PSA: Kahler-iffic battle-scarred Blitz with a bit, just a bit, of controversy

[mrjamiam]

My local dealer has this available:  1984 Blitz, "very obviously custom ordered and is all original, including the factory Kahler tremolo."

Also "It's a great playing and sounding guitar that shows HEAVY wear and a pretty gnarly headstock repair that is stable but that we have not attempted to clean up. Original case is present and intact, but has seen better days."

His price is $4,000.

Some of his regular online advertising outlets won't let him advertise this one, which is why I don't have a link for you.  His Facebook post is already filling up with the sort of commentary that isn't permitted on our fine well-administered website.  I can put well-established members in touch if you message me.  I also have a few more photos that give more detail on the wear and tear.  I've bought from and sold to him and wouldn't hesitate to do so again, if he has what I want at a price I can handle.

[mrjamiam]

And sold.  Nothing to see here (anymore).

[The_Cali_Kid]

Wow, this sold for $4k?! 🤯

[Saul Goodman]

4 minutes ago, The_Cali_Kid said:

Wow, this sold for $4k?! 🤯

Well, if you're in the know. 😎

[mathman]

5 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

Well, if you're in the know. 😎

Well, I know I still have 4k....

[mrjamiam]

After I had texted with him a bit about the details earlier, the dealer had the courtesy to let me know that it had been sold.  No additional info.

[Steve Haynie]

So, Dave Hlubek did not have the only factory Confederate battle flag finish! 

Wow!!! 

The price was too high, but that Blitz is rare!  

[mrjamiam]

3 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

So, Dave Hlubek did not have the only factory Confederate battle flag finish! 

Wow!!! 

The price was too high, but that Blitz is rare!  

I might be risking getting tossed from the group, but I will admit that I have never paid $4k for a guitar.  Also never bought one with a headstock repair.  So I decided today was not the day to do both, but I would have been much more tempted had either one of those things, the price and/and the headstock, been closer to my comfort zone.

[Steve Haynie]

The headstock shape and the paint job are the selling points, but the condition does not seem to have factored in.  

How many USA flag finishes were done on Blitz guitars or basses?  Someone I knew got a Blitz bass with that finish in the 80's.  They do not show up as often as black and white graphic finishes.

[cmatthes]

The flag graphic finishes were pretty rare, but honestly, not really all that desirable - I'm talking about ANY of the flag designs they did.  

That wasn't a Custom Order or anything - Blitz guitars with Kahlers were regular fare in '84-'86, and the flag graphics (Confederate, USA, Union Jack) were done in small numbers, but just as stock graphics if a dealer ordered it or they just did the finish and shipped it out.

I would have less than zero interest in that particular one, but for somebody who had to have that, I'd think you'd be overpaying at $1k, honestly.

[hamerhead]

What was it glued with? Heinz ketchup?

[Jakeboy]

Gnarly headstock repair is an understatement….whoever did it couldn’t be bothered just to wipe off the excess or squeeze out?

[mrjamiam]

5 minutes ago, hamerhead said:

What was it glued with? Heinz ketchup?

Ha!  I said that it looked like it had nearly bled out from the headstock break.

For a short while I was trying to value it for my own purposes, but I didn't get as far as coming down on a number when I heard the asking price and switched to PSA mode.

Pros:

80's Blitz, Hamer-quality mahogony of that era

Non-paddle headstock

Slammer pickups?

Graphic finish

Original HSC

Nearby me, so no shipping

 

Cons:  

Wear and tear

Headstock repair

 

Is the Kahler a pro or a con?  I've never handled one, but I certainly see a lot of ridiculing of them, although I can't always tell if it's the Kahler itself or questionable quality conversions.

[velorush]

Union Jack? That with a Union Jack graphic (and no headstock break) would be incredible! Anyone got one they could post?

[Dave Scepter]

11 minutes ago, velorush said:

Union Jack? That with a Union Jack graphic (and no headstock break) would be incredible! 

And a Sustain Block bridge 😃👌

[velorush]

9 hours ago, Dave Scepter said:

And a Sustain Block bridge 😃👌

Amendment enthusiastically accepted!

I Googled and found this (Sustain Block Trem) that CME sold some time back:

[Jimbilly]

On 10/15/2026 at 11:40 AM, mrjamiam said:

 

 

Is the Kahler a pro or a con?  I've never handled one, but I certainly see a lot of ridiculing of them, although I can't always tell if it's the Kahler itself or questionable quality conversions.

I had joined the anti kahler group in the 90s, from what I was told locally but with no real hands-on experience. I bought a Proto ii about 20 years ago for 'far too cheap to pass up' that has a Kahler, and as I started spending more time with it I have grown to appreciate it.  I have almost nothing negative to say about the kahler, my only complaint is that the fine tuners could be a finer pitch thread. A plus is that they still (in my case anyway) use a standard nut and it's easy to get the nut slots down to the proper height and angles compared to a floyd. Those are all I can think of, I've never had to repair or find parts, - that might be tricky, but I suppose it's a 'plus' that I haven't had to. 

[mathman]

I've only owned the Kahler type tremolo on my Proto II. I've played other trems but never owned a guitar with one.  I like the Kahler just fine.  Was easy to find some parts for it about 10 years ago. Not big in to dive bomb stuff but when I've used it it has worked well.

Edited yesterday at 01:38 PM by mathman

[Steve Haynie]

A Vector with a Kahler was briefly in my possession.  There was a need to try out that type of trem, and it was fine.  Floyds can float a little smoother, but overall the Kahler never seemed off-putting to me.  

I never really bond with locking tremelo bridges.