Kramer project

[sprocket226]

Well the body from e-bay arrived yesterday, I have no idea what I'm gonna do with this. :)
I'm not even sure what model it is! :scratchhe
Right now I'm thinking the Bengal Tiger Lynch deal with a maple FB.
Open to suggestions (actually they are welcome! :thumbsup )

Pics...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0519.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0520.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0521.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0522.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0523.jpg

[pel666]

Ouch!

Is that plywood? I thought it was solid having looked at the auction...

[sprocket226]

I thought it was too. I took my dremel and sanded inside the trem cavity, and it looks solid. I'l know more as the paint comes off. Stripping it now...

[mrwhipper]

Looks solid to me?.?. Focus? :scratchhe

[sprocket226]

OK, looks solid. Must be at least 4 coats of paint!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0528.jpg

Except for toothpicks... :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0525.jpg

Going to have to fill with a dowel and re-drill. Anyone have an idea if there is a specific type of wood dowel to use?

[floydkramer]

:chainsaw Yikes!!!
I would try to match the wood type it is already.
Good luck with your build... keep the build info coming:thumbsup

[amerturk]

Have fun with it man. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain....and anything is possible. :)

[Ultimutt]

I believe the consensus was it is err umm WAS a Pacer Special.
Looks a lot rougher that the listing.. but I believe it can be saved. I suggested before buy filling unwanted cavities and possibly putting a veneer over it..
Good luck sprocket..
I feel a little responsible for urging to save it. But I believe:thumbsup
With some patience, research and some help from fellas here on the forum, you can do it!


'...a guitar barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. We have the technology, Better than she was before. Better, stronger, faster.':)

[Ultimutt]

amerturk- That was one of your saves was it not? I remember seeing that:thumbsup

[moku]

should be a fun project. take your time. :thumbsup
oh, and post pics of the progress.
as for the wood, judging from the wood grain, if it's heavy then it's ash but if it's light then it's alder.

[webbhead13]

:yikes OUCH!!:yikes
I think these are the best saves!!
when you get something that butchered and turn it into a real player.. You cant beat that!
I bought a focus body with the trem post holes completely collapsed into the p/u route and thru the body it was my first "save" I used it for a 5150ish project:thumbsup ( I know the 5150 didnt have a slant P/U thats why I say 5150ish!)
like everyone says.. Take your time and have fun with it! its a great way to get your skills tuned up for bigger projects!!
GOOD LUCK!!:thumbsup :thumbsup

[amerturk]

amerturk- That was one of your saves was it not? I remember seeing that:thumbsup


Indeed it was!...and one of my favorite players. :)

[sprocket226]

Indeed it was!...and one of my favorite players. :)

Wow, that's a hell of a job :thumbsup What did you fill the cavities with?

[webbhead13]

Wow, that's a hell of a job :thumbsup What did you fill the cavities with?

+1:thumbsup
What did you use to cover the electronics cavity??
I have a Imp body with a huge toggle switch hole I need to repair:thumbsup

[sprocket226]

Nice 5150 Webbhead :thumbsup
Now where'd you get the neck! ;)

[webbhead13]

Nice 5150 Webbhead :thumbsup
Now where'd you get the neck! ;)

Thanks!!
Its a customwoods neck!:thumbsup
They rule!! at least until Warren starts making them for us!!:notworthy
I have a Lynch project in the works now and I have another neck from him with reverse headstock and ebony board like Lynchs ESP:drool :drool :drool

[sprocket226]

Nice, webbhead! :headbang

Ok, question for you "Kramer-know-it-all's" out there...
Are all Kramer necks the same width at the heel? Could this have been opened up? Pic is of my Focus and this project. May have to add some wood to the neck pocket?
Why would there be a hole drilled from neck pup to neck pocket? :scratchhe

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/Guitar.jpg

[Ultimutt]

I thought that pocket was a little wide..
Yes just add a piece of wood with some glue shaped to fit.:scratchhe
I'm sure others will chime in and offer some possible better solutions:thumbsup
I believe the hole would have been for wiring for a neck pup if it had been slated to have double hums.

:toast

[webbhead13]

I think Mutts Right on all of this one!:thumbsup
I thought the neck had been opened up too!
slap a bridge on it and line your neck up and you'll be able to see how much you need to fill in on the side of the neck pocket,
And like He said the hole was drilled to get the wires from the neck to the bridge,Its just a straight shot all the way thru the body instead of trying to work in just the neck P/U route!

[KramerUK]

look forward to following this save, as its been said these heavily abused ones are the best.
Its been said but yep thats how virtually all wiring holes are drilled for neck pups on a guitar with no pickguard and even on a lot with pickguards!

