Kramer Pacer question
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marshallmel
Well-known member
I’ve owned several of these over the years as well as Focus 1000, 2000, 3000 They’re ok guitars but the prices going this high because of people trying to buy back their youth is ridiculous. If you’re spending $1,200 my advice would be to look for a MIJ Charvel from 2010-2011. Way better guitars without having to worry about your trem posts leaning and your neck cracking between the holes for the locking nut; both common problems with the Kramer.
Racerxrated
Well-known member
No offense, but any Foci I've owned/played are just OK at best; IMO a step below a Charvel model series. The USA Pacers are supposed to be on level or damn close to a USA Charvel/Jackson from that era. Talking about the beak hs Pacers.
Chubtone
Well-known member
My experience is that the very best Kramers from that era are on par with the USA or Japan Pro Mod Charvels. I think the original USA Charvels and Jackson's and the modern custom shop ones are on another level altogether.
Chubtone
Well-known member
I've told this story a million times on here over the years, but I'll do it again.. In 1983 into 1984 I was saving as many pennies of my pizza delivery money as I could to buy a Kramer. In the Chicago suburbs, we had barely even heard of Charvels let alone seen one in person, but Kramers were everywhere. I finally saved up the $600 the Kramer was going to cost me at my local store. A friend suggested we go in to downtown Chicago to Guitar Center. At 17, we weren't allowed to go downtown on our own, but we did it anyway.
I walked in to GC with $600 burning a hole in my pocket and the absolute guarantee that I was going to have a brand new Kramer that day and the guys in my band were going to be stoked. No more of me slinging a tobacco sunburst Les Paul Custom looking like I belonged in the Allman Bros or the Marshall Tucker Band.
I walk in and the sales guy:
Dave Anderson from Eric Steel from the infamous old Charvel ad, asks me what I am looking for and I tell him a Kramer. He takes me over to the Kramers and I am playing them and I am stoked. My pocket is on fire with money trying to get into the Guitar Center cash register as quickly as possible. Dave then says "have you ever tried one of these?" and puts a 1984 Charvel San Dimas in my hands.
I had played a dozen or so USA Kramers at my local store over the months while I was saving. My guitar teacher there played one. Within 30 seconds of playing the Charvel, I no longer wanted a Kramer. I played 3 or 4 other Charvels that day and I went home empty handed. I was bummed because the Charvel was going to cost me a full $300 more than the Kramer. Back to delivering pizzas in the ridiculous Illinois winters until I finally saved enough for a Charvel. Dave had taken my number and called me a couple of times to let me know when new shipments had come in. That time when he called me, my boss overheard me talking about it at work later and loaned me the rest of the money I needed and I went down there and bought one the next day. I still have it and have never owned a Kramer to this day.
I do still want a strat head Kramer or beak head one but just never got around to buying one when they were reasonably priced.
I walked in to GC with $600 burning a hole in my pocket and the absolute guarantee that I was going to have a brand new Kramer that day and the guys in my band were going to be stoked. No more of me slinging a tobacco sunburst Les Paul Custom looking like I belonged in the Allman Bros or the Marshall Tucker Band.
I walk in and the sales guy:Dave Anderson from Eric Steel from the infamous old Charvel ad, asks me what I am looking for and I tell him a Kramer. He takes me over to the Kramers and I am playing them and I am stoked. My pocket is on fire with money trying to get into the Guitar Center cash register as quickly as possible. Dave then says "have you ever tried one of these?" and puts a 1984 Charvel San Dimas in my hands.
I had played a dozen or so USA Kramers at my local store over the months while I was saving. My guitar teacher there played one. Within 30 seconds of playing the Charvel, I no longer wanted a Kramer. I played 3 or 4 other Charvels that day and I went home empty handed. I was bummed because the Charvel was going to cost me a full $300 more than the Kramer. Back to delivering pizzas in the ridiculous Illinois winters until I finally saved enough for a Charvel. Dave had taken my number and called me a couple of times to let me know when new shipments had come in. That time when he called me, my boss overheard me talking about it at work later and loaned me the rest of the money I needed and I went down there and bought one the next day. I still have it and have never owned a Kramer to this day.
I do still want a strat head Kramer or beak head one but just never got around to buying one when they were reasonably priced.
Fiesta Red
Well-known member
I've told this story a million times on here over the years, but I'll do it again.. In 1983 into 1984 I was saving as many pennies of my pizza delivery money as I could to buy a Kramer. In the Chicago suburbs, we had barely even heard of Charvels let alone seen one in person, but Kramers were everywhere. I finally saved up the $600 the Kramer was going to cost me at my local store. A friend suggested we go in to downtown Chicago to Guitar Center. At 17, we weren't allowed to go downtown on our own, but we did it anyway.
