A 1997 Hamer Duo-Tone electric/acoustic hybrid guitar (serial #755686) stage-played by Tom Dumont of No Doubt during the band’s 2012 live performances, documented in two nationally broadcast performances of the band’s cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life” — the specific song for which this instrument was brought on stage, its dual electric/acoustic output capability allowing Dumont to perform both the acoustic and electric guitar parts within a single song without changing instruments. Includes the original Hamer hardshell case, three Tom Dumont signature picks, and original case key.
Video Documentation
Historical Context
No Doubt reunited in 2012 following an extended hiatus, releasing Push and Shove (September 2012) and undertaking a major touring and television campaign. Tom Dumont is the band’s primary guitarist, having played on all studio albums. During the 2012 live performances, No Doubt performed a cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life” (1984) as a regular set feature. The arrangement requires the guitarist to move between clean acoustic passages and full electric tones within a single performance — a tonal demand that, during this era, Dumont addressed by deploying this Hamer Duo-Tone, whose magnetic/piezo hybrid output system allows live switching between electric, acoustic, and blended sounds without swapping instruments.
Hamer’s sequential serial number system decodes #755686 to 1997 — the first digit (7) indicating the year ending in 7, with the remaining five digits placing it in the 1990s production sequence, the only decade in which numbers of this magnitude appear. The Duo-Tone was introduced by Hamer around 1993-1994 and produced through the early 2000s during Hamer’s Illinois-based USA era; this 1997 example is from the heart of that run. By the time Tom Dumont deployed it for No Doubt’s 2012 touring activity, the instrument was approximately 15 years old — a well-seasoned working guitar brought to bear on a specific tonal problem.
Stage & Performance Use
This guitar was used specifically for No Doubt’s live performances of “It’s My Life” in 2012. Two nationally broadcast performances are documented in the videos linked above: the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series on July 27, 2012, and the MTV World Stage (Paladia broadcast) on November 9, 2012. Both performances show Dumont using this instrument for the song. Research by the current owner identifies this as the sole known stage use of the Hamer Duo-Tone within No Doubt’s documented 2012 touring activity, making the guitar’s performance context unusually specific and well-defined.
Specifications
· Manufacturer: Hamer Guitars (U.S.A.)
· Model: Duo-Tone
· Year: 1997
· Serial number: 755686 (stamped on reverse of headstock — pressed/indented into wood)
· Body: Black gloss semi-hollow; open center block design with double cutaway horns
· Fretboard: Rosewood with distinctive chevron/bowtie mother-of-pearl split inlays
· Pickups: Pair of Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P-90 style pickups in humbucker-sized housings with cream bezels
· Tuners: Schaller M6 (Made in Germany) with signature “S” logo on housing — period-correct high-end hardware standard on mid-1990s Hamer USA instruments
· Bridge: Rosewood acoustic-style floating bridge with individual string slots and bone/synthetic saddle bar; Kynar cable piezo transducer mounted beneath
· Electronics: Three-way pickup selector (magnetic); three-way mini toggle switch (Piezo only / Magnetic only / Piezo + Magnetic); stereo output jack (TRS) for simultaneous combined use; separate acoustic-only mono output jack for direct PA/DI use; rear-access cavity housing EMG B65rA V HEQ E2/A2 active preamp — the custom piezo preamp/EQ module Hamer commissioned from EMG’s Rob Turner specifically for the Duo-Tone to deliver a natural acoustic response; 9V battery
Condition
Excellent. The guitar is super clean with no fret wear. Finish is intact. A fresh battery is installed. The instrument has been set up and plays well.
Included Items
Original Hamer hardshell case (black exterior with gold Hamer branding, includes original Hamer Guitars U.S.A. branded accessory bag); three Tom Dumont signature Dunlop guitar picks (two white with custom cartoon artwork on face and “Tom Dumont / 2009 / No Doubt!” attribution on reverse, one black No Doubt branded pick); original case key.
Contemporary vinyl album sleeve (used) for Rock Steady (No Doubt, 2001). All Access tour laminate from early No Doubt touring era.
Provenance
Acquired by the previous owner from a family at a guitar show in North Carolina, where the guitar was represented as having belonged to Tom Dumont of No Doubt. Tom Dumont signature picks were found within the case at time of acquisition. The previous owner subsequently located video footage of Dumont playing this specific instrument during the July 27, 2012 Good Morning America performance of “It’s My Life,” confirming both the attribution and the specific performance context. A second broadcast confirmation was identified in the November 9, 2012 MTV World Stage footage. No formal Certificate of Authenticity accompanies this guitar; provenance is established through the video documentation and the Tom Dumont signature picks found in the case.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit’s principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item’s documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
FIRST AND THIRD PARTY SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com
» Guitar: 39.25 x 13 x 3″ · 7.70 lbs.
» Case: 42.5 x 15.5 x 5″ · 8.30 lbs.
