Workshop: 1960s KAPA Whammy Unit


I finished-off two KAPA guitars with these units on them, so I figured I might as well show the "heart" of this Jazzmaster-style trem.





It operates just as well as a Jazzmaster trem but doesn't have the adjustable-tension or locking mechanisms of the "real thing." Still, the steel is hefty and the whole thing is stable and well-made. These are leaps-and-bounds better than most of the same-era Japanese units that tried to do the job.
Email Post

Comments

Minette said…
My circa 1967-68 KAPA continental ( sn# 23,301 ) has an identical looking tremolo but it is clearly stamped on the underside as having been manufactured in Japan. I presume that your example is thought to have been produced in Germany.

The stock floating bridge on my example is also stamped, “Japan”.
June 16, 2020 at 1:20 AM
Minette said…
My circa 1967-68 KAPA continental ( sn# 23,301 ) has an identical looking tremolo but it is clearly stamped on the underside as having been manufactured in Japan. I presume that your example is thought to have been produced in Germany.

The stock floating bridge on my example is also stamped, “Japan”.
June 16, 2020 at 1:20 AM
Post a Comment