I walked in to GC with $600 burning a hole in my pocket and the absolute guarantee that I was going to have a brand new Kramer that day and the guys in my band were going to be stoked. No more of me slinging a tobacco sunburst Les Paul Custom looking like I belonged in the Allman Bros or the Marshall Tucker Band.
View attachment 179047
Dave Anderson from Eric Steel from the infamous old Charvel ad, asks me what I am looking for and I tell him a Kramer. He takes me over to the Kramers and I am playing them and I am stoked. My pocket is on fire with money trying to get into the Guitar Center cash register as quickly as possible. Dave then says "have you ever tried one of these?" and puts a 1984 Charvel San Dimas in my hands.
I had played a dozen or so USA Kramers at my local store over the months while I was saving. My guitar teacher there played one. Within 30 seconds of playing the Charvel, I no longer wanted a Kramer. I played 3 or 4 other Charvels that day and I went home empty handed. I was bummed because the Charvel was going to cost me a full $300 more than the Kramer. Back to delivering pizzas in the ridiculous Illinois winters until I finally saved enough for a Charvel. Dave had taken my number and called me a couple of times to let me know when new shipments had come in. That time when he called me, my boss overheard me talking about it at work later and loaned me the rest of the money I needed and I went down there and bought one the next day. I still have it and have never owned a Kramer to this day.
I do still want a strat head Kramer or beak head one but just never got around to buying one when they were reasonably priced.
IS it still in one piece?
I have a maple/maple strat head Kramer neck, no it isn’t for sale. It had a Rockinger locking nut when I got it, now it has a Floyd nut. Nice neck, profile is cool. The best Kramer neck I ever touched were those two left handed maple beak Buddy Blaze Elliot Eastons I messed around on, the next best is a maple beak on a Kramer Classic that I own, which is from back in the day, a three single coil strat with a recessed Floyd, candy red. As good as any Charvel I’ve ever played.
Chubtone
Well-known member
LOL not at all! It has had probably 20-25 different pickups in it over the years. Original neck had the pointy headstock snapped off. Lee Garver at GMW grafted on an entire new headstock at the scarf joint and did an amazing job. I have a different neck on it now because I can't stand the neck shape on those old pointies. They feel like a yardstick with frets on it. lol. It was a single hum with a brass trem but it now has a neck single coil and a Floyd Rose. This is my go to, benchmark guitar. I have owned dozens more vintage Charvels over the years and none of them have sounded as good as this one. It's the only Charvel I own anymore.
So to answer that question, the only original thing on the guitar is the wood of the body and the Charvel neckplate. It has been through it all.
Racerxrated
Well-known member
The 1986 Jackson I lucked into (yep another GC score) for 1100 is the best of the 7-8 80s USA Charvels/Jacksons I've had...it's also the first factory Floyd and Maple neck version...this guitar is ridiculously easy playing, and great sounding. Needs nothing. The Charvel you have from me, that neck is a good bit wider than this 86.
Fiesta Red
Well-known member
Was this one of the USA ones or was it after the Charvel line was moved overseas to Japan?
Greazygeo
Well-known member
The best Kramer neck for me is the one on my Showster Metallist II that I bought for $25.00 with a broken headstock. Never liked the Focus necks, weird thin profile. I do have a Focus 2000 with a Warmoth neck that is pretty cool. Alder body I think.
My buddy has a D series Pacer body with the Shaller pickups. In the late 80’s Stewmac used to sell Jackson headstock necks which were made in Canada by Lasido ( same company that made some of the Kramer necks I read). I have had one of those necks all these years and been on many different bodies. Its a maple neck maple fretboard reverse headstock. I scalloped it from the 12th fret up. Just last week I put the neck on that Pacer body. The neck holes in the body are drilled crooked and the control cavity routing looks like it was done with a chisel. Heavy as all get out! Maple body. originally it had the banana scarf neck and the scarf joint failed. It sounds pretty good and sustains awesome, but it is bright. Have to roll the tone down some. Kinda fun to goof around with…but it is heavy!
My buddy has a D series Pacer body with the Shaller pickups. In the late 80’s Stewmac used to sell Jackson headstock necks which were made in Canada by Lasido ( same company that made some of the Kramer necks I read). I have had one of those necks all these years and been on many different bodies. Its a maple neck maple fretboard reverse headstock. I scalloped it from the 12th fret up. Just last week I put the neck on that Pacer body. The neck holes in the body are drilled crooked and the control cavity routing looks like it was done with a chisel. Heavy as all get out! Maple body. originally it had the banana scarf neck and the scarf joint failed. It sounds pretty good and sustains awesome, but it is bright. Have to roll the tone down some. Kinda fun to goof around with…but it is heavy!
