I walked into a pawn shop yesterday and sitting there was a modded white borretta special with upgraded red EMG pickup, upgraded black bridge and black machine heads plus a custom made hard case all for $150 !!! Absolutely mint condition, I had never played one and am just picking the guitar back up after 20 years not playing, I can 100% say, I’m loving this guitar. Epic
wow what a deal! im trying to think what the guy selling it was thinking!!! upgraded the pickups to emgs, tuners and a hard case?? good on u man hope ur shredding!!!!
@@chris3736 white guitars used in smoky bars were permanently discolored after a few years, it's not exactly a pure or snow white, kind of a yellowish tint.
You guys should do a video comparing Kramer models. That’d be interesting to watch and it would help people decide which one to get. And Dagan would enjoy that video a lot🤘🏼
Would love to see that too. Especially The 84 model against the Baretta Vintage. I do a shootout between one of the new 2020 Baretta’s and my American 1986 Baretta. Def check out if you’re looking at that model. From the 2020 Baretta vintage guitar I had, these new Kramers seem pretty nice especially for the price.
im stuck between this or a striker (ik that may sound obvious but more expensive dosent always =better) and there similar in price the striker is 200$ more maybe a bit more or less
It just depends what sound you want. Surely we don't need Dagan to tell us that. It's subjective to the individual. If you want a hot, bright, simple strat-like guitar, get the Baretta. If you want a few different tones and wider options, get the Striker. If you want a range of heavier tones, get the Pacer. Simple.
@@Molotov_Milkshake very true I ended up going with the baretta special! And used the money I saved if I woulda bought the striker and bought a JB for it , man I love this guitar I made the right choice n since I already have a 50s standard les Paul variety of tone wasn’t really what I was going for with this guitar I want it to do 1 thing amazingly well
I'm fortunate to have experienced the 80's. I saw Van Halen in the winter of 85 touring the 1984 album. The band Autograph opened for them at the Omni Arena in Atlanta. Eddie came out and set on the edge of the stage and done a blistering solo. These guitars bring back so many memories.
AWESOME!!!!!! I'm a Van Halen FREAK. So that is a really cool story Bro. I've seen em' a ton of times. But a few of them were more memorable. They never disappointed live. Just the most killer band.... ever.
@@mattsmitchger259 something oddly appealing about single pickup guitars. When you see one, you know whoever’s playing means business. Shows up to do one thing and one thing only, play fast and heavy! All bare-bones and technically all you need. The JB is my favorite pickup ever, possibly the best pickup ever made. Do it! Buy one of these Kramers! You know you want to!
I have a white Baretta Special like this one, it has a JB in the bridge, a nicer wilkinson trem, bourns vol pot and an upgraded set of tuners and the guitar plays and sounds like a dream 👌🏼
awesome man, can you share here the Wilkinson trem model you have? I modded my baretta as well and the bridge is the last part I want to replace. Thank you so much!
it starts as a off white , "vintage white" they call it its a beautiful color love it!!, i just wish it had a maple fretboard thats my only complaint, but i did the same as the OP i put a JB in it, i put a graphtech nut, next i just wanna upgrade the bridge and tuners ( i agree with him on the wilkinson, and id add gotoh locking tuners maybe)@@arigreen5845
I bought that exact one! White! I'm in love with it... it's now my go-to bring with me everywhere guitar... pair with the NU-X micro amp.. perfect travel mates. Love this ax... The neck is exquisite!
@@josephgaude okay thanks. I was just making sure because some people said that it changed to off white overtime but I guess you can buy it as a regular white?
My dad told me that my uncle Kevin’s 1st guitar was a Kramer in the early 80’s and the live in Ohio so Kalamazoo was always really close. But yeah I’ve always wanted one. Great looking guitar 🔥
The stock pickups on these modern Kramers are pretty decent. However what I love is that they are very easy to upgrade thanks to the simple wiring and lack of a pickguard. I bought both of mine with the specific intent of upgrading.
the stock is good if u really didnt want to u dont have to swap it , i tried it out but i bought a JB and i was like boom thats it, idk just that combo of baretta and jb is magical
I dropped a “Saturday night Special” in mine and I’m going to see if I can fit a push pull pot in for a coil split. For $250 Canadian I’ll gladly mod the crap out of it. I don’t mind dumping more money in upgrades on it, that’s the fun of guitars like these, to me anyway. Even better if my spare parts are upgrades.
I played this guitar and was impressed! Nice tone, great action and playability, killer colors and all for $199. It had better build quality and played better than the Kramer Pacer Classic! Rock On!
The biggest selling point of this guitar (disregarding it's insanely low price), is the canted pickup. It's rare to see canted humbuckers, and even rarer to see ones which gravitate towards the high strings at the bridge! These are a true rarity for that reason. Thankfully almost nobody is asking ;) You can get some crazy unique sounds by putting different humbuckers into this guitar, and it has the simplest wiring I've ever seen. I stuck a Squier Atomic humbucker into one and it's brutal!
i just bought one myself now i’m gonna put a locking black floyd ,a bridge dime bucker ,hip shot black locking tuners ,and a 500 low friction volume pot all for $ 360 . All on the smokers white
Been playing for years and I have to say these things really pop for such a budget guitar. I was immediately drawn to a purple one in guitar center. They're so clean!
