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Any LOVE for Kramers?


BloodRose

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I have loved Kramers since the heyday in the 80s. My first proper electric was a Kramer. Since I was a kid, my paper route could only swing a Striker and not the Baretta I so wanted.. But the Striker was a beautiful midnight blue metallic and it played well. And once I had a Duncan JB put in it, it sounded great too..

Well, sadly, we know the fate of the company. But they came back, not quite the same, but name was back in my mind. So, thanks to the wonder of Ebay, I got a Focus 6000 that was nearly mint. Back in the 80's everyone poo pooed cuz they were made in Japan.. But they were made by ESP for cryin out loud! So for a very tiny price, I got an AMAZING playing guitar with an orig floyd made with ESP quality, and best of all... The Kramer name on the pointy headstock..

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Then, I got a Pacer Imperial. In very very good shape.. This thing has one of the best necks Ive EVER felt. She plays like a dream and with the Duncan Jazz neck and JB, it rips.

 

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Recently, my boyhood dream finally came true.. I purchased a Baretta. Its in great shape and it is fairly rare with a maple neck.

 

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So, Im a happy guy.. what more could a guy want? :thu:

 

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well.. All I want is another Baretta with a Nana stock, a stagemaster , a Nightswan and a Pro Axe....... ;)

 

Anyhow.. Lets show some Kramer love boys and girls!!

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yeah, i have my '86 Baretta hangin' on a peg around here somewhere. I purchased it new after saving up all summer to buy a Fender Strat. I walked in with cash in hand to buy the Strat of my dreams and this Baretta was there and i tried it and fell in love (i was a metal kid then, mind you). It cost much more, so i left to save up a couple more months so i could buy it.

Kramer used to make great guitars back then.

:thu:

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I've owned a few Foci and two Strikers through the years. I always wanted one of the Eliot Easton models and the telecaster type with the floyd (rare) like Mick Mars used to play. My second guitar is a Kramer Focus 3000 body with an OFR, fender floyd rose neck and a bill lawrence (old school style) L-500L pickup. I have a really old striker 100 in transit to me that has the original non-fine tuning floyd on it (no locking nut, banana headstock), so I'm excited about that.

 

One of the "guitars I shouldn't have let go" was a white on white F3000. That thing played like a dream. Not really sure why I sold it...probably to buy a Gibson. But, I haven't found another that plays as smoothly as that Focus did. I always had a thing for the "storm" nightswan, too. I loves me the Kramer guitars.

:thu:

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I bought my 3 Kramers at the Kramer factory in Neptune, NJ before they closed.

All 3 are unique.

I have a Steve Ripley Model; Stagemaster I (only 2 made in this finish) and a Canadian Stagemaster I prototype.


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That Ripley always drives me nuts!

 

Anyway, in the mid 90's, I was buying Focus 3000s like it was my job. Wish I still had one left.

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It's funny you started this thread....I've been recently interested in Jackson's and Charvel's etc....


I was going to start a thread asking about kramers and how they stack up.


So the Baretta is their top line? Not sure how they work.


Very nice by the way.

 

American Kramers are Awesome! Truth is though, most of the "American" ones made in the late 80s were made by EsP. Also, the Focus series were made by ESP. They are all great.

 

Go to Vintagekramer.com and check out all things Kramer.. :thu:

Barettas were not THE top of the line, but one of them.

If you like the clean simple look, one pup, one knob...

Pacer is similar but has either 2 buckers or H/s/s

Later on, they made Stagemasters which had fancier inlays, some with neck thru and some were arch top.

 

Charvels are also great! The USA Charvels are superb and the Japanese Model series of the 80s are amazing deals. I have 2 model 4s and I love them!!

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The main difference between these and the kramers are the Kramers used Floyd Rose's and seymour duncan pickups, and the Charvel Model series used their own version of a floating trem and charvel/jackson branded pickups.

 

you also mention Jacksons. USA Jacksons are awesome, Japanese made ones are excellent and various other asian made ones are try before you buy..

 

I had this Japanese DK2 and it was GReat! I hate that I let it go

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BBreaker, AWESOME!!!!!!

 

Anderson Tech, Thanks ! I love them

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