American Showster 1984-1986

American Showster 1986-2004

In 1986 American Showster guitars was purchased by Bill Meeker and David Haines, Bayville, New Jersey in 1986. Company survived through to 2004. [Source and images internet archive and ebay]

2002 American Showster Home Page

1999 American Showster Company Overview

Standard specifications across all models: 

Alder Body , maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard, 25 1/2" scale / 12" radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, Shaller tuning gears, Shaller bar stop, Shaller tunamatic bridge, Showster V stop, Master volume/tone control, A S  Custom wound pickups.

http://www.hendrixguitars.com/Va699.htm

Reviews are at Harmony Central and

http://www.betterguitar.com/equipment/guitars/player_opinions/american_showster/metal_load_ss.html

Note in 2010 on ebay "new" examples of American Showster guitars started to appear, claiming to have been assembled in the last 3 months using original 1998 parts.

Current American Showster web site

American Showster models:

American Showster The AS57

AS57 Specification

American Showster Biker

Biker Specification

American Showster Ice Pick

Ice Pick Specification

American Showster Peace guitar

 

American Showster Icepick

 

American Showster Savant

Metallist III

 

Kramer

The Kramer "American Showster" Series.
In 1986, Kramer joined forces with Rick Excellente and Showster guitars to develop a series of guitars with metal as part of the body mass. They were made in Korea and appeared in 1989.  Three types of Showsters-the Metalist, Metalist XML and the Savant were released. [Source: Vintage Kramer]

See Kramer Savant III being restored at Starships of the 3rd Fleet