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RARE-Kramer Ripley-1986/1987 Stereo Guitar-Excellent Condition
Estimated price for orientation: 1 100 $
Category: Electric Guitars
Class:
Description Condition: Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition Brand: Kramer Dexterity: Right-Handed Body Color: Black Features: Stereo Model: Ripley Model Year: 1987 String Configuration: 6 String Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Offered is a 1986/1987 Kramer Ripley. (Steve Ripley Model) These are quite rare guitars, and aside from an occasional example popping up on Ebay every year or so, the few that are readily available seem to be mostly offered by high end guitar retailers. Retail pricing tends to run in the $1800 range, but I have tried to start the bidding at a real world level, and offer a Buy-It-Now that is still a bargain for someone that has been lusting for one of these but does not want to pay guitar store pricing. This guitar appears to be all original, and based on headstock shape, is a later production. My guess is 1987, but since Kramer serials were not reliably sequential, I have no way of knowing except for the shape of the headstock, which transitioned in 1986 from the classic EVH era banana shape to the newer, pointy design seen on this one. Ripley models were only produced from 1985-1987 and were quite expensive at the time, so production numbers were very low. I’ve heard 2000 or so, but who really knows. Based on the number of available Ripleys out there nowadays, that production number almost seems high to me. List price was in the $1300.00 range when new, which in 1980’s dollars created a substantial barrier to entry for the average player. If you are reading this, you likely already know what makes these guitars special – they are stereo! Ripley models feature a single Bartolini humbucker in the bridge position with each pickup pole having it’s own output. This is controlled by six individual knobs on the body itself and allows the player to pan each string individually. Using the included splitter box and two amps, a full stereo effect can be achieved. In my estimation, this guitar rates in the “very good - excellent” range condition wise. Cosmetics are as good, or better, than most I have seen online for sale. Rather than simply giving this guitar a canned condition rating, however, I have tried to take a lot of pictures and point out the few flaws it has so that bidders can make their own assessment. Frets – This guitar is 30 years old has been played, so there is some mild fret wear. Note that there are no string divots in the frets themselves, so the wear simply presents itself as general flattening of the frets. I am no expert, but there appears to be a good amount of life left on the frets. It probably could benefit from a re-crown at some point, however. The flatness is very even and seems to be present on most of the frets. My guess is that the former owner played all over the fretboard, rather than digging fret divots with constant cowboy chords. Electronics – I have not really put this guitar through it’s paces because I don’t have two amps to test its full stereo capabilities. I can tell you that the Bartolini pick-up seems strong and all of the separate outputs for each string work. Volume and tone as well. I have not tested the factory Ripley splitter box, which is included, but it looks to be un-used, or at least rarely used. Cosmetics – This guitar is extremely clean, and it is obvious that the former owner took care of it. That said, there are general signs of use and age, as well as a couple of minor dings. The black poly finish shows light scratches/swirling throughout, most likely from having been wiped down over the years. There is also some pick wear, which is also quite light. I know poly finishes tend to be more difficult to buff out than nitro, but I definitely think it could be done on this guitar if the buyer so desired. Kramer was never known for being skimpy with paint, so I imagine there is plenty of coating depth to work with.The back is clean as well, with the same minor swirl marks/scratching as the front. There is no substantial buckle rash. If this were any other color, most of these marks would probably not show at all, but being black, they are certainly visible under brighter light. As far as dings go, there are really only two worth mentioning. I have pictured both. The first is a small edge chip through laminate on the leading edge of the headstock. The second is a body ding on the top face, near the rear strap-lock. In this particular case, the paint is still intact, but there is a dimple at the impact point. Lastly, I will note that there is some whitish discoloration that surrounds several of the tuners, where they are attached to the face of the headstock. I assume they were just over tightened a bit at the factory and the laminate was compressed as a result. The surface of the