Guitars, guitars and ...more guitars...

[smorgdonkey]

I used to have a bunch of Kramer guitars. Kramer was a brand with a lot of affiliation with Edward Van Halen. He went to the factory one time and made some guitars & also had one of the guys there make a bunch of necks for him. Anyway, at the height of my guitar horde, I had 6 Kramers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Kramer/edandkramers.jpg

[smorgdonkey]

I just have the blue 1986 Deluxe now which I bought brand new back in 1987:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Kramer/IMG_0217.jpg
and a 1984 Patent Pending Deluxe:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Kramer/redpacerhorizontal.jpg

[smorgdonkey]

I used to have a lot of the super strat style guitars and I had a wild collection for a while. I had 34 at one time - not record setting as there are many people with more but it was definitely out of the ordinary:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/IMG_0274.jpg
single pickup rockers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/onepickupguitars.jpg
strats, teles & les pauls:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/LPStratTele.jpg
maple madness:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/maple5.jpg
black magic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/all%20black/blackbodies.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/all%20black/alltheblack.jpg

[smorgdonkey]

I still have 22 (or there about HAHA!!) and I really like the Les Paul style guitars...5 of them are Gibsons and the other 2 are ESP/LTD products:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Les%20Paul/IMG_1168.jpg

[smorgdonkey]

My first Les Paul was a black one with gold hardware:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Les%20Paul/LesPaulStudio.jpg
I swapped out the pickups to nice Lindy Fralin zebras and changed the hardware to black...it's like a muscle car now:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Les%20Paul/arealblacklespaul.jpg
I bought a white one that was 'empty' and loaded it up with the necessities, humbucker-sized P90 pickups and a few other touches:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Les%20Paul/whitepaulie.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Les%20Paul/IMG_0237.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Les%20Paul/goesto11.jpg

[smorgdonkey]

I always wanted all three of the main Les Paul Studio colours so I needed a wine red one...this one is a 1995
and I acquired it with a fair amount of general wear (nicks/chips and dull finish). I took a chisel to it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0583.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0587.jpg
and some sanding gear & eventually removed all of the finish from the back and sides.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0599.jpg
I applied a light stain to the mahogany...nothing too drastic but just wanted to make the maple cap pop a bit. It's rather like a faux binding now but it is maple instead of real binding that is plastic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0614.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0616.jpg

[smorgdonkey]

One of the outstanding elements of this makeover is the addition of BG Cleartops pickups. The bobbins are clear and the copper windings are visible right through the tops. Great looks that also have great sound. Very beautiful sounding guitar.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0610.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/The%20wine%20red%20LP%20project/IMG_0609.jpg

[VAiN]

I just have the blue 1986 Deluxe now which I bought brand new back in 1987:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/Kramer/IMG_0217.jpg

Does that have a pearl blue finish? I own one just like that, except the headstock is reverse. I probably bought it around 88/89...

[jhale667]

Nice collection! :baaa:

[smorgdonkey]

Does that have a pearl blue finish? I own one just like that, except the headstock is reverse. I probably bought it around 88/89...
It has what was called the flip/flop finish so, it changes colour when the light hits it at the proper angle - that is perhaps what yours has? The colour has a pink hue when the light hits it at a sharp angle.

Nice collection! :baaa:
Thanks man...not all still in the fold - many are gone now but still a major guitar addict.

[VAiN]

It has what was called the flip/flop finish so, it changes colour when the light hits it at the proper angle - that is perhaps what yours has? The colour has a pink hue when the light hits it at a sharp angle..

Yes! That's exactly what mine has.. just like yours but the headstock points up. I'm not very knowledgeable with the old Kramers - no idea what model it is..

[smorgdonkey]

If it has a bolt-on neck and has the pickguard like mine, it is a Deluxe, if it has no pickguard H/S/S with 3 mini switches it is a Custom I, if it has H/S/S and a 5 way switch it is a Custom II.

If it is neck through body then we are talking a different animal. I assume that it has the 'large K' and the sizes of the letters get smaller as you get to the 'R' in 'KRAMER'. The reverse headstock is a rarity. I would even say extreme rarity.

The 'American Series' were, for the most part, ESP Japan made parts that were assembled in New Jersey. Schaller made all of the hardware including the Original Floyd Rose and Seymour Duncan pickups were standard equipment. They were all essentially 'off of the shelf customs' meaning that they already came with the high end parts that many people would have special ordered on customs or special ordered to re[place stock parts on other guitars. Kramer pretty much put Seymour Duncan on the map by using his pickups in their production because the volume of Kramer's manufacturing was high.

I'd like to see some photos of that guitar...you should start a thread about it and post up a bunch of pictures.

[crowhue]

That is a gorgeous but bonkers collection of guitars. Do you play them all? I had about 14 at my peak but now setlle on about 4 or 5 including my baby, a PRS Custom 24 with a blue flam top.

[Panamark]

Im down to 5 now, thats some crazy collection and my nutsack physically hurt
looking at that chisel hitting the les paul....
Man, you could buy a house if you sold all of those !

I guess you have seen the pic of Ed's garage. I think you would enjoy fossicking around
in there ! :)

[ashstralia]

that's the trouble with never. it's a long time.

[ELVIS]

How did Gar get back in ??

[smorgdonkey]

Yes, it sounds like a couple of you know about the addictive nature of guitar ownership...it can turn into guitar HOARDERship quite easily.

I have brought it down to 22 or 23 (something like that!). I think 10 sounds like a really great number but it is difficult to pare down after surpassing a certain level. If the market wasn't so bad for selling I would probably sell a couple more but I never bought them with my grocery money and I most often bought them 2nd hand for 'about half price' ...or at least that is my usual target.

As for playing them, I usually move down a rack in order. Sometimes if I break from that pattern, for the most part, I'll get a feeling when I look at one that I haven't played in a while so I pick it up & get reacquainted.

Check this out:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/smorgdonkey/amps/IMG_0625.jpg

[Diamondjimi]

Welcome to the gearwhore club!:biggrin:

Nice collection dude. What took you so long to share this with us? lol

[sammysucks65]

I dig those kramers!

[smorgdonkey]

I dig those kramers!

Yes, the good ones are bad ass. Kramer is where ESP cut their teeth so to speak. Any Focus (or F series) and 'up' model was made by ESP Japan by the mid '80s. All of the neck throughs were entirely made in Japan by ESP. The American Series was assembled in the USA but made of ESP Japan bodies and necks. Seymour Duncan pickups were standard equipment too so, Kramer pretty much made Seymour Duncan a household name by doing that.

[jhale667]

Yes, the good ones are bad ass. Kramer is where ESP cut their teeth so to speak. Any Focus (or F series) and 'up' model was made by ESP Japan by the mid '80s. All of the neck throughs were entirely made in Japan by ESP. The American Series was assembled in the USA but made of ESP Japan bodies and necks. Seymour Duncan pickups were standard equipment too so, Kramer pretty much made Seymour Duncan a household name by doing that.

IIRC Duncans didn't become standard issue until around 1984, my USA Kramer Voyager was built around the end of '83, and shipped with Schaller pickups.

[ELVIS]

The pawn shop here has an early 80s American voyager for $299

It's beat up but looks all original...

[jhale667]

Is it the pre-85 Star shaped one, or the later version that was so pointy you risked impaling other band members on it? If it's got an MIG-OFR on it, it's probably worth more than the guitar...

[smorgdonkey]

IIRC Duncans didn't become standard issue until around 1984, my USA Kramer Voyager was built around the end of '83, and shipped with Schaller pickups.

Yes, it wasn't until a little later on that they went exclusively SD and I think it was '86 and '87 that they were the #1 selling brand of guitars in the USA.

Many of the people who got Schallers are more than happy with them. Schaller remained the 'go to' for hardware and made all of the Original Floyd Rose bridges back then too & in '86 they were supplying the strap locks that are still oh so popular today as standard equipment on Kramer American Series along with the locking nuts and they had been the choice for tuning machines too.

[jhale667]

The Schaller pickups weren't terrible, but Duncans smoke them.

[smorgdonkey]

Yeah, I can't speak from personal experience on the Schallers but I used to have many Duncans...now I only have a few and would rather have variety, plus there are many fancy pickup makers whose product has a more complex sound in my opinion. That said, a few Duncans certainly remain as some of my 'go to' models and/or recommendations.

[jhale667]

Yeah, I can't speak from personal experience on the Schallers but I used to have many Duncans...now I only have a few and would rather have variety, plus there are many fancy pickup makers whose product has a more complex sound in my opinion. That said, a few Duncans certainly remain as some of my 'go to' models and/or recommendations.

I have a set of Porters, a boutique winder in Idaho IIRC, in the Voyager currently, they're pretty cool. I have Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups in a couple of my Strats, but I'm doing some pickup reviews in addtion the articles I'm writing for Duncan, and they're coming up with some cool stuff...waiting for another one of the new Stack series - the first one I tried (an STK-S7) I may like more than the virtuals...and the 59/Custom Hybrid is AWESOME!


:guitar:

[ELVIS]

Is it the pre-85 Star shaped one, or the later version that was so pointy you risked impaling other band members on it? If it's got an MIG-OFR on it, it's probably worth more than the guitar...

It's the older one with rounded horns and the faux checked finish...

[jhale667]

It's the older one with rounded horns and the faux checked finish...

Same body style as mine then. Might be a decent investment if it's all original and you can negotiate a lower price with the shop.

[ELVIS]

I'd only buy it to resell it since I'm a lefty...

I might go look at it again...

[jhale667]

You'd probably get better resale value parting it out...especially the Floyd (assuming it's an MIG one).

[ELVIS]

The Floyd looks really worn bad, but it's all there...

[jhale667]

The Floyd looks really worn bad, but it's all there...

Replacement saddles aren't expensive. If the baseplate's in good shape and the knife-edges aren't worn, it's most likely salvageable...