# Gary Kramer Delta Wing - Turbulence 7 string



## Dushan S (Apr 3, 2008)

I was preferring 6 guitars for my downtuned needs, mostly tuned to C# with lowest string into B, but recently got this interesting guitar, my first 7 string actually. So I thought about sharing my impressions, as it may be useful for someone interested in different, innovative stuff because Gary Kramer guitars are not well known and easy to see and try, at least for now.

So here it is:

















There are some pictures on their website, but if someone is interested, I will make a picture of a detail or whatever.

Anyway, guitar is kind of "extended range" but not by adding lower, 8th string but by adding 12 frets more, obviously 
It is modified "Turbulence" model, it was called f-01 when I got it but they changed that recently. Stock pickup is replaced with D-Sonic that works beautifully, it is aggressive enough for metal chugga chugga stuff, but still has warm, defined sound for leads and has good clean in single coil mode especially. Mini switch is added for serial/parallel/single coil, and there is also push pull for turning "Black ice" on. Extended neck is good thing in this case, not only just because of those extra high notes, but because it is possible to play easily all your usual licks on all 7 strings high up the neck, and use like, XXII or XXIV position effortlessly, not just for bending E string 

I assume that body shape can be strange for some people, but it is not just for looks, and guitar is very comfortable and balanced. They have some explanation about whole Delta Wing guitar concept at GK site, if someone wants to learn more, but in short, guitar is built around idea of making guitar without being attached to expectation what guitar should look like (because usual body shape is derived from classic stringed instruments like cello or violin, and from acoustic guitar that needed body to be resonant box) but was made to be ergonomic and practical. Lower horn is missing and guitar is made to be placed between legs like classical guitar and in that position it is really stable (although I have found myself preferring to play it in usual way), and upper horn is longer because of balance. Body is also made to support picking hand, bit more room there also. Neck is flat and easily playable, at least for me (I got small hands), although as it is my first 7 string guitar, and because frets are medium sized it took some time for me to adjust.

Well if there are any questions, feel free to ask! My girlfriends video camera I was using is broken, and I have only old POD here at home to record with but I will make some video/audio clips later if someone wants to hear and see this guitar in action.


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## HaGGuS (Apr 3, 2008)

i like it


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## mikernaut (Apr 3, 2008)

That actually looks pretty cool. I'm not crazy about the headstock but the rest of it is very unique looking. I just saw an ad in the newest Guitar World for another one of his guitars which was more of a "V" shape. Wasnt crazy about that one. This one has a more interesting body shape.

Thanks for the review and pics.


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## Adam (Apr 3, 2008)

Very nice, finally someone around here bought one, I was thinking of purchasing one too, and Uli John Rothing it(add neck pickup under finger-board)


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## Hawksmoor (Apr 3, 2008)

GAS ...


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## HighGain510 (Apr 3, 2008)

I'd love to hear some clips, even if you only have your POD man.  Looks pretty cool, I was digging the bright yellow 7 string they had at NAMM this year.


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## Zacplays (Apr 3, 2008)

Just read about kramers new series in guitar world. Apparently the shape of it is not just for looks. Its supposed to be perfect for sitting down playing and the upper horn keeps your posture great. Pretty sick looking.


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## Randy (Apr 3, 2008)

That thing is freakin' weird! But I really like it.


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## 74n4LL0 (Apr 3, 2008)

I like it...
and, as adam said, the neck pickup under the fingerboard would be really cool...


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## 7 Dying Trees (Apr 3, 2008)

Very interesting shape, looks cool!


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## JPMDan (Apr 3, 2008)

that's pretty sweet man, I'd love to hear clips and see it in action.


