Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Commie-caster


The Commie-caster
Originally uploaded by Citizen110
This Kramer Stratocaster copy feels like it is made out of lead. The plywood body is H-E-A-V-Y, and it has these terrible speed bumps on the neck that are supposed to be frets. I've used it to try out various electronic modifications, like shielding the body and the pick-guard with aluminum to cut down on electrical interference. I recently configured it so I could get a sound like the tambura on the old Sixties hit by Canned Heat titled, "On The Road Again." The strings are tuned to an open E chord that lacks a third: E, E (an octave higher), B, E. The strings are adjusted very low to the neck, to get that buzzing sound that the tambura is famous for. You simply strum the open strings, no fretting required! So simple, even a drummer can do it!