This 1978 Kramer 350B belonged to the owners of Fanny’s House of Music, Pamela Cole and Leigh Maples.
The story of this bass starts in 1974 with Travis Bean, a colorful Californian experienced as a machinist, motorcycle racer, and rock ’n’ roll drummer. Bean believed that the stability of aluminum was going to revolutionize guitar design. He found a business partner in Gary Kramer, and Travis Bean Guitars began manufacturing high-end guitars and basses selling for around $1,000, which was quite a sum in the ’70s. The instruments had aluminum necks and a distinctive hollowed-out “T” shape in the headstock.
Kramer and Bean dissolved their partnership in 1975, but Kramer dreamed of his guitar company becoming the biggest in the country. Using the knowledge of guitar production that he gathered working with Bean, Kramer believed he could improve on the Bean design by placing wooden inserts to the aluminum necks. This not only reduced the instrument’s weight—addressing a common gripe about Travis Bean guitars—but also made the necks feel less cold to the touch. The T-shaped headstock was also substituted with a simpler “tuning-fork” design, which prevented it from being mistaken for a Travis Bean guitar and further reduced the weight. In 1976, Kramer Guitars sent out their first product brochure featuring the 350G, 450G, 350B, and 450B—two guitars and two basses.
After the dissolution of Gary Kramer and Travis Bean’s partnership in 1975, Kramer modified the design of the company’s guitars, substituting the hollowed-out-T-shape headstock with one that resembles a tuning fork.
Photo by Madison Thorn
This particular 350B belonged to the owners of Fanny’s, Pamela Cole and Leigh Maples. They recalled seeing the Travis Bean instruments when they started playing, and having one of these early Kramers was a nod to their musical adolescence. Even though relatively few Travis Bean instruments were made in the ’70s, this anecdote is not totally surprising given the instruments’ high-profile adoptees. That list includes such rockers as Roger Fisher of Heart and Peggy Foster of the Runaways, musicians from two groups that can be found among the many photos on the walls here at Fanny’s.
“These elements, combined with the wooden inserts on the neck, are what make playing this bass feel like playing a bass, as opposed to a spaceship.”
At nine pounds on the nose, this bass is no heavier than the average Precision Bass and is certainly a testament to Gary Kramer’s commitment to weight relief. It has Schaller tuners, a hardtail, top-load bridge, and a fretboard made of ebonol—a synthetic material named for its similarity to ebony. Because of the way ebonol is made, it has a tight, faintly visible grain structure. These elements, combined with the wooden inserts on the neck, are what make playing this bass feel like playing a bass, as opposed to a spaceship.
The pickups are another interesting feature as we make our way south. First, they are embossed with the Kramer logo of the period, which—calling all font nerds!—is a little reminiscent of an elongated take on Herb Lubalin’s 1970 typeface Busorama. The pickup is a single-coil, and the pickup height is adjusted from the back of the guitar. Placed in the middle of the body, it has a unique tone that is not overwhelmingly beefy, and not too bright either.
This model’s hardtail, top-load bridge has accumulated some rust over the years.
Photo by Madison Thorn
These early Kramers had another advantage over the Travis Bean Guitars: They were considerably more affordable. The 350B retailed for $499, and along with the 450B (and later, the 250B and 650B) proved to be a star of Kramer’s lineup. By the early 1980s, Kramer basses were outselling guitars four to one. In 1981, Kramer switched to producing wood necks, which kept production costs low and broadened their appeal to guitar players. The rest is history, as Kramer went on to become an iconic guitar brand of the 1980s.
A forked-headstock bass might not be for everyone. Perhaps you prefer not to have eagle-eyed members of the audience coming up to you inquiring, “What the heck is that?” after your show. But if you’re jonesing for a bit of American vintage-guitar history that doesn’t require you to fork over all your dough, these early Kramers are certainly worth a look.
Sources: Assorted Kramer ’70s and ’80s catalogs, Axeology.com, GaryKramerGuitar.com, Vintage Guitar, TheMusicZoo.com, Reverb, Guitar.com, VintageKramer.com.