I bought one a few months ago in black. I changed the humbucker to an EMG 85x, switched the volume knob to a chrome speed control and added locking tuners. This is played just as much as my evh and godin. When you play it you never guess it's a 290.00 dollar guitar. Highly recommend.
I'm a minimalist with my guitars; too many sparky-farkles that I don't use. My white "special" is by-far my favorite in my line-up. Sounds great and was perfect out of the box from the first day. Great review-
I always loved that guitar, its made for the war. It’s indestructible and powerful. A friend has one of this but he changed the original pickup for a seymour duncan and the tuners for gotoh tuners and its glorious
Great review! And great shredding! Thanks for explaining the wood and all of the components while showing a $200 guitar can sound like a $2000 guitar. Love it. I ordered one.
You're mostly hearing the amp and speaker here tbf. But yeah the Kramer budget guitars are actually well made and have decent stock parts. They make incredible upgrade platforms too.
When you see someone with skills playing a modest instrument and making it sound pro, it really shows how more guitarist should spend more time practicing than buying the fancy gear lol
Indeed. It's skill, inventiveness and practice that makes a guitarist good. Not expensive equipment. There are limits of course though, a shitty pickup is going to handicap the sound of even a great guitarist.
I just ordered a white one from Sweetwater ! I have an 80's Seymour Duncan 59 wound by Marcella Jaurez sitting in a box of old parts ! I'm itching like a junkie to get my hands on this guitar ! I've never been this excited about getting a guitar that was less than a grand ! First thing I'm doing is cutting the tone bleed capacitor that makes the volume either on or off ( pretty much) ! I figure while I'm in there I may as well drop in the SD59' .........! Next will be a home installed Floyd rose and I'm set !
Ive had this guitar for a few years it's my awesome minimalist rocker I just Plug in and play. It makes me use my fingers and the volume knob for getting different sounds.
I ordered one of these for shits and giggles and after I set it up, which didn’t take more than 15 minutes, it easily performs just as well if not better than my American Charvel so cal. This Baretta special needs no upgrades at all. The pickup is sick! The fretboard and frets are perfect. You can achieve extremely low action. It is my new favorite and I play it constantly. Get one! Or 10! Their cheap!
Just ordered the candy blue one from Music Store Professional in Germany (my usual go-to for guitars, Thomann, are sold out until like March 2022). I'm in Ireland and it will arrive this Friday. Just can't wait to play it!! Got an Ibanez, a Jackson, a self-made 5150, now a Kramer. Next.... a Charvel. Then I'm happy! 😆
I'm a little late to the party, but I just bought a purple one today. Trades off my old epiphone les paul deluxe. Basically paid nothing for it. This thing is awesome.
@@DH-sw5hh I will check when I get some time this week. I did notice the tuners are little stiff on the new ones but they were holding tune . After the strings were fully stretched, i could do the motley cru kick start my heart dive bomb. They set the screws pefect on the vintage tremelo, which no one seems to know how to set up.
@@teemoleague907 I have 2 myself. The Candy Blue and Vintage White from 2020. I clipped one lug off the treble bleed on both and much better now. Another thing I did notice right away is the Vintage White neck is slightly rounder. Little thicker than the Candy Blue with maple board. Both guitars are awesome, though.
@@teemoleague907 A temporary condition that has happened repeatedly since these were released. Music Yo Kramers and even the models before that are worth more than they were new in every case.
I picked up a blue Kramer barretta today and it was 200 flat. I got home and plugged it in almsot immediately and it sounds so badass. I just went in for strings and I saw this candy blue Kramer and I just could not put it down. I ended up leaving with Ernie ball super slinky’s and the kramer. For the price it’s amazing and I’m so glad I saw and bought it
hey Dagan love this guitar i have a yellow one ive had since 86-87 still play it faithfully ,i live in canada but your show is my fav bro ,im 51 going on 20 playing for 0ver 30+years ,like you im a SG guy my dad bought me a new one for my 10th b-day,i think its a 78 0r 79 i hear people dont really like sgs from the 70s i love it,its walnut still in great shape ,what do you think of them?
@@chargedpine0923 They are 2 different animals. The vintage has a real Floyd Rose trem vs the specials vintage non locking trem that is virtually useless due to the fact if you touch it you go out of tune. The vintage is the way to go. I use my special for drop D and other alternative tunings. The special makes a great rhythm guitar. It can shred, but falls short because of the vintage non locking bridge. Just buy both! Lol!
@@roosterj2599 Good to know. Thanks for the input, I am only 15 so it’s one or the other. I am an intermediate player so I don’t know. Is the Floyd Rose hard to tune? Haven’t gotten one yet.
Not too bad. It's stable because it's non floating. You just have to tune it at the headstock, lock the nut and fine tune at the bridge. It's a high end Floyd so it's sturdy. Theres a lot of tension in the springs so dive bombs take a little extra push.
@@roosterj2599 Do you have to turn the fine tuners all the way left first after you unlock the nut? I was watching a video and it said to unlock the nut, turn the fine tuners all the way left, turn the back right 6 times then tune at the headstock. Thanks for answering all my questions lol.
