Kramer experts, do you know about different 700st versions? (Striker)

[AnalogKid4003]

First, I live near Nept une, grew up with the gang at Kramer, and until recently worked for one of the four owners of Kramer. The 700ST was in fact Korean. The earliest ones, like the one shown here with the Fender style headstock, were the next generation of the Focus series, which were made in Japan. They were not meant to be anything more then playable, discount versions. I asked two guys who worked at the plant if they remember any Strikers being solid, and none of them ever remember a solid body Korean made anything.

So my white 700st I posted pictures of his Korean or Japanese?
I'm not sure what you mean by "the one shown here with the fender style headstock...

 

[GIBrat51]

Look at the headstock on my Fender P-Bass, then look at yours. Very similar? That's what "fender style headstock" means. And yes, your bass is Korean, but still well made. Kramer liked to use good components; that bridge looks suspiciously like a Schaller 463 bridge; the tuners are probably Schallers, too. And the pickups could well be Spectors; Kramer liked to use those, as well as Dimarzios.

 

[TRichardsbass]

So my white 700st I posted pictures of his Korean or Japanese?
I'm not sure what you mean by "the one shown here with the fender style headstock...

Yes, like GIBrat said, they are all Korean made. The Focus series was made in Japan. The Strykers were made in Korea. The hardware is in fact Schaller hardware, the pickups are wound in Korea, I think at the Boohung facility. The bodies were all plywood, but if you can say it, all high quality plywood, not like we would classify like today. If I were to purchase one of the 700ST series today, it would be the one in the picture. It is very solid, and clearly of better quality then the ones that came later, which were not bad but just not to this level. The Fender style headstocks were the first series, and Kramer was very careful to introduce them in the best quality as they wanted people to accept the Korean made instruments as high quality but better price. Which, of course, makes sense.

Lots of funny stories about things that went on in the Kramer days, many of which require beers and a few hours...

 

[Hano Rokpony]

I got this one for free and when I took off the neck I could definitely confirm the body is plywood. Still not a bad bass overall. I drop tuned mine to BEAD