Nashville has long been the hub for all things country music but in the last two decades, transplant rockers like Jack White, the Black Keys, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner and others, have all have made the 615 home. Adding to its growth is the organic blossoms generated via the rock block, cultivating names like Paramore, All Them Witches, Bully, Moon Taxi, The Wild Feathers, The Band Camino, and the guitar extraordinaires that make up Diarrhea Planet.
We got caught up with the semi-retired fearsome foursome for their first headlining performance at the Ryman Auditorium ahead of their return to Bonnaroo. We covered why neck humbuckers are useless (but neck dives rule), how the whole band was gifted Klon KTRs, and what each shredator does to stand in and out among their collective guitarmegeddon.Brought to you by D’Addario dBud Earplugs.
73
Diarrhea Planet’s unofficial 7th member is longtime tech and friend Dave Johnson of Scale Model Guitars. (Johnson has done several DIY features for PG, check them out!) Here is his 73rd build based on the Solid Guitar design. Constructed in 2015 it has an alder body, maple neck, and ebony fretboard. The alder was selected to keep the guitar’s weight under five pounds, the neck shape is based on a ’61 Melody Maker, and the fireworks ignite by way of the single Greer Wind humbucker wound by Porter Pickups. He opted for this one because it walks a fine line between a P-90 and PAF for a bouncy, rounder, snappier sound that sits best in DP. The switch is for a “high-octane” mod that bypasses the tone and volume controls and for a direct connection to the output jack for highway-to-the-danger-zone moments. He’s been loyal to D’Addario Medium Balanced Tension strings (.011 –.050) and Dunlop Tortex picks (.88 mm).
Diarrhea Planet Special
This bargain-bin bruiser is a Kramer Striker that cost Smith a mere $349. It has been overhauled by Dave Johnson in a recurring manner that includes Gotoh locking tuners, Graph Tech ResoMax bridge, removed the middle and neck pickups and dropped in a Bare Knuckle Nailbomb, and got a proper fret job and setup.
800 Killer
Smith has always been chasing a “bigger, more low-mid focused JCM 800” and this striking steal of a deal he scored fit the bill. The 120-watt Peavey 6505 runs into a Tyrant Tone 1x12 cabinet loaded with a single Electro-Voice Electro-Voice EVM12L Black Label Zakk Wylde speaker.
Jordan Smith’s Pedalboard
Smith’s board holds the staples for DP gigs. It starts with a Spaceman Effects Explorer Phaser, an Electronic Audio Experiments 0xEAE Boost (his favorite pedal on the planet), Boss SD-1 SuperOverdrive, and a Mr. Black Tapex 2. Diarrhea Planet might be the only band to earn KTRs. Back in 2014 or ’15, Klon creator Bill Finnegan and his employee Matt visited DP during a soundcheck near their East Coast-based shop. Finnegan loaned the foursome their own KTR to test out during the run-through. They plugged into them and instantly realized this was the sound they’ve been missing. Finnegan enjoyed the soundcheck so much that he told the band they deserved the magical red boxes and they’ve been on their boards ever since. “I’ll never sell it because we somehow impressed the guy that built one of the most influential pedals ever. It’s an honor and it means so much to me,” admits Smith. Everything rides on a Pedaltrain Classic Jr and is brought to life with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Dave Does It Again!
Brent Toler hit the Ryman stage with one guitar—his partscaster baby. Brent sourced all the parts (including painting the body in his parents’ garage) and luthier pal Dave Johnson helped put the pieces together. The single humbucker (with a push-pull pot engaging single-coil mode) was handwound by Alex Avedissian out of Atlanta. It has a HipShot bridge with an upgraded Hipshot Tremsetter Strat tremolo Stabilizer 401000. The roasted maple neck and dazzling pickguard was scooped off eBay. He recently switched from D’Addario strings to local faves Stringjoy.
Steal of a Deal
Traveling into town for this pair of shows, Toler packed light with just his partscaster and a pedalboard. He borrowed this Laney LC30 from bassist Mike Boyle who scored the 1x12 tube combo for $200.
