MetalNecks.com - Your source for metal necked guitars and basses.

Style of Music: Progressive metal, alternative metal/rock, Jazz

Comments: This is "The Bass"!!! Great sustain, easy to play, low action... It is HEAVY, but it's the best bass guitar I ever played in my life!!!

Score: 9.8

12/04/2012 at 10:53 AM

by SKULLSERVANT

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		05152012
Price:		$450
Name:		SKULLSERVANT
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: Black metal/drone/doom/noise

Comments: I've got the 450B fretless that I bought second hand. The only reason I didn't give a 10 for playability is because I'm not used to playing fretless. But this bass makes it worth it. The zero fret is a nice addition, I wish all guitars and basses had zero frets.

The bass itself is solid as a rock. I noticed the body to be slightly neck-diving, but not something that gets in the way at all.

The pickups are clear, articulate, and chunky. Combined with the metal neck, I get lows I never knew existed. The bridge pickup can sometimes tend to be a little thin on some settings, so I usually roll the tone off a bit or keep the bass in the middle position.

The craft is imaculate. You can tell that Kramer really cared about these basses during their construction.

I won't be parting with this bass. It sounds like no other. It's as much about feeling the notes and the vibrations travel throughout the neck and the body as it is hearing it.

Score: 10

12/02/2012 at 7:03 PM

by herry the best, fuck the rest

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		N/A
Name:		herry the best, fuck the rest
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: N/A

Comments: N/A

Score: 10

07/26/2012 at 9:41 PM

by Martin

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		N/A
Name:		Martin
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: N/A

Comments: N/A

Score: 9.4

07/14/2011 at 2:39 PM

by Michael

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Purchased New:		yes
Date Acquired:		1980
Price:		1.200,00 DM
Name:		Michael
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: Dance Cover-Music

Comments: The Kramer Bass has a own special sound with this single-coil pickups. Only the jack plug must be changed and the pick-up covers (wood-version) are damaged.

Score: 10

12/20/2010 at 11:27 AM

by Steve Moorman

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Purchased New:		yes
Date Acquired:		1980
Price:		N/A
Name:		Steve Moorman
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: Rock Covers

Comments: Toggle switch died recently but I hadn't played it in anger for 25 years and it is still the most beautiful thing in the world now that I'm gigging again

Score: 10

02/03/2010 at 4:11 PM

by Eric Parsons

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Purchased New:		yes
Date Acquired:		1977? Bought it new!
Price:		$ 700.00
Name:		Eric Parsons
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: Jazz, rock, country, blues

Comments: Hadn't played it in years. Picked it up and rediscovered how much I love this bass !!! - it has an amazingly sweet tone using only bridge pick-up with tone control almost off. NOT GOOD for slapping!

Score: 9.6

01/22/2010 at 09:35 AM

by Keenan

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		January 10, 2010
Price:		N/A
Name:		Keenan
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: Heavy progressive/sludge; "post metal" for the wankers

Comments: Traded a 1979 Rickenbacker 4001 for this bass. I don't regret it for one half a second.

Score: 10

12/28/2009 at 8:10 PM

by Steve Brown

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		01/01/1985
Price:		200
Name:		Steve Brown
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: Everything from Country, Religious, Pop, Rock, Thump, Slap, Hammering... I just love to play!

Comments: I have had may basses and none match the playability of this one. The feel of the neck & yes IT IS HEAVY!!!

If I had one wish it would be a fretless version of the 450b!

On thump and you can ride or hamer until you you are tired.
If you are going to hammer - Lower the bridge.

After 25 years, the pots are in need of replacement. Looking for originals now.

Score: 9

12/09/2009 at 5:27 PM

by roberto sanchez

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Purchased New:		yes
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		N/A
Name:		roberto sanchez
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: N/A

Comments: N/A

Score: 10

08/07/2008 at 01:01 AM

by Mike

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		N/A
Name:		Mike
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: Heavy...Whipcord!

Comments: I have had my baby, 450B, for over 25 years. Dad gave it to me after he decided he didn't want to play bass anymore (he is an acoustic guitar and banjo player). I also have a fretless 450B and an XL 8 (8 string). I play Kramers EXCLUSIVELY. They are the best basses in the world...period.

