When I bought my Hamer several years ago, I tried a half a dozen different guitars, some with better known names, and every one sounded different. I thought the Hamer sounded best. Ironically, I bought it in Wisconsin when I was on vacation and brought it back to Connecticut, where they make them.

It's the same with acoustic guitars. I played several "Identical models of the same brand of acoustic guitar in several stores and picked one that sounded noticeably superior to my ears. Maybe not yours, but your ears weren't buying my guitar.

The other thing with electric guitars is that the amplifier makes an enormous amount of difference. I have a good Fender amp, but my Vox sounds far superior and is much more versatile.

I never bought anything for the brand.

Jerry