Kramer Focus 1000 Project

Sometimes, Guitar Center can have some screaming deals. A little over a year ago, I walked into my local Guitar Center without the intent of actually buying anything. However, as I perused past the used section, I noticed an interesting, iridescent blue Kramer on the wall, priced at a mere $175. With such a low price, I naturally thought that it was just some poorly-built, budget model at first. I pulled it off the wall to get a closer look.

After a few moments of glancing over the guitar and test driving it in the amp room, I realized that it was no junk guitar. This Kramer had a nice sounding alder body, a rosewood fretboard, a three humbucker configuration (with three mini toggle switches), and a real Floyd Rose (not one of the often-inferior licensed ones). In fact, a new Floyd Rose would have cost more than the price of the guitar itself. This fact alone made it worth buying the guitar. I had to have it.

When I brought it home, I logged onto the Vintage Kramer website to learn more about my new guitar. The site is home to some very informative articles, as well as a catalog database for several years. Anyways, the guitar's truss rod cover said "F1000," which I learned stood for Focus 1000. The Focus series were the Japanese-made equivalents of the USA Kramers. Specifically, the Focus 1000 is supposed to be the Japanese Kramer Baretta (like Eddie Van Halen used to play in the mid-80s). Anyone who has played Japanese instruments knows that their quality often equals that of American-made instruments. The F1000 is no exception.

However, after looking through several catalogs in the catalog database, I couldn't find an F1000 model with three humbuckers and three mini toggle switches. They all had just one humbucker with no switch. So I signed up on the Kramer Forum to ask the experts for help. It turns out that the previous owner had routed the F1000 for two extra humbuckers and had installed three mini toggle switches to control them. With that info, I dated this guitar to be a 1988 model with the "Flip Flop Blue" finish.

For a while, I played the guitar in this configuration. The bridge pickup was an old PJ Marx rail model (similar to the one used by Vivan Campbell), and the neck pickup was a really old DiMarzio Super Distortion. I went ahead and removed the middle "Duncan Designed" pickup (which I never used), leaving a rather large cavity in the center. At the time, I thought this was somewhat cool, as it has that unfinished EVH "Frankenstrat" vibe going on. After a while though, my bridge pickup died, so I bought a Seymour Duncan JB as a replacement. After installing the JB, I noticed that the guitar was buzzing/humming very badly when plugged in. I finally pinned the problem to the lack of shielding within the guitar's electronics cavity. So I ordered a shielding kit from Guitar Electronics, which contains a sheet of adhesive-backed copper tape and some shielded wire. Installation was a breeze: you simply stick the foil around the cavity and solder it to ground (in this case, the back of the volume potentiometer). Problem solved.

I continued to play with this setup for months, but eventually, I grew tired of the cumbersome switching system, as well as the gaping hole in the middle of my guitar. Furthermore, the Super Distortion (normally a bridge pickup) was a tad too hot for the neck position. The guitar was back on the workbench again.

While it was under repair, I decided to go ahead and give it my usual Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil and Gunstock Wax finish treatment for the back of the neck (see Ibanez RG550 Restoration Project post below). Next, I replaced the neck pickup with a Seymour Duncan '59 Neck model. Then, finding no use for them, I removed the three mini toggle switches. The top two I replaced with some anchored screws to fill the holes. The bottom hole I used to install a Switchcraft three-way toggle switch. I even added the Les Paul "poker" chip to indicate the treble and rhythm pickups. This was a unique touch that I thought would add to the personality of the guitar. Finally, to cover that big hole, I cut out a section of a black, plastic Office Depot trashcan (the material is almost identical to the guitar's backplate material) and screwed it into where the old pickup ring was. This added more of finished look to the guitar.

I then treated the dried out board to some Formby's lemon oil and polished the frets with my Micro Mesh pads. Finally, I strung the guitar up with some D'Addario 10s, tuned it to Eb (for the 80s metal), intonated it, and polished it. And it's ready to go!