Your video convinced me to try one out. I got a purple one and I really enjoy this guitar a lot! Hammer on for days! The ONLY issue I have is the constant string binding on the nut. I've carefully filed it out, replaced strings, etc.... using the tremolo yeilds constant tunage. Either way, I dont care, its a blast to play. Got myself the Dange Zone Kramer and it is a joy to play as well. Thanks for these videos. Keep rockin!
@@bryanarce1188 if you just play 80s rock. The kramer is the best choice. It sounds like montly cru. If you play other metal like Metallica, system of the down, korn, august burns red. jackson is king and better for heavy gain type stuff on drop tunings.
I had one of the first year baretta's back in the day. Loved the idea, but wasnt up on the floyds so I had problems with it. And the neck was a thick baseball bat! Let it go... wish i still had it today! With an aftermarket thinner neck it would be great!
Yeah same. I find it amazing that people call themselves guitarists without knowing how to do something as simple as setting up a guitar, or changing parts.
I like single pickup guitars for the fact I spend more time playing, less time trying to figure out every little sound I can get out of it. Most single pickup guitars come in either a Les Paul Jr or a super Strat style guitar. As a country music fan I enjoy the sound of the Les Paul Jr over a super Strat style guitar, but the super Strat's are by far more comfortable to play. I like the fact it's a hard tail and not a Floyd Rose. I've figured out with a stiff pick, and you dig into it hard by the bridge you can make a humbucker sound pretty bright. I've learned how to play on an ibenez with a single humbucker sherd guitar, I enjoy playing country music it is possible to make it work. Kramer is my ultimate dream guitar, I want one, but I'm not interested in the Floyd Rose setup, it takes away from the simplicity I've come to love. I just want the most simple guitar I can find and I believe this is it.
Mick Mars used a Kramer Baretta Special to record the Theater Of Pain album, you can actually see him with the Baretta in the Smokin in the boys room video.
I bought one of these in March 2021. Don't expect perfect workmanship. The fret ends were finished nicely, but the fret surfaces were very rough and gritty, once polished they played nice. The volume pot has no taper, it's either on or off, nothing in between, removing the treble bleed capacitor restored some taper. One of the saddle holes on the bridge is not in line with the others. The strap button screws are very short and very thin, definitely needs replaced if you are going to use a strap. Some of the screw holes for the back cover plates and humbucker ring are not drilled straight, and two of the four neck mounting holes has the same issue, someone doesn't know how to use a drill. The paint job shows some waves and irregularities. The are a few deep scratches in the finish on the back of the neck and some jagged edges around the headstock.
What are you expecting for $180 though. Most of that isn't an issue at all for playability. Screw holes in wrong place is not an issue. Strap buttons are cheap if needed to be replaced. So maybe $200 into something after new strings and new strap locks? Still not bad.
@@joeala762 I've got a Striker and a Baretta. Whilst they aren't perfect, they are great. The idea that a "£200 guitar can't be any good" is fucking idiocy. These guitars are great. For clarity: the striker had a tiny scratch on the heel and the baretta has some dark sections in the wood on the fretboard so it looks kinda dirty. Neither of these flaws affects playability. It's about time you gear snob twats learned that expensive does not make a guitar good. Guitars are not complicated devices, and are not particularly expensive to make. There are plenty of budget guitars that are great. Nothing is more cancerous than gear snobbery when it comes to the guitar industry. Do you believe a petrified swamp ash body is going to give you a professional tone? 🤣
I ended up with a pink one. Haven't played it very much maybe because its pink. Started playing it, it sounds amazing! It may be the best sounding guitar i have. I have esps bc rich dean markley jackson and others. Do other Kramer's sound just as good?
Words can not describe how angry I am that this guitar isn’t available in Left Handed. The pacer is, but the Barretta has a lot of space for custom designs given the single pickup, and I gave a very specific art design that would only work with the Barretta.
Luckily the Striker series are available in left handed, and they offer more tonal options too. Or you could just play the Baretta upside down if you want.
@@mack7235 Ah shit. That's why I'm not getting a notification for that color. I keep getting one for blue, but that's my last choice of the colors. Well, good on you dude. Enjoy that thing. I'm jelly, but my time will come.
How can u be waiting, muscians friend has had a ton is stock the last month till now , they ordered like 1000 purple and 1000 pink ones. I got one of each. Only took 3 days
@@teemoleague907 wow! Your right! Thank you for the heads up. I canceled my order with the people and ordering from musicians friend now! Thank you thank you! 🎸😎👍
@@Chris-th4im they fixed the volume pot on the new summer ones. The tuners are just ok. Bridge is pretty good and it stays in tune when strings are stretched. I can do a 3 quarter dive bomb and it stays in tune. The nut could use some work. It's a good guitar overall. Enjoy!!!!
What's the rig that Dagan is using in this video? I just got one of these myself, and wondered how he was getting the sound he's getting in this video. (PS: Dagan...........I got the Vintage White one too.............rock on, sir!!!)
Well I never played a Kramer guitar I do have a Jackson js32x what a always done was I would just the the 5 way selector switch at the bottom when played through a line six spider 4 it sounds almost like old school hair metal
Hi! Great review buy I have a question. Which is better, buy a Baretta Special and update the pickup and tremolo, maybe even the tuners or buy a Baretta? Or an 84?
