Kramer guitars... Love em.....

[metalchurch79]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Thanks DW!
The last two pics show the Swan and the Imperial with Bill/Becky L500XL, and L500L respectively...
The Swan had a PATB-1 in the bridge when I got it but STLMTLHD79 swapped me his 88 Full Shred so I could put it back to original. Was one of the best trades ever cause he needed the PATB and I needed the Shred.
The Imperial is about done, still need to drill for the wood screw Floyd posts (NOS body), and build a zebra double screw 59N... its coming along, been an on again off again project for 6yrs now, but Im building it with era correct parts so that took a while. Plus I went with a reverse maple neck and scalloped it. (In place of the rosewood reverse I had)

Thank you good Sir for posting these, much oblidged!

The candy red Kramer with the reverse headstock and recessed floyd is a 1988 F3000.. its currently torn down though, but I should rebuild it.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

My pleasure JBK!

 

[Howlermonkey]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I just realized that I have never touched any kramer newer than the musicyo guitars.

Of the guitars they sold before the initial closure, the only stuff of questionable quality concerns body material, electronics, and the floyd2s of the korean striker series.

The only blanket statement I can make about the pre-musicyo kramers is that all above the korean "striker" line are excellent guitars and that the nightswan, imperials, liberty, and stagemaster guitars are "exceptional" guitars.

The necks of even the cheapest strikers, though, are far better than the price range and reputation would dictate and I wouldn't hesitate to fit a striker neck to even the most ambitious custom build.

You can't make a blanket statement on the quality of kramer guitars and have to be very specific about the model and year of production to be anywhere near correct.

I suspect that the musicyo kramers and some epiphone and squires came from the same samick factories.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Scalloped??? Can this take the tension? Nice!!!

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

There’s good and bad with any line of guitar so its all relative because even some of the higher end models had duds here and there. I was speaking more so on the electronics and hardware they were equipped with originally.

Here’s some info off the top of my head, but keep in mind there will be exceptions and I dont claim to be an authority so I reserve the right to be corrected and welcome it. I just figured since we were on the subject and Im bored that Id help out a little bit, but everything can easily be found on the kramerforumz,kramer facebook pages, and finally the vintagekramer site.

The American line featured Duncans such as a JB,Distortion, Full Shred most times and SSL-1’s or APS-1’s if it had single coils. They also had Schaller strap locks, Schaller tuners, Schaller allen wrench holder, and an Original Floyd Rose. Their colors and graphics were unique to them as well, but some finished did cross over to the Focus line like red,white,blue,black and some of the candy apple colors, and others...

The Focus series featured an Original Floyd as well, but “made in japan” stamped tuners, and depending on the year they could feature pickups made by Matsumoku, Schaller, and even a model designed by Duncan called the “JAM” according to some Kramer catalogs from 1988. I have one from a 1988 F6000 but I dont know much about it because I havent tried it, other than I believe its like 9k, 4 cond, and I think an A5 mag.

The Striker series I dont know much about really other than they were made in Korea and most were plywood, but some solid wood examples wereknown to exist, but rare.
The Music Yo era were good guitars too and after swapping pickups, floyd, nut, and tuners, and strap locks itll bea decent guitar for sure, and thats to be expected by any brand in that price range. I do gotta say that I really like the elliptical neck profile that some models feature because its thin with a 14”-16” radius and sort of reminds me of an 87-93 Wizard profile in some respects.

I dont even really know what got me into Kramers because Im really a Jackson/Charvel player, but they sort of found me so I stuck with them. I personally like the 86-90 Kramers with the pointy headstock and the 3-pc neck with a volute on the rear which is a nice solid neck but they do tend to crack at the headstock and almost always right up through the glue line and through the B tuner because they use 3pcs to get the headstock shape and it just happens to be right there...
Theres different factions in the Kramer community, some guys prefer the 1980-82 Strat heads, some guys like the 1983 beak headstock, some like the 84-85 “grail-era” banana headstock like the one featured with EVH in this thread.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Scalloped??? Can this take the tension? Nice!!!

