Cathedral Deluxe

[Pacer Guy]

Thanks to Sergej (XXX) for the assistance with contacting Gary Kramer, I received a reply from Leo, along with the info I needed to get the ball rolling on ordering a Cathedral Deluxe.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/pcrdlx/CathedralDeluxeFull-1.png

So what I want, is to let everyone make the choices.
The neck options,
I have three options for the neck. Plain Maple/Maple, Birdseye Maple/Maple or Birdseye Maple/Birdseye Maple.

Here are the choices for the colors,
Trans Amber
Cherry Burst
Tropical Red
Adriatic Blue
Weed Green
Tiger Eye (Multi Staining Process)

Sorry I don't have any pics of the different colors. but there pretty standard.

Hardware choices,
Black
Gold
Chrome

I'm not getting quite as carried away as Sergej on the build. I like the specs of the guitar as is. So it's mainly just cosmetic, and neck choices.
So let me hear your choices :thumbsup

[Midnight_Highway]

Don, go Adriatic Blue with Gold Hardware! :thumbsup Maple neck too, if you can. Killer choice, I've seen USA Gary Kramer/Leo guitars up close and they are exquisite.

George

[Steve EZ]

If the Tiger eye looks anything like the finish by the same name i had on a Steve Cropper Peavey, go with that one :drool

[_xxx_]

Hey, we'll soon have a whole family here :thumbsup Great

[halo71]

The color that George said with a maple board?!? :drool

[Pacer Guy]

Ok guys,
Just talked with Leo :thumbsup
Sounds like it will be a go. The price is great with what I asked him for.
Trans blue
Full Birdseye neck
Chrome hardware

I did ask if he could do the neck with an R2 nut instead of the R3, but he just wrote back, and said that the R3 was all they offer :-x Bummer there, but he told me that the neck has nice rolled edges, and does not have a Jackson profile (D shape, wide and flat) I asked him if he could give me a little more info on the neck profile. I told him that I prefer the C shape (round and full). So I hope to hear back from him today. He's been really good about responding quickly :thumbsup

So far it looks like Trans Blue is going to be the winner for a color :thumbsup
Thanks for the input everyone :thumbsup

[Tone?]

those guitars look killer and in the vein of a real Kramer!

Is that on Mahogany with Maple top??

If its mahogany i would rather go with a rosewood board. the all maple might be a bit too middy.


good deal!!

At least Gary Kramer got it right. Like other forum bros said, Gibson should sell the Kramer rights back to him.
Between Gary K. and Southeast guitars I think we are pretty much getting covered anyway.

cheers!

:toast

[Pacer Guy]

Tone, you are correct, it is a Mahogany body with the Flame maple top. I agree the Birdseye may be a little much, but it's a chance I'm willing to take, but I will talk with Leo about it :thumbsup
Here is what Leo told me about the necks. I told him I wanted something similar to a Beak :thumbsup

Neck profile of early 82-83 Pacers guitars is very similar to a regular Strat style neck. 1 5/8” wide (R-2), round and full. Strat necks in general have string spacing problem because of wider F spacing featured on Floyds and other similar bridges. So……our necks are 1mm wider, however they still have nice round shape to them. I would describe them as Strat feeling necks with improved string spacing. We are in constant touch with lots of Kramer fanatics/collectors, and pretty much all of them absolutely fell in love with the neck shape. I do not think that we had once single bad feedback about the necks. Usually it is the complete opposite.


So after reading this, I feel a little better about the R3 nut. I know it's only a 1mm difference, but I'm always a little paranoid when it comes to change on a neck :)
So anyway, this is what the guitar should look like when all said and done. Just picture it with a neck pup :thumbsup

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/pcrdlx/DSC_0257-1.jpg

Leo is going to turn over the work order to the important person (the one that takes the money) so I should be putting a deposit on it in the morning.
Leo said it will take 6-8 weeks before I will see it. This sounded pretty reasonable to me. After hearing the horror stories of the Jackson and Charvel custom shop taking a year or more to see your guitar, I feel a few months is great :thumbsup

I had originally been stashing money to buy a new Les Paul Traditional. But after seeing the Namm pics, I had a change of heart. I think I made the right choice :thumbsup

[_xxx_]

:drool :drool :drool :thumbsup

[Dersu Uzala]

You certainly did. Have fun wit it.

[Pacer Guy]

Update... I received the payment Info from Laura (Gary's wife??) today. as soon as that arrives, and is returned, this beauty will be coming to life :thumbsup
I'm looking forward to this one :)

[munkee]

Wow, this is guitar week for you!!! Did you get the charvel yet???

[Pacer Guy]

Wow, this is guitar week for you!!! Did you get the charvel yet???
It's been a good week :) I hadn't planned on the GK, but it was between this and the Les Paul :scratchhe So I choose the GK :thumbsup :thumbsup
The Charvel didn't get shipped out until last Tuesday, so it won't be here until the upcoming Tuesday :-x
I have a few plans in store for it as well ;)

[munkee]

I look forward to seeing your Plans!!!

[floydkramer]

Wow!....that GK is gonna be the shit! :drool
i cant wait to hear the review on it.

[Dersu Uzala]

A little something to keep Pacer Guy & _xxx_ going until 'ye receive what ye asked for'.

Metal of the Bells (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1oj0dy9qX4&fmt=18)

[floydkramer]

Awesome vid!
Looks like some Wicked axes... and them skull murals are killer!

[Pacer Guy]

Great vid :thumbsup :thumbsup
The wait is going to drive me nuts :-x But I'm sure the prize at the end of the agony will be well worth while :thumbsup
Thanks for posting the vid :urock

[Dersu Uzala]

Bumpsky.

[floydkramer]

You're welcome. I'm glad to report that this kid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A1h5YuPSzU) was jamming on Lionheart yesterday. Leo is making him an axe, akin to Lionheart.


Holy Crap that kids only 12?... wow i couldnt play like that till i was at least 14:lol

[Pacer Guy]

:yikes 12 :yikes :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :yikes
I'm 44 and still can't play like that :) :D :scratchhe
That will be sweet to see him doing his thing on a GK :thumbsup :thumbsup I'll be watching for the vid :thumbsup

[Dersu Uzala]

Bumpsky.

[_xxx_]

A little something to keep Pacer Guy & _xxx_ going until 'ye receive what ye asked for'.

Metal of the Bells (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1oj0dy9qX4&fmt=18)

Nice playing and nice sound! Who is that?

Holy shite, that kid in the other vid is talented beyond belief! :headbang

[Dersu Uzala]

That's Dushan Svilokos from serbian band Trigger. A Gary Kramer Guitars endorsee. Their debut album is nothing short of spectacular given that particular style. The kid (Anton) surely is a prodigy, but Dushan actually plays better right now. Not only he has insane technique, but he's original as well. He's not copying chops if you know what I mean. On the other hand, I give the kid every break in the world. Let's see what the kid comes up with in 5-10 years. He'll still be able to shred, but by that time he will experience life more deeply. Love, loss, tragedy (luckily in the first case, unfortunately the latter, we all go through it). Let's see what kind of fire it wakes in kid's belly. I'll be waiting for sure. A person of his capabilities, after acquiring life scars and emotions that he surely (at least I hope) will be able to transcend into notes of music. Can't wait. Can I borrow that time-machine anyone? Real quickly.


Anyway, one of Dushan's little fun works. It's a floating rhythm, all odd signatures. You see, people from Balkans (and he's serbian), most notably Macedonians have numerous folk songs written in odd signatures (vocal songs as well). Macedonia is really the kingdom of 7/9/11/13 8ths where everyone is syphoning it from, including Petrucci. Petrucci actually did an homage on Bombay Vindaloo, without ever explaining to crowds that it's really a Macedonian melos. It sounds exotic, because it is, but anyone can tell it has nothing to do with India, bar the title (and it's a food dish). Anyway, I'm running ahead of myself.

Check those folks if you will. The first link is Dushan, doing the quazi Macedonian shtick (it's really his invention in terms of lyrical content on guitar, but it resembles that Macedonian sad feeling so well).

The second link are the old masters of the trade. The biggest Macedonian rock/jazz/fusion band of all times.

You might like it, then again, if you don't no worries, plenty other wonderful music to go 'round.

Dushan :

http://www.milking-rosewood.com/mp3/Dushan.S_Arrhythmia.Kiss.mp3

Macedonians boys (the band's name is 'Leb i Sol', or 'Bread and Salt'). They're playing a jazzy/fusion/rock cover of an ancient Macedonian folk song : Leb i Sol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d46gT2b2Ilk&fmt=18)

Of course, they both play Leo's guitars.

[_xxx_]

Cool, I have family in Serbia, I'll let them send me a CD. :thumbsup

[Dersu Uzala]

Boy, you're up early, Serjoza :). Let me know if you have trouble acquiring it.

[Dersu Uzala]

Ok, really weird take on that Leb i Sol folk song I posted earlier (Raspukala Sar Planina, which basically means "Sar Mountain just split", Sar mountain being a big mountain.)

[Pacer Guy]

I'm liking that last song you posted :thumbsup
Is there more?? :urock

[Dersu Uzala]

Which one, Sir? Leb i Sol, or them Macedonian women?

[Pacer Guy]

The first one by Dushan,
http://www.milking-rosewood.com/mp3/Dushan.S_Arrhythmia.Kiss.mp3
Was the one I was referring to. I like that a lot, nice tone, melody... The whole thing is great :thumbsup
I didn't notice the link for Leb I Sol until just a few minutes ago. I like that as well :thumbsup

[Dersu Uzala]

Interesting! Awesome as well! You might have heard this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9TpnK-WvFE&fmt=18). It's an old Macedonian song literally translated as 'Teach me Mother, show (criticize) me'. The 'criticize' part only comes at play if you know the language, but you can tell from their vocalizing, it's in a pleading fashion'. Begging...He beggs his mother to show him the way with beloved girl...

Ah, yes...Talk about odd signatures. Tough to measure this. Gots to feel it. I could be wrong, perhaps. Do tell.

[Pacer Guy]

I like that as well :thumbsup
I thought this was pretty good as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f-ueDtYNA8

[Dersu Uzala]

It's odd that someone would love that, save for being Macedonian. I take my hat of to thee. Let me point you in acoustic macedonian direction, if You'd allow me.

[_xxx_]

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=FcVWA4Bd5Hk&feature=related:thumbsup

[wreckingcrew]

Thanks to Sergej (XXX) for the assistance with contacting Gary Kramer, I received a reply from Leo, along with the info I needed to get the ball rolling on ordering a Cathedral Deluxe.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/pcrdlx/CathedralDeluxeFull-1.png

So what I want, is to let everyone make the choices.
The neck options,
I have three options for the neck. Plain Maple/Maple, Birdseye Maple/Maple or Birdseye Maple/Birdseye Maple.

Here are the choices for the colors,
Trans Amber
Cherry Burst
Tropical Red
Adriatic Blue
Weed Green
Tiger Eye (Multi Staining Process)

Sorry I don't have any pics of the different colors. but there pretty standard.

Hardware choices,
Black
Gold
Chrome

I'm not getting quite as carried away as Sergej on the build. I like the specs of the guitar as is. So it's mainly just cosmetic, and neck choices.
So let me hear your choices :thumbsup

Dude.....:drool :drool :drool :headbang :headbang

[Dersu Uzala]

Bumpsky.