Got one for free. Bought a Washburn dime flag, for 500usd came with this and a free van Halen Roth era guitar book. Like a bogo sale buy one get one. Was on Facebook marketplace posted same day bought same day by me. Plan give my Kramer an update, bridge looks like a short block MIM,squier version. Anyways, good video. Im doing a video on mine. Plus my dime and my fender I also have 93 strat srv Rory style. I have 3 of my fave players guitar Dime, evh, fender strat srv Rory an others who use fender strat
I ordered one almost a year ago...the delivery time was pushed back by the shop by a few days almost every day. Sadly I got inpatient after a while so I ordered a different guitar. Sometimes I still regret it :( .
I have a kramer baretta special with a super distortion in the bridge, I probably play it the most out of my guitars. Now tempted by a candy blue one 🙄
To me it sounds great with overdrive/gain, a bit bright on the clean sounds at times. But a bit of tweaking with the amp/pedal settings evens it out. Rolling the volume back helps too. I've also switched the pot to a pull coil split, so the taper may be a bit smoother than the stock pot.
@@davetaperek2206 Why wouldn't it sound good? It might sound slightly brighter than usually because it's canted towards the bridge on the high end, but that usually sounds awesome in my experience.
I walked into a pawn shop yesterday and sitting there was a modded white borretta special with upgraded red EMG pickup, upgraded black bridge and black machine heads plus a custom made hard case all for $150 !!! Absolutely mint condition, I had never played one and am just picking the guitar back up after 20 years not playing, I can 100% say, I’m loving this guitar. Epic
I want to buy this Kramer and I want to upgrade pick ups in red EMG 81
@@ebandzekan did you get it?
Sounds like a bargain
I DID!@@dylannnnnnnnn
wow what a deal! im trying to think what the guy selling it was thinking!!! upgraded the pickups to emgs, tuners and a hard case?? good on u man hope ur shredding!!!!
Saw the title and came for EVH and Motley riffs... wasn't disappointed. Watching Dagan smiling his way through motley riffs is just awesome
my friend with dagan, he could be playing a fender esquire or a acoustic youd get evh n motley riffs hahaha
I'm glad I ordered it. It will be my first electric guitar. 🤘🏻
Did you like it ?
@@kaustubhbajpai12
I love it. And since it's my first I don't miss any other pickup😀
@@timon7602 killer choice man, I've been playing electric since for 9 years and I want one 😛
@@jacobbayani3652 fr haha i’m getting one
I got one today and it’s a killer guitar. Fun to mod too 😉
love the "smoker's white" color
I dont get it
@@chris3736 white guitars used in smoky bars were permanently discolored after a few years, it's not exactly a pure or snow white, kind of a yellowish tint.
As I puff away with a beer 😅🇭🇲
You guys should do a video comparing Kramer models. That’d be interesting to watch and it would help people decide which one to get. And Dagan would enjoy that video a lot🤘🏼
Would love to see that too. Especially The 84 model against the Baretta Vintage. I do a shootout between one of the new 2020 Baretta’s and my American 1986 Baretta. Def check out if you’re looking at that model. From the 2020 Baretta vintage guitar I had, these new Kramers seem pretty nice especially for the price.
Get them all duh.
im stuck between this or a striker (ik that may sound obvious but more expensive dosent always =better) and there similar in price the striker is 200$ more maybe a bit more or less
It just depends what sound you want. Surely we don't need Dagan to tell us that. It's subjective to the individual.
If you want a hot, bright, simple strat-like guitar, get the Baretta. If you want a few different tones and wider options, get the Striker. If you want a range of heavier tones, get the Pacer. Simple.
@@Molotov_Milkshake very true I ended up going with the baretta special! And used the money I saved if I woulda bought the striker and bought a JB for it , man I love this guitar I made the right choice n since I already have a 50s standard les Paul variety of tone wasn’t really what I was going for with this guitar I want it to do 1 thing amazingly well
without question of all his videos in this one Dagan is smiling the most, playing the most and having fun the most, I am sold, lol.
I'm fortunate to have experienced the 80's. I saw Van Halen in the winter of 85 touring the 1984 album. The band Autograph opened for them at the Omni Arena in Atlanta. Eddie came out and set on the edge of the stage and done a blistering solo. These guitars bring back so many memories.
'84. Same show in Charlotte 2/14/84.
AWESOME!!!!!! I'm a Van Halen FREAK. So that is a really cool story Bro. I've seen em' a ton of times. But a few of them were more memorable. They never disappointed live. Just the most killer band.... ever.
But Eddie used a Floyd Rose bridge style on his guitar.
I have a late 60's les paul humbucker that needs a new home so might check this thing out
😆Same. Got a Duncan JB I took out of a Jackson before I sold it. Good pickup going to waste. I HAVE to buy one. It'd be stupid not to.
@@mattsmitchger259 something oddly appealing about single pickup guitars. When you see one, you know whoever’s playing means business. Shows up to do one thing and one thing only, play fast and heavy! All bare-bones and technically all you need. The JB is my favorite pickup ever, possibly the best pickup ever made.
Do it! Buy one of these Kramers! You know you want to!
That guitar SCREAMS 80's. RAD!