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## Desecrated (Apr 3, 2008)

The fretboard is just pure sex, since I usually play on the fretboard instead of on the headstock that's what really interests me about a guitar. I think it's kinda silly to even comment about the aesthetic of a guitar that's obviously built to be ergonomic instead of looking nice. 
_Now with that said_, I to think that a reversed headstock would look better because it would have "flown" nicer with the design (I'm way to gay for my own good) 

Now to some questions; 

Is it hard to fret the highest frets, are they to small or can you fit your fingers in there? 
What about the backside, how does the neckjoint look ? 
How far away from your chin is the upper horn when sitting in classical position ? 
How much do they cost?


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## Mattmc74 (Apr 3, 2008)

Its different looking but still cool. Congrats. I have heard of Gary Kramer guitars before, but the only body style I have seen were the strat shapes. Sweet axe!


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## soldierkahn (Apr 3, 2008)

whats the exact scale length on that mother?


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## Apophis (Apr 3, 2008)

Yeah, I saw those guitars before, but not in person, but to be honest I thought what the body is way smaller, but it looks bigger that at pictures without real person holding it


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## kristallin (Apr 3, 2008)

Looks very weird, and actually looks huge, but I'm sure it's extremely comfortable. I'd love to hear some sound clips!


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## jacksonplayer (Apr 3, 2008)

I'd love to try one of those someday. Very cool design.


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## daniboy (Apr 3, 2008)

Apophis said:


> Yeah, I saw those guitars before, but not in person, but to be honest I thought what the body is way smaller, but it looks bigger that at pictures without real person holding it



+1. radical stuff that. not the usual orthodox stuff and it is growing on me.


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## Shaman (Apr 3, 2008)

I am not usually the biggest fan out "weird" shapes, but that one looks amazing!

I would love to hear how it sounds too


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## Benzesp (Apr 3, 2008)

reminds me of the Washburn Culprit for some reason.


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## D-EJ915 (Apr 3, 2008)

shit! that thing looks freaking amazing, this colour rules: http://www.garykramerguitar.com/Images/Yuichi_Oshima.jpg


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## Dushan S (Apr 3, 2008)

mikernaut said:


> That actually looks pretty cool. I'm not crazy about the headstock but the rest of it is very unique looking. I just saw an ad in the newest Guitar World for another one of his guitars which was more of a "V" shape. Wasnt crazy about that one. This one has a more interesting body shape.
> 
> Thanks for the review and pics.


You are welcome! Haven't seen this add yet, but I guess you have seen Kramertorium model.



Adam said:


> Very nice, finally someone around here bought one, I was thinking of purchasing one too, and Uli John Rothing it(add neck pickup under finger-board)








Then you may know who is this guy on the right 



HighGain510 said:


> I'd love to hear some clips, even if you only have your POD man.  Looks pretty cool, I was digging the bright yellow 7 string they had at NAMM this year.


 I will record clip or to in a few days, no problem.


Desecrated said:


> The fretboard is just pure sex, since I usually play on the fretboard instead of on the headstock that's what really interests me about a guitar. I think it's kinda silly to even comment about the aesthetic of a guitar that's obviously built to be ergonomic instead of looking nice.
> _Now with that said_, I to think that a reversed headstock would look better because it would have "flown" nicer with the design (I'm way to gay for my own good)
> 
> Now to some questions;
> ...


I also do think it would look nice with reversed headstock.
After 24th fret, frets are small, vintage, instead of medium, and it is possible to fret them. As I have smaller hands and fingers, I can play up to 30th fret, but then it becomes a problem to play notes that are close, like in usual minor-major scale pattern, it is impossible to put three fingers on successive frets at the same time in highest position, even if you can play notes separately. You can still like, tap high note at 32. fret and gave your left hand play higher than 24th fret or play pentatonics as notes are far enough. Also, highest notes have weak sustain because string gets too short, but it is still playable if you are not trying to hold note for too long. Playing high notes gives interesting results that sound like something you get with whammy pedal, but as I have said, greater playability between 19th and 24th fret compared to standard neck is more interesting for me. Well, piercing your bandmates ears with high notes is also a nice bonus 
Not sure about price, you may check dealers list at their webpage.


