Kramer Stagemaster Standard • 1986-87 • Set Neck • Speckle Finish Like Brian May's • OHC.
Stupidly rare and none have ever been up for sale...
Right now, there are no Stagemaster Standards for sale anywhere I can find.
Stagemasters began in 1986 as flat-topped, 7/8 sized sharp radiused squared-off edge bodied, rock monsters with bound pointy headstocks.
They had 24 fret necks with ebony fretboards with diamond shaped inlays with a dot in the middle and a rectangular Kramer logo at the 24th fret.
A small block headstock logo, non-recessed Floyd, Duncan pickups and black or gold hardware.
There were three models of the first Stagemaster, the Standard, Deluxe and Custom.
Andy Papiccio of Kramer noted that all Stagemasters were shipped from ESP Japan assembled and ready to sell.
So technically, the Stagemaster line is not USA at all, since the parts manufactured were made in Japan and the guitar was assembled in Japan except for this one, it was found 30 years later unassembled with this non standard finish and no headstock overlay.
I found these 4 pix of Brian May with a speckle finish 1986 Stagemaster online from a 1991 studio session.
There is no mention anywhere of a speckle finish Kramer anything.
This guitar while having a speckle finish, has no clear coat.
This Stagemaster was bought as a curiosity/project and after a year or sourcing parts and assembly it became a monster player.
It has an insanely low, fast action. The guitar is light and balanced.
Super slim neck, no fret wear, neck straight as an arrow.
Sounds great.
I have no idea what lurks under this finish, there is a faint line on the headstock that might be the remnants of a repair or what we believe is a badly applied finish, there is no matching line on the reverse, see pix.
The right horn (when you are facing the guitar) was apparently shortened by approximately an inch, without a body to compare it to, I'm just guessing, it doesn't look bad, just short.
It has a bound neck with an unbound headstock, no idea why, see pix.
When found, this guitar was never assembled, there were no holes other than pilot holes.
There were no parts and no holes top attach parts, just some 1/16" pilot holes.
Even now, the missing back covers still only have the pilot holes in the body.
I installed the correct black Schallers, correct Floyd Rose tremolo, a volume pot and strap buttons.
The fingerboard and frets are pristeen as it's never had strings until now.
They were finished and polished at whatever factory this was built in.
The Kramer factory was in the same town I found this in.
We do not know it's provenance, my guess it that it's an employee's unfinished project.
Comes as shown...
It needs:
A correct Kramer headstock overlay
A correct trussrod cover
A 1987 era correct control cover.
A correct tremolo back plate cover.
A dome top knurled black knob.
A correct 1986 or 1987 pot.
There are very few 86-87 Stagemaster's on the planet.
There are far less Stagemaster Standards.
In the last few years, I can find none that look like this that have been for sale.
At this moment, none are for sale online anywhere.
This item is sold As-Described
This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging.Learn More.
| Listed | 2 years ago |
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| Condition | Very Good (Used) Very Good items may show a few slight marks or scratches but are fully functional and in overall great shape.Learn more |
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