"I'd been wanting one of these for a while, and Jon obliged me.
I figured I might throw down a semi-detailed review of the guitar for those who are curious, as I was.
First of all, this thing came packed to survive a nuclear holocaust; I had no fears that it would arrive this way given other's review of Jon's packing skills.
What I received was a Gary Kramer Guitars Turbulence R-29 six stringer in matte yellow with form-fitted HSC. The guitar is a member of the Delta Wing family of GK's; an oddly shaped, ergonomic wonder that is either visually stunning, or butt-ass ugly with very little middle ground.
The rationale for the body shape is that it "braces" itself to the player's body, and the claim is accurate; it fits well to me seated, or standing.
The guitar plays extremely well, with a thin lightning fast maple neck finished in matte black on the back and set-into the body. It sports a glossy clear fingerboard with red binding and a shallow D profile. String spacing is R3 at the nut, just right for me. The trem is some version of a ping tremolo with the short string lock bolts. While not an OFR, I find it more tolerable than the "Lo Pro" style bridges as it's similar to what I'm used to using almost exclusively. Tuning stability is great, sustain and resonance are excellent!
The pickups are no-brand ceramics in Hum-x-Single config with a single HUGE volume knob, a push/pull tone pot to split the bridge pup and a 3-way mini toggle to select from Bridge/Both/Neck pickups. The pups have plenty of output and bite, are not mushy, nor too trebly. I am a fan of SD blackouts, and while they may land in there eventually, there is no pressing need to change. My only gripe with the controls is the layout; everything is positioned forward on the body right in the path of an aggressive downstroke, Kinda bad to have the volume rolling off during a good chunkin' rhythm part. I can see a drop of super glue winding up on that potshaft (POTSHAFT!) to stop this from happening; who needs a volume knob on this kind of shredder anyway?
The guitar, being oddly shaped as it is, comes with a vaunted leg rest that looks like an afterthought; a good silution would be a similar device that folds out of sight eliminating the need to remove it, or have it looking dorky at a gig. Tuners are gotoh Schaller style as are the strap locks; both are servicable, but a true perfectionist will eventually want the real thing.
All-in-all, this is a great guitar for the player looking for something unusual and yet functional. The playing position is one of the most comfortable out there and very easy on wrist/elbow/shoulder stresses as well as providing unbelievably good forearm support considering the contours. While I would have preffered a glossy body and matte fingerboard, I can get used to the different look as part of the charm of this instrument.
Bottom line: This guitar isn't for purists. It is however, a great playing axe with huge value for the bucks invested. If you are looking for something a bit different from the everyday strat, or Les Paul, check this thing out; you will be pleasantly surprised.
Rating:
Playabilty: 5 droolers. Very comfy and plays as fast as you can.
Hardware: 3 droolers: Average, but functional.
Looks: 5 droolers. Great finish and craftsmanship. Flashy & METAL without being gaudy.
Durability: Unknown
Overall: 4.5 droolers. Genuine Schaller hardware and SD or EMG active pickups would make this one a definite 5 out of 5!
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Review: Gary Kramer Guitars: Turbulence R-29
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