'87 Kramer Stagemaster Refinish Project

Refinishing my old Kramer to white wash, going for a Mary Kaye look.

 

  I got this Kramer Stagemaster in 1998 in mint condition for $750 with a trade in of an Epiphone metallic black carved top that looks pretty similar. Had to sell her for money around 2005, luckily I sold it to my brother, for $150 IIRC. He told me some dude bought it from him and I was sad. Then in 2009 I was helping him move and he still had it, the deal fell through with the dude before and I bought it back for $300!
But there she sat, because I hated her neck, a thin U with a shoulder that hits my thumb right on the inside of the knuckle, ouch. As you can see in the before picture I put a big chip in her body, from a pair of vice grip pliers falling on her. I decided to reshape her neck and put a tung oil finish on her. After doing so, and having such success I decided to refinish her. I ALWAYS hated the ugly red/pink color and wanted something else.

So here it is, unfolding before my eyes and yours. I always wanted a Mary Kaye/white washed ash guitar and decided to make this the one!

Current plans:

• Whitewash stain
• Formby's Tung Oil Varnish finish to high gloss. I am considering Minwax's wipe on poly tho.
• The JB still works. I am going to replace it with a Custom Custom.
• The Single coil is broken I am going to replace it with a YJM Fury.
• New electronics; push/pull 500K volume with treble bleed cap(Mallory) and push/pull 500k tone(Mallory cap).
• All original everything else, black OFR with wood screw posts, Original black Schaller tuners, etc.
• Front and back of headstock original to maintain original color, Kramer logo and serial #.

Come, follow me on my journey.

 

 These were actually made by ESP in Japan and are practically an ESP Horizon!

 

 

 

Here you see the big ole chip I put in the finish, luckily it didn't go thru to the wood!

 

 

 

Old school Kramer logo inlays!

 

 

 

Ebony board goodness!

 

 

 

I already filed down and sanded the neck a while back for a natural fast oiled finish. Gonna get rid of that terrible transition with the refinish.

 

 

 

Duncan JB from '87 (wound by MJ)! The Duncan single coil isn't working. Gonna replace these with a Custom Custom and probably a Cool Rails.

 

 

 

Finish melts away with a hair dryer and a butter knife, don't let anyone tell you it cant be done or you will scorch the wood...with a heat gun be careful, but either way it melts off fast!

 

 

 

Making progress.

 

 

 

Just need to do the sides.

 

 

 

Gonna borrow my brothers heat gun to get the tight areas. Also need to sand back the sealer to get to bare wood for staining.