Wayne Kramer

I had traded the Silvertone for a Fender Esquire, which is the same as a Telecaster except it had one pickup.

Finally, we got the manager to spring for another bank loan and I got a Gibson ES-335, and Fred Smith got a Gretsch Tennessean, and the bassist, a Fender Precision.

Along with an Epiphone Wilshire and an oddball Dan Armstrong Lucite model, the Strat became one of his main stage guitars in the late ’60s.

In an interview with Vintage Guitar® magazine, Wayne Kramer shares that he traded his Gibson 335 for a Gibson 1959 Les Paul Junior Electric Guitar after being inspired by Jeff Beck. Unfortunately, this guitar was later stolen after a gig, as were many of his guitars.

Wayne Kramer is pictured with a Gibson Les Paul SG Custom 3-Pickup in a Pinterest post by Dr_Gonzo.

Signature strat modeled after his heavily modified strat used in the days of the MC5

In the early days of the MC5, Kramer went through a Fender Esquire, a Gretsch Duo Jet, a Gibson ES-335, and a ’57 Les Paul (which he might have stayed with for good if it hadn’t been stolen), but eventually he landed on the Strat, which he “hot-rodded” with a middle humbucker for extra oomph on his solos.

Gibson Firebird V non reverse. Then I started playing a Firebird, then a Stratocaster, and I stuck with those for a long time.

I also played a Telecaster and one lucite Dan Armstrong that sounded pretty good.

I also played a Telecaster and one lucite Dan Armstrong that sounded pretty good.

here's an old photo of a very young Wayne Kramer with a Silvertone 1420. WAY before MC5 lol

This Premier Guitar article from November 29, 2018 indicates that Wayne Kramer’s signature Strat is “based on a ’67 or ’68 Strat with a rosewood fingerboard…”

There is a difference between some of the tuners on some of the Strats made in 1967 and 1968 versus those made in 1969. Along with subtle changes from earlier years, these differences allowed Fender to narrow Kramer’s guitar down to a ‘67 or ‘68 Strat but heavy modifications prevented further accuracy.