1984 Kramer Custom - Factory Built

More pictures and info available upon request

Firstly, this guitar is NOT:

1. Affiliated with EVH, the man or the brand
2. Built for EVH
3. A modern-day build by some kid in a garage

With that said, I will let the builder of the guitar (in 1984 in Neptune, NJ), Ed Heller explain. These quotes are from messages (typos and all) to the current owner when he was buying it from Ed about 2 years ago (all correspondence will be provided to the buyer) :

"I designed and built prototype guitars at Kramer, worked
there for 8 years. Also did repairs and overseas work.
We considered running a production model of this guitar, its my guitar."

"To start, this was not one of Eddie's personal guitars,
but… During the Van Halen 1984 album tour, 3 shows at the meadowlands, Eddie came into the factory early in-between one of those dates. A few bodies and necks were prepared as Eddie was building a guitar. These were painted by Paulie D., who already had a pretty good relationship with him. He could also play anything by Eddie, like Eddie.
Anyways, Eddie came in early - 9am, drinking a Heineken and smoking cigarettes, and drug a few guitar bodies on the cement floor - and picked out one he liked. Picked out an R5 nut - wide 1 11/16 neck and put together a Van Halen special. He did however use an R2 nut which is a lot thinner, so there was some uncovered space on either side of the nut but made for closer spacing. You can see the gaps if you get a good photo from that tour.
After playing a bunch, he said this was the one.
He went on to use the guitar for his number 1, the rest of the tour and beyond.  
A few days later, Paulie D. made me up a painted body and neck as close to that as possible and I finished the rest.

This is it,
It's been is a case for 30+years. Yikes!

Regards
Ed"

Notes about the condition:

The Floyd Rose trem is as clean as it gets for a 35 year old guitar, not grimy like they typically are. The headstock has no dings and includes Allen wrenches. The headstock has been dowled - not clear why. The neck is flawless. The frets are clean and smooth, some frets higher up the neck may have been flattened a bit to facilitate faster playing.

There a few small dings on the body, namely on the edge near the rear strap button and a small ding on the forearm relief. There are also some light scratches on the back on the body and control plate cover that are very difficult to see.

The paint job, done with rattle-can bicycle spray paint, shows the aging you would expect given the type of paint and is not clear coated. The white paint has yellowed in some places more than others, there are raised tape lines, and a few paint imperfections on the back and in the trem cavity. Some “orange peel” roughness on much of the body. Finally one tiny spot on the back where the paint had flaked off (about ¼ inch). The neckplate has some corrosion that is consistent with age and does not have a serial number.

The only thing out of place on the guitar is the installation of Fender Straplocks (one original strap button included). The front strap button was installed in a slightly different position from the stock position. The original hole was filled with a small screw. The hole would have been too large for a regular strap button, so a new hole was used. This is shown in the pictures provided and certainly makes the guitar safer to use.

The original case is also in great condition. The only thing beyond the ordinary scuffs are a couple of Boss stickers applied to the front and a spot where another sticker had been removed. The interior is clean, soft and holds the guitar safely.

Also included is a like new and custom red and white Levy’s Leather guitar strap with the Fender Strap Locks installed.

The guitar was inspected by a respected local luthier and he confirmed that the guitar and paint is consistent with a guitar from this era.

Shipping will be $150 via USPS and fully insured. If you'd prefer another service or local pickup in WI or northern IL, please contact me.