Kramer Question

[coloradoman25]

Have an 87ish Focus 1000 thats back in NY with my dad for a few months. Wondering what the stock pickup was in those. It had no discernable numbers on it.

I really want to snag one of these for my project guitar. It had awesome output, great crunch etc.

Thanks!

[Trussrod]

You could check vintagekramer.com

Try this page: http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts9.htm

[DonP]

For some reason I think of Kramers coming stock with a JB.

[Rich#6]

At some point they had schaller pickups. I had a peavey predator with one and it was an awesome sounding pickup.

[atdguitars]

Most of my Focus series have Schallers...great pickups. I nab up all the used ones I can find just for restoring old Kramer guitars that I pick up.

[Grandturk]

My Focus 2000 had a "California Pickup Company" stamped pickup in the bridge position. Really great sounding pickup. Haven't been able to figure out its point of origin.

Apparently, Focus models had Schaller pickups early on, and then supposedly "unbranded" Seymour Duncans. I haven't turned up much on the Kramer forum to verify this.

[markD]

i've had 2. one had the schaller pickup, one had a JB. both were stock and from the same year, 87-ish like yours. both were candy apple red, too.

[xbolt]

If it really is an 87 pointy headstock, they were a Seymour Duncan Designed HB but not a JB and had no markings on the back but did have thinner gage wire in the cavity. They had a treble bleed that some people like or hate.They were not traditionally very hot and often got swapped out which may be the case here. If you like it then that's what matters...



Earlier nana and beak Foci had similar SD designed pickups and a few beaks and transition pointy HS even had Matsumoku HBs with hex screws (These look like ths Schaller 2in1).

Early Nana


Transition Nana

Matsumoku hex head HB (Sound great BTW)


Stole this pic...not my guitars...but shows the HS styles...


Some Schallers or JBs may have creeped in these Japanese built and assembled guitars but not very likely.

The Schaller came in the beak and nana US Models and SD JB were used in the American Pointy series...generally speaking.

Beak w/ Schaller 2in1


Nana with Schaller Golden 50s




American Pointy Series with SD JBJ and JNJ


Hope that helps...

[Grandturk]

Great info, xbolt - and pics!

My Focus 2000 was a transition-nana. Any idea about the "California Pickup Co." pickup it had in the bridge spot? It had a shielded single conductor. Might not have been original, but I still haven't found out any info about this company.

[84sups]

Yeah the Schaller pickups came first then came Duncan from what I can remember. Of course I read that somewhere when I was trying to build one from parts.

[straycat]

The Schaller pickups had the extra height adj screws and a rough texture to the bobbins.Great pickups IMO.
My 87 stagie has a Schaller golden 50's in the bridge.

[xbolt]

Great info, xbolt - and pics!

My Focus 2000 was a transition-nana. Any idea about the "California Pickup Co." pickup it had in the bridge spot? It had a shielded single conductor. Might not have been original, but I still haven't found out any info about this company.

Sorry, no idea...:think:

[The_Tonemonster]

I Got that same white Pacer except it's chromed, and somebody replaced the bridge Schaller with an EMG. Wish it had the Schaller.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Could the
california pickup company" be Chandler? They were makin pickups at that time and looked like duncans for the most part. But didnt have the markings on them.
Gil

[Mazrim]

I know next to fuck all about Kramers but Satchel from Steel Panther gets some sick tone out of his Pacer.
The best live sound I've heard in ages and he just goes into a JCM 2000 apparently.

I like the look of the Pacer too. The maple board and Suhr type headstock anyway.
I'll be after one before long I should imagine.



Wowza.