NBD: New Rarity Day. Hamer B12L.

[Sean]

I've just got back from Islington after collecting this monster that I bought 6 weeks ago. I'd given up on finding one years ago. 

 

I've gigged a 12 in the past, I've played "those" songs live, I've seen Cheap Trick a few times, I've seen Tom Petersson guesting with Pearl Jam playing Surrender in the US, I've been chasing one of these for years. 

It's a 1999 B12L and it's like New Old Stock. It's pristine.

@Wolverinebass has given me some great pointers for biamping via the HXStomp and shared patches that I've already trialled with 4-string Spectors. 

It's the first set-neck bass I've ever had, apropos of nothing, just saying. 

 

It needs a set up, it'll get new strings in the morning and then I'll see what it can do. 

 

It's relatively light for such a thing @9.5lb. No idea of neck dive yet. That's the original Hamer case and the original certificate with serial number is in there.  

 

More pics and updates as the week progresses. 

 

 

Edited September 15 by Sean

[itu]

That bass looks serious! Hopefully we will hear some playing after you have changed strings. That number of strings, it may be wise to change one at a time and not stress the neck too much. 

[Wolverinebass]

9 hours ago, itu said:

That bass looks serious! Hopefully we will hear some playing after you have changed strings. That number of strings, it may be wise to change one at a time and not stress the neck too much. 

From experience, you would want to change one course of three at a time. I did make the mistake of taking them all off at once to restring and it took the neck almost a full day afterwards to equalise back. Which was a bit stupid.

Edited September 16 by Wolverinebass

[HeadlessBassist]

That's a fabulous looking thing. Obviously going by the mantra of, "He who dies with the most strings wins!"

[LeftyJ]

38 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

That's a fabulous looking thing. Obviously going by the mantra of, "He who dies with the most strings wins!"

 

Pianists: "Hold my beer"

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

This has a look of ‘death to false basses !’ about it . 
Embrace your inner pinnick/ Petersson  / manowar , and turn to 12 ! 

[Jonesy]

Really cool! Enjoy your new purchase. 

 

I'd hate to think how much a string change sets you back. Hopefully you like the sound of worn in rounds 😃

[Sean]

6 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

From experience, you would want to change one course of three at a time. I did make the mistake of taking them all off at once to restring and it took the neck almost a full day afterwards to equalise back. Which was a bit stupid.

Thanks. I need to remember this. I decided that the EXL170-12 strings it came with are good for a while, they've been on there a while but they’ve never been played. Interesting it was tuned to Eb Standard but I’ve now tuned to E standard and that has raised the action as you might expect. Truss-roddery will have to happen now.

 

There was corrosion in the bottom of the battery box causing a bit of crackly noise, so I’ve swapped it out this morning for a clean/new one I had here. It’s all untouched inside the cavity and there’s not a scratch on it. I think it’s just lived in its case under a bed since the 90s.

[cetera]

Fantastic! Proper USA Hamer too rather than an import model.... Nooooooice!

[Wolverinebass]

49 minutes ago, Sean said:

There was corrosion in the bottom of the battery box causing a bit of crackly noise, so I’ve swapped it out this morning for a clean/new one I had here. It’s all untouched inside the cavity and there’s not a scratch on it. I think it’s just lived in its case under a bed since the 90s.

Ironically, mine doesn't have a battery box and it's a 98. The battery is inside the cavity.

[Sean]

1 hour ago, Wolverinebass said:

Ironically, mine doesn't have a battery box and it's a 98. The battery is inside the cavity.

This is the third battery box replacement I've done in the last couple of years. One was an Ibanez, one my maple-board Spector and now this. I've never had an issue with the batteries in the cavity! 

[Sean]

I can report that if Neck Diving was an Olympic event, this Hamer would be the 12-string bass version of Tom Daley and bring home multiple Golds. It's a true champ 🥇

 

But we knew that anyway.

 

 

[Wolverinebass]

30 minutes ago, Sean said:

I can report that if Neck Diving was an Olympic event, this Hamer would be the 12-string bass version of Tom Daley and bring home multiple Golds. It's a true champ 🥇

 

But we knew that anyway.

 

 

I would say, get a better strap. Mine is fine with a wide Hofner leather strap and it barely moves more than an inch or so.

 

As a side note, I used Hofner straps on quite a few basses as an ironic joke about how awful their basses are and why McCartney isn't my favourite bass player. Playing a Status Buzzard with a Hofner strap? Next level irony awards to me please. Since then, I've moved to Harvest and they're brilliant, but the irony meter has been substantially reduced.

[Sean]

I've got a Levy's 4" with rawhide on the inside on a Yam that I can transfer. I shall check out Harvest. 

[12stringbassist]

Lovely. The Chapparall weighs less than the regular B12 that I own.

 

[Sean]

The B12L will be getting gigged on 5th Nov.

I'll be singing and playing two cheap trick classics with a couple of friends at The Vic in Swindon. 

HX patches done, I just have to learn the lyrics properly 🤔