And here's a video I did to demo the beast. Here, I'm running straight into my Splawn Quick Rod (on Gear 2, OD2) and into the Splawn 4x12 (Big Block speakers). Cable into the amp is a Lava ELC. Speaker cable is a Kimber 4VS.

Micro Mesh Polishing Pads

In the past, I always used #0000 grade steel wool to polish my frets. However, anyone who has ever used steel wool knows how messy it can be. Little fragments of steel break off and scatter all over the place. And since they're metal, they are magnetically attracted to your pickups. Simply put, steel wool makes fret polishing a hassle. And for someone with acidic hands like myself, frets need polishing quite frequently. I knew there had to be a better solution than steel wool.

A quick venture to Stewart-MacDonald's website solved the problem. It turns out that a certain company manufactures a product called Micro-Mesh, an abrasive material. Yet unlike sandpaper, this material is padded and doesn't wear down as quickly. Micro-Mesh is used to polish lenses, finishes, and even the windshields of jet aircraft. But most importantly to me, it can polish frets.

The kit from Stewart-MacDonald contains nine different grades of the material and costs around $10. So far, I've been extremely impressed. It polishes the frets just as well as (if not better than) steel wool without leaving the mess. However, I seem to be using only one of the pads, so next time, I'll see if I can just order one grade. Still though, I highly recommend Micro-Mesh for polishing frets.

New Splawn 2x12" Cabinet

A few months ago, after hauling my large Splawn 4x12" around, I realized that a 2x12" would probably be a good investment. So I placed an order through Lynn Burke at Blues City Music (excellent place to order from) for a 2x12 cabinet that would match my Splawn 4x12 and Quick Rod head, both of which have black tolex and gold piping. As far as speakers go, I chose an Eminence-made Splawn Big Block/Small Block 25 combo.

It took about a month for it to arrive, since these cabinets are hand-built to order. And it definitely shows in the superb quality and visible workmanship. The grille cloth seems very durable, and it comes with metal handles (or handle in the case of the 2x12"; see picture), unlike the plastic ones of your run-of-the-mill Marshall cab. The attention to detail is second-to-none.

After properly breaking the speakers in, I promptly gave the cabinet a thorough test drive. It sounds monstrous! The Big Block speaker, which is supposed to be similar to a Celestion G12H30, really brings out the highs and the lows, while the Small Block 25, comparable to a Celestion G12M Heritage, provides a nice, classic crunch. Together, they mix really well.

In all honesty, this cab sounds almost as big as my lumbering 4x12", yet it weighs much less. This has made jamming with other musicians a much easier task, as I no longer have to carry the overbearing 4x12" up flights of stairs just for an impromptu jam.

Overall, as usual, Scott Splawn and crew have certainly not disappointed with this cabinet. Anyone seeking a new cabinet should check them out. As I mentioned, each cab is built to order, so it takes about a month to arrive once the order is placed. But it's definitely worth the wait.

Stone Temple Pilots Show Review (10/30/08, Desoto Civic Center, Southaven)

In my relatively short lifetime, the Stone Temple Pilots have had a profound impact on me musically. They were one of the bands that my dad listened to constantly when I was just a toddler. As a result, most of STP's songs have become ingrained within me purely by osmosis. In fact, my first real concert was an STP show back in 2000 at the Mud Island Amphitheater that he took me to. However, being only 8, the show was, for lack of better words, quite an experience. The effluvia of marijuana and the sight of people reveling in their drunken stupor proved to be a tad too much for an 8 year old to handle. Needless to say, I begged to leave the show early, a decision that I have always regretted. Well, I reconciled this decision over a week ago when I finally saw STP for a second time.

In June, when I heard that STP were surprisingly coming to the Memphis area, I immediately procured second row seats at the Desoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS, just across the state line. Apparently, Memphis has an extremely high performance tax, making it more economical for bands to play just a few miles south in Mississippi.

After waiting for about an hour, without having to endure a lame opening act, the lights dimmed. The crowd rose to their feet. Scores of avid fans eagerly anticipated the return of the Stone Temple Pilots. Out walked bassist Rob DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo, drummer Eric Kretz, and vocalist Scott Weiland. The show had begun.

