1989 Kramer F-3000 Mutt

Details

This very late model F3000 came to me in this configuration, but I suspect this was a mutt even before I got it, though I could be wrong.

The FF Blue body matches the contours of very late model Pacer Deluxes, with the lower horn rising to meet the neck unlike other Focus/1000 series bodies, and it has the larger pickguard that follows the curve of the lower bout more closely. The controls are also located in a slightly different location too, with the volume knob being a little further away from the bridge pickup and the coil tap switch moved down below the 5-way switch instead of above it. This matches up to the small handful of other very late ‘89-90 Pacer Deluxes I’ve seen, though I’m not 100% confident in saying it is a Pacer body - kind of a mute point anyway, it’s an ESP made body either way.

The previous owner swapped the bridge pickup for an 80s era SH-10 Full Shred, and the single coils are unmarked with bar magnets on the base plate - not sure if these are factory 1000 series pickups, or something else. The tremolo is a German made Original Floyd Rose.

The neck is much easier to identify, with its squared off volute and lack of “American” headstock script. American Pacer Deluxes were not available with factory reverse headstocks, so by extension I want to think that F-3000’s were also not available that way, but as with anything Kramer it’s hard to say for sure. So is this a mutt where someone put a reverse headstock neck, with a Pacer body, and used a F3000 truss rod cover? Or is this a late model F3000 and they were just trying to get guitars out the door before bankruptcy, so any neck was good enough?

So with that in mind, I’ve converted this guitar into parts and “Americanized” the body by equipping it with a period correct late 80s “American” neck and serial number plate. Pictures of that configuration are here: https://totallyradguitars.com/kramer-american#/1989-kramer-pacer-deluxe-f8801/