PSA: '87 Chaparral, White, $1550- Austin CL (N/A)

[topekatj]

Looks Tidy except for the Reynolds wrap in the control cavity. Unsure what brand the trem is.

1987 Hamer Chaparral Set neck - musical instruments - by owner - sale (craigslist.org)

[JGale]

Fuk! It is Reynolds Wrap!

[specialk]

2 minutes ago, JGale said:

Fuk! It is Reynolds Wrap!

Maybe there was a flood in Texas… 😁

[JustKid]

That is one strange bridge

[RobB]

Not so strange. Kahler was doing knock-offs of the Rockinger tremolo before they infringed on Floyd Rose’s patents. 

[scottcald]

I had one of those Kahlers I put on a partcaster in the 80s.  Worked well.  

Is that original to that Hamer though?  

[Ham Rex]

17 hours ago, JustKid said:

That is one strange bridge

I was thinking the same thing!

Thanks!

[Biz Prof]

9 hours ago, scottcald said:

I had one of those Kahlers I put on a partcaster in the 80s.  Worked well.  

Is that original to that Hamer though?  

Hamer did use those Kahler fulcrum units for a brief time, yes.

[Shataan]

Love the guitar.... hope it gets a Floyd for Christmas. 😜

[scottcald]

5 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

Hamer did use those Kahler fulcrum units for a brief time, yes.

New info all the time!  I only ever saw them on a few Charvels (I think some of the MIJ ones). 

[Biz Prof]

25 minutes ago, scottcald said:

New info all the time!  I only ever saw them on a few Charvels (I think some of the MIJ ones). 

Both Hamer and Jackson/Charvel were somewhat limited in vibrato options during that brief era in which Kramer had both distribution rights and a sense of protective paranoia for the OFR. Based on everything I've read over the years, Kramer was initially selling OFRs to individual consumers as well as other manufacturers, but began hoarding them for internal production when sales of their own brand peaked. Builders like Jackson and Hamer had to find other sources for that period of time and Kahler, of course, was ready with an alternative.

By the end of the '80s. Kramer began to stumble financially and Floyd had already begun executing licensing agreements with several other brands. This is around the time (mid-1987) Jackson began using their pot metal licensed Floyd (JT-6). From 1986 until mid '87, Jackson used the Kahler fulcrum unit on their Model imports. 

A bit later, Hamer, Washburn, and a slew of other makers began using their custom branded variants of the Schaller 370. 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Biz Prof

[topekatj]

Hey @Biz Prof, nice history lesson on the OFR, I reckon then that this may be an early Chaparral? I don't believe I've seen a white one before, and it doesn't appear to be a pearl white.

And credit to @RobB for rememebering the Rockinger. Weren't some pre-OFR Kramers shipped with the Rockinger?

Now, let's discuss the rhythm pickup on the subject Chaparral. Wut? Also, it appears the guitar had different knobs installed during this shot.

[Biz Prof]

Yeah, it's not the very earliest of Chaps (the earliest in '86 would have had either Kahler Pro or an OFR), but it is before the transition to bolt necks. 

Rockingers were bulky and wonky--nothing more than a stop-gap. There's a reason everyone gravitated to either the OFR or Kahler.

Edited November 11, 2022 by Biz Prof

[RobB]

I think the German guys in the above print ad are Dieter Dirks and Michael Wagener. I’ve never seen ANY interviews where they promoted the Rockinger brand, but being from Hannover (Scorpions) gave me the idea that they may be associated. I’m probably mistaken. 

Edited November 12, 2022 by RobB