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Gary Moore's 1984 Hamer Explorer #0731 | Hamer Standard | Ex Thin Lizzy |
£100,000.00
OIRO £100,000 - for all enquiries please email ed@smokestackguitars.co.uk
FAO International Buyers: Shipping should be available shortly, pending CITES export documentation
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
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!
| 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 |
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. For more details please see the Provenance & Documentation + Hamer's Heritage sections at the bottom of the page.
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!
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.
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 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.
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.
Quantity
Only 1 left in stock
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.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping: U.K. delivery is charged at £16.50 and is via the Parcelforce Express AM service. We usually ship the next working day (Mon. - Fri.) after cleared payment. UK delivery only. We can't deliver to P.O. Boxes. In the unlikely event that there is damage to the item you must notify us immediately on the day that you receive it.
Returns: Returns are allowed within 14 days of purchase. Goods must be returned to us in the exact same condition that they were sent in and you must contact us beforehand to authorise a return - no exceptions. The buyer is responsible for the item being safely returned and the return postage costs. The buyer must insure the item to its full value to avoid loss.
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