Kramer aluminum neck basses
Moderator: jingle_jangle
Kramer aluminum neck basses
Tell me about the 350B, I just picked one up this afternoon.
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
Got pix? 
I was working in a large music store when Kramer introduced the aluminum necks, and I got to try quite a few. They're really solid, but too heavy. I also couldn't get comfortable with a metal neck. They get really cold, and stuck to my hand.
I was working in a large music store when Kramer introduced the aluminum necks, and I got to try quite a few. They're really solid, but too heavy. I also couldn't get comfortable with a metal neck. They get really cold, and stuck to my hand.
All I wanna do is rock!
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
I know nothing about Kramer Jeff, but congrats!
When I first started playing, my best friend had a Travis Bean B2000...
It was a very cool sounding bass but if memory serves correctly, it was a tricky son of a gun to keep it in tune until the neck warmed up. It sure looked cool as well.
Pics!
When I first started playing, my best friend had a Travis Bean B2000...
It was a very cool sounding bass but if memory serves correctly, it was a tricky son of a gun to keep it in tune until the neck warmed up. It sure looked cool as well.
Pics!
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
I always thought the neck was cold feeling on mine even with wood inlays. It sounded pretty cool. That bass went to get my Ric. Some place I have a pic
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
I have had a couple of them and they are pretty smooth....yes they are heavy and somewhat cumbersome but they have great TONE....
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
I am going to take it apart and clean it up, it's been sitting around unloved for some time. We were out at Building restoration and antique shops yesterday and found it among old mantels, furniture porch columns, etc! 
The owner's son plays guitar but never got into playing bass so it was on a stand just waiting to find a home. Pics will come later, after the cleaning. One "speed" knob is missing, the tone control doesn't seem to do a whole lot, and I need to put Schaller straplocks on it to go with the rest of the Schaller hardware (tuners, bridge); the wood is gorgeous looking, the neck is amazingly straight and flat, must be a trait of these aluminum necks, so the action will go down nice and low.
The owner's son plays guitar but never got into playing bass so it was on a stand just waiting to find a home. Pics will come later, after the cleaning. One "speed" knob is missing, the tone control doesn't seem to do a whole lot, and I need to put Schaller straplocks on it to go with the rest of the Schaller hardware (tuners, bridge); the wood is gorgeous looking, the neck is amazingly straight and flat, must be a trait of these aluminum necks, so the action will go down nice and low. Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
Some photos I did today. 
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
More pics. This is a signature, and very cool element of these instruments.
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
Looks sweet Jeff!
LOVE the grain!
What do you think of it? FULL REPORT please!
LOVE the grain!
What do you think of it? FULL REPORT please!
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
That peg head reminds me of the Terminator movies Cool looking bass.
Cool looking bass.
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
Nice! I vaguely remember playing one of those once back in the early '80s I think. Seemed heavy as I recall, but had a nice tone...
I have NO idea what to do with those skinny stringed things... I'm just a bass player...
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sloop_john_b
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Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
Gary Kramer worked with Travis before setting up his own company in 1975, hence the similarities. This bass must be a very early one as instrument production began in late '76 and the pot codes in this bass are from the 45th week of '76.
The body wood is pretty amazing looking with lots of depth and some flame to it, and as you can see, nice figuring in it. The neck mounts with three machine bolts in the neck heel cavity that is covered by that aluminum plate. The pickup height adjusts from the rear with the two outer allen bolts in the middle plate; the control cavity cover is ⅛" thick aluminum and there is a metal ground plane on the front side of the control cavity with a ground wire going to the back plate. The electronics are nicely wired up, too, with CTS pots, orange drop caps, even one to pass high frequencies when dialing down the volume control. I have not looked at the values of the caps but given the weak performance of the tone control that cap may be too small and probably the same Gary used in the guitars. That is something I have to deal with, along with a fret dressing as there is some significant wear in the lower part of the fingerboard.
The neck is very straight and stiff, given the T-bar cross section to the aluminum part of the neck; the neck inserts are maple with a bit of flame to it.
This is a pretty heavy instrument (I'm guessing around 10-11 lbs.) but feels comfy, overall. The neck feels similar to my '73 4001 but with a slightly narrower nut of 1 9/16" width. The pickup looks like a humbucker but is a single coil, possible the same used on the guitars, I have not pulled that out of the bass yet to check it out. It is pretty aggressive sounding, especially, with a pick. Maybe, I'll put an HB-1 in the bass.
I grabbed some used strings I had, to put on the bass after taking it all apart to clean up; they have some kinks in them near the bridge so are not ideal as to intonation, but still sound far better than whatever were on the bass when I got it. I bought some Fodera Victor Wooten Signature strings to try on the bass, but I may wait until I have the frets taken care of before putting them on to give a better assessment of those strings. New speed knobs, too.
I really love the look of the headstock, and that the Schaller tuners look like they are a single, integrated part of it.
The body wood is pretty amazing looking with lots of depth and some flame to it, and as you can see, nice figuring in it. The neck mounts with three machine bolts in the neck heel cavity that is covered by that aluminum plate. The pickup height adjusts from the rear with the two outer allen bolts in the middle plate; the control cavity cover is ⅛" thick aluminum and there is a metal ground plane on the front side of the control cavity with a ground wire going to the back plate. The electronics are nicely wired up, too, with CTS pots, orange drop caps, even one to pass high frequencies when dialing down the volume control. I have not looked at the values of the caps but given the weak performance of the tone control that cap may be too small and probably the same Gary used in the guitars. That is something I have to deal with, along with a fret dressing as there is some significant wear in the lower part of the fingerboard.
The neck is very straight and stiff, given the T-bar cross section to the aluminum part of the neck; the neck inserts are maple with a bit of flame to it.
This is a pretty heavy instrument (I'm guessing around 10-11 lbs.) but feels comfy, overall. The neck feels similar to my '73 4001 but with a slightly narrower nut of 1 9/16" width. The pickup looks like a humbucker but is a single coil, possible the same used on the guitars, I have not pulled that out of the bass yet to check it out. It is pretty aggressive sounding, especially, with a pick. Maybe, I'll put an HB-1 in the bass.
I grabbed some used strings I had, to put on the bass after taking it all apart to clean up; they have some kinks in them near the bridge so are not ideal as to intonation, but still sound far better than whatever were on the bass when I got it. I bought some Fodera Victor Wooten Signature strings to try on the bass, but I may wait until I have the frets taken care of before putting them on to give a better assessment of those strings. New speed knobs, too.I really love the look of the headstock, and that the Schaller tuners look like they are a single, integrated part of it.
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
That's a neat old timer. I bet it would be great here on the boat, as the neck wouldn't respond to changes of humidity. And in a pinch we could use it for an anchor.
All I wanna do is rock!
Re: Kramer aluminum neck basses
Very cool,i have to agree the headstock is a very iconic design element,and the wood is really nice,too. I don't recall ever playing any of these,seems like they were around about the same time i was getting infatuated with graphite-necked basses,so i missed out. An unusual piece,to say the least...