Fortunately, the Hamer is more that eye candy.  In fact, performance is its best asset.  Its slick fretboard boasts a 14-inch radius, making it somewhat flatter than some traditional designs.  The cutaways make it easy to play within the fretboard’s upper reaches, and the great, flat fretboard lets you dig into high notes with authority and bend them as you please.  Upper-fret access isn’t restricted to the treble side, either – you can reach all six stings with ease.

     The combination of mahogany, maple and rosewood- the same woods found on a Les Paul- produces a solid, biting tone that has plenty of sustain.  Two Duncan Design humbuckers supply a wide array of tones, and while the Hamer may be a little bright for smashmouth riffing, it covers blues, country, classic rock and jazz territory without breaking a sweat.  The Volume control performs nicely, but the Tone control was disappointing, sucking away volume as it rolled back the highs.

     The Hamer comes with a Tune-O-Matic bridge that, like all of the guitar’s hardware, functions extremely well, although we noticed little blemishes in the finishing details, especially where the fingerboard meets the body.  Also, our test guitar had a funky output jack- it was hard to get the cable in all the way.  But, overall, the Sunburst Arch Top Flame Top looks good, sounds good and plays great.

KRAMER NIGHTRIDER

The combination of a semihollow body and a locking whammy bridge defines the Nightrider’s unique character, which seems to straddle roots music and hard rock.  The design offers a twist on tradition, too, with a six-on-a-side headstock and diamond shaped soundholes that match the fretboard’s mother-of-pearl diamond inlays.

     The flame maple arched top- with its attractive Translucent Amber finish- rests on a chambered mahogany body that allows very good upper-fret access, though you’ll need to use your pinkie to reach the 22^nd fret.  The neck feels slick and solid, and the jumbo frets enhance the Nightrider’s bend-friendly attitude, while the fretboard’s 16-inch radius offers the kind of flat surface fusion players and hard rockers crave.

     Mating a locking trem to a semi-hollow body is a bold move.  The bridge has a smooth action that works well both for dive-bombimg and more subtle whammy effects.  The locking trem held correct pitch even after some extreme bends, and while the collar that holds the trem bar appeared to be somewhat fragile, the bar proved to be exceptionally stable and tight.

     The Nightrider gets ample mileage out of its two humbuckers.  The neck pickup sounds full and round, with enough bite for soloing, while the bridge unit boasts aggressive midrange grit.  The pickups also sound good together, a fact that’s enhanced by the Nightrider’s Master Volume control.  The tone control works well and the pot doubles as a push/pull coil splitter.

     While there was some sloppiness around the neck joint and sound holes, overall fit and finish were fine and the hardware worked well.  Overall, the Nightrider proved to be a solid performer with a fresh set of features.

IBANEZ AX125

If the Hamer and Kramer nod toward roots music, the Ibanez AX125 has its foot solidly in the hard rock camp.  It’s not that the AX can’t do clean sounds, but with its trim, flat body and high-output pickups, this puppy seems more at home in front of a stack than with a tweed-covered combo.  But like the Kramer, its also has an unusual feature- a “drop-D” key that lowers the sixth string one whole step.

     Of our three test guitars, the Ibanez is the only one that has a bolt-on neck.  The maple neck joins the body at the 16^th fret, a design that takes away from upper-fret access in comparison to the set-neck designs above.  You can still reach the treble-side top wires by using your pinkie, but you’ll notice the stretch more on the lower strings.

     When it comes to the other aspects of playa-bility-neck comfort, speed, low action, etc.- the Ibanez has nothing to apologize for.  The shallow neck, with solid medium frets and a 12-inch radius, offers an excellent platform for hard riffing and high-speed flurries.  Intonation was true, something that was especially impressive considering that the AX125 has a wraparound combination bridge/tailpiece.  The AX also has plenty of sustain.

     But, the real story is the Downshifter D-tuner, a body-mounted drop tuning device.  Putting the Downshifter on the body (instead of the headstock) offers some advantages.  First, you don’t have to move your fretting hand to flip the key, and anyone who’s made a rapid pickup change will be able to hit the Downshifter without breaking stride.  It’s also located away from the other controls, so you don’t have to be concerned about accidentally bumping knobs or the toggle switch.  Most important, its performance was reliable- the drop was in tune, every time.  Deep riffers will love it.

     The pickups power the AX125 with aggressive intensity.  This ax really shines when the amp reaches saturation, cutting through even the most powerful distortion.  The controls work very well: the pickups start out bright, but you can mellow them nicely with the Tone knobs, which lend the AX125 more sonic versatility than you might expect.  The pickups sound particularly good when used in combination.

     Aside from some lax file work near the neck’s upper edge, the test guitar had decent fit and finish.  But such niceties aren’t the point here.  With its unpretentious looks and powerful sound, the AX125 is a distinctive tool for take-no-prisoners riffing- with a welcome downward twist.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While all three of these guitars make some compromises between performance and price, they also offer good news for the budget conscious (and these days, who isn’t).  These axes look, sound, and feel like the real deal.