USACG Pacer Imperial

[muttznmongrelz]

As I wound up with my USACG Neck sitting around and found a couple of Vintage NOS/Unused 1987 Kramer Pacer Imperial Bodies dirt cheap, one Taxi Yellow the other Black, I sold off the Taxi Yellow Recessed Floyd Pacer Imperial Body and am using the Black Top Mount Floyd Pacer Imperial Body with the USACG Neck. Already have a pair of SD P-Rails with Volume Pushull/Volume Pushull/Tone/3 Way DPDT Selector Switch and a new Chrome Floyd Rose "1984" on the way for it.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

That neck is surely better than the original hockey stick.
That guitar probably came with black pickups, but it needs zebra/ cream rings.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Ha! It is my favorite neck. Body would have most likely had a Banana as it was early 1987 prior to switching to the Hockey Stick. Yeah, I thought about Zebras but I got a good deal on the P-Rails and wanted to try them. It'll wind up Darth Vader Black w/Chrome Accents.

My wife ask me why I keep building the same guitar??? :cool2:

 

[I NEED HELP123]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

As I wound up with my USACG Neck sitting around and found a couple of Vintage NOS/Unused 1987 Kramer Pacer Imperial Bodies dirt cheap, one Taxi Yellow the other Black, I sold off the Taxi Yellow Recessed Floyd Pacer Imperial Body and am using the Black Top Mount Floyd Pacer Imperial Body with the USACG Neck. Already have a pair of SD P-Rails with Volume Pushull/Volume Pushull/Tone/3 Way DPDT Selector Switch and a new Chrome Floyd Rose "1984" on the way for it.

First of all, really cool project

I'm advising you not to choose the 1984 floyd rose.
It's a lot more expensive then some other, at least equally as good Floyd roses.

I'm currently also working on a project similar to yours and made a thread about what Floyd would be best. I ended up choosing the gotoh. It's all steel parts and really well build. For me, it goes locally for €150.

Here the thread I was talking about https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?326452-What-Floyd-to-choose

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

First of all, really cool project

I'm advising you not to choose the 1984 floyd rose.
It's a lot more expensive then some other, at least equally as good Floyd roses.

I'm currently also working on a project similar to yours and made a thread about what Floyd would be best. I ended up choosing the gotoh. It's all steel parts and really well build. For me, it goes locally for €150.

Here the thread I was talking about https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?326452-What-Floyd-to-choose

Hey there. Thank you and thank you for the input. I am for sure an OFR guy. I've liked and tried Ibanez Original Edges and they have a nice smooth feel but again I don't like the pop in arm and they're not as sturdy as an OFR so I never stick with them. Have also tried the Gotoh 1996 as well and it just feels different plus, again, I don't care for the push in arm.

I was looking at Vintage 80s OFRs as I usually do to find a clean one, but I then have to buy a 42mm Big Brass Block and an Old School Threaded Arm rather than the Collared Arm the new ones come with, so financially, the "1984" was a better option for me. Plus the hardware on the neck is new as will be the Floyd.

 

[I NEED HELP123]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Hey there. Thank you and thank you for the input. I am for sure an OFR guy. I've liked and tried Ibanez Original Edges and they have a nice smooth feel but again I don't like the pop in arm and they're not as sturdy as an OFR. Tried the Gotoh 1996 as well and it just feels different plus, again, I don't care for the push in arm.

I was looking at Vintage 80s OFRs as I usually do to find a clean one, but I then have to buy a 42mm Big Brass Block and an Old School Threaded Arm rather than the Collared Arm the new ones come with, so financially, the "1984" was a better option for me. Plus the hardware on the neck is new as will be the Floyd.

yeah, I also think the edge isn't for me.

can you explain how the gotoh feels diffrent???i haven't bought the gotoh yet, but i'm planning to.

I also recommend you take a look at the schaller lockmeister. it's exactly the same as an original floyd rose (this is what other people told me in the thread), but just cheaper and with the name schaller on it.

I asked why they can sell them cheaper, this is the answer i got.

Not sure, tbh. I mean, the reason they sell their whole unit cheaper than Floyd Rose does is probably because Floyd had a patent on that design for a long time and were pretty restrictive in their licensing, from what I've heard. I assume being the only actor on the market, as well as producing something that could withstand all the abuse that's thrown at it meant they could hike up prices. Once the patent exploitation right expired, other companies built their own and cut prices in order to stay competitive? I'm only guessing on that last part, but it makes sense to me.