Keep us posted :thumbsup

[pel666]

The Elec hole for any guitar that has a neck PU is very common, I do it myself as well

Nice goin' :thumbsup

[sprocket226]

All right, I know slow progress...
Neck pocket's not too small now!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0534.jpg

Got that big hole filled in too...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0533.jpg

Still not sure what I'm going to do with the bridge pick-up cavity, it's huge!
Filling in the neck pick-up cavity and sand, sand, sand this week-end.
BTW, the white that's still on the body now is the first coat of white. The white when I got it was like the 3rd or 4th paint job!

[webbhead13]

how did you fill the big hole in the body??
Its looking better already!!:thumbsup

[NightRider]

+1:thumbsup
What did you use to cover the electronics cavity??
I have a Imp body with a huge toggle switch hole I need to repair:thumbsup

put a dowel in her Bill:)

[Ace]

Man, you're keen, I've only just started reading this thread and you've nearly finished already :thumbsup

[Ultimutt]

All right, I know slow progress...



Slow progress!?!! Jesus your almost ready for paint. :D
You've been busy sprocket. Looks good, keep it up. :thumbsup

[sprocket226]

I love doing this shit. :)
But the project is going to come to a screeching halt here in the next couple of days.
I need to get a neck, and I'd really like to put a maple fret-boarded neck on it. And they're not cheap!
Anyway, thanks for the compliments everyone!

[webbhead13]

put a dowel in her Bill:)

Really??:scratchhe
I have a Imp body that the toggle switch hole was ENLARGED and I'm looking to fix it..
If I just dowel it, it seems like the dowel would just split when I redrill for the correct size or wouldnt have the strength to hold the new switch ...
Wouldnt it??

[NightRider]

I think it would work... especially if the dowel is a tight tight fit and use Gorilla glue or something

[sprocket226]

I used a dowel to fill the tone pot hole when I did the 5150 guitar. Left it a little high to sand down. Thought for sure it would pop out, but that wood glue is some strong stuff.
You could always glue a thin strip of wood to the inside of the control cavity over the hole (or in my case, holes :D ) to use for backing. That's what I did, hole's just too big for a dowel.

[Midnight_Highway]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0533.jpg

That looks great! :thumbsup I sort of like the 'camo paint' effect you've got going on right now too. :)
So you fixed the big hole by gluing a piece of wood in the cavity and using putty on top?

George

[amerturk]

Nice work man! I did the same thing to fill the holes and the two singles that some knucklehead cut in mine.

[sprocket226]

That looks great! :thumbsup I sort of like the 'camo paint' effect you've got going on right now too. :)
So you fixed the big hole by gluing a piece of wood in the cavity and using putty on top?

George

There's a piece in the cavity for a backer, and a piece in the holes too. I took my hand saw and sliced a thin piece, then used the dremel to shape them round to fit the holes. That took awhile :)

[budgolf1]

It's looking good!

[Craig Johnson]

I'm waiting for the next picture. Come on don't keep us in suspense. That's just not right.

[sprocket226]

OK more pics...
More sanding, sanding and sanding.
Almost all of the original white is gone, down to the Kramer sealer/primer. Filled neck cavity first thing this morning. Let it sit, then thin coat of wood filler on top. Sanded down fairly well, did a shadow test. I'll sand again tomorrow, depending on results, may have to "piss coat" it with Bondo. Did some filling where the bridge pup will be, so when I mount it, there's no gaps. That's why the line is there, from the center of the FR post holes to the truss notch to see if the pup is fairly centered.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0537.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0538.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0540.jpg

I knew watching those "New Yankee Workshop" with Norm on PBS was gonna pay off some day :D

Anyone think that Eddie see's those Jenny Craig commercials with Valerie, he wants that back? She still looks pretty damn good! ;)

[NightRider]

lookin good... not wasting anytime either:thumbsup

[sprocket226]

Skim coated where I filled the neck pup at with Bondo, right before Indy/Jets game. Sanded between games, first coat of primer...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0550.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0553.jpg

Happy so far with the way it's turnng out.

[focusguy]

i was waiting to see results before i posted but damn! your really rippin through this one. making all the rest of us draggin ass on our projects look bad! lol :thumbsup

[moku]

dude you're good!
awesome restore. how come you filled the neck pup hole? have you consider restoring it to a pacer special (2 knobs and 1 mini toggle)? http://www.vintagekramer.com/Pacer/pacerspecial.jpg

[NightRider]

Skim coated where I filled the neck pup at with Bondo, right before Indy/Jets game. Sanded between games, first coat of primer...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0550.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0553.jpg

Happy so far with the way it's turnng out.

the only thing I see that may cause a problem is the thickness of the wood in the cavity... might have to sand it down some for the pots and swtch to fit thru

[Ace]

Most Excellent :thumbsup

[focusguy]

dude you're good!
awesome restore. how come you filled the neck pup hole? have you consider restoring it to a pacer special (2 knobs and 1 mini toggle)? http://www.vintagekramer.com/Pacer/pacerspecial.jpg

what im thinking about doing to my beak 2k project :thumbsup

[sprocket226]

I still don't know what I'm going to do with it. My original thoughts were to put a reverse 'naner maple FB neck and put a Lynch tiger stripe on it, black OFR and Seymour Duncan JB...

