Grateful Dead Music Forum

Don't know if any of you saw but looks like Phred's getting on the wagon too...

https://shop.phredinstruments.com/sb500

Pg. 2, 2nd post

https://rukind.com/viewtopic.php?f=426& ... 5&start=15

If you want to approach the real thing, try this. But warning, it’ll take a little more money

https://reverb.com/ca/item/37580888-tra ... r-jan-2021

Little hijack, but related: Does anybody here know much about the Kramer DMZ aluminum neck guitars? I see them pop up on local CL now and then, and they are priced much lower than any Bean I’ve ever come across.

Kramer worked for Travis Bean before he went out on his own. There are two major design differences. Where the TB has a full aluminum neck, the Kramer has an aluminum “T” with wood wedges inserted so, looking at the back of the neck, it looks like a wooden neck with an aluminum stripe down the middle. IMHO the Kramers feel nicer. The guy I played with many years ago that played a Travis used to complain that the neck never warmed up - especially on outdoor gigs.

The other major difference is that the Kramer is a regular bolt-on while the TB neck runs 2/3 of the way through the guitar with the pickups and bridge mounted in the same chunk of aluminum that comprises the neck - almost like a neck through.

Another difference is that the Kramers always seemed a little lighter to me. The TBs are boat anchors. I’ve never understood their popularity or the exorbitant prices they now command.

Bill, tgo

Though I've yet to play one I've heard guys get some good tones out them. I see them on Reverb for a decent price.

I've considered copping an aluminum neck Kramer but then I see the weights. My Philtone Tiger is 9 lbs., 3 oz., and my Scarlet Fire Wolf is 8 lbs., 14.5 oz. No way am I going over 10 lbs!

Thanks to all for the Kramer insights. If I’m in the right mood when a decent one pops up again, I might give it a shot.

For admittingly superficial reasons (I've never played either one), I'm partial to these two top of the line models:

Fella I follow on the Instagram plays a DMZ 2000, sounds killer through his rig. I’ve seen him on here too but I can’t remember his name.