Anyone else playing any of the Kramer DMZ series basses/guitars from '78? Opinions? Mods?

doesn't DMZ stand for "DiMarzio?"

there's the first idea for a mod. lose that pickup.

aside from that, there's some mod where people change the hardware or some shit on the neck joint. that'd be a good idea, since verbs and nouns kramer's neck fell off.

i dont personally like them. save up a few more moneys and get an egc.

holmes wrote:i dont personally like them. save up a few more moneys and get an egc.

agreed.

Any particular reason you don't like the Dimarzio's? I kind of like the coil-tap option. There is no doubt that EGC guitars are super nice, and I am aware of the Travis Bean improvements, but all and all the Kramer is a decent bass, especially by todays production guitar standards. The build quality is something rarely seen today, except for boutique builders.

my first guitar was a kramer in koa with single coils and the tuning fork headstock. i think mine had fender lace sensor pickups and they sounded good.

it was a good guitar. i miss it, even though it was ugly as sin. it stayed in tune and sounded alright. i like the way koa instruments sound.

the little wood inserts on the back of the neck would move around under hot conditions. that was the only problem i can remember. OH, and mine had five schaller machine heads and one grover.

egcs and tb's are obviously an improvement, but you are correct that many production model gtrs and basses these days don't come close in quality.

not crap.

every dimarzio i've heard and used had a muddy quality somewhere in it's sonic spectrum.

muddy lows, muddy highs, muddy mids. every one i've heard had some unappealing muddiness to it's tone.

for bass, that is.

I think I have to agree with you. I have had some issues with the tone of this pick-up. I could put a Bartolini or a 1/4 Pounder in it, keeping in mind that I am a passive pick-up guy. Any suggestions on a good swap for p-bass style pick-ups?

that damned fly wrote:doesn't DMZ stand for "DiMarzio?"

there's the first idea for a mod. lose that pickup.

aside from that, there's some mod where people change the hardware or some shit on the neck joint. that'd be a good idea, since verbs and nouns kramer's neck fell off.

Mark the other bass player in SWORDS has one. I don't particulary like it. He can never get the sound he wants, it's microphonic as fuck (i'm talking about picking up other bands vocals from the other practice rooms) and he constantly is changing the 9v battery. He's now talking about changing the pick-up and making it not active. It's okay, I guess, but if you want Kramer bass, get a 450B. Or save up and buy a EGC. That'll be my next guitar, once I buy a house.

And my neck didn't quite fall off. I threw my bass down (facing up) and it ripped the neck hex-screws out of the body. But other than that, the thing it's pretty indestructable.