Brent Toler’s Pedalboard
Paring down for carry-on limits, Toler returned to Guitar Town with a svelte pedal platform home to five effects and a tuner: a MXR Carbon Copy, a Mooer Yellow Comp, a Bogner Ecstasy Blue, Klon KTR, a MXR Phase 95, and an Electro-Harmonix EHX-2020 Tuner Pedal.
Mother’s Mark
Standing out is a must when you’re battling frequencies with three other guitarists. Emmett Miller takes a left when his brethren take a right. His custom guitar (again built by Scale Model Guitars’ Dave Johnson) is a loving recreation of a ’80s Fender Performer. Miller first got a taste of the futuristic axe when studying at the National Guitar Workshop under Shane Roberts. He posted on Craigslist in the hopes of borrowing a Performer to copy for Dave to build from. He quickly received an anonymous response that included a complete blueprint of the instrument. It has 24 scalloped frets on an ebony fretboard, a Wilkinson/Gotoh VS-100N Tremolo bridge the middle and neck pickups are Hot Stack Plus Strat hum-canceling single-coils, a handwound Avedissian humbucker in the bridge (with a coil-spot mod), and the smaller dip switch adds in the neck pickup with the bridge humbucker. And the best part of the whole thing, the night-sky artwork was painted by Emmett’s mother.
Tone School
When DP first disbanded in 2018, Miller went off to school to study electrical engineering and digital signal processing, and in doing so, he “had to play through a computer now.” He landed on the Kemper Profiler and hasn’t looked back. He avoids cabling and routes his guitar through a Line 6 Relay G55 Wireless unit.
Emmett Miller’s Pedalboard
Keeping the Kemper on amp-only duties, Miller has a standard pedal playground comprised of a Strymon El Capistan, a Klon KTR, a JHS Sweet Tea V3, Dunlop Cry Baby wah, a Moog EP-3 Expression pedal, a MXR Uni-Vibe, and a TC Electronic PolyTune. Up top you might notice what appears to be a Boss pedal enclosure, but that’s just a goof gift from fellow guitarist Evan Bird.
The Classiest and Nastiest
“I think, in my arms anymore, anything but a Tele feels weird. I do like other guitars, but these are the only ones I can throw around and then still pick back up and play,” concedes DP’s fourth guitarist Evan Bird. This MIM Fender Telecaster Thinline Deluxe was facelifted by Dave Johnson (shocker). It got a refret, improved hardware—including a 3-barrel brass bridge, Gotoh locking tuners, and strap locks—plus a fresh set of Avedissian Night Prowler humbuckers (with a push-pull coil-split mod on the bridge ’bucker). Both his Teles take D’Addario NYXL1052 Light Top/Heavy Bottom strings.
That’s Gold, Jerry, Gold!
Supplementing duties with Thinline is this Squier John 5 signature that’s finished in Frost Gold. It got the Dave Johnson Scale Model treatment and also features Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates with Les Paul-wiring and CTS pots.
Tubes, Schmubes
After toting around a hefty Twin Reverb for years, Bird made the back-saving switch to a Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb that knocks off half the weight. Another issue he was having with the OG tube Twin was blowing up the preamp section by hitting it too hard with pedals. Since making the move to the Tone Master, he’s been flying clear of any meltdowns. And keeping the cables away from his feet is the Sennheiser EW-DX EM 2 Two-Channel wireless unit.
Evan Bird’s Pedalboard
Bird keeps it lean and mean with a 4-stomp pedalboard that includes an EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master, XTS Winford Drive, Greer Amps Supa Cobra, and a Klon KTR. Occasional tuning is assisted by the Boss TU-3 and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus brings the juice.
Shop Diarrhea Planet's Rig
Above: the Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP in Metallic Silver
“One of first albums I ever bought was Kiss Alive. On the back of that LP was the Gibson logo, followed by 'Kiss uses Gibson Guitars because they want the best'. Period," says Dave Mustaine. “Years later, I'm still that same fan, but now I've been playing, touring, writing, and performing around the world myself, and I can say that I could not agree more with that statement. As I was looking for a change in my guitars, I met with Cesar and got his perspective on the vision and direction Gibson is taking. I saw passion, respect for the instruments, a focus on quality and a company that is led by guitar players. I feel I am finally at home with Gibson and I am proud of what we're building together. I can't wait for the world to get their hands on the new Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer Dave Mustaine Collection guitars. This is a dream come true for me, don't #@!# wake me up."