[sprocket226]

Busy day...
A whole $11.50 so far :D
Now it sits for a couple of days.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0554.jpg?t=1264484582

[Codymp84]

Beautful! What kind of paint are you using? And how many coats do you plan on doing?

[Slizzyy826]

WOW! that looks amazing you really turned it around! was that airbrushed?

[sprocket226]

WOW! that looks amazing you really turned it around! was that airbrushed?

4 rattle cans and 6 Bud Lights :toast

[Mcniggleston]

Looks awesome dude! I'd like to learn how to paint stuff...but im awful at it haha, still havent got around to my Hondo yet....gonna get my original XL2 refretted first....i miss playing it too much ahah. Buzz ruins it!

[Slizzyy826]

4 rattle cans and 6 Bud Lights :toast

:notworthy wow what kind of paint was that? urethane or lacquer or what?

[sprocket226]

:notworthy wow what kind of paint was that? urethane or lacquer or what?

It's latex interior/exterior satin house paint... :D

Just kidding, lacquer. I'm clearing it with arcrylic, for like the next month. :help

[sprocket226]

Well it has a shine :)
Brought it upstairs for some sun. Orange peel still has to be sanded out, after the clear hardens some more.
In the mean time, I have to find the neck...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0566.jpg

[sprocket226]

All right, I'm too impatient.
Seems interest in this project has tailed off some, that means I'm safe to run to Auto-Zone for some 1k, 2k grit sand-paper, and swirl remover.

After watching countless hours on you-tube of how to clear a guitar body, 1k then the 2k grit was, I thought, to put a shne on the clear. It didn't. Dulled it right up.
I was like, "great, the orange peel is gone, but there is no shine, this looks like dog shit" :banghead
Got the Meguire's swirl remover and an old sock and went to town.

Good Lord this thing is unbelievable! For being a non-professional guitar finisher, dicking around in the basement! :D It's like glass...

There's a couple of screw-ups, biggest one is where I filled the neck pup cavity, (I should of ran that out some more) but all-in-all, I'm 1458% impressed of how this turned out. :thumbsup

OK, more pics...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0568.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0569.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0570.jpg

Thanks for looking! ;)

[webbhead13]

Nice Job!!:thumbsup
I dont think spray bombs get the respect they deserve!!
If you take your time the end results are on par with most spray gun jobs!
I know there is certain stuff you cant do with the can but for cheap projects like these I love 'em

heres my baretta body that was all spray bomb!:thumbsup

[sprocket226]

Sweet looking 'Retta body! Very "Holy Grail" ish... :thumbsup
New dilema though, instead of buying the neck, pick-up, tuners, etc. Why not use my Focus for that? :scratchhe

[webbhead13]

I dont see anything wrong with going that route except then you will have an extra body that you will want to paint and its starts all over again!!:whistle :whistle :whistle

[Codymp84]

Great Job man this looks great. Are you all done with it now as far as painting and clear coating? I started a project either the same time as you or a few days before it seems from the post date. Mine is just solid white and its still not done. I only started clear coating today. I'm using a gloss enamel. So you did not sand when finished clear coating with 1k or 2k? You just added some sort of buffing stuff?

[sprocket226]

OK I was a puss and didn't tear the Focus down. I really like that guitar, and don't want to screw it up. Went in a different direction...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0583.jpg

Still have to stripe and clear the head-stock...

Cutting the neck pocket out with the Dremel...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0578.jpg

Had to open the holes for the FR posts...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0575.jpg

Should have it up and jamming in a week or two! :headbang
BTW Cody... it's laquer not enamel, but I did wet sand 1k then 2k, then the swirl remover.

Thanks for looking!

