Kramer Question

[jimijames]

What body wood are the focus 1000's made out of? How thick are the necks on them? I want to get a budget (sub $400) super strat with a floyd rose and a single bridge pickup (preferably angled), and I noticed a lot of you guys here dig on Kramers, so I was hoping you guys might have some advice for me...
Are there any other guitars I should be looking at?

[Joelski]

THe focus makes a great little axe for what you want it for. The bodies are made of alder, and the necks are within millimeters of the American line. Great playing guitars, and about all they need is a pickup swap to make them very competitive with much more expensive guitars. To us kramertards, the Focus line is very much like the Model line is to Charvel/Jackson guys.

[BloodRose]

Yup!!
Think of this... Focus' were made by ESP. Most had ORIG Floyds.. Japanese quality and Kramer kool!

[metalchurch79]

Indeed sirs!
Jackson Charvel Kramer, what else do ya need?

[uOpt]

I think all the focus 1xxx models are Alder.

Great guitars.

[jimijames]

Sweet, I'm glad to hear all the good things. I think there may be a kramer in my future if all goes according to plan... Thanks again, you guys rock!

[ErikH]

Some of the Focus models were made of poplar too, not just alder, including the 1000 models. I've seen a few poplar 1000 models. You can't go wrong with them no matter the wood. Just killer superstrats. The neck shape is going to be all over the place, meaning some are thicker than others, some may feel just like the Kramer American necks of the time. It just depends on what you find. There was no set profile that was used really but they're not Wizard thin at all. IME, they were the beefiest of the superstrats.

[Mr 9finger]

Some of the Focus models were made of poplar too, not just alder, including the 1000 models. I've seen a few poplar 1000 models. You can't go wrong with them no matter the wood. Just killer superstrats. The neck shape is going to be all over the place, meaning some are thicker than others, some may feel just like the Kramer American necks of the time. It just depends on what you find. There was no set profile that was used really but they're not Wizard thin at all. IME, they were the beefiest of the superstrats.

This held true for the American line to. It's almost like each nut width and cosmetic version all had a different shape to them.

[WhoFan]

just stay away from Strikers... they were plywood... but the late 80's Focus series were cool.... saddly the price on them can get high as it is well known there is people collecting them these days...

[uOpt]

Now that I think about it, there's one thing I don't like about my Focus 3000: it has too small frets for the flat fretboard.

[jimijames]

Some of the Focus models were made of poplar too, not just alder, including the 1000 models. I've seen a few poplar 1000 models. You can't go wrong with them no matter the wood. Just killer superstrats. The neck shape is going to be all over the place, meaning some are thicker than others, some may feel just like the Kramer American necks of the time. It just depends on what you find. There was no set profile that was used really but they're not Wizard thin at all. IME, they were the beefiest of the superstrats.

That's what I wanted to hear! When it comes to necks, beefier is better as far as I'm concerned. My project jazzmaster has a thickness of .880 and I like the neck on it better than my strat, which has a thin "C" shape, or my les paul studio, which has a neck somewhere between the thin 60's and fat 50's contours gibson produces.

I'll let you guys know how my search turns out, I've decided to sell my schecter C-1 E/A to help fund one. The great thing is, if I play it just once every two weeks, I'll still be playing more than the schecter.

Thanks for all the help, I'm consistently amazed at the quality of advice on this forum!

[BloodRose]

This held true for the American line to. It's almost like each nut width and cosmetic version all had a different shape to them.

Yeah, every Kramer Ive had has a diff neck shape.. The Pacer Imp I have has one of the most comfy necks EVER!! Even Amerturk on the Kramer site whom I got it from, goes on about this neck. My Baretta neck is Beefier and has big frets.. And my Focus 6000 neck is in between, but it has a VERY thin piece of rosewood for the fretboard.. looks odd from the side. (I wish the frets were bigger).

Ive had, and sold a couple of 1000s and 6000s and they were all different.. funny.

Now my 2 Charvel 4s are VERY consistant and they are different years.

[Lucid_Lunatic]

I got a Kramer. Does that help any?

[jimijames]

Now I got one too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120356821931

Thank you guys for all your advice!

- Nick

[kramer.geetar]

Thats a great buy. Looks to be an '85. Its a transition headstock. Not the banana headstocks they had before that and not a pointy one like mine which is an '86. Those transition headstocks are not that many in numbers so a great buy over all. Here's mine, always wanna show it off. Its one of my baby's and now has an EMG 81 in it.

[Mr 9finger]

I got a Kramer. Does that help any?

I have 6. Does that help you any? And there's guys out there that have multiples of the # I have LOL!

[BloodRose]

Congrats! Awesome deal!! prices are down now cuz the economy.. a year or so ago, these were going for at least a benjamin more.

I will await your review when you get it!

[jimijames]

So the guitar arrived today, but i won't get a chance to do a full review until I get back from watching my beloved Miami hurricanes get colon-stomped by chapel hill, so I'll just give my initial impressions (I'll be back late Sunday, so I'll do a full review sometime Monday)

So far: The action is seriously low, I'm actually having a hard time 'getting underneath' the strings on bends, but that just comes with the territory, and I'll get better at it as I get used to the guitar. It feels and sounds very well broken in, which is probably due to the fact that the guitar is older than I am (I was born in '87)! I've never had a guitar with a floyd before, so it'll be a learning experience getting it set up (I prefer .11's and the guitar came with .10's)

I love the one volume control, simple and sweet. The stock pickup sounds surprisingly good in this bad boy, I was planning on looking for a vhpaf on ebay or something to throw an A2 mag in, but I really like the way this sounds stock - I straddles the line between clean and dirty really well, and responds to picking dynamics in much the same way the hybrids do that are in all of my humbucker-equipped guitars. Very pleasantly surprised here.

The floyd is great for dive-bombs, but because of the way it's seated on the guitar, I can't raise the pitch very much - It actually has about the same range as my strat tremolo, both can go all the way to flop out on the down pull. But, being a floyd, it stays in tune much better once I get back to pitch.

Overall, it's a fantastic guitar, and a steal at under $300! It has what appears to be a German OFR, and the fit and finish is as good as can be expected on a 20 yr. old guitar. The previous owner didn't clean off the fretboard, so there's still a considerable amount of gunk built up, but I've got some lemon oil that will clear that right up.

I'm excited to do a full review, this is one badass guitar!

[BloodRose]

Sweet!!!
Yeah, if the Floyd is the original, then it is an ORIG Floyd and is as good as floyds get!! And think of this.... That Floyd is worth at least half what you paid.. So SCORE!!!!!
Also, the Floyds on most Focus' are top mounted, so they dont pull up, BUT..They are easier to set up and more stable..

Anyhow, waiting for pics and the full report! Congrats!

[kramer.geetar]

Awesome, good to hear. The guitar will have an OFR made in West Germany (cause its from the 80's) by Schaller. Came standard in the Focus line. I recently bought an 80's Floyd off a guy on the Kramer Forum and it cost me $150 so BloodRose is right on. The pickup is rather hot in those. I'm guessing it would be around the JB in terms of DC resistance, or at least my Focus 1000 pickup from '86 is. Lemon oil will work wonders on that fretboard I have mine setup flush on the body as I don't like floating trems but thats just a personal preference.

Basically almost any pickup will work great in there, but a lot of guys like a JB in there. The Kramer Baretta had a JB and the Focus 1000 is the closest you can get to it, different body wood but still.

Enjoy it and post lots of pictures!!!