Original Kramer Nightswan

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cardinal said:
I showed this in another thread, but here's my Knapp Aztec. It actually looks like there's a Lightning Sky finish under it. Looking around on Google, it seems like other Knapp Aztecs have the same look going on. Weird.
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The story I've heard in Kramer circles (that's a dangerous start to a sentence lol) is that some of the "pink" lightning finishes got redone because they didn't like them as much as the more "white" lightning finishes. Personally, I think it looks pretty cool. Aztec is my favorite swan finish, but I've never had a real swan. I have had a Proaxe though, which is similar (R1 neck, 24 3/4 scale) and I LOVE the way it plays.
 
TotallyRadGuitars said:
The story I've heard in Kramer circles (that's a dangerous start to a sentence lol) is that some of the "pink" lightning finishes got redone because they didn't like them as much as the more "white" lightning finishes. Personally, I think it looks pretty cool. Aztec is my favorite swan finish, but I've never had a real swan. I have had a Proaxe though, which is similar (R1 neck, 24 3/4 scale) and I LOVE the way it plays.
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My Knapp nightswan has smokier/greyish clouds,more of a fire look in the lightning and instead of the blue background, more purple.To me,it looks like a more realistic lightning storm.Cant knock the standard production lightning finish either tho.I mustve got lucky as my original swan has none of that finish crack/checking that's normal in most of them.I wish I would've bought a proaxe along the way too.
 
I bought 1 jbj intended for my gibson custom for about 80usd.... and used to have one early 90s jbj too whom i puts it in my kiesel guitar but sold it without swapping out the jbj....

The jbj just have a sweeter compressed feel and sounded so much better... no idea why... many said its the unpolished magnets and stood the abuse over a long period of time it gets degaussed...

We need tonenerd to attest to the statement lol
 
hopkinWFG said:
I bought 1 jbj intended for my gibson custom for about 80usd.... and used to have one early 90s jbj too whom i puts it in my kiesel guitar but sold it without swapping out the jbj....

The jbj just have a sweeter compressed feel and sounded so much better... no idea why... many said its the unpolished magnets and stood the abuse over a long period of time it gets degaussed...

We need tonenerd to attest to the statement lol
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The degaussed thing depends. If they’ve stayed in your guitar, they’ve likely not degaussed in the slightest. The parts of magnets that have poles are the long/thin edges that butt up against the pole pieces. Leaking it up against cans and stuff isn’t close enough to degauss. If the pickup has been pulled and sitting in a drawer right up against a stronger magnet in another, maybe but even then it’s minimal. The old JB wet wound differently as well. The recipe has changes. The rough case is a little warmer though
 
scottosan said:
The degaussed thing depends. If they’ve stayed in your guitar, they’ve likely not degaussed in the slightest. The parts of magnets that have poles are the long/thin edges that butt up against the pole pieces. Leaking it up against cans and stuff isn’t close enough to degauss. If the pickup has been pulled and sitting in a drawer right up against a stronger magnet in another, maybe but even then it’s minimal. The old JB wet wound differently as well. The recipe has changes. The rough case is a little warmer though
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Thus have no idea what could have brought the older JBJ to much popularity.... but i do find mine was a lot more "sweeter" no idea how to describe but its better....
 
Has to be a re-fin as they never made a natural finish model. Regardless, they are great guitars. I have owned one since 1990.
 

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Congrats...but personally I hate the middle pickup. Whoever thought of that didn't think hard enough.
 
Exo-metal said:
Congrats...but personally I hate the middle pickup. Whoever thought of that didn't think hard enough.
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I think that was Vivian’s idea. I was close with Buddy (Blaze) Webster, he had the original polka dot Swan at his place. He & Vivian argued about who owned the guitar. That guitar was really nice, super flat radius, maybe 16?
 
You can tell Viv moved on from that idea (middle hum) pretty quick, as he quickly had it routed for a neck single and ripped out the middle pickup.
 
Very nice. Congrats. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in natural like that. Looks killer.
 
Is Vince painting more colors and hues onto that or is it done as is?
 
These are one of the only superstrats that i absolutely love
 
DMartin356 said:
I think that was Vivian’s idea. I was close with Buddy (Blaze) Webster, he had the original polka dot Swan at his place. He & Vivian argued about who owned the guitar. That guitar was really nice, super flat radius, maybe 16?
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The NightSwan I have has a 16" radius according to the gauges I have. The R1 nut feels a bit weird with it since it has a 10" radius, I think.

I put on a Gotoh nut that has about the same spacing but a ~14" radius and it feels much better IMHO. Can easily just bolt the original R1 back on if ever wanted, but I don't know who would want to.
 
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