the Arlington Heights factory in '84. The three original Hamer potentiometers are still present and there's no sign of any modification. The electronic cavity and toggle switch cavity plates are also original, with the former being aluminium (Hamer changed the design of this previously oval-shaped plate to a triangular aluminium one in 1978). All screws on the pickup rings and backplates are matching and appear to be original. 

Overall, Gary's Hamer Standard is in excellent condition, considering its age and professional usage. As you'll no doubt imagine, it has lots of patina and a few cosmetic battle scars from being wielded by one of the finest guitarists of all time.

The guitar comes with all materials pictured and a hardshell case. This is not an original Hamer case, but it is an old one and we believe it has been with the guitar for a long duration. Please note that there is quite a lot of external wear on the case from travel and storage.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

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Consigned goods: Pre-owned item sold on behalf of a private client.

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Shipping

Delivery is via Parcelforce ExpressAM or ParcelForce Global Express/UPS Express (international orders*). Your order will be fully trackable and we aim to dispatch your instrument the next working day** (Mon. - Fri.) after cleared payment. UK, EU, USA & Canada delivery destinations only (more coming soon). We can't deliver to P.O. Boxes. In the unlikely event that there is damage to the item you must please notify us immediately on the day that you receive it.

*International orders may be subject to additional import charges, tariffs and/or taxes when they arrive in the country of destination - these are the sole responsibility of the buyer to pay.

**Please allow one additional working day for dispatch for any international orders

Local Pickup

If you are coming to collect a guitar from us please note that we require you to mark the item as received on Reverb before leaving (this is the only way Reverb will release your funds to us).

Packaging

Prior to shipment our guitars are extremely well packed ready for their journey. Many years of guitar shipping experience will make sure your instrument travels safely and securely to your door. 

Returns

Returns are allowed within 14 days from the date of you receiving delivery. Goods must be returned in the exact same condition that they were sent in and you must contact us beforehand to authorise a return. The buyer is responsible for any return postage costs and must insure the item to its full value to avoid loss.

Contact

If you have any questions about this guitar or our other listings please contact us through Reverb messages. We aim to get back to you within an hour but we can normally reply much quicker!