Above: the Kramer Dave Mustaine Flying V Vanguard in Natural
“It's an honor to welcome icon, pioneer and visionary musician Dave Mustaine to the Gibson family as our brand ambassador", said Cesar Gueikian of Gibson Brands. “Dave is one of the most influential metal icons and riff lords of all time, having paved the way for multiple generations of players to carry the flag for hard rock and heavy metal, from riff writers to shredders and everyone in between. Working with Dave is especially gratifying because he is a guitar nerd like me, who gets involved in every aspect of the development of the concepts and ideas we have been designing with him at the Gibson Lab. When I was as kid learning how to play guitar, I aspired to play Dave's riffs and I was one of the fortunate fans who attended their Youthanasia Tour concert at Estadio Obras Sanitarias in 1994, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the 'Aguante Megadeth' chant was born over the song Symphony of Destruction. That was an epic night that I will never forget. I look forward to bringing this partnership to life and unveiling the first stages of the Dave Mustaine Collection to the world."
Above: the Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V 30th Anniversary 'Rust in Peace' Edition
Renowned worldwide, the thrash metal pioneer founded MEGADETH 35 years ago, virtually inventing the thrash metal genre with the band's debut album, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! MEGADETH has sold more than 38 million albums, earning many accolades along the way, including a GRAMMY® Award and 12 additional GRAMMY® nominations, and five, consecutive platinum / multi-platinum albums, including 1992's two-million-selling Countdown to Extinction. MEGADETH has headlined many of the biggest stages in the world and sold-out arenas as part of 'The Big Four.' Prior to founding MEGADETH, Mustaine co-wrote many of the songs on Metallica's Kill Em All and Ride the Lightning albums as the band's original lead guitarist, which have certified sales totaling more than 14 million copies. Across the entirety of his recorded catalog, Mustaine has achieved a staggering sales tally of nearly 50 million albums worldwide.
Above: the Gibson Acoustic Dave Mustaine CF-100 Blood Burst
MEGADETH's last studio album, Dystopia (2016), debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The critically acclaimed album was featured in Best Albums lists from leading music magazines, including Rolling Stone's “20 Best Metal Albums of 2016" (No. 6); Revolver's “Top 20 Metal Albums of 2016" (No. 2); and Loudwire's “20 Best Albums of 2016" (No. 12) and “Best Metal Songs of 2016" (No. 2) for the title track, “Dystopia." MEGADETH won a Silver CLIO Award for their Dystopia VR album campaign, and the album's blistering title track earned the band a GRAMMY® Award for Best Metal Performance.
With his visionary business acumen, Mustaine holds the mantle as metal's most enterprising mogul and has founded multiple brands in and outside of music. To name just a few, MEGADETH À Tout le Monde and Saison 13 beer (eight million+ pints sold to date across North America, UK, Europe), House of Mustaine vineyards' award-winning wines, a range of signature guitar gear, a 2020 graphic novel anthology with Heavy Metal magazine, the FIRST EVER band website in history (Megadeth Arizona), the Cyber Army fan club (established in 1994), five successful traveling GIGANTOUR all-star music festivals, Megadeth fan Boot Camp (sold out), and the inaugural Megacruise (sold out).
In 2010, Mustaine released his New York Times-bestselling autobiography, titled Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir in the U.S, UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In September 2020, Mustaine released his second national bestseller RUST IN PEACE: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece to coincide with the 30th anniversary of MEGADETH's iconic thrash metal masterpiece Rust in Peace.
In 2019, Mustaine was given a cancer diagnosis while he was out on the road and he approached cancer like he has dealt with all the hard blows in his life – with all his energy and passion focused on a singular goal. After intense treatment, he succeeded and his cancer is in remission, and all aspects of his life and business continues with his same intensity and perseverance. Nothing has slowed down for Mustaine who is currently working on MEGADETH's 16th album for 2021.
Watch the company's interview with Dave Mustaine and Gibson's Cesar Gueikian:
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