Chubtone
Well-known member
1984. San Dimas made. I had loads of them after from Pre-Pro's to USA Jackson bolt on's but none of them sounded as good as this one. That's probably because everything tone-wise was always dialed in around this guitar.
Racerxrated
Well-known member
Did you find the 08/09 USA neck profile better for you than your 84? Personally, that's the profile that fits my hand best..the 80s versions all varied a bit, but a few were of the wide/flat theme..they were the hardest to adjust to.
83stratman
Active member
My favorite Kramer that I owned was a HSS flat top Stagemaster in flip flop blue/purple with the three mini toggles replaced with a Fender style 5 way. I don't know why I got rid of it. I got it for $114 in '04. It needed pickups, TLC, a deep cleaning/disinfecting and a couple of Floyd parts! Boy did that fucker play killer and sounded the most straty a non Strat has ever sounded to me! I had some parts bin Strat head era Fernandez Strat RI pickups in it along with a Schaller bridge hum. I sometimes dream about that guitar.
Back in the day I also owned a black single hum flat top Stagemaster. That one wasn't too shabby either, but the neck was actually pretty big on that one. This was probably around 1989 or '90.
Back in the day I also owned a black single hum flat top Stagemaster. That one wasn't too shabby either, but the neck was actually pretty big on that one. This was probably around 1989 or '90.
Chubtone
Well-known member
If you were talking about the 08/09 Pro Mod necks, yes. I found that those were the most similar to the "right" neck profile from like the 82 strat head era that I liked
Chris6870
Well-known member
I love those old Kramers. But the prices are stupid. Unless you need the old school mojo,You can build a comparable guitar for much less. They were nothing more than parts guitars assembled in a factory in NJ back in the day. The newer Pacer with a few upgrades will get you there or buy a Charvel San Dimas.
I built a Kramer Pacer myself. I bought a reissue Kramer Pacer body,a neck plate a nicely specd birdseye maple neck, I had a made in Germany Schaller Floyd Rose. Bought a Duncan JB for the bridge and a Schaller humbucker for the neck. It's an awesome player and my number one for quite a while and I probably have less than $500 in it. I also have a newer pacer, the bengal model which is pretty awesome and they were like 700 new.
I also built these out of spare parts. I owned many Kramers in the early 2000's when they were cheap. I had so many parts. I had 12 American necks at one point, some never even drilled and a bunch of neck plates with no serial numbers that came from the factory sale.
I built a Kramer Pacer myself. I bought a reissue Kramer Pacer body,a neck plate a nicely specd birdseye maple neck, I had a made in Germany Schaller Floyd Rose. Bought a Duncan JB for the bridge and a Schaller humbucker for the neck. It's an awesome player and my number one for quite a while and I probably have less than $500 in it. I also have a newer pacer, the bengal model which is pretty awesome and they were like 700 new.
I also built these out of spare parts. I owned many Kramers in the early 2000's when they were cheap. I had so many parts. I had 12 American necks at one point, some never even drilled and a bunch of neck plates with no serial numbers that came from the factory sale.
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Don't tell the Kramer forum that, I told them I could build a better Pacer Special from parts for less money than I could buy one, and I did, and they got mad.
Like you said, if you don't need "vintage mojo" you are better off doing it yourself.
To me, the only ones that don't fit that sentiment are the neckthrough ones. Stagemaster and Paul Deans. Built by ESP and Larrivee, respectively.
Like you said, if you don't need "vintage mojo" you are better off doing it yourself.
To me, the only ones that don't fit that sentiment are the neckthrough ones. Stagemaster and Paul Deans. Built by ESP and Larrivee, respectively.
There's a certain amount of nostalgia about collecting 80s guitars I think. If all I cared about was playability I wouldn't own anything other than Charvel/Jackson (or Chubtone), and only American at that. But I buy stuff I lusted after as a broke ass teenager living at home and now the shit is out there and I can afford it so...I'd rather have the real deal. Parts guitars are cool, don't get me wrong, I have a bunch, but I also like the real article from time to time.
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Chubtone
Well-known member
I hear you here. I finally bought a Hamer Standard, unfortunately not an original sunburst one but a 1998 USA model in black. I always wanted one from my growing up in Illinois, Cheap Trick worship in Jr High. I do still want an old Kramer strat head or beak head.
Chubtone
Well-known member
I love that white one!