Introducing Kramer guitars in Jolana Horovice 1989

[mrwhipper]

GREAT pics! Another piece of history. Thanks for sharing them!

[sixstring]

That's what I was thinking.

Anybody know where Kramer sourced their neck plates from? Did they get them from ESP? If so, ESP could have provided Schaller with everything they needed to build a "Kramer" minus the Schaller hardware and electronics.

One other question: Who stamped the serial numbers on the neck plates? Was that done at the Neptune factory or by the manufacturer?

Plates would most likely have been made in a type of metal foundry that poured the casts or machine shop of some sort. They may have had the same mind set as ESP, sell 'em while someone wants to buy 'em.
My guess they were stamped at Neptune.

[Janek]

I always thought that the production of the Jolana Pacers began in 1990 when Kramer was bancrupt and did a firesale at the Neptune plant until I saw a blue Jolana Pacer at a German ebay auction last year. The owner claimed he bought it in 1989 in Germany. The Pacer even had a plate with a serial number but no "American" on the headstock. If I remember correctly he even claimed the Pacer to have an original Floyd whereas all of the Jolana Pacers I've seen so far have a Schaller labeled licensed-by-Floyd. I own a Jolana Pacer Custom II myself (licensed Floyd, no serial number) and according to the date sticker on the backside of the Schaller humbucker it was assembled in March 1991, the month Kramer's insolvency proceedings came to an end and the company was finally terminated. In January 1991 Fender declared to own the new rights of the original Floyd Rose trem. So, maybe all pre-1991 Jolana Pacers may have had an original Floyd?

All in all, the Jolana Pacers are still a mystery. The bodies were supposed to be the same as the American series but at least for the neck I can say that it is slightly different. Compared to my American Pacer Custom I neck the Jolana Pacer Custom II neck seems to be a little bit thinner and more flat. The rosewood finish is darker and the frets are higher and edgier.

Anybody got an idea if for the Jolana Pacers maybe a different neck was used like the ones from the Focus, Striker or 100 series? That would explain the missing "American" logo on the headstock.

[sixstring]

Focus & American late 80's necks & bodies were made by ESP in Japan.

[Janek]

Focus & American late 80's necks & bodies were made by ESP in Japan.

Yes, I know. Maybe Jolana used Focus necks for the European Pacers and got them directly from ESP Japan and not from the Neptune firesale. I'll try to display the differences between both necks with fotos.

[bongano]

Plates would most likely have been made in a type of metal foundry that poured the casts or machine shop of some sort. They may have had the same mind set as ESP, sell 'em while someone wants to buy 'em.
My guess they were stamped at Neptune.

My guess too. Some plates have number stamped on, others don't. This makes me think they got spare plates from Neptune where some were already ready to be mounted and others not yet stamped.

[Kostas Dee]

Great quality instruments and they were pretty expensive back then.

There's a nice Pacer at the local classifieds,first hand,he writes that he choosed this over an american strat back then (1990) even though the strat was cheaper!

[guitargodcarl]

ah! this thread explains where 2 of my Kramers are from,a red Imperial with Schaller parts(pick ups changed but still have original Schallers dated 91)great guitar no serial number though and a blue Pacer Custom II with all Schaller parts again no serial number

[Janek]

I tried to capture the difference between the Jolana and American Pacer necks with fotos. The Jolana neck is very similar to my American Sustainer neck (bound head stock, Kramer inlay at 12th fret) but has a slight thicker lacquering and lacking the Kramer inlay.

American Pacer left, Jolana right:

[IMG][/IMG]

[joblesswanabee]

Pretty neat stuff

[jumbowolfe]

I put this in the queue for VK.

If I'm not mistaken, weren't Spectors made in Czechoslovakia also? In fact, I think some are still made over there too?

One more peice of the puzzle.

[doctor_wal]

It turns out my kramer is a Jolana Pacer Custom 2 with no serial. Bought mine from London in 1992 and the date on the back of my humbucker is '91.

[moku]

how could i have missed this thread?! great pics, and thanks for sharing. yeah, number 14 is funny

[kramerbanger]

great post...thanks for the insite on some of the custom I and II origins...Cheers....Currently restoring a custom II..

[joecamel]

Wow. That big beat model is nuts! Never seen anything like that before.