1987 Kramer Pacer Imperial

unique features

  • Previously arrived with a maple neck and chrome hardware with metal pickup rings - clearly a mutt

  • Restored to a close-to-stock look with a rosewood pyramid logo neck with a very light colored grain

  • Converted back to black hardware with black plastic pickup rings

  • Seymour Duncan TB-4 JBJ

  • Body has cut-out in trem cavity for the “trem-setter” device, sold as factory equipment for a short range of serial numbers in 1987

take

Picked this one up from Guitar Center online in a double-deal with the black Pacer Imperial. This was a rare “blind purchase,” where I had no pictures and no idea what type of guitar it was other than the description of “Kramer American - Gold.” I never would’ve risked it, but Guitar Center’s return policy is flexible enough that it was worth the risk.

I was thrilled to see on arrival that it came with a bound headstock, maple fretboard pointy neck with 12th fret inlay. That’s my favorite Kramer neck and I was excited to have another one. This body is the champagne finish, but this one has definitely spent some time out in the elements as it has yellowed quite dramatically. Any hint of the duo tone grey/silver is gone by now, except inside the control cavity where the original color has been preserved. It also has some nice look belt buckle wear on the back. This body has the additional cut-outs in the tremolo cavity for the Floyd “Trem-Setter” device. Basically, this was a device marketed in 1987 that mounted into the cavity and could be used to block the Floyd into a dive-only position, with the benefit of being easily reversible as opposed to other methods at the time like flush mounting or gluing blocks.

Although I was excited for the maple neck, the chrome hardware, gold-ish body, and maple neck was repulsive. Luckily, I was able to swap out the neck for a period correct rosewood pointy with a very light colored grain, and returned it to black hardware. I had considered selling off this body and keeping the neck, but after seeing it like this I am very pleased to reap the benefits of my restoration.