Floyd Roses's response was to build cheaper versions abroad and then keep their originals at a price premium.

I wore out my Schaller original Floyd just a few weeks ago, and had to order a new base plate. The upside is that all the other parts apparently fit the Lockmeister plate, so I could buy just that one piece.

I hope this helps!

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Yes Sir; I actually checked out the Lockmeister as well as the F.U. Floyds. Appreciate it. By the way, will check out your thread, hope there are pics in there!

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

As usual...things "morph". Two of the three pictured below are currently at a local luthier getting assembled and set up - USACG '87 Pacer Custom I Seafoam with Suhr Michael Landau Standard Neck & Middle/SWD Custom Shop '78 & 2017 Musikraft '84 Pacer Imperial Trans Red with Seymour Duncan Slash/SWD Custom Shop RTM TB. Having Floyd Inserts/Posts installed on the ‘83 Pacer Imperial.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Fresh from DrumCity Guitarland - USACG Quartersawn 12” Radius 6100 Jumbo Maple Neck & ‘87 PCI Body, Suhr Landau Standards/SWD CS ‘78, ‘86 OFR w/42mm F.U. BBB

Total WIN!!! Looks cool, plays great and sounds awesome. Very pleased.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Well, first, I have to laugh at what your wife said... haha... Cute.. I can see why she would say that as you do kinda use many of the same parts.

Second, I love watching what you are doing as I an old Kramer fanboi... Matter of fact, Id love to have another one... or 10.
Everytime I get my old one out, it just slays me. And I regret selling my focus' and the Baretta I had..

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Yeah; I totally love the old 80s USA Kramer’s and B.C. Rich USA Gunslingers/Warlocks.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

I like your style and the direction that your tastes are going and I also cant wait to see that Focus 3000 when its done!

Next time start crying and say "These are all different guitars, you just never pay attention to me any more"

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Well thank you very much. You and I definitely share an appreciation for those old 80’s Floyd High Performance Guitars - Kramer, Charvel/Jackson, Ibanez, ESP, Hamer, etcetera.

Wife and I had a discussion about tone, body and neck woods, pickups/electronics, etc. and that made it kinda clear. She gets it - bought me a MGR Gift Certificate for Valentines Day that translated into a set of PAF Sticker P-Rails all wired up and ready to install.

Thankfully she loves live music and is supportive of my my love of guitars to include part time buying and selling as I steadily make a profit (ex: $200 cleared on the two NOS Kramer Pacer Imperial Bodies that I just sold and $250 in an hour flipping an Original 1969 Fender Mustang Neck that I found at MGR a month or two back) that funds my hobby.

Plus I get to piece together or buy a cool guitar or amp for myself from time to time or pay to fix my son’s Jeep when it breaks down or my daughter’s Toyota needs tires.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

1984 Musikraft Trans Red Maple Body Pacer Imperial all done!!!

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Lastly; Floyd Posts/Inserts installed on this one.

 

[I NEED HELP123]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

i'm a huge fan of 80's music and guitars. those are awesome!!!

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Very Cool & Thank you! Post some pics of yours.

 

[I NEED HELP123]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

Very Cool & Thank you! Post some pics of yours.

haha... I wish I had one :sad:

I got hit by a car last december and had my guitar with me. the guitar has a dent and a few days ago i discovered that there was a crack in the neck pocket.... I made a thread about it called 'guitar doesn't stay in tune' because the guitar kept going out of tune, and i was getting sick off it:argh:

I have another guitar, a vantage but i dont like it and i'm planning to sell it.

I hope i can scrape enough money together to buy a really nice neck from warmoth, gotoh floyd, pickups and some hardware to make a really cool guitar with the body from the car hit.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

That’s a bummer about your guitar getting damaged. Sounds like you’ve got plans for a cool replacement in the works.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: USACG Pacer Imperial

I got to spend the weekend playing the three - Seafoam PCI has some of the most beautiful Single Coil tones I have heard with the Suhr Landau pickups and the '78 surprised me by how good it sounds clean or distorted...no issues with power/output in any way whatsoever...'84 Trans Red Maple Imp sounds just as spectacular as the '83 Sunburst Maple Imp...deep, full and articulate tones across the board.