I have a white Baretta Special like this one, it has a JB in the bridge, a nicer wilkinson trem, bourns vol pot and an upgraded set of tuners and the guitar plays and sounds like a dream 👌🏼
awesome man, can you share here the Wilkinson trem model you have? I modded my baretta as well and the bridge is the last part I want to replace. Thank you so much!
@@ultramimo its the Wilkinson 5+1 Contemporary bridge , it works on these guitars and its nicer quality than the stock one 👍
Is the guitar still white or did it turn to off white over time
Poly finishes don’t really change much over time, most guitar companies charge way more for nitro lacquers if you want it to fade.
it starts as a off white , "vintage white" they call it its a beautiful color love it!!, i just wish it had a maple fretboard thats my only complaint, but i did the same as the OP i put a JB in it, i put a graphtech nut, next i just wanna upgrade the bridge and tuners ( i agree with him on the wilkinson, and id add gotoh locking tuners maybe)@@arigreen5845
I bought that exact one! White! I'm in love with it... it's now my go-to bring with me everywhere guitar... pair with the NU-X micro amp.. perfect travel mates. Love this ax... The neck is exquisite!
Is it still white or did it change to off white
@@arigreen5845 Mine is white.. not off white.
@@josephgaude okay thanks. I was just making sure because some people said that it changed to off white overtime but I guess you can buy it as a regular white?
I have the Nu x tiny travel amp also. I guess I need this Kramer also.thanks for the comment...been looking for the perfect travel guitar,cheers bro!
Love my Baretta Special 2021 Black. Killer tone and far exceeds its price.
My dad told me that my uncle Kevin’s 1st guitar was a Kramer in the early 80’s and the live in Ohio so Kalamazoo was always really close. But yeah I’ve always wanted one. Great looking guitar 🔥
Honestly gonna buy it for the way it looks and that pickup
The stock pickups on these modern Kramers are pretty decent. However what I love is that they are very easy to upgrade thanks to the simple wiring and lack of a pickguard. I bought both of mine with the specific intent of upgrading.
the stock is good if u really didnt want to u dont have to swap it , i tried it out but i bought a JB and i was like boom thats it, idk just that combo of baretta and jb is magical
I'm so tempted to buy one of these and put a Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '78 in it
I dropped a “Saturday night Special” in mine and I’m going to see if I can fit a push pull pot in for a coil split. For $250 Canadian I’ll gladly mod the crap out of it. I don’t mind dumping more money in upgrades on it, that’s the fun of guitars like these, to me anyway. Even better if my spare parts are upgrades.
I played this guitar and was impressed! Nice tone, great action and playability, killer colors and all for $199. It had better build quality and played better than the Kramer Pacer Classic! Rock On!
I got one of these and painted it EVH style. It’s one of my favorite guitars!
I like Kramer too, best seinfield character
The biggest selling point of this guitar (disregarding it's insanely low price), is the canted pickup. It's rare to see canted humbuckers, and even rarer to see ones which gravitate towards the high strings at the bridge! These are a true rarity for that reason. Thankfully almost nobody is asking ;)
You can get some crazy unique sounds by putting different humbuckers into this guitar, and it has the simplest wiring I've ever seen.
I stuck a Squier Atomic humbucker into one and it's brutal!
i just bought one myself now i’m gonna put a locking black floyd ,a bridge dime bucker ,hip shot black locking tuners ,and a 500 low friction volume pot all for $ 360 . All on the smokers white
Been playing for years and I have to say these things really pop for such a budget guitar. I was immediately drawn to a purple one in guitar center. They're so clean!
I bought one a few months ago in black. I changed the humbucker to an EMG 85x, switched the volume knob to a chrome speed control and added locking tuners. This is played just as much as my evh and godin. When you play it you never guess it's a 290.00 dollar guitar. Highly recommend.
What is a speed control?
@@Molotov_Milkshake it’s just a volume knob that is easier to use
@@westoncarpentry4807 ah. Is there a better name for it? I'm intrigued here. I usually go for metal dome knobs.
You have me sold on getting one I wanted one in the 80s when I was a kid
I'm a minimalist with my guitars; too many sparky-farkles that I don't use. My white "special" is by-far my favorite in my line-up. Sounds great and was perfect out of the box from the first day. Great review-
I always loved that guitar, its made for the war. It’s indestructible and powerful. A friend has one of this but he changed the original pickup for a seymour duncan and the tuners for gotoh tuners and its glorious
Great review! And great shredding! Thanks for explaining the wood and all of the components while showing a $200 guitar can sound like a $2000 guitar. Love it. I ordered one.
You're mostly hearing the amp and speaker here tbf. But yeah the Kramer budget guitars are actually well made and have decent stock parts. They make incredible upgrade platforms too.
@@Molotov_MilkshakeWe know it's the amp and speaker, do you think we're all idiots cause you watched a few Spectre Media Group videos?
I bought one of these a month or so ago actually. I got the candy blue. One of my favs 100%
I heard the volume nob is just on or off and not like how dagan showed
When you see someone with skills playing a modest instrument and making it sound pro, it really shows how more guitarist should spend more time practicing than buying the fancy gear lol
Indeed. It's skill, inventiveness and practice that makes a guitarist good. Not expensive equipment.
There are limits of course though, a shitty pickup is going to handicap the sound of even a great guitarist.
You're the man dagen I love listening to you play your riffs are awesome. Take care and rock on man.
