In the lore of metal there are certain unassailable facts. Rob Halford is the greatest singer in the history of heavy metal. This is evident not just in Judas Priest but also in the quality of material with Fight and his solo work. Sure the band have had their share of missteps and corny moments, especially in the later years but in their prime (I'd say circa 1976-84), as the Mexican guy in Heavy Metal Parking Lot said :"Judas Priest number one!" I remember coming home from school I would put on the Live Vengeance '82 VHS right away and eventually wore it out. It took me quite a while to assemble this 'Freewheel Burning' set of axes in the desired colour and configuration, but here they are at last, in all original condition.
Hamer KK Downing 1984
Recently KK Downing had an auction of his original guitars which I was observing (not wealthy enough to participate) and his iconic red and white Hamer went for almost USD40k, including buyer's premium and fees. Luckily I'd found one of these production signature Hamers which are as close as you can get. They came in different combinations of colours for the body, pickguard and headstock so it can be quite frustrating trying to locate one which is just as what KK used to play. This is one of those guitars that look deceptively simple but then after playing it you find more and more things that you like about it. One of the most iconic heavy metal guitars of all time. He does seem to have gone through a rough patch these past few years, and for those inclined to know why, there are some interesting revelations in his book 'Heavy Duty'. He also does hammer the point home that Glenn Tipton was a bit of a prima donna, and that he himself is largely responsible for the heavy direction and image of the band. Seems plausible enough.
Hamer Phantom 1984
These are really the first Hamer guitars that I've owned and it's easy to see why they were considered boutique guitars in the day. The quality and playability are outstanding, even after 30 years. The notes just glide off the fretboard on this killer stealthy axe. Not exactly the Glenn Tipton model which are rarer than hens teeth but again, as close as you will get and extremely hard to find in this 6-inline all-black configuration. After 30 years any Phantoms are uncommon to begin with, and then always either the wrong colour body, pickguard, or tuner configuration. Yes, that's a pic of Tony Iommi with his left-handed Phantom.
