Hamer began production at Arlington Heights, Illinois in 1974 and their early designs were based on then-rarer Gibson models like the Explorer. The guitars were high quality and popular with a number of touring artists; many had wildly custom finishes.
In 1988, Kaman Music Corporation – who also owned Ovation – purchased the company and moved it to New Hartford, CT.
In 2008, Fender purchased both Kaman and Hamer. By 2005 production was entirely in China or Indonesia, and in 2012 Fender discontinued production.
HamerHistory provides this:
“Hamer maintained regular US production of roughly 800 guitars a year through 2008. They continued special order production in the US through 2012.
Kaman began importing Hamers in the ‘90s as Slammer and “XT” variants. US Hamers are immediately distinguished by their headstock logo which reads HAMERusa. Imports lack the USA on the logo. US models also have unique serial numbers that are impressed into the wood on the rear of the headstock denoting the last digit of the year in the first digit and the remaining digits represent the number in Hamer production that the guitar is. “
