'91 Chaparall questions.

[johanvg]

Hello, I just bought this '91 Chaparall. The guitar has a solid flamed maple body, rosewood fingerboard, sustainiac GA 2, SD JB in the bridge and a SD SSL1 in the middle, gold hardware Schaller FR tremolo bridge.

The guitar comes with a R2 nut and seems a bit narrow is this normal, I think a R3 might be better fit?

When setting up the guitar the bridge raises fairly high and gives more of a Les Paul type of feel instead of a Strat. It looks a bit awkward with the tremolo routing. There is no neck shim in the neck pocket.

Can you tell me which model this is? Could this have been a custom ordered one?

I am also thinking about replacing the bridge with a new Schaller Tonemeister tremolo but I am afraid this might brighten the maple body too much, any advice. I always liked the feel of a OFR better then a Standard Schaller.

Thanks

Greetings from Belgium

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

I can help you out on shims. I just bought some of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Locking-Nut-Shim-Set-for-Floyd-Rose-Locking-Nut-/350534259533?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item519d78534d Priceless!

[specialk]

Welcome and congrats! If you could post a pic or two, we'd all like to see.

[Jem]

Hello, I just bought this '91 Chaparall. The guitar has a solid flamed maple body, rosewood fingerboard, sustainiac GA 2, SD JB in the bridge and a SD SSL1 in the middle, gold hardware Schaller FR tremolo bridge.

The guitar comes with a R2 nut and seems a bit narrow is this normal, I think a R3 might be better fit?

When setting up the guitar the bridge raises fairly high and gives more of a Les Paul type of feel instead of a Strat. It looks a bit awkward with the tremolo routing. There is no neck shim in the neck pocket.

Can you tell me which model this is? Could this have been a custom ordered one?

I am also thinking about replacing the bridge with a new Schaller Tonemeister tremolo but I am afraid this might brighten the maple body too much, any advice. I always liked the feel of a OFR better then a Standard Schaller.

Thanks

Greetings from Belgium

All Hamer's came standard with an R2 nut, obviously the problem with an R3 is it may sit over each side of the fretboard but measure first as the neck width at the nut can vary (i've got a couple of Cali's where the neck is around 2mm wider than they need to be and would take an R3 easily, the rest wouldn't).

The bridge sitting quite high - investigate as it shouldn't be sitting that high (a picture could help here) and there should be no need to shim the neck unless some dickhead's been playing around with it.

Standard production by the sounds of it, not a special order (Sustaniac's are fairly common across the whole Chap range).

The Lockmeister trem (i pressume that what you meant by 'Tonemeister') is your only option if you wanted a steel base plate but did not want to re-route the guitar as this is the only base plate i know that can take the shorter lock screws as found on the Schaller (Floyd II) trem - you have to specify these screws when you order the trem otherwise they come with the same screws as the OFR. As for sound, that's up to your ears !

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

I had an OFR on an import Cali. I removed the OFR (and nut) & replaced with a FR Special (the Special is supposed to be identical in size). I didn't find this with the lock-nut & have had to shim it. My action is low & the bridge on the SDpwecial is set the same as the OFR was. I never expected the nut to be smaller tbh - but it is...

[Thundernotes]

I'm building a Chap from parts. Now where am I going to find one of these?:

[cmatthes]

The solid flamed body was an upgrade/upcharge/custom order option for that model. Depending on the year, it could have added anywhere between $400 - $700 to the list price of the guitar. Gold hardware was also an upcharge from the standard black hardware and if I recall, was either $75 or $105 more, again, depending on the year.

Definitely post a pic or two!

[johanvg]

file://localhost/Users/Johan/Desktop/121639130_1-hamer-usa-chaparral-met-sustainer-1991-case.jpg

file://localhost/Users/Johan/Desktop/121639130-hamer-usa-chaparral-met-sustainer-1991-case.jpg

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

file://localhost/Users/Johan/Desktop/121639130_1-hamer-usa-chaparral-met-sustainer-1991-case.jpg

file://localhost/Users/Johan/Desktop/121639130-hamer-usa-chaparral-met-sustainer-1991-case.jpg

That won't work. They have to be online at Photobucket or somewhere...

[johanvg]

Thanks, hope this will work. Will make better pictures soon.

http://s1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg595/johanvg1/

[Jem]

Strange to be that bling'd up and not have Boomerangs so chances are someone ordered it that way. I'll really have to dig mty sustaniac out and try to gt it in a song before i die !

[cmatthes]

[johanvg]

Thanks for all your replies, would you consider the Schaller FRII to be a better fit then the new steel plate Tonemeister which is more like the OFR?

I measured the nut at 42,5mm so a R3 will be better.

Does anyone know what type of fretwire was used on these.

Thanks