New forum member! NGD! Questions!?!?!

[Lorax]

Hello there,

My name is Colin, and I've never owned a Kramer before today (which leads me to my questions).

Browsing the local pawn shops today, I found this beauty hanging on the wall. From what I can gather from the internet, it looks like a Baretta, but I think it is some type of overseas model.

It has: 1 pc maple neck
Hockeystick headstock, no logo/model, non- tilted.
1 slanted humbucker
non-orig cheesy locking trm
Kramer neckplate SN# 105xx

It plays great and only set me back $100. Can anyone tell me what I might have?

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/body.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/headstock.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/neckplate.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/front.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/back.jpg

Thanks to anyone who can help me get a positive ID on this thing:thumbsup

[matt3846]

Welcome. it's a 1985 Focus 1000 that somebody took the Floyd Rose off of, and replaced it with a Rockinger!?!? :scratchhe

And they added a tone control too.

--Matt

[matt3846]

Just noticed the nut... from the front, you can't really tell where the Floyd Rose nut was. But on the back, you can clearly see the holes where the Floyd Rose nut was. Very odd that they would go to that much trouble to get a Rockinger on there.

Definitely a Focus 1000 though. Can tell by the neckplate/serial#, the output jack, and the body shape. Looks like a stock Focus pickup as well.

--Matt

[amerturk]

Unfortunately, the Rockinger looks like its missing the other part that makes it move with the bar. It looks like someone made this into a hardtail?

I would take off the rockinger, sell it, and place the floyd back on.

[Lorax]

Thanks for the quick replies, it looks like I came to the right place for information!

The guitar did infact come with the whammy bar, I just forgot to install it before the pics were taken. I'm not familiar with Rockinger trems. Are they considered any good, or just some floyd knock-off?
Also, what model floyd typically came with this model? I would like to put the correct one back on.

I have no clue what this guitar normally goes for on the used market, but I feel I got a great deal on it.

Was this one of the Japanese ESP-made Kramers?

[matt3846]

Was this one of the Japanese ESP-made Kramers?

That is right. The Focus line was made in Japan by ESP. They are great guitars. I own a handful myself.

--Matt

[lostinthemasses]

who in their right mind would replace a floyd rose with a rockinger?

i'm guessing someone switched trem's with another guitar and then kept that guitar, and then sold this one? that's my best guess

either way, nice score for 100 bucks

[KramerGeek]

The Floyd was definately raped and EBayed.

I still would have paid 100 for that guitar.

Good catch.

[halo71]

ahh, another high nut! Seen 2 here this week! :scratchhe

[DethConsumer]

Welcome to the forum! :)

[Ultimutt]

Nice guitar, love the colour.

High nuts!!! Thats funny!

If you can, take a closeup pic of the nut area, I'm curious as to how they made it look like the floyd nut never exsisted!

Yep, put a floyd back on there and start rockin'!!

:headbang

[halo71]

They even mounted this one above the string tree holes!

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/headstock.jpg

[amerturk]

Yes, those rockingers are somewhat rare and difficult to find these days. They only had a slight run back in the early '80's.

[pel666]

By the looks of it, it never had the floyd installed...the shelve is just not big enough. Would that make a F1000? I thought they only came with Floyds?

The constuction works with a whammy, as long as the flow thru the nut is optimal (in most cases without a custom or rollernut it is not as stable as a locknut). You have to deal with extra string length and therefore stretch, and on a Floyd the locking nut acts as a bridge as well and thus more stable...a pro can fit a locking nut in no-time :thumbsup

[amerturk]

Good Call Mies. That is probably a replacement neck.

[KramerUK]

That is certainly a Focus body and neckplate, but its not a focus neck, would never have had a plastic nut.

To me thats a striker neck, all be it a non-tilit, but I'll bet that it should have a beak neck.

Could well have been one of the last with the non fine tuner Floyds on and that might be why it was swapped out.
And then they've gone for a non-tilt nana neckon the cheap.

[matt3846]

Wouldn't a Striker neck have a truss-rod bullet at the top? Also, you can see the Floyd nut holes on the back. Not sure how they did it, but I think it's a Focus neck that they somehow put a plastic nut on. And the serial # puts it early in the Focus banana-era, so I don't think it would have had a beak on it.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/back.jpg

[pel666]

No way that is a revert back from OFR shelve to nut, unless they routed away the lot and put a piece of rosewood as replacement that has near perfect match to the grain and did a professional repair which wouldn't have been worth it really...I wonder :scratchhe I'd have to see a close up of the back of the neck of the nut screws. With some imagination you can see 2 of those pupil moving stick on eyes on the spots :D

Experts, feel free to chime in :thumbsup

[Lorax]

I'm at work right now, but I'll get some closeups of the areas in question and post the pics in about 1-2 hours.

[PacerMedic]

Welcome aboard! :toast

[matt3846]

I'm at work right now, but I'll get some closeups of the areas in question and post the pics in about 1-2 hours.

Thanks Lorax. That'd be great, as stuff like this obviously interests a lot of us here!

Here's a Striker neck from that era...

http://kramer.document5.com/striker/striker100st_5030315_blue_banana_09.jpg

and a Focus neck...

http://kramer.document5.com/focus/f1000/07100/f1000_07100_black_hockey_03.jpg

The Focus has more real-estate between the low E tuner and the nut, similar to the neck on the guitar in question. And I actually think that the Strikers all had skunk-stripes on the back.

--Matt

[Lorax]

Here are some photos of the suspicious areas....
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/nut.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/nut1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/locknut.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/KapaKrunch/trem1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

Hope this helps, thanks for your input so far

[lostinthemasses]

i dont know guys, that looks a hell of alot like it used to have a locking nut on there.

[amerturk]

Good God! Mies nailed it. Someone did take the time to match it!!!!

Incredible!

[rjs1]

i dont know guys, that looks a hell of alot like it used to have a locking nut on there.



+1:thumbsup :toast

[matt3846]

Good God! Mies nailed it. Someone did take the time to match it!!!!

Incredible!

You mean the "stick on eyes" theory? Yeah, he nailed it alright. :lol


--Matt

[Ultimutt]

And take a look at the locking nut coming up off the face of the headstock! That can't be very stable at all...

Another 'High Nut' ;)



:toast

[halo71]

Another 'High Nut' ;)

:toast

I think I may have coined some new Kramer terminology! :thumbsup

[Kramer_nut]

"High Nut"

I think I may have coined some new Kramer terminology! :thumbsup

You better copyright® that before Chris does!! :D :D

Todd

[pel666]

Take out them good 'ol chisle and get rid of that nut! Sell the rockinger parts here in Klassifieds and restore it to OFR including the string retainer...you would end up with the holes from the rockinger nut, but it would be more stable and original :thumbsup The OFR holes are still there ;)

It was a pretty decent job whoever did it...not perfect though.

[vwdoctor3]

did anyone notice the 2 post mount on the tremolo ?? most rockingers came with a plate & 6 screws to hold it to the body.