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In the attic


jaberwock

Question

Posted

Back in the UK and look what I found in my moms attic, my first original guitar, or rather bass; This was the era of Kramer aluminium guitars and basses, and I lusted after one, so I made this in my second year at University when I realised there was a machine workshop with a technician to help, on campus. the neck was band sawed, and then milled from a solid billet of aluminium, I milled two large slots down the neck, and glued mahogany into them, for weight relief, and give the fretboard a better surface to bond too; neck profile filed, and sanded, and then finally anodised black.

The fretboard is ebony, and the body oak, I realise now that is a recipe for extreme brightness, but this was the late seventies and sustain reigned supreme, tonal considerations came a distant second; playing it again for the first time in several decades I was impressed with the huge piano like clarity, and with the tone rolled back halfway the " Velvet Hammer " pickup sounded really good.

Bass_zps1rthcmn7.jpg

22 answers to this question

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Posted

That looks great! I'd love to see some pics of the back; I'd like to see the neck. My brother owned one of the aluminum-necked Kramers way back; a heavy beast! :lol:

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Austin

Posted

Impressive! Considering how excessive 'style' and 'fashion' was in the late '70's (I was there! B):lol:), that looks like an extremely well thought out and classic-looking build! :wub:

Posted

I like that a lot. Gibson 3-points adorn a couple of my all time favorite basses... and that body sorta reminds me of the single pickup Spector NS-1 - a bass I'd still like to get my grubby mitts on one of these days.

Quite an ambitious project with the aluminum neck- nice work!

Posted

When I read the first sentence....saying you found a bass in your mom's room...I thought you were going to say your mom has been shagging a bassist. :)

Glad to see what the real message turned out to be. VERY nice work for a bass made in University shop class!!

Probably a bit heavy fro aluminum and oak but that looks like some great work. I've owned some old aluminum neck Kramers...bet the oak actually helped to offest the aluminum neck weight?

Posted

That looks great! I'd love to see some pics of the back; I'd like to see the neck. My brother owned one of the aluminum-necked Kramers way back; a heavy beast! :lol:

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Austin

It was fairly heavy, about 10.5 pounds, but I've played heavier Les Pauls. I kept the peg head as small as possible, and tapered the body thickness towards the neck joint to help with the balance.

Posted

You sort of made a Warwick BEFORE Warwick :)

Looks like a nice bass.

What caused you to do an aluminum neck back then, the early Kramers?

Posted

Very Nice!

those Rose velvet hammer pups are very, very rare.

I bet they bring the Thunder on.

Posted

Hey.....did you steal the strap buttons off of it for another bass?

I don't see any buttons.

Or was it a "sit down" bass only :)

Posted

That is beautiful!

Posted

You sort of made a Warwick BEFORE Warwick :)

Looks like a nice bass.

What caused you to do an aluminum neck back then, the early Kramers?

I didn't realise how much it looked like a Warwick Spector, but at the time it I was just trying for an an evolution of the Jazz Bass body design, and something a little more sculptural. The aluminium neck seemed like a great idea, plus the fact I had no idea how to make and fit a rod.

And yes Murkat that Pickup does sound great !!

Posted

Hey.....did you steal the strap buttons off of it for another bass?

I don't see any buttons.

Or was it a "sit down" bass only :)

I made a curved sculptural brass strap button that extended an extra inch plus from the upper horn ( which balanced the bass perfectly with a strap ) I've no memory of removing it, although I do remember it looking pretty cool as it complimented the body shape perfectly.

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