My new guitar: Mid-to Late 80's Kramer XL1!

[VanHalenFan5150]

After a family incident with my uncle (my dad's twin), one of my dad's oldest friends came to stay with us and chill. He's the nicest guy I know. His name is James but we call him Jamboy because he's a professional musician. At any rate, he knows how much I love the guitar and he's helped me out for years. He give me a lot of old gear too! Anyway, one night after my uncle's accident he came over to talk to us. He's a president of the Rotary Club in his town and he knows how to talk and help people out. He goes, "OH, before I forget dude, I have something for you. I'll take you to go pick it up." We were talking about guitars and so we drive out to his place, he takes me to his music room. Amps, guitars, turntables and tons of shit cluttered the room. He goes into his closet and shows me his first guitar. Then he reaches into the corner of the room, grabs a funny looking case and opens it up, and I almost cried.
















Sorry for the blurry pics. I'll also post some pictures of me playing some kickass guitars later in the thread! Let me know what you think. By the way, yes, I know it's missing three saddles. I have all of them, and the screws, I just need two springs... It's not a synchronized trem, but a fulcrum... and it has a graphite nut if i'm not mistaken.

[kwame k]

Looks in good shape.......are you just going to restore it or mod it?

Great score regardless! Nice to have cool people around who support and contribute to what you do or are in to.


Oh, and before Clay can ruin this thread.........STFU, Gar!

[VanHalenFan5150]

May mod it down the road eventually. From what I hear it would give me quite a good brown sound... But for now i'm just going to restore it to a clean, playable condition. I'm going to take good care of it.

Could probably use a Duncan JB or a 59... Powersound pickups are good from what I hear.

[GAR]

This is one of those plywood bodies, from1991 isn't it..

[kwame k]

STFU, Gar!

[GAR]

Let the gent recur what the body consists of.. I'm waiting because in the other thread he says "you'll shit your pants when you see it" and if it's a solidbody I may work out a trade for him.

[VanHalenFan5150]

It's a solidbody. Can't remember what type of wood though. http://www.vintagekramer.com/company56.htm It said later models were plywood or laminated bodies. Mine is from the first run, 1987. So i'm not sure.

[VAiN]

Throw a Floyd on there and have at it! Congrats, man

[GAR]

It's a solidbody. Can't remember what type of wood though. http://www.vintagekramer.com/company56.htm It said later models were plywood or laminated bodies. Mine is from the first run, 1987. So i'm not sure.

You have to take the control plate off to look: if you see multiple thin layers like pages in a book inside that or any cavity, that's a clue it's a ply body.

Kramer's ply bodies ain't too bad, but I wouldn't put any money into it. Modding it wrecks the resale of it.

I remember Guitar Center ran summer sale specials on this for $149 - just put a new bridge and enjoy till you flip it.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-S...61-i1130044.gc

Replacing the string pieces is a NIGHTMARE on Fender Trems. A total nightmare... so many possible ways between many different makers of Fender-style bridges you cannot guarantee replacements at the sales counter.

Even a replacement set is 15 bucks. Just get whole different, complete bridge. There is nothing unique about that trem, except that it worked well back in the day.

But you don't have all the pieces. And with the six mounting screws of a standard Fender block system, you'll have greater tone and sustain. Don't put a Floyd on it.

Best thing about that guitar is the neck, its a korean ESP and is standard 25-1/2" scale length. It will work with any other standard body.

[VanHalenFan5150]

It's not the bridge that was the problem with the fulcrum tremolo, it was the matter of the springs for the saddles. I got a pair of cutting pliers and some pen springs and replaced them. Just need strings now!

[VanHalenFan5150]

I checked the control cavity and the input jack and it appears to be solid... May try to take a good picture later but it still appears to be solid

[jhale667]

String it up and see if you're getting a signal, then...

[VanHalenFan5150]

Oh yeah bro, definitely. Gonna string it up and rock it out to town. See if it's an act of god, you know, the usual

[Hardrock69]

Right on man! A free guitar is a free guitar!

Rock on!

[jhale667]

Oh yeah bro, definitely. Gonna string it up and rock it out to town. See if it's an act of god, you know, the usual

Rock.

[Diamondjimi]

Congrats young man...

[VanHalenFan5150]

It is with a maple necked Kramer with a whammy bar of sorts, with which I can truly rock.

Okay, I think I over did it with the smileys though... D:

[Hardrock69]

Nah. I would be happy too if I were in your shoes!

[VanHalenFan5150]

I'd better run down to Sam Ash sometime this week and go grocery shopping.

-Cables
-Strings
-Picks


Sounds like a good shopping list to me.

[bluemustard]

Nice axe!
Check this one fur 350 euros on dutch ebay.
LOL
http://link.marktplaats.nl/360060199

[VanHalenFan5150]

It's one thing to make a Frankenstrat. It's another to do it TOTALLY WRONG. Making a replica guitar is either hit or miss it seems

[bluemustard]

It's one thing to make a Frankenstrat. It's another to do it TOTALLY WRONG. Making a replica guitar is either hit or miss it seems

I've seen some scarry ones.

[VanHalenFan5150]

I've seen a few dodgy ones in my day. Hell, I used to own one!

[Hardrock69]

It's one thing to make a Frankenstrat. It's another to do it TOTALLY WRONG. Making a replica guitar is either hit or miss it seems

Dude, that is a very 'enlightened' statement considering your age, lol.

You got that right!

[VanHalenFan5150]

What do you mean by that? Ha ha. I've tried making a few replicas in my day, and well, being a seriously dedicated guitarist at age 15 is a surprising thing... I seem to surprise a lot of people on here, I don't know why. I have much more intellect than Garfail ever will... and pictures to prove it. But that doesn't come without a price, I still have much to learn and I heartily acknowledge that fact

[jhale667]

What do you mean by that? Ha ha. I've tried making a few replicas in my day, and well, being a seriously dedicated guitarist at age 15 is a surprising thing... I seem to surprise a lot of people on here, I don't know why. I have much more intellect than Garfail ever will... and pictures to prove it. But that doesn't come without a price, I still have much to learn and I heartily acknowledge that fact

Love the kid's attitude.

[VanHalenFan5150]

I'm pretty easy to get along with. But let's not get too far off topic with my own horn-tooting. :P I still haven't bought strings for the guitar yet. It's killing me. I mounted a wall hanger last night at 12 AM when I got bored and it's not the home of my Kramer. (Much better than the floor stand, huh?) It kills me to see it, the guitar just begs me to play it...

[chefcraig]

I have much more intellect than Garfail ever will...

Not exactly something to brag about, young man. A Chia Pet has more brainpower going for it.

[VanHalenFan5150]

That's probably one of the funniest things i've heard someone say on here... Because it's true

[Hardrock69]

[jhale667]

[VanHalenFan5150]

Anyway. Maybe sometime later in the week i'll pick up some string sets and rock out, Halen style.

[ThrillsNSpills]

Not exactly something to brag about, young man. A Chia Pet has more brainpower going for it.

And that's prior to watering.

[jhale667]

And that's prior to watering.

I can just hear the jingle... Ch-ch-cha-chump-ass!

[VanHalenFan5150]

No, this would fare better: Ch-ch-ch-stfu Gar!

[jhale667]

OK, if you get it functional and decide you do like it, you couldn't go wrong putting either a JB or a 59 in it. Have fun with it.

[Hardrock69]

It's like Christmas in mid-summer, lol.

[jhale667]

Now that you mention it, I haven't heard a "Bah humbug" in days...

[VanHalenFan5150]

Since Gar's banned (GARY'S BAND!) things have been a lot happier lately... This might be the beginning of a new era for the Roth Army... but now that I speak about it, it will probably end shortly.

I will definitely purchase strings and rock the bitch to the moon (or 5150 studios, whichever releases more material) or if you want to get technical, i'll rock the guitar to scrubbing bubbles!

[Blaze]

You know while I have been stuck on my phone for the past few days, I have been reading your posts. You really are exceptional.
I gave you a difficult time when you first arrived, I thought you was a troll using an age angle for sympathy and an advantage, then I thought a teen should not have access or exposure to certain aspects of life. However, you really have turned this into a wise tool for your betterment. I applaud you.
Blaze