I just ordered a white one from Sweetwater ! I have an 80's Seymour Duncan 59 wound by Marcella Jaurez sitting in a box of old parts ! I'm itching like a junkie to get my hands on this guitar ! I've never been this excited about getting a guitar that was less than a grand ! First thing I'm doing is cutting the tone bleed capacitor that makes the volume either on or off ( pretty much) ! I figure while I'm in there I may as well drop in the SD59' .........! Next will be a home installed Floyd rose and I'm set !
I’ve got an ‘80’s MJ Distortion sitting in a box. I think you’ve given me an idea of where to find a home for it👍
Ive had this guitar for a few years it's my awesome minimalist rocker I just Plug in and play. It makes me use my fingers and the volume knob for getting different sounds.
I ordered one of these for shits and giggles and after I set it up, which didn’t take more than 15 minutes, it easily performs just as well if not better than my American Charvel so cal. This Baretta special needs no upgrades at all. The pickup is sick! The fretboard and frets are perfect. You can achieve extremely low action. It is my new favorite and I play it constantly. Get one! Or 10! Their cheap!
Just ordered the candy blue one from Music Store Professional in Germany (my usual go-to for guitars, Thomann, are sold out until like March 2022). I'm in Ireland and it will arrive this Friday. Just can't wait to play it!! Got an Ibanez, a Jackson, a self-made 5150, now a Kramer. Next.... a Charvel. Then I'm happy! 😆
Ooh ooh it arrived today! Gotta love those efficient German dudes! It plays like a dream. What a guitar for under 200 bucks!
Out of the Ibanez, Jackson, and Kramer. Which one would you recommend is best for rock
@@arigreen5845 it's hard to say which is best. Each has different things I like. All three are perfect for rock and metal though.
I'm a little late to the party, but I just bought a purple one today. Trades off my old epiphone les paul deluxe. Basically paid nothing for it. This thing is awesome.
I have 2 of them. They are great and they fixed the volume pot on the new 2021 models.
Did they just remove the treble bleed? Same 500k pot as before?
@@DH-sw5hh I will check when I get some time this week. I did notice the tuners are little stiff on the new ones but they were holding tune . After the strings were fully stretched, i could do the motley cru kick start my heart dive bomb. They set the screws pefect on the vintage tremelo, which no one seems to know how to set up.
@@teemoleague907 I have 2 myself. The Candy Blue and Vintage White from 2020. I clipped one lug off the treble bleed on both and much better now. Another thing I did notice right away is the Vintage White neck is slightly rounder. Little thicker than the Candy Blue with maple board. Both guitars are awesome, though.
@@DH-sw5hh I'd like to get one with a maple fretboard. It's confortable to play riff and 80's hard rock/metal style? Thank you
The treble blees is easily removed if u want the volume out to work right
I’m a simple man…I see Dagan, I see Kramer, I click. 🤘
Kramers hold their value more than any other guitar I know of at this point.
Since muscians friend order massive quantity and in stock now, The price is starting to depreciate on reverb charts.
@@teemoleague907 A temporary condition that has happened repeatedly since these were released. Music Yo Kramers and even the models before that are worth more than they were new in every case.
I meant to say models between the Music Yo era and the current ones, but youtube is refusing to let me edit.
@@benmurphy7654 the good thing is that they fixed the volume control on the 2021 models
@@teemoleague907 What did they do to the volume control?
Love hearing you play
1:14 i’m so obsessed with 80s rock!
I picked up a blue Kramer barretta today and it was 200 flat. I got home and plugged it in almsot immediately and it sounds so badass. I just went in for strings and I saw this candy blue Kramer and I just could not put it down. I ended up leaving with Ernie ball super slinky’s and the kramer. For the price it’s amazing and I’m so glad I saw and bought it
I'm loving Kramer baretta videos
hey Dagan love this guitar i have a yellow one ive had since 86-87 still play it faithfully ,i live in canada but your show is my fav bro ,im 51 going on 20 playing for 0ver 30+years ,like you im a SG guy my dad bought me a new one for my 10th b-day,i think its a 78 0r 79 i hear people dont really like sgs from the 70s i love it,its walnut still in great shape ,what do you think of them?
Thats the best Ive seem you play! I need to get one so I can see what all this Hypes about
Just bought a purple one on clearance today for 159.i love it!
The second you played LA Guns you sold me the guitar 👍🏻
Les paul and strat guy here, feel like this would be best of both worlds for crue,vh etc and stuff
Got the Special and the Vintage and love them both. Well made and sound great. Need more Kramers!
Which one did you prefer? I’m looking at the Vintage right now.
@@chargedpine0923 They are 2 different animals. The vintage has a real Floyd Rose trem vs the specials vintage non locking trem that is virtually useless due to the fact if you touch it you go out of tune. The vintage is the way to go. I use my special for drop D and other alternative tunings. The special makes a great rhythm guitar. It can shred, but falls short because of the vintage non locking bridge. Just buy both! Lol!
@@roosterj2599 Good to know. Thanks for the input, I am only 15 so it’s one or the other. I am an intermediate player so I don’t know. Is the Floyd Rose hard to tune? Haven’t gotten one yet.