Score: 9.2

04/28/2008 at 4:12 PM

by Chris Rasmussen

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		March 2007
Price:		$450
Name:		Chris Rasmussen
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: Rock music.

Comments: I got my 450B from Ebay in spring 2007. It did not have the original pickups, as a previous owner had installed active EMG humbuckers.

I didn't like the sound of these pickups, but I enjoyed playing the bass a lot. Even unplugged, it had amazing sustain and tone. I found it very easy to play. I haven't had any of the neck dive problems that people seem to have with the Kramer basses. A leather strap helps with this as well. I play a MIJ Fender P-Bass that is heavier than most P-Basses, so the weight was not a problem for me.

Since I was dissapointed with the EMGs in the bass, I ordered a set of bass pickups from Kevin at Electrical Guitar. These pickups sound great in the Kramer, and bring out the nice tonal qualities of an aluminum neck.

I honestly can't think of any bad points about this bass. The toggle switch is kind of cheap and I'll be changing that sooner than later. Overall it's much better built than any contemporary bass I could have gotten for the same price, and with the Electrical pickups, sounds great as well.

Score: 10

11/24/2007 at 9:37 PM

by Martin Blatherwick

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Purchased New:		yes
Date Acquired:		? 1976
Price:		$600.00CDN
Name:		Martin Blatherwick
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: Played various types from hard rock to classical to jazz.

Comments: Loved the sound especially with Rotosound strings. Never gave me a moment of grief or tuning issues as some others have stated. Regret the loss of both my Kramer basses ( 450b and DMZ 5000 fretless ). Still have my Kramer DMZ 1000. When I was with y last band, the Kramer distributor brought me in to try the Simmon's Axe and the 8 string XL8. Should have bought the XL8.

Score: 9.4

08/07/2007 at 9:18 PM

by Jolan

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		$600US
Name:		Jolan
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: It was fast-ish post-punk (My Sister The Cop), now it's instrumental / math rock (SWORDS).

Comments: I bought my bass (a black 1979 450B) on eBay a while ago after becoming obsessed with wanting a metal neck guitar, despite never playing one, I'd like to thank Shellac, My Disco, Oxes and Ten Grand for that. Going from a short-scale '79 Fender Musicmaster to this was never a problem, the neck feels amazing to play and it's weighted really nicely. Although the weight can get a bit too much after 3 hours of practicing. The sound of this bass is an extremely distinct one, some times I find it too trebly, especially playing the G string, but the sound of an open E makes up for it.

The only thing I would change is the placement of the pick-up selector switch. It sits right where you strum and manages to flick off and on. Right now I've taken the actual switch off and covered it with gaffa.

Other than that, this bass is awesome. I'll never sell it.

Score: 9

04/20/2007 at 06:06 AM

by Bezz Berry

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		May 1987
Price:		£250
Name:		Bezz Berry
Email:		[ e-mail ]

Style of Music: Jazzy-Bluesy-Rock

Comments: I know a lot of people have problems with this guitar, but it has been my trusted companion for 20 years now and has never let me down. Grat tone, if a little heavy.

Score: 8.8

02/18/2007 at 3:18 PM

by joshua

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		N/A
Name:		joshua
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: dark, heavy. de-tuned down to a.

Comments: i have several kramer basses - including a 450b. aside from the general look, you can't really compare the 450s to the dmz series. the 450s are just a different, and completely superior insturment. it's also way heavier. but the pick ups are humbuckers, as opposed to the p-bass style on the dmzs. but you can't really compare to the dmz's.

the tone i get out of this is pretty stunning. very clear, warm, heavy. my only complaint is that i wish it were a bit hotter.

Score: 9

11/19/2006 at 09:51 AM

by gnangle

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Purchased New:		no
Date Acquired:		N/A
Price:		n/a
Name:		gnangle
Email:		N/A

Style of Music: N/A

Comments: This bass guitar is extremely loyal, by that I mean it is always in tune, it always plays well, there have been very normal and reasonable types of problems(loose jack,scratchy pots, etc) considering its age and use. The pickup is one humbucker type, the scale length is a little shorter than most, and the tone and sustain are out of this world. Nice player.

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