laminate in these areas is not chipping or damaged as far as I can tell, and I see no evidence that the tuners have ever been off the guitar or monkeyed with in any way. Weirdly enough, the same issue seemed to be present on another, late model Ripley that was offered online a while back. I don’t think it detracts much, but I thought I would mention it. Hardware – All the hardware is in quite good condition. The Floyd Rose bridge, volume tome knobs, tuners and locking nuts are all black plated, and present extremely well. The screws on the Floyd Rose show a little corrosion in the hex sockets and there is minor scuffing and marks of use on all the hardware throughout. Set-up – When I bought this guitar, the strings were a bit crusty, so I changed them. It must have had lighter strings on it, so when I replaced them with medium gauges, the tremolo needed to be leveled to compensate. This has been done, but I did not mess with the truss rod or action. While the old strings sounded fine, the heavier gauge strings seem to buzz a little at the bridge. Visually, the neck and frets look good to me, so I imagine this is entirely a set-up issue. As always with a used guitar, a good set-up will be required anyway. The guitar itself is extremely resonant which, with the poly finish, surprised me a little. I’m not sure what kind of wood the body is made of, but it sure sounds great. Case - The case is in decent shape for its age, with minor rips and dings to the tolex and some corrosion on the latches. I assume it is original. Other included items - The original tremolo bar, allen wrenches and Ripley splitter box are included. Thanks for looking! I have set shipping at $80. I am not interested in making extra money via shipping, but I seem to chronically underestimate how much shipping actually costs. If shipping ends up being less than $100, which I assume it will, I refund you the difference. If it ends up more, I will eat the extra cost. This guitar will be well packed regardless.
On Mar-20-17 at 18:32:40 PDT, seller added the following information:There is a typo in my description for shipping. For some reason I stated that if shipping was less than $100.00, I would refund the difference. Since I am asking $80.00 to ship, this does not make sense. Sorry, I meant to say that if shipping was less than $80.00, I would refund the difference.
Description
| Condition: | Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition | Brand: | Kramer |
| Dexterity: | Right-Handed | Body Color: | Black |
| Features: | Stereo | Model: | Ripley |
| Model Year: | 1987 | String Configuration: | 6 String |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: | United States |
Offered is a 1986/1987 Kramer Ripley. (Steve Ripley Model) These are quite rare guitars, and aside from an occasional example popping up on Ebay every year or so, the few that are readily available seem to be mostly offered by high end guitar retailers. Retail pricing tends to run in the $1800 range, but I have tried to start the bidding at a real world level, and offer a Buy-It-Now that is still a bargain for someone that has been lusting for one of these but does not want to pay guitar store pricing. This guitar appears to be all original, and based on headstock shape, is a later production. My guess is 1987, but since Kramer serials were not reliably sequential, I have no way of knowing except for the shape of the headstock, which transitioned in 1986 from the classic EVH era banana shape to the newer, pointy design seen on this one. Ripley models were only produced from 1985-1987 and were quite expensive at the time, so production numbers were very low. I’ve heard 2000 or so, but who really knows. Based on the number of available Ripleys out there nowadays, that production number almost seems high to me. List price was in the $1300.00 range when new, which in 1980’s dollars created a substantial barrier to entry for the average player. If you are reading this, you likely already know what makes these guitars special – they are stereo! Ripley models feature a single Bartolini humbucker in the bridge position with each pickup pole having it’s own output. This is controlled by six individual knobs on the body itself and allows the player to pan each string individually. Using the included splitter box and two amps, a full stereo effect can be achieved. In my estimation, this guitar rates in the “very good - excellent” range condition wise. Cosmetics are as good, or better, than most I have seen online for sale. Rather than simply giving this guitar a canned condition rating, however, I have tried to take a lot of pictures and point out the few flaws it has so that bidders can make their own assessment. Frets – This guitar is 30 years old has been played, so there is some mild fret wear. Note that there are no string divots in the frets themselves, so the wear simply presents itself as general flattening of the frets. I am no expert, but