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PAWN SHOP PRIZE � Roger Zimish
A REAL 80’ S ROCKER: KRAMER STRIKER ST100
Flash back early 80’ s I take my first trip to the Big Apple, New York City to the street of dreams, 48 th Street Music Row, the place where music legends shop.“ Rudy’ s Music”,“ We Buy Guitars”,“ Sam Ash” and“ Manny’ s Music”, I was going guitar shopping! I was in a rock cover band playing the likes of“ April Wine”,“ Fastway”,“ Van Halen” and“ Billy Idol” and I needed a Rock N Roll Guitar! Kramer guitars had the top selling line in the 80’ s with such endorsees as George Lynch, Steve Stevens, Elliott Easton and of course Eddie Van Halen. I walked into Manny’ s Music and there she was a Kramer Focus Flying V with a Floyd Rose tremolo! I didn’ t have enough money for a case so I brought her home in the shipping box on the train holding it close. Ever since then I have had somewhat of an attraction to Kramer
guitars so when a 1988 Striker ST100 with a hockey stick head stock walked through the door it caught my eye and brought me back to the 80’ s if only for a short time.
This guitar looked like it has been in the corner of somebody’ s music room un-played for a few decades, the metallic silver body was in great shape and the pointy headstock was flawless( most guitars with the pointy or banana shaped headstocks I have come across look like they have been walked into a wall a few times). This guitar was in need of some TLC, new strings and a good setup brought this particular guitar’ s 80’ s rock mojo back to life. The guitar’ s 22 fret three piece maple neck with a maple fretboard and dot inlays, is smooth and fast with no noticeable fret wear – which is really nice for two handed tapping. It came equipped with a recessed Floyd Rose II Bridge Tremolo with fine tuners and locking nut. What I like about the Floyd Rose II system is that you don’ t need to cut the ball end of the string off when restringing. One slanted“ Turbo Sonic” humbucking pickup designed by Seymour Duncan with one volume control is a simple set up that gets the point across. The neck plate on this guitar says Neptune NJ, USA however this guitar is an import and not made in the United States.
Kramer has a long history of making some pretty cool guitars starting in Neptune New
34 Sep � Oct 2016 CollectibleGuitar. com