Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

[DLT]

I found a guy who has two of these! He said make him an offer.

What do you guys think about these older Kramers? I loved the heck out of the one I once played.

 

[Jessie Sammler]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

Awesome. I saw a Flying V bass with that type of neck once, and it's a shame I didn't have an extra $500 that day.

 

[DLT]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

Awesome. I saw a Flying V bass with that type of neck once, and it's a shame I didn't have an extra $500 that day.

Same here. I went back to buy it a few days later and it was gone.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

They're kinda cool... you'll probably either love or hate the feel of the neck. Its really unique to say to least. More manageable then a Travis Bean which, the only one I've put hands on felt extremely odd.

Not sure what those old Kramers actually worth these days but the last one I saw, couple years ago the guy wanted a stupid amount of money for, like $4k or something. That might be right... they were pretty well built & some of the early ones were made of Koa & Bubinga... a lot of 'em had maple bodies.

Very bright, unique sounding guitars... that's for sure!

 

[sosomething]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

Currently overpriced in the used market.

Cool, unique guitars, though. Those few I have played have sustained like crazy.

 

[Northwinds]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

I have seen a few over the last year, highest priced was at Guitar Center for $800 for a double cutaway model. Great guitars, fantastic sustain but wicked neck heavy

 

[ErikH]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

Yeah, those old aluminum neck Kramers are great. I've played a few and liked how they played and sounded. A different feel for sure but cool nonetheless.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

I've got one laying around the house somewhere. It belongs to my cousin and needs some TLC, but I don't think he's into ponying up the dough to get it back in playable condition.

- Keith

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

I had one for a while.

They weight a ton and are VERY head heavy...almost impossible to play live w/o killing yourself.

The neck inserts shrink over time and then neck feels funky when they do.

The stock Kramer pickups are funky...there was a single coil version and a bucker version, both are odd...the buckers sound better IMHO but not by a lot.

The bridges are pretty cheep and not much else will fit them and still cover all the holes but the tuners were tops (Schaller).

They also have no truss rod so if the neck is warped or if it ever warps you have to send to a guy with a Kramer neck press to get it straightened back out...there is only one guy with a press left in the world...just so you know...

Also worth mentioning the neck joint has to be the worst design in guitar history...the neck connects with 2 small allen head machine screws and on 95% of the alumnium neck Kramers I've seen, played and used the neck pockets are cut rather sloppyt and too big and with only 2 screws in neck they shift back and fourth all the time...you have to shim up the neck pocket if you really want to use them.

To give you an idea how far off the neck pockets tend to be, in the one I owned I used a dime in EACH SIDE of the neck pocket to get it to sit correctly.

Past all these niggles they are nect guitars, everybody that sees one is amazed by how cool the look...

Also worth knowing...the fretboards are made from a materal Kramer called Ebonal...it's more or less the same crap bowling balls are made from...it's VERY hard and VERY brittle...fret jobs often result in lots and lots of nicks in the fingerboard and most techs charge a LOT extra to refret an aluminum neck Kramer.

As for the sound they are loud and freaky sounding to say the least.

As for value, I bought mine for $275, did a LOT of work to make it play and sound better and sodl it a few years later for $250...

 

[DLT]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

I had one for a while.

They weight a ton and are VERY head heavy...almost impossible to play live w/o killing yourself.

The neck inserts shrink over time and then neck feels funky when they do.

The stock Kramer pickups are funky...there was a single coil version and a bucker version, both are odd...the buckers sound better IMHO but not by a lot.

The bridges are pretty cheep and not much else will fit them and still cover all the holes but the tuners were tops (Schaller).

They also have no truss rod so if the neck is warped or if it ever warps you have to send to a guy with a Kramer neck press to get it straightened back out...there is only one guy with a press left in the world...just so you know...

Also worth mentioning the neck joint has to be the worst design in guitar history...the neck connects with 2 small allen head machine screws and on 95% of the alumnium neck Kramers I've seen, played and used the neck pockets are cut rather sloppyt and too big and with only 2 screws in neck they shift back and fourth all the time...you have to shim up the neck pocket if you really want to use them.

To give you an idea how far off the neck pockets tend to be, in the one I owned I used a dime in EACH SIDE of the neck pocket to get it to sit correctly.

Past all these niggles they are nect guitars, everybody that sees one is amazed by how cool the look...

Also worth knowing...the fretboards are made from a materal Kramer called Ebonal...it's more or less the same crap bowling balls are made from...it's VERY hard and VERY brittle...fret jobs often result in lots and lots of nicks in the fingerboard and most techs charge a LOT extra to refret an aluminum neck Kramer.

As for the sound they are loud and freaky sounding to say the least.

As for value, I bought mine for $275, did a LOT of work to make it play and sound better and sodl it a few years later for $250...

Well...that does it for me. I do not want that guitar anymore. Thanks for the info, TGWIF.

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

http://I have a 1979 DMZ 4000 bass (Pitch fork), I found at a local shop. It has a great sound, and the nice action.

 

[ES350]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

In the early 80's, I had the budget single coil version that I got very cheap someplace in New England. I stuffed two Melody Maker pickups in the metal covers and added a mini HB in the neck. That thing had the most quack I've ever heard...but it weighed a ton.

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

http://

 

[BluesSlider]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

Hi,
I'm thinking about re-habilitating this Kramer Bass from 77 or 78 that belonged to the bass payer of a band I was in from 79-80.

So you mention that the only way to get the neck straightened is by someone who has a "Kramer neck press" and there's only one left in the world....

Do you know if this guy is still in business?

TIA,
B

 

[Securb]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

I had a Travis Bean for a while wish I hadn't sold it for the historic value. The one thing about that guitar was I would have awful tuning problems in the winter. As you played the neck it would warm up and expand. You would find yourself constantly tuning for the first half hour playing the guitar in the winter.

 

[Vengeance]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

I love mine. Probably one of the coolest guitars I own. I've been trying to find a beater lumie to leave out because I don't like leaving mine out at all, total case queen.

 

[J E C]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

The material they called Ebanol is layers of paper impregnated with Phenolic resin and cured in a heated press. It is the same material that Steinberger and Modulus Graphite used for there FBs. If it ever looks stripey and dull, just wipe a light coating of WD40 on it, let it sit for a little while and wipe off any excess.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: Kramer guitar with the aluminum and wood skeleton neck.

They're cool old guitars, def weighty, but you can't beat the cool factor.