there appears to be a good amount of life left on the frets. It probably could benefit from a re-crown at some point, however. The flatness is very even and seems to be present on most of the frets. My guess is that the former owner played all over the fretboard, rather than digging fret divots with constant cowboy chords. Electronics – I have not really put this guitar through it’s paces because I don’t have two amps to test its full stereo capabilities. I can tell you that the Bartolini pick-up seems strong and all of the separate outputs for each string work. Volume and tone as well. I have not tested the factory Ripley splitter box, which is included, but it looks to be un-used, or at least rarely used. Cosmetics – This guitar is extremely clean, and it is obvious that the former owner took care of it. That said, there are general signs of use and age, as well as a couple of minor dings. The black poly finish shows light scratches/swirling throughout, most likely from having been wiped down over the years. There is also some pick wear, which is also quite light. I know poly finishes tend to be more difficult to buff out than nitro, but I definitely think it could be done on this guitar if the buyer so desired. Kramer was never known for being skimpy with paint, so I imagine there is plenty of coating depth to work with.The back is clean as well, with the same minor swirl marks/scratching as the front. There is no substantial buckle rash. If this were any other color, most of these marks would probably not show at all, but being black, they are certainly visible under brighter light. As far as dings go, there are really only two worth mentioning. I have pictured both. The first is a small edge chip through laminate on the leading edge of the headstock. The second is a body ding on the top face, near the rear strap-lock. In this particular case, the paint is still intact, but there is a dimple at the impact point. Lastly, I will note that there is some whitish discoloration that surrounds several of the tuners, where they are attached to the face of the headstock. I assume they were just over tightened a bit at the factory and the laminate was compressed as a result. The surface of the laminate in these areas is not chipping or damaged as far as I can tell, and I see no evidence that the tuners have ever been off the guitar or monkeyed with in any way. Weirdly enough, the same issue seemed to be present on another, late model Ripley that was offered online a while back. I don’t think it detracts much, but I thought I would mention it. Hardware – All the hardware is in quite good condition. The Floyd Rose bridge, volume tome knobs, tuners and locking nuts are all black plated, and present extremely well. The screws on the Floyd Rose show a little corrosion in the hex sockets and there is minor scuffing and marks of use on all the hardware throughout. Set-up – When I bought this guitar, the strings were a bit crusty, so I changed them. It must have had lighter strings on it, so when I replaced them with medium gauges, the tremolo needed to be leveled to compensate. This has been done, but I did not mess with the truss rod or action. While the old strings sounded fine, the heavier gauge strings seem to buzz a little at the bridge. Visually, the neck and frets look good to me, so I imagine this is entirely a set-up issue. As always with a used guitar, a good set-up will be required anyway. The guitar itself is extremely resonant which, with the poly finish, surprised me a little. I’m not sure what kind of wood the body is made of, but it sure sounds great. Case - The case is in decent shape for its age, with minor rips and dings to the tolex and some corrosion on the latches. I assume it is original. Other included items - The original tremolo bar, allen wrenches and Ripley splitter box are included. Thanks for looking! I have set shipping at $80. I am not interested in making extra money via shipping, but I seem to chronically underestimate how much shipping actually costs. If shipping ends up being less than $100, which I assume it will, I refund you the difference. If it ends up more, I will eat the extra cost. This guitar will be well packed regardless.
On Mar-20-17 at 18:32:40 PDT, seller added the following information:There is a typo in my description for shipping. For some reason I stated that if shipping was less than $100.00, I would refund the difference. Since I am asking $80.00 to ship, this does not make sense. Sorry, I meant to say that if shipping was less than $80.00, I would refund the difference.
On Mar-20-17 at 18:32:40 PDT, seller added the following information:There is a typo in my description for shipping. For some reason I stated that if shipping was less than $100.00, I would refund the difference. Since I am asking $80.00 to ship, this does not make sense. Sorry, I meant to say that if shipping was less than $80.00, I would refund the difference.