Mattmc74 said:


> Its different looking but still cool. Congrats. I have heard of Gary Kramer guitars before, but the only body style I have seen were the strat shapes. Sweet axe!


Kramer or Gary Kramer? people kind of mix things, as Gary has recently got back in business as "Gary Kramer Guitars" company and it is different than old "Kramer" brand name that is currently owned by Gibson.



soldierkahn said:


> whats the exact scale length on that mother?


 25.5&#8221; I think



Apophis said:


> Yeah, I saw those guitars before, but not in person, but to be honest I thought what the body is way smaller, but it looks bigger that at pictures without real person holding it





kristallin said:


> Looks very weird, and actually looks huge, but I'm sure it's extremely comfortable. I'd love to hear some sound clips!


I am not exactly a basketball player, so guitar may look a bit bigger than it is in reality, if you judge by looking my photos. I was surprised by its size when I got it, thought it is bigger just by looking at pics.


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## brother mack (Apr 5, 2008)

Not bad!


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## budda (Apr 5, 2008)

looks like a practical body shape instead of an aesthetic one, as mentiond.

i definitely wouldnt mind playing one to see how it feels. that many frets would scare me though


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## Mattmc74 (Apr 5, 2008)

Originally Posted by Mattmc74 
Its different looking but still cool. Congrats. I have heard of Gary Kramer guitars before, but the only body style I have seen were the strat shapes. Sweet axe! 

Kramer or Gary Kramer? people kind of mix things, as Gary has recently got back in business as "Gary Kramer Guitars" company and it is different than old "Kramer" brand name that is currently owned by Gibson.


Gary Kramer. He has an ad in Premier guitar magazine this month.


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## Vision (Apr 5, 2008)

I like the look of the D-Sonic in it.


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## Rooster (Jun 4, 2008)

Do you know where the guitar is made? I know the ones made in the US are much more expensive. I can't seem to find where the "import models" are built.

It's an awesome guitar. 

SS


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## heffergm (Jun 4, 2008)

That upper horn makes me really nervous....


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## G_Evolution (Jun 5, 2008)

What a great axe - just seen one on US Ebay for $800....serious GAS (although the postage is high at $300+


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## Dushan S (Jul 12, 2008)

Sorry guys, I promised to record a clip for you some time ago, but obviously, I am quite late... There are few clips I have uploaded recently at youtube, not great quality, but maybe still can give you some idea how guitar works in real life situation. 
YouTube - DushanSvilokos's Channel



> Do you know where the guitar is made? I know the ones made in the US are much more expensive. I can't seem to find where the "import models" are built.


The white one I have, 6 string similar to what is now called "Simulator" model is USA custom shop guitar - you can always ask for custom shop guitar, any model, but price is not easy on your wallet... 
This black 7-string is Korean made, but it was "Hot-rodded" (see on their web page) by Leo Scala in custom shop, neck was additionaly contured, factory pickup was replaced with D-Sonic, pots changed, black ice added, and he also added this small pickguard just for aestethics purposes. Make no mistake, those korean made GK's are of very good quality, at least this one I got was nice work without any obivous flaws.



> That upper horn makes me really nervous....


LoL! I often find myself handling guitar by grabbing it for the horn... So it has find one more use for me


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## Desecrated (Jul 12, 2008)

Thanks.


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## yevetz (Jul 12, 2008)

I droolin about this guitar few months.......GAS!!!


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## reptillion (Jul 12, 2008)

would u guys recomend this as a first 7?


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## Lucky Seven (Jul 12, 2008)

Aww man, I want one of these now! Really nice playing dude!


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## Dushan S (Jul 12, 2008)

Desecrated said:


> Thanks.


You're welcome!



yevetz said:


> I droolin about this guitar few months.......GAS!!!


Well, try this guitar and if you like it you can always make a promise that this is the last guitar you have bought and you will not buy any guitars in the future after this one  It may not help at all but you will feel better...temporary! 



reptillion said:


> would u guys recomend this as a first 7?