Yea definitely, and 8-38’s dont have much tension plus its sort of a loose feel being its full floating with 2 trem springs. While this one isnt finished yet Ive had many scalloped necks with no issues. Besides if Yngwie can get away with 9-46’s(???) on an old 71 Strat neck, then this slightly newer 3pc neck will surely handle it.

Oh that reminds me, in your one video youre playing what looks to be a Candy Red Kramer with dual humbuckers. What model is that?

 

[greekdude]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

This Kramer is the 210. I have read this was intented for "poor"/"import" markets and was made in Indo (??). Originally the pups were Seymour Duncan Livewires (neck) and Livewires metal (bridge). The neck was a fantastic pickup. The bridge was one of a kind, the hottest pup ever. But its cleans sucked. I tried all combos and finally fit an EMG 85/81 set just to retain the looks. It sounds good. However I have purchased in the meantime some normal Livewires and plan to fit those some time!

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I currently have a LiveWire Metal in my Model-3 and its way too sensitive and hot for my liking even after I lowered it further than it really should be so I know exactly what youre talking about there.

 

[Howlermonkey]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Before you drill those posts on that imperial body, you might want to measure any available kramer against a brand new guitar.

Many of the dimensions of the early Kramers concerning where the posts were drilled were not made with a thought toward super heavy gauge or downtuning and you might not end up with enough adjustment of string length to get proper intonation on anything but 9s on a E standard tuning.

Also....the wood screws will get pulled just a little toward the neck regardless of body wood.

The holes are unusually shaped as well and care must be taken in the shape of the top of the hole and how you "work the screw in" so as not to cause a split or crack.

I've seen people raise the posts to where that flat spot just below where the knife edges contact the screw comes out of the hole and seen that string and spring tension would pull the screw toward the neck. Then when they lower the bridge, that thicker smooth portion would cut the wood as it starts into the hole at an angle.......which snowballs the issue.

I always loosen the springs until there is very little force pulling the posts sideways when I adjust the height and have been known to rub wax on the screw threads and that polished shank portion mentioned above just to make sure I get less resistence.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I use 8-38’s in E so theres not as much pressure as with thicker strings. I have 4 guitars with wood screw posts with no issues at all and I use the trem a lot. The key is all in how you play them and treat them I suppose. That is a good point though and Ive seen examples of what youre talking about, notably on the pickguard guitars because due to the pickup routing there’s not alot of wood in front of the floyd posts.

The post/bushing setup is far superior but I’ll cross that bridge when/if I have to. I was working on an idea using brass sleeve or ferrule type thing to press down into the body to add strength to the wood screw posts (after drilling slightly bigger to accept it) as an alternative to drilling even bigger for the post/bushing style. I dont have a use for that and most guys opt to drill and upgrade so theres no need to see it through.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I currently have a LiveWire Metal in my Model-3 and its way too sensitive and hot for my liking even after I lowered it further than it really should be so I know exactly what youre talking about there.

I recall having fitted a pot to the bridge pup (voltage devider, exactly the same as a mini volume pot) especially just to leak some of the signal to ground, but even then I didn't like its sound.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Can someone list the general class of Kramers from best to worst (most to least expensive)? I get confused- Beretta? Striker? I am confused about the order of these things.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Mincer,

Im not an expert, but a huge Kramer fan. So, Ill start the list and others can correct where I may be wrong or add things Im missing. I compiled this from info on the VintageKramer site:

Keep in mind there were different models in different years that may have been more expensive, but the basic series' were these:

Libertys and signature models: Priced around $1399-$1700 in 1986

Stagemasters: Priced around $1129.00-1260.00 in 1986

Ripley: priced around $1250-1300 in 1986

American series (included the Baretta, Pacer, Vanguard, Voyager

The above were the USA guitars. Many assembled by parts made by ESP and had Seymour Duncans and had Original Floyds, Schaller tuning keys etc. Priced from $899-$1000 in 1986

Focus Series: These were Japanese made guitars and were VERY good guitars and had Original Floyds, but more generic pickups
Pricing ran around $499-600 in 1986

Striker Series: Most had plywood bodies, non locking trems . They ran about the $300-350 range in 1986

Aerostar Series: Priced around $220-240 in 1986

I used 1986 as a reference . Prices of course, changed each year. And, different models came and went out of the line up. Such as the Nightswan, etc.

