I have an Anti- Jackson American Pacer- it's badass!! My guy (Gary Brawer ) used to work for Steve Vai, Joe Satch, Grateful Dead and all of the Bay Area pros..He has shop in Berkeley
Here’s how I feel about Kramer guitars. Over twenty years ago I bought a Kramer FOCUS 111S for $69. I have several expensive guitars, but the Kramer if the one I play the most. I love it so much that after being ribbed by some friends for always playing it, I wrote a poem about it. Here goes: “Some girls and boys buy expensive toys, shelling out all that legal tender. They think it’s good luck if they spend the big buck, for a Gibson, a Gretsch or a Fender. And some guitar players try to put her down, they laugh and they defame her. But in all of my years I have known too few joys, like my Sweeeeeeet sixty nine dollar Kramer!” Shalom, gw.
I mostly switched to bass, traded in a lot of my guitars for bass gear. I missed having a good cheap shred guitar to knock around with. My local store was selling one of these in their shop used, for $130. All set up with new strings, perfect intonation. I couldn't put it down when I got home. Best $130 I've ever spent!!
Bought a Kramer Pacer in late 83’ with my high school graduation $. The Kramer Pacer was the first production guitar to come with a Floyd Rose locking system. Paid around $750. Transparent green. Polished maple neck. It was a awesome guitar! The Shaller humbuckers that came on the guitar had really good tonality. I played the hell out of that guitar living my rock & roll dreams for a decade. I fell off the singers shoulders when he tripped on a mic cables while I was playing the Kramer Pacer. I was o.k. But the Kramer Pacer didn’t survive. Never had another Kramer until just recently. I bought a Purple Kramer Baretta Special from Musicians Friend after seeing you unbox your Baretta Special. Thanks for the review!
I had a Kramer with double humbuckers and a Floyd Rose tail piece. Man, I wish I still had that guitar. That was 30 years ago. One thing I remember was how nice and thin the neck was which made it an incredibly fast guitar to play.
@@redgreen6436 yep, but cramp hands when playing live for hours at a time, poor eating habits paired with low hydration when touring, but if you take care of yourself, thin necks walk around like no other. I like a compound neck myself, but this sounds like they do shape profiling really well. That's the other secret, Jazz bass like neck Tapering on a Kramer. Fat back, skinny throat.
I absolutely love Kramer guitars, especially the Beretta model with the push pull knob, it really does give you a full range of sound. I'm a novice plaer so I really appreciate the simplicity of the control setup, by far my favourite guitar out there. I only wish they made one with a natural finish.
I like Kramer guitars. You must have one in 80s. When it ran out of business, I felt like heartbreaking. I agree with Max, Gibson doesn't respect the Kramer brand.
I had a 80's Kramer Focus 1000 with that kind of neck, I've been looking to find another guitar like that like that since then.Most guitars supposedly made for fast playing like Jacksons etc. don't usually have that really narrow neck and string spacing which makes it really good to play fast.
@No Name No Sir. To each is own. My $120.00 Squier Strat plays better than my Wolfgang does(I'm a Strat guy) As long as it's comfortable for you, that's all that matters. A name don't mean nuthin'😬
they buy these companies out so they can kill them and keep them from becoming competition . that way they don't have to improve the quality of the crap they slap their logo on these days.
@Wise Guy indeed. I believe this may have been a similar case as with Fender buying Jackson under similar circumstances (early 2000s, both companies being bankrupt). Despite being the big names in the guitar industry, neither Gibson nor Fender could really compete against these Superstrat brands back in their heyday, all their attempts at building something similar were poorly received. As the market for this type of guitars decreased due to the loss in popularity of 80s hair metal, some of these brands couldn't keep up with the times and failed, giving a good opportunity to both Gibson and Fender to control and be competitive in this specific market while having the main brand focusing on their signature instruments. Notice IMO Jackson isn't doing that much better these days, while I'm a big fan of the pre-Fender guitars, up until very recently they lacked any sort of innovation and were light years behind what Ibanez is doing. Even nowadays, they put a lot of focus in their budget JS line (that may not look like it but definitely feels budget) and then the intermediate quality Indonesian models still don't even come close to the old Japanese-made ones in terms of quality.