[Slizzyy826]

Its coming out beautiful man i must tell ya. Good choice on the neck it goes well with that body too

[sprocket226]

More progress! :)

The jury is still out on the head-stock. I may sand it down and do it all over again. :scratchhe Just a quick label I made at work and stuck it on there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0587.jpg

Looking at plates on flea-bay, but hell I can grab some flat stock at work, and make my own. Screw it. Dremel "BW001" for :pimp (Crappy pic)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0588.jpg

Found some "aluminum" tape like what's inside my Ibanez, for shielding, what the hell...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0589.jpg

I'm so close to being done! :thumbsup
Haven't bought the SD pup yet, so I put the GHS in it, plus an extra set of Elixer's I had sitting around. So I can at least hear how it sounds, and see if it will tune OK. Setting the neck was a pain in the ass. The neck is not a Kramer, it's off a Laguna (my first electric) and I really like it, super thin (Wizard-like).
It took close to 6 hours to match the body and the neck together so they were straight, and the action was low.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0605.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0607.jpg

Ok, it's a working guitar now...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0591.jpg

Thanks to everyone for the help and kind words, I'll put up a vid of it in action soon! :headbang

[jonasaberg]

I wish I had the time to do that kind of stuff.
I've had some pups, pots and switches in a box for well over a year, waiting to be installed. Part of the reason for me not doing it yet is that I'm scared I'll mess something up and part of it is that I have very little time for that kind of thing.

Great job on that! :thumbsup

[sprocket226]

Great job on that! :thumbsup

Thanks! I've always liked your bengal avatar :drool
I've found it very inspirational for this project! ;)

[Ultimutt]

sprocket, 3 weeks ago you started out with no clue what to do with it.. I think it's safe to say you had a clue HOW to do it.

I suggested somebody save it, and save it you did.
Although not 100% Kramer.. you did a great job.
Hats of to ya brother!:thumbsup

:toast

[sprocket226]

Yeah, I would of loved to put a Kramer 'naner neck, OFR, SD JB, yadda, yadda, yadda, on it. I stiil can! :D
After thinking it over, my lack of playing ability, kinda put a damper on shelling out another $300+ to make it a 100% Kramer.
Besides I still have the Focus! :bananahea

Plugged into the POD to the lap-top, kinda made a video using the pics from this topic, and my shitty playing of this guitar this morning...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uU0QmIM3No

[sprocket226]

Has a Kramer neck now... Have to wait for dowels to set up and dry on this Striker neck, went to mount it with thicker screws, went in way too easy...
Looking pretty fricken' good, I think ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0657.jpg?t=1267300805

[Chiro75]

This is a GREAT WIP thread! Way to go on that guitar! An '80's guitar deserves a kickass '80's paintjob! :-)

[Dino]

Awesome job. :thumbsup

Unfortunately, through my experience, my first thought is what a shame you spent SO MUCH time doing such a nice job on that paintjob, only to use a type of paint that's never going to completely cure and that will soon have the appearance to reflect exactly how much money you truly put into it ($11.50?).

Please don't take this the wrong way ...
You did an amazing job and the finish looks great ... for now. But I seriously doubt it's fully cured and will fully cure before it begins to deteriorate. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but my experience with these types of paints tells me otherwise.

I'm just trying to give a heads up to those thinking about painting their own guitars with this stuff ... please don't do it.

I can't tell you how many guitars have been ruined by folks following You-Tube videos, online E-Books, etc ... on "how to paint guitars with spraypaint".

Seriously ... I'm not trying to be a d!#@.
I'm just trying to save others alot of time in learning what I had to learn the hard way. :thumbsup

[sprocket226]

Dino, not taken the wrong way at all man...
It was a fun project, and never intended it to be a custom shop quality guitar. We'll see what it looks like in a year! :thumbsup

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0675.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/sprocket226/SANY0679.jpg?t=1267408454

[Dino]

Dino, not taken the wrong way at all man...

I'm really glad ...
You really did a great job on that paintjob and I sincerely hope I'm wrong about the paint.
It's just that I have alot of experience with using rattlecans. The initial results were always pretty impressive to look at, but the paint did have an ill effect on tone, the finish was very soft and VERY suseptable to damage, and in a few short months, well ... it looked less than impressive. :-x

Again, I sincerely hope your paintjob is the exception. And if not, well ... at least you have the talent to pull off a cool looking paintjob and through this experience you will have learned what paint not to use. ;)

[Tricky]

Wow! Very cool save.
Late on this, but how did you fill that neck pup rout?
Trace it, then transfer to a piece of wood, cut with?, & sand to fit?

Also, what order did you lay down the colors, what was masked, what was free hand?

Looks great!:thumbsup

[sprocket226]

Trace it, then transfer to a piece of wood, cut with?, & sand to fit?

Also, what order did you lay down the colors, what was masked, what was free hand?


Yeah that's pretty much what I did. The route was filled with oak, then I skim-coated the top with bondo. But to make it look perfect, the body should be veneered on top. The woods expand and contract differently, and if I look close enough, I can still tell where the pup route used to be.
Colors were white, yellow, red (which turns to orange over the yellow) and the black stripes were masked. Then I took a paint brush with the black to make the stripes look "fuzzy".

[80sChris]

That new neck looks so much better than the old one.

[Shreddedsinew]

so you didn't use a buffer with the meguiar's???? Just a sock?