It depends... For me it was not hard to adjust to wide neck, it was comfortable, and body shape was very comfortable too, but it took some time to adjust my picking hand. As this guitar has 36 frets, when picking hand is in usual position, you are right above those extra 12 frets, and you can't really pick in the same way as you are probably used to. After some time I learned to pick hard enough but don't dig in that much as I used to on "normal" guitar, and to move hand more towards pickup when playing some stuff. Now it is ok for me, and it wasn't that hard, but I guess it can be perceived as a problem for someone that is looking for a 7 string primary for metal chugga chugga rhythm work that needs some hard right hand picking. Of course, you can also play metal riffs on this guitar, but there is some learning curve. I was quite confused myself for a few days when I got it but now it is ok for me and I can easily switch from any other guitar to this one and vice versa and adjust picking immediately. It would be good if you could try guitar first. 



Lucky Seven said:


> Aww man, I want one of these now! Really nice playing dude!


Thanks man! Glad you like it!


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 12, 2008)

That thing looks hella kickass!


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## reptillion (Jul 13, 2008)

thanks man, that describes my rhythm style, i mash the strings as hard as i can. But for leads, i sometime prefer to play with my hand ofer the neck


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## Variant (Jul 14, 2008)

Dushan S said:


>



Dude, I gotta say... while it looks funky (but unique and functional which is nothing to scoff at)... with it strapped on, that thing looks the business. Me likes a lot!

Honestly, if it came in a baritone scale, I'd probably have on on order.


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## eaeolian (Jul 14, 2008)

I really, really want to get one of those. From a practical standpoint, I'm not sure what I'd use it for, but it looks damn interesting...


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## D-EJ915 (Jul 14, 2008)

eaeolian said:


> I really, really want to get one of those. From a practical standpoint, I'm not sure what I'd use it for, but it looks damn interesting...


use it in a shred-off with noodles collen model


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## kristallin (Jul 14, 2008)

Dushan S said:


>



The more I see it, the more I like it. It may look weird by itself, but man does it look great in a playing position. I really need to get my hands on one of them now to give it a test run!


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## ajdehoogh (Jul 14, 2008)

D-EJ915 said:


> use it in how many notes can i miss with noodles collen model


 
Fixed.


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## Rigor Mortis (Jul 14, 2008)

Looks killer.

1 question

All those extra frets are awesome, but is the access restricted by the body? Looks like it would be.

Congrats!

Sorry if my question was already asked, I didn't read every page.


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## zorn (Jul 15, 2008)

SevenSevenSeven said:


> Looks killer.
> 
> 1 question
> 
> ...



The last frets are for tapping only. You won't be able to play them otherwise anyway.


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## Dushan S (Jul 15, 2008)

It seems I should point out one thing, maybe it is not obvious... I guess first reaction at this neck is "Hey man, can you really play those high frets or it is just for decoration and wow effect?" When neck is longer, deeper into the body and you have 12 frets more, neck and body joint is also deeper into the body. So one specific strenght of this neck is not really playing highest frets - I can reach and use some of them, but you would not have need that often. But what I like is that I can use some high positions that otherwise get used only for bending high strings, like 19th, or even 22nd position... it is possible easily to play on low strings in those positions, so I can use it in the same way as any other position... Comapre that to standard guitar where you actually don't have that much of usable neck. So for me it is not few highest fret that counts, but easy access to higher positions. 



> The last frets are for tapping only. You won't be able to play them otherwise anyway.


Yes, last few, but you can play some stuff between 24th and 29th fret, guess it also depends on hands size, I have smaller hands and fingers.



> All those extra frets are awesome, but is the access restricted by the body? Looks like it would be.


Well, as you can see body starts at 24th fret, so you do have to reach a bit with your fingers when you play highest frets. You can play notes without great effort, but it would not be easy to play 3 notes per string patterns 

I will see if I can make a short clip of playing those high notes in a few days.


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