The Kramer Club

[TRichardsbass]

If anyone is interested in joining the club or adding to their lumie collection, my 650B is going to be for sale in a week or so.

tom

 

[raslroy]

I only have love for my 4001

 

[KramerBassFan]

I need to update the numbers

 

[amimbari]

so do it then....................................

 

[raslroy]

Plz # us up!

 

[Fullback32]

If anyone is interested in joining the club or adding to their lumie collection, my 650B is going to be for sale in a week or so.

tom

I thinking about putting my 650B in a glass case. I bought it in 1978 when I was 15 and everything is still original on it (except strings of course). I retired it from regular use back in 2003 and only played it when I was feeling nostalgic. On a whim, I took it to rehearsal a couple of weeks ago. Well, the 34 year old pickups just don't have the "oomph" anymore. I don't have the heart to put modern pups on it, but I can't part with it. That bass and I have made a lot of music together over the years and it's an old friend. It'll look great on the wall.

 

[kzr750r1]

What you have is actually a Kramer 250B. The previous owner sawed off the horns and looks like they shaved the butt. It also was repainted. Assuming the pickguard is original but re-routed for the humbucker, the bass started as a natural bass with black pickguard. They came with a Kramer hand wound, wax potted pickup with chrome pickup cover with Kramer engraved on it. Also looks like they did some decal or work on the neck. Necks on these had dot markers if I remember correctly.

I have the original pickup but it's in pieces. Pickguard was hosed by the previous owner so I didn't feel bad about modding it more to fit the EMG. Least now I can play it. It sat unused for 20 years until it was time to just get it over with. Curious about your take on it's history. Wish there was more detail I can find about this SN.

 

[BoRadBass]

Please help me ID my Kramer I just bought today. The pickups say DUAL RAIL and there is a S.N.S99115109 on the back of the headstock. It is neck thru and it has some strange multi detent knob (the chrome one) It is made in Korea. It is light and just ugly enough or me to like it. What model? year? Thanks.

 

[RonSound]

Nice bass. I do believe you have a Baretta 422S sold by MusicYo. I have the 522 5-string version.

 

[amimbari]

I had a Striker 422s lefty for the longest time. Loved the coiltap option on it but it was sold.

for a lefty Forum3

 

[Arnie]

Have you guys seen a doubleneck "the duke" I have never..
The DUKE Kramer DOUBLE NECK BASS Bob Seger Band Cris Campbell ROCK N ROLL STORY | eBay

 

[BoRadBass]

Nice bass. I do believe you have a Baretta 422S sold by MusicYo. I have the 522 5-string version.

After cleaning and stringing this Baretta up I am quite impressed.. Very good bass!! Thanks for the info.

 

[zakkwyldefan79]

I used to own a MusicYo era Kramer Baretta bass. I traded it for a different bass, but I wish I had kept it. I've never seen another one with same headstock that mine had.

 

[TRichardsbass]

I have the original pickup but it's in pieces. Pickguard was hosed by the previous owner so I didn't feel bad about modding it more to fit the EMG. Least now I can play it. It sat unused for 20 years until it was time to just get it over with. Curious about your take on it's history. Wish there was more detail I can find about this SN.

Vintagekramer.com has lots of old catalogues you can browse for info, and andypapiccio.com has lots of pix of 250Bs.

 

[BoRadBass]

Does anyone know what the 5 positions on the pickup selector knob are supposed to be on the Baretta 422???? Mine may not be working right....

 

[RonSound]

Does anyone know what the 5 positions on the pickup selector knob are supposed to be on the Baretta 422???? Mine may not be working right....

Same as on the 522S.

5-WayRotary
From "FUNK" to "FAT"
1 - Both pickup, single-coil mode
2 - Bridge pickup in parallel and neck pickup single-coil mode
3 - Bridge pickup in parallel and neck pickup in series mode
4 - Bridge pickup in series and neck pickup parallel
5 - Bridge pickup series and neck pickup series

 

[BoRadBass]

Same as on the 522S.

5-WayRotary
From "FUNK" to "FAT"
1 - Both pickup, single-coil mode
2 - Bridge pickup in parallel and neck pickup single-coil mode
3 - Bridge pickup in parallel and neck pickup in series mode
4 - Bridge pickup in series and neck pickup parallel
5 - Bridge pickup series and neck pickup series

Yup mine needs some help. The neck pickup only works in position 2. Time to bust out the tools!!

 

[RostyM]

I bought a Kramer Forum I last week here on TalkBass. How do I go about joining the club.

Also, I've got a question on how the strings should be wound. I brought it by the luthier I get to set up my basses, Sal Giordina (in the New Orleans area), and he thought the strings should be wound the opposite of the way they were when I got the bass. That is, he thinks that the tuners should tighten the strings when turned clockwise (CW) from the front of the bass rather than CCW. He thinks this makes the composite pull of the strings on the nut more even than the other way. Looking at the way the tuners are positioned, it would seem the least stress on the nut would be with the E string with a CCW tightening, and the others with a CW tightening.

Can someone here tell me how they are usually strung and the logic behind it. Thanks!

 

[amimbari]

that's an interesting question. I never thought about it and just wound them up with the E string on the inside and the others fall into place.

I actually had to go look because I have rightys and leftys over here

 

[TRichardsbass]

I don't remember that there were any specific warnings for stringing them, and I asked a few old Kramer guys here and they agree. The key is to look for which direction the string has the straightest run to the tuning peg, then wrap accordingly. That should tell you the direction. I am pretty sure that the direction should be counter clockwise to tighten. Typically on tuners on the top of the heasdtock you turn CCW to tighten.