1987 Seemed to be the endorsement mother load:

Paul Dean : $1399.95
Elliot Easton: 999.95 and 1149.95
Richie Sambora: $1249.95

 

[greekdude]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

The 210 has "floyd rose II" on it. Nice trem, still on the guitar since 1991 when I bought it new, had to repair the threads once, it was my fault, very bulky guitar, great sustain.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Mincer,

Im not an expert, but a huge Kramer fan. So, Ill start the list and others can correct where I may be wrong or add things Im missing. I compiled this from info on the VintageKramer site:

Keep in mind there were different models in different years that may have been more expensive, but the basic series' were these:

Libertys and signature models: Priced around $1399-$1700 in 1986

Stagemasters: Priced around $1129.00-1260.00 in 1986

Ripley: priced around $1250-1300 in 1986

American series (included the Baretta, Pacer, Vanguard, Voyager

The above were the USA guitars. Many assembled by parts made by ESP and had Seymour Duncans and had Original Floyds, Schaller tuning keys etc. Priced from $899-$1000 in 1986

Focus Series: These were Japanese made guitars and were VERY good guitars and had Original Floyds, but more generic pickups
Pricing ran around $499-600 in 1986

Striker Series: Most had plywood bodies, non locking trems . They ran about the $300-350 range in 1986

Aerostar Series: Priced around $220-240 in 1986

I used 1986 as a reference . Prices of course, changed each year. And, different models came and went out of the line up. Such as the Nightswan, etc.

1987 Seemed to be the endorsement mother load:

Paul Dean : $1399.95
Elliot Easton: 999.95 and 1149.95
Richie Sambora: $1249.95

Thank you for this, it is a good resource for me. I was confused in '86, too. Many looked similar, and a teenager like me couldn't tell the difference (which, I think was the point). I certainly have played plywood ones I didn't like. I do love the 'cut down' Strat bodies of the Barettas, though. I'd love for that body style to come back as a Warmoth thing.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Thank you for this, it is a good resource for me. I was confused in '86, too. Many looked similar, and a teenager like me couldn't tell the difference (which, I think was the point). I certainly have played plywood ones I didn't like. I do love the 'cut down' Strat bodies of the Barettas, though. I'd love for that body style to come back as a Warmoth thing.

Check out KNE. They make Kramer style bodies.

 

[Howlermonkey]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I've seen people state that focus bodies were plywood but I've opened up several and never seen that. I think they might be confusing them with the strikers which are plywood.

I've never seen a non-plywood striker but if, there is one, that could almost be considered a "striker holy grail" just because it is rare.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I've seen people state that focus bodies were plywood but I've opened up several and never seen that. I think they might be confusing them with the strikers which are plywood.

I've never seen a non-plywood striker but if, there is one, that could almost be considered a "striker holy grail" just because it is rare.

This is what my understanding is as well.
Most Focus’ are alder and most Strikers are plywood.
Of course, there are always exceptions but I haven’t seen one yet.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

Ive never seen a solid wood Striker series but that what some of the pro's on the Kramer page are saying. I should've asked for pictures...

 

[heem6]

Re: Kramer guitars... Love em.....

I have 2 MusicYo Kramer Strikers and 1 Kramer Baretta Infinity Sustainer. They're all nice guitars, with great necks and solid wood bodies. I replaced the Floyds on both of the Strikers and upgraded the pickups. I'm not gonna say they match the quality of the original Kramers, but they're rock solid, sound great, cost me like $230 brand new from MusicYo. Here's one: