Switching to wooden-necked instruments both held the promise of keeping production costs low as well as being able to appeal to traditionally-minded guitar players. By 1981, Kramer had the tools, and the experience, to take guitar mass production to a new level. Generally, the ratio of basses to guitars produced was about 4:1, primarily because bass players were more willing to experiment. Kramer's "alumi-neck" line lasted roughly until 1982. The hardware was also from a known quality brand: Schaller tuning keys and bridges Schaller and DiMarzio pickups custom-made strap pins aluminum cavity covers.
The bodies were usually made of high grade Walnut or Maple, with the earliest instruments made of exotic tonewoods including Koa, Afromosia, Swietenia, Shedua, and Bubinga. Gary Kramer's inserts, set in epoxy, were usually walnut or maple. Other features of the necks included aluminum dots, and a zero fret. Introduced in 1976, early models featured the trademark "tuning fork head" aluminum-reinforced necks with a fretboard made of Ebonol-material similar to one used in bowling ball production. He was to sell back his interests and receive royalties then represent the company out west but none of this seems to have happened. The rest of the account is murky: Kramer says he was supposed to increase production but was too inexperienced in that area so he wanted to move back to the West Coast. Other involved parties were Henry Vaccaro, a real estate businessman who invested money in the venture and Peter LaPlaca, who had experience with Norlin, the company that owned Gibson Guitar Corporation from 1969 to 1986.
By 1975 he had hooked up with a friend from New York, Dennis Berardi and the two founded BK International, which engaged luthier Phil Petillo to make prototypes for them. Kramer's improvement consisted of two wooden inserts in the back of the neck. Kramer then founded the company that still bears his name, improving on the Bean design-Bean's necks were heavy and the material felt cold to the touch. Bean and Gary Kramer started the Travis Bean guitar company in 1974, in Sun Valley, and while their guitars did well, Bean lost interest and left most of the business aspects to Kramer and so the two parted ways. There is some dispute over the company's early history but it begins with Travis Bean, a California luthier who was building guitars with aluminum necks.
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