Not too bad. It's stable because it's non floating. You just have to tune it at the headstock, lock the nut and fine tune at the bridge. It's a high end Floyd so it's sturdy. Theres a lot of tension in the springs so dive bombs take a little extra push.
@@roosterj2599 Do you have to turn the fine tuners all the way left first after you unlock the nut? I was watching a video and it said to unlock the nut, turn the fine tuners all the way left, turn the back right 6 times then tune at the headstock. Thanks for answering all my questions lol.
Waiting for my white Baretta Special to arrive today. Thanks for the great video!
Your video convinced me to try one out. I got a purple one and I really enjoy this guitar a lot! Hammer on for days! The ONLY issue I have is the constant string binding on the nut. I've carefully filed it out, replaced strings, etc.... using the tremolo yeilds constant tunage. Either way, I dont care, its a blast to play. Got myself the Dange Zone Kramer and it is a joy to play as well. Thanks for these videos. Keep rockin!
Great review thanks man..I looked at one today ,will get tomorrow after seeing this.🤘
love all the riffs u play lol
Dagan has some of the nicest picking I've ever seen
I have a maple fretboard version. Best sub $200 guitar on the market.
Jackson is on par with this. I own both. The 2 studs does dive bombs better.
@@teemoleague907 Jackson js or Kramer ?
@@bryanarce1188 if you just play 80s rock. The kramer is the best choice. It sounds like montly cru. If you play other metal like Metallica, system of the down, korn, august burns red. jackson is king and better for heavy gain type stuff on drop tunings.
I had one of the first year baretta's back in the day. Loved the idea, but wasnt up on the floyds so I had problems with it. And the neck was a thick baseball bat! Let it go... wish i still had it today! With an aftermarket thinner neck it would be great!
And this is coming from somebody that sets up all his own guitars I don't let anybody touch my guitar I do it all myself and they all play like butter
Yeah same. I find it amazing that people call themselves guitarists without knowing how to do something as simple as setting up a guitar, or changing parts.
I like single pickup guitars for the fact I spend more time playing, less time trying to figure out every little sound I can get out of it. Most single pickup guitars come in either a Les Paul Jr or a super Strat style guitar. As a country music fan I enjoy the sound of the Les Paul Jr over a super Strat style guitar, but the super Strat's are by far more comfortable to play. I like the fact it's a hard tail and not a Floyd Rose. I've figured out with a stiff pick, and you dig into it hard by the bridge you can make a humbucker sound pretty bright. I've learned how to play on an ibenez with a single humbucker sherd guitar, I enjoy playing country music it is possible to make it work. Kramer is my ultimate dream guitar, I want one, but I'm not interested in the Floyd Rose setup, it takes away from the simplicity I've come to love. I just want the most simple guitar I can find and I believe this is it.
Digging ..Dagan your awesome man love your channel keep rocking with Dokkan
Can never go wrong with a Kramer
That’s guitar is sooo sick !!! Bring it to a hospital !!! It’s sooo awesome !!!!
Mick Mars used a Kramer Baretta Special to record the Theater Of Pain album, you can actually see him with the Baretta in the Smokin in the boys room video.
I just bought a barretta special, and it has a maple neck and fret board. Did they change it this year? It’s brand new straight from the factory.
6m 20sec..saw Skidrow with Gnr in Australia bk in 1992...I heard that 🇭🇲💪
II have the purple one. F'ing LOVE it!
I love your videos and after watching this video I subscribed
The maple fretboard is a must.
probably the most beautiful guitar ❤
Awesome chops dagan 😎
Dagan Rocks!
I bought one of these in March 2021. Don't expect perfect workmanship. The fret ends were finished nicely, but the fret surfaces were very rough and gritty, once polished they played nice. The volume pot has no taper, it's either on or off, nothing in between, removing the treble bleed capacitor restored some taper. One of the saddle holes on the bridge is not in line with the others. The strap button screws are very short and very thin, definitely needs replaced if you are going to use a strap. Some of the screw holes for the back cover plates and humbucker ring are not drilled straight, and two of the four neck mounting holes has the same issue, someone doesn't know how to use a drill. The paint job shows some waves and irregularities. The are a few deep scratches in the finish on the back of the neck and some jagged edges around the headstock.
What are you expecting for $180 though. Most of that isn't an issue at all for playability. Screw holes in wrong place is not an issue. Strap buttons are cheap if needed to be replaced. So maybe $200 into something after new strings and new strap locks? Still not bad.
Yeah, I was wondering how the quality was.... no way a $200 guitar could be any good, thank you!
@@joeala762 yeah the guy who made this video obviously gets payed a lot of money by kramer 😂
@@joeala762 I've got a Striker and a Baretta. Whilst they aren't perfect, they are great. The idea that a "£200 guitar can't be any good" is fucking idiocy. These guitars are great. For clarity: the striker had a tiny scratch on the heel and the baretta has some dark sections in the wood on the fretboard so it looks kinda dirty. Neither of these flaws affects playability.
It's about time you gear snob twats learned that expensive does not make a guitar good. Guitars are not complicated devices, and are not particularly expensive to make. There are plenty of budget guitars that are great.
Nothing is more cancerous than gear snobbery when it comes to the guitar industry. Do you believe a petrified swamp ash body is going to give you a professional tone? 🤣
I have four of them, cool guitars!!
