OK everyone help me decide please

[tone?]

Ok so a while ago i bought a Kramer 1984 reissue Red.

Nice guitar, but i was thinking of getting rid of it cause the wide fretboard hurts my fingers. I am used to the standard Fender Heel width and for some reason it just hurts them.

The guitar is overall good. It has Schallers,OFR ( Black) Alder Body.

There neck is a bit dead from the 12th fret and up though.

Ok so i got the thing for 450$ US with Hardshell case.

I just found a great luthier here in Athens Greece and i asked him if he could reshape the neck make it standard Fender size. He said yes and the whole thing would cost around 300 Euro. This would include a Refret, reshaping the neck and redoing the neck pocket as well as some paining involved.

Should i just sell it and get another guitar, or rebuild it to my spec?

the thing that i just love about it is the headstock which is tough to find and the overall Eddie vibe.

Zerb and others, do you think that a good refret and rebuild of this could make the guitar better as well as make it more comfy to me?? Could the refret make the neck more responsive?


Help, this is a tough one.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

Do you really want to keep it? This is really the only issue.

If you think it's a great sounding guitar, I'd say keep it. Even with having the work done to make it more comfy for you, it would still cost less than having bought it brand new. If you really want to keep it, I say yes, have the work done.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

It isnt a great sounding guitar, i would say it is more in the good range.

I was hoping the new setup would make it sound great.
I kinda really want to keep it cause it is so hard to make a similar guitar with that headstock which i love.

The truth is that i didnt give it that break in period so it would open up and sound even better.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

Is that because you haven't played it so much, since you find it so uncomfortable?

I say, if you really want to keep it, then keep it. Do whatever you have to do to it to make it comfortable for you. You won't be happy otherwise.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

no. Its not cause of that
I mean i have been playing for like almost 20 years and the width of the neck makes my fingers hurt.
Like i can feel the edges of the board dig into them. weird. and i can do pretty darn long stretches.
Its just that i have been playing too too long with standard fender sized necks and with this one my fingers hit the fretboard in at different angles and stuff.

i have never hurt or strained my fingers from thousands of miles of playing but i did on this one. But the vibe makes me want to play the sucker.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

yeah. i really want to play it too. crazy huh?
I mean i have been playing for like almost 20 years and the width of the neck makes my fingers hurt.
Like i can feel the edges of the board dig into them. weird. and i can do pretty darn long stretches.
Its just that i have been playing too too long with standard fender sized necks and with this one my fingers hit the fretboard in at different angles and stuff.

I have had the same problem with my Dean guitar. The wide fretboard has made it awkward because I've been so used to the smaller, narrow Fender style neck.

Since you really want to keep it, I say that you should definately go for it, man. Do whatever you have to do to make it more comfortable and more playable for you. Then, you can break it in and probably have that great sounding guitar that you wanted it to be in the first place.

 

[big_black]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

You should have this luthier round the edges of the fretboard. You can do it yourself with some fine sandpaper and steelwool.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

no. Its not cause of that

Are you sure? Maybe you misunderstood what I meant when I said that. I was talking about you being able to break in the guitar, but you haven't been able to since you haven't played it much, it being so uncomfortable and all.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

You should have this luthier round the edges of the fretboard. You can do it yourself with some fine sandpaper and steelwool.

+1

This would also help you out.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

yeah i am sure rolling the edges of the fretboard would help as well. But its just got to be narrowed.

I think i might just go for it as well.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

I wouldn't touch it or spend another penny on it. Just cash out of it for about what you paid, and go guitar shopping!

You surely don't want to have $800 sunk into a novelty guitar that only sounds OK. And if you mess with it, it'll only be worth $300.

There's a zillion guitars out there that you'd enjoy right outta the box.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

I have been trying to do that Joneser, but i havent been able to sell it, plus i cant find the same headstock sort of guitar around.

that was my initial idea though.I put it back in its case where it is now and put it in the ads. My idea was to get the same sort of thing from GMW. But i havent been able to sell it here yet.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

here is a pic of it with a SD Zebra JB in it. The SD makes a huge difference in tone on this guitar.

 

[theodie]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

here is a pic of it with a SD Zebra JB in it. The SD makes a huge difference in tone on this guitar.

I would love to have it but, the whole Europe to US thing usually isnt worth it.:blackeye:

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

So Theodie, you think i should Mod the neck to better fit my hand? You think its worth it??

 

[theodie]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

So Theodie, you think i should Mod the neck to better fit my hand? You think its worth it??

Not worth it at all bro. Sell the guitar and but one that better suits you.:reporter:

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

Yeah i am starting to lean more towards that as well.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

in a nutshell here is the argument..

I bought the guitar for 450$US.
if i mod it it will cost me 300Euro more.

If i make a parts guitar that will have roughly the same specs it will cost me about 1300 with a pro setup here in Greece ( doesnt count hardshell case ) .That will probably be a better build though. but there is a big difference in price as well.

 

[ErikH]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

Where did you buy it from exactly?
How did it end up with black hardware?

The '84 Reissues come with chrome hardware and the strap button on the upper horn is closer to the end where yours is more under.

 

[tone?]

Re: OK everyone help me decide please

Mine was a Factory 2nd. that is why it has Black hardware.

as for the strap button that is one of the super small messups