“Time to take her home/Her dizzy head is conscience laden/Time to take a ride/It leaves today no conversation,” sang Weiland to the sold out crowd at the Desoto Civic Center.

Even a year ago, this event would have been considered unimaginable by fans of the recently reunited Stone Temple Pilots, including myself. Throughout the early and mid-nineties, the Grammy Award-winning band enjoyed remarkable success, producing several hit records. Although sometimes considered a grunge act, STP developed a truly unique sound amidst the other flannel-clad bands of the era. However, five years ago, the band split after internal strife, primarily the result of Weiland’s habitual substance abuse problems. Weiland proceeded to form Velvet Revolver with several former members of Guns N’ Roses, while the DeLeo brothers created the short-lived Army of Anyone with Filter frontman, Richard Patrick. The two bands remained largely unsuccessful. For a band of such high potential, Velvet Revolver fell extremely short. As a classic instance of the whole being greater than the parts, the disunity of the members of STP proved that no offshoot band would ever be as memorable as the original Pilots. But after a long hiatus, the group reunited to perform more than sixty-five shows across the United States, all of which have largely received stellar reviews. The show in Southaven was no exception.

After easing into their set with “Big Empty,” it was clear the STP were on their A-game. Weiland’s vocals were dead on throughout the night. Having seen Weiland’s mediocre performances with Velvet Revolver twice in the past, I was pleasantly surprised by this welcome contrast. Weiland also appeared to be in much better health, compared to his rather gaunt disposition of years past. Dean DeLeo filled the arena with his luscious guitar tone, pounding riffs, and tasteful, atmospheric playing. It became evident why so many consider him a modern incarnation of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. Throughout the night, Dean played an assortment of guitars, including a few Les Pauls, an old Telecaster, and a Paul Reed Smith. For dirty sounds, he was plugged into his classic Demeter preamp/VHT poweramp setup into two Marshall 4x12 cabs. For cleans, he appeared to be using his Vox AC30s. Rob DeLeo’s thundering bass lines and Eric Kretz’s skillful drumming provided a rhythm section that didn’t miss a beat, quite literally. During the show, the band entered a few instrumental jam sessions, where the DeLeo brothers and Kretz further exercised their creative prowess. When I witnessed Velvet Revolver perform at this same venue over four years ago, the sound was extremely muddy and inaudible. This certainly wasn’t the case with STP’s performance. Granted, the band played at a loud volume, but it was enjoyable type of loud, with every nuance of the band capable of being heard. Then again, sitting on the second row certainly didn’t hurt matters.


As predicted, the set list primarily comprised most of the band’s hit tracks from past albums. Performances of such classics as “Plush,” “Vasoline,” “Wicked Garden,” "Sex Type Thing," and “Creep” sounded faithful to the album versions. However, the band also treated the audience to a few more obscure songs, including one of my personal favorites, “Sin.” Surprisingly, almost everyone in the crowd knew all the lyrics to each song by heart. Witnessing a concert among other die-hard fans certainly added to the intimacy of the show, and it definitely showed on the faces of the band members. They truly appeared to enjoy performing for us, unlike many other bands that merely go through the motions. The set ended with an encore performance of “Dead and Bloated” and “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart.”

Seeing this show directly following the Yngwie show really highlighted a contrast of styles that has greatly affected me as a guitar player within the past week or so. Granted, Dean DeLeo isn’t a guitarist who can sweep arpeggios at 200bpm or pick scales at lightning speeds, but the guy can write some extremely memorable riffs and tasteful solos. Don’t get me wrong, I love Yngwie and all the “shredders,” but such amazing technical playing isn’t everything. Dean’s playing really reminded me of the importance of putting musicality first and foremost.

Overall, the Stone Temple Pilots put on an incredible show. Apparently, my opinion was in accordance with everyone else, as indicated by the unified chants of “S-T-P” at the end. Perhaps the reunion will eventually evolve into some new material from the band. We can only hope so. But until then, it’s great to know that one of modern rock’s greatest bands is back in action.

You can view the rest of the pictures I took at this show here.