I was looking to buy one of these you convinced me to get one
I ended up with a pink one. Haven't played it very much maybe because its pink. Started playing it, it sounds amazing! It may be the best sounding guitar i have. I have esps bc rich dean markley jackson and others. Do other Kramer's sound just as good?
These are my favorite guitars... have two. Happy to have a Kramer choice without the Floyd Rose
This made me happy.
Got one in purple, my son even got two. Best Guitar for that money!
Mine arrived today from PMT!
Words can not describe how angry I am that this guitar isn’t available in Left Handed. The pacer is, but the Barretta has a lot of space for custom designs given the single pickup, and I gave a very specific art design that would only work with the Barretta.
Just flip it over👍
Luckily the Striker series are available in left handed, and they offer more tonal options too.
Or you could just play the Baretta upside down if you want.
Dat gold top is nifty looking 🤩
I just bought the black one and a vintage white as well and the vintage white is considerably lighter than the black and definitely not mahogany.
What pickup would I buy to replace the stock? Would it be a regular humbucker? Or a "F spaced" (Duncan JB TB-4)?
Regular spaced.
That Blackstar sounds great also
FINALLY a Kramer that doesn't have a floyd rose!!!! 😎
I’ve been waiting for the pink one to be in stock in the US since December
Same. Beat of luck to you, even though you're my competition. 🤣
@@omniscient420 Thank you! Since I wrote that comment it came in stock at Sweetwater and it’s shipping to me now
@@mack7235 Now I know you're lying because I was just on the site when I got your comment notification. 🤣
@@omniscient420 Yeah I had a pre-order, good times
@@mack7235 Ah shit. That's why I'm not getting a notification for that color. I keep getting one for blue, but that's my last choice of the colors. Well, good on you dude. Enjoy that thing. I'm jelly, but my time will come.
the mick mars mirror Kramer telecaster is my dream
I ordered a purple one in January 2021.... still waiting lol... 🤘😎🎸
How can u be waiting, muscians friend has had a ton is stock the last month till now , they ordered like 1000 purple and 1000 pink ones. I got one of each. Only took 3 days
@@teemoleague907 wow! Your right! Thank you for the heads up. I canceled my order with the people and ordering from musicians friend now! Thank you thank you!
🎸😎👍
@@Chris-th4im they fixed the volume pot on the new summer ones. The tuners are just ok. Bridge is pretty good and it stays in tune when strings are stretched. I can do a 3 quarter dive bomb and it stays in tune. The nut could use some work. It's a good guitar overall. Enjoy!!!!
What's the rig that Dagan is using in this video? I just got one of these myself, and wondered how he was getting the sound he's getting in this video.
(PS: Dagan...........I got the Vintage White one too.............rock on, sir!!!)
Well I never played a Kramer guitar I do have a Jackson js32x what a always done was I would just the the 5 way selector switch at the bottom when played through a line six spider 4 it sounds almost like old school hair metal
Hi! Great review buy I have a question. Which is better, buy a Baretta Special and update the pickup and tremolo, maybe even the tuners or buy a Baretta? Or an 84?
That depends entirely on the sound and style you want.
Got one for free. Bought a Washburn dime flag, for 500usd came with this and a free van Halen Roth era guitar book. Like a bogo sale buy one get one.
Was on Facebook marketplace posted same day bought same day by me.
Plan give my Kramer an update, bridge looks like a short block MIM,squier version.
Anyways, good video. Im doing a video on mine. Plus my dime and my fender
I also have 93 strat srv Rory style.
I have 3 of my fave players guitar Dime, evh, fender strat srv Rory an others who use fender strat
what do you think guys between the kramer and the jackson js11 to start playing guitare ? Awesome vid !!!
Go get the Kramer
I ordered one almost a year ago...the delivery time was pushed back by the shop by a few days almost every day. Sadly I got inpatient after a while so I ordered a different guitar. Sometimes I still regret it :( .
I just got me one of these and the strings are insanely easy to bend I’m use to .46 gauge what string could I use on this? To have a stiffer feel
How heavy is it? Like will it be comfortable for hours of playing because as soon as I get one, that’s exactly what I’ll do
same as any Strat basically.
I ordered mine today in the red
I might buy one and get a joyo dark flame pedal to see if this badboy can play in Drop C.
I have a kramer baretta special with a super distortion in the bridge, I probably play it the most out of my guitars. Now tempted by a candy blue one 🙄
I hear bad things about the Dimarzio SD not sounding good in the KBS - how do you like the tone??
To me it sounds great with overdrive/gain, a bit bright on the clean sounds at times. But a bit of tweaking with the amp/pedal settings evens it out. Rolling the volume back helps too. I've also switched the pot to a pull coil split, so the taper may be a bit smoother than the stock pot.
@@davetaperek2206 Why wouldn't it sound good? It might sound slightly brighter than usually because it's canted towards the bridge on the high end, but that usually sounds awesome in my experience.
Dagan always has that salesman smile. But you know he's serious when he busts out the stank face.
Nice looks! Question: does the weird headstock affect string tension? Are the lighter gauge ones tighter than in a conventional headstock guitar?
the headstock shouldn't really make much, if any, difference.
I can tell by this video Dagans favorite guitarist are Mick Mars and Evh
His favourite players are traci Guns and Steve Jones!