I commented a couple months ago about ordering one and having to wait. The Sweetwater dude I talked to told me that they were literally making them to send out the door for orders. Well, I finally got one for 188 total after tax and free shipping.. This is better than any 200 dollar guitar you can find for the craftsmanship. No sharp fret edges, it feels like a more expensive guitar when you hold and play it unlike an Ibanez Gio for about 20 dollars more, it was set up perfectly out of the box with perfect action and what the hell?? It stays in tune??!! Perfectly in fact. I love it. It's in my top 5 out of my 15 guitars.. And I don't own all cheap guitars 😁 but this thing I sit next to my 700 dollar Jackson and all I am considering is a pickup swap. It's that nice. I'm nothing but impressed with this guitar and I don't have to feel worried about taking it places because of its price. It truly feels as if it belongs in the 300 to 400 range. Just need a pickup swap.
@@rayota260 ya get what ya pay for...believe me...I own 167 guitar's! That "tone wood" is IKEA...haha. But also enough effects on it.. you may get a great sound haha
I worked at a store that was an Epiphone dealer, and Kramer is treated as part of the Epiphone line on the dealer side. And you're correct about their build and wait times. They try to corner dealers into scheduling guitars an entire year in advance, which is what we had to do in order to get opened up with them, it's crazy.
I'm just glad you can still get Kramer guitars. Back in the 80's I used to go to the big music stores and play all the different Kramers, Charvels & Jacksons and Kramers were always my favourite. The cheap ones always felt and played better than a lot of other guitars.
Just picked one up this week. Always wanted one when I was growing up in the 80s. Can't believe how well it plays!!!! Amazing sounding guitar for 180 bucks (got mine for 169 brand new with a $10 coupon from Guitar Center). Great guitar.
Fantastic! This is a great review. There are so many reviewers on RUclips who can just barely play. Don't get me wrong...not criticizing those guys, but you have chops! Holy smokes!
I must say with the preorder/wait issues I've had that myself out of a different "Gibson affiliate company"..... I my self used to love Gibson and their branch company's far more than others. Now I seem to be finding myself growing fonder to Fender and their affiliate companies. I must say when I am more impressed by a $500 Jackson vs my $1400 Gibson maybe that should go to tell Gibson something. 🤷♂️
In 1986 I bought a white Kramer Liberty special edition, neck through body, Floyd Rose, Gold hardware, headstock in Black with Gold Kramer Logo and Seymour Duncan JB Humbucker Pickups. Played it live for years. The best rock/metal guitar ever made, period. That guitar has a recognizable sound, very unique, just incredible. That was when Kramer was Kramer. Bought it at Guitar Center Hollywood on Sunset Blvd :-) ... I don't know how many of those were made, but it was only a few. I have used this guitar on just about every recording I ever made. The only thing that bothers me is that the snow white has turned a little beige over the years. I once threw the guitar across the stage during a concert, hoping to break it... it didn't break, nothing.... I could hardly believe my eyes. Afterwards, and even to this day i am soo happy it didn't break. Anyway - that's the best guitar there is.
I'm also a huge fan of a one pickup, one knob guitar. Nothing to mess with and I the tone out of that humbucker on my evh is beautiful. If I want neck and middle tones I'll use my strat and split the humbucker but using a single humbucker has really got me digging this Kramer. I might buy one
I'm waiting on the Purple Colored one 4 months & counting through Zzounds ?? I bought a Schecter Super Shredder Tele Body style with EMG 70's in the Bridge and Neck. Sea Foam Green and my fav feature SS jumbo frets on a Maple fret Board . The Schecter was reasonably priced for a Awesome as it is but I still want the sub $200 Kramer ! When I was playing gigs in the 80's Kramers were so expensive that I was never able to afford one . George Lynch of Dokken played Kramers and he was my Guitar Guru Hero then and still today one of the GODS of Guitar !!
Max you sold me on this guitar when I sae this review. I've had a day to play with this and it just blew me away. The biggest surprise was that pickup. It sounds very good. The only thing I'd swap out is the volume pot. I found the trem system to be really decent as well.
He loves trimming the fat from packaging, his physique, and all the hype about expensive brands. This guys doesn't just use a Ninja for fitness(blender), the Ninja takes lessons when he does unboxings, and blushes.
This is my guitar! stuck a super distortion in it and did my own bridge and tremolo work! Replaced the nut and gonna get locking tuners soon its so amazing, eventually i want a Vega trem but the kramer trem when u set it up properly is just as good as a strats. Best budget guitars on the market
Gibson sold Cakewalk Sonar to BandLab, and now Sonar is an online version of Artist meets Platinum. I got Sonar Artist for $99 like the year before that went down, after having Sonar 4 PE do years...
@@sideparting6845 thats the killer, they own Mesa. It kills me, the most irresponsible legacy guitar brand by far, holds Mesa? Where the hell was Fender on that one? They would've kept it closer to true and not hired the price a trillion dollars. They probably would have shipped the stuff to Ensenada, and they'd actually be cheaper, while the same.
All because of this video, I pulled the trigger on a purple one last week. I love the simplicity of this guitar. I even traded my 2014 epi les paul studio towards it.
For Europe, it's theorically available (they announce 6-8 weeks to wait) in that color and 2 more (Ruby Red and Vintage White) at Thomann for 169€ plus shipping... Hope this could be usefull, even if I'm already late to the party ^_^
The Vintage White one looks kick ass! Huge fan of one pickup one volume guitars. These seem like the perfect blueprint for modding, Just like the JS Series Jackson's.
Just curious, what makes you a fan of single pick up guitars? I would think the lack of tone options without other pickups to switch to would be a hindrance.
@@Davivd2 For me since i am mainly a guitar player that plays extreme metal music, I only use the bridge pickup and the tone knob is on full every time, Now, i definitely use the neck pickup for leads and cleans and once in a while i roll of the tone knob for different tones, but for the most part the bridge pickup i use 100 percent of the time. As far as advantages for a 1 pu/ 1 volume, I'd say less noise, less work when switching pickups, magnet pull on the strings from the neck pickup might have an effect on sustain? But then again this is just preference and my opinion. But yes, the lack of tone options without other pickups to switch to would be a hindrance, totally agree... This is why us guitarist have more than one guitar.
@@snowdevil7727 If i were to choose, I'd go with a Jackson JS22 or the JS32 series, They are a bit more than the $179 price point but are well built, the necks are unfinished and incredibly slim, they offer a variety of shapes, from the dinky, king v, rhoads, kelly and now the monarkh (les paul style shape) But then again this is all just preference, if you are on a budget and like the Kramer its definitely not a bad choice, it is a straight up simple guitar that's ready to go. If you mainly use the bridge pickup go for that, but if your specific genre of music that you play needs a wide variety of tones then the JS-11 will do since it can offer more.
@@Davivd2 I'm with you on that. I could never own a 1 pickup guitar. The neck and bridge pickups have such different tonal characteristics, and you never know what the song is going to call for as far as tone goes. I will never own a single pickup guitar, it's such a waste to me. To each their own I guess
I love your videos man. With the start of my love for playing guitar begins in the eighties,your riff repertoire is spot on! And keeping them alive and relevant, Bravo my friend. Look forward to next video.
I used to have a Kramer Pacer in black with rosewood fingerboard and a Floyd Rose trem and schaller pickups and tuners back in about 1987 or so. I eventually sold it to a friend of mine for not a lot of money as I recall. It was a pretty nice guitar.
Guitar max u r the true ideal guitarist one can follow .... U love cars u r classic u play guitar .... Its all in a one package .... Love u sir ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Got mine the other day! I have some locking tuners coming to put on it. Going with a 3x3 set to change the direction the 3 high strings turn, hopefully straighten out the strings past the nut
Gibson affiliate producing a guitar with a straight up strat body. Play authentic ya'll. Beautiful guitar which sounds great though, regardless of the mother company!
I bought one of these in March 2021. 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 holes that attach the saddles on the bridge is not in line with the others. The strap button screws are very short and thin, definitely needs to be replaced if you are going to use a strap. Some of the screw holes for the back cover plates and the humbucker ring are not drilled straight, as well as two of the four neck mounting holes, someone doesn't know how to use a drill. The paint job shows some waves and irregularities. There are a few deep scratches in the finish on the back of the neck and some jagged edges around the headstock. Overall, it plays well and sounds great once the frets are polished and the strings replaced. Worth the price if you are not too particular about the flaws in the fit and finish.
Hey max, I'm in the uk I managed to get a purple one about 3 months ago, I already had the candy blue one but saw an online store had a purple one in stock so I bought it and arrived in about 3 days with the packaging all in German, so I've now sold my blue one for the same price I paid for it and my purple one has a slash seymour duncan I got from a buddy so I'm all set to get rocking my only dislike of the guitar is the use of the trem doesnt stay in tune for long so I've just removed the bar and left it off, love your channel dude 🤘👍
Put Grover 406C6’s or any other locking tuner on them. Either that or the strings are still stretching, as what happened when I picked up my Ibanez Mikro. Switching to locking tuners definitely improved tuning stability. Another thing to look at is lubing the nut slots and saddles with graphite to prevent the strings binding and causing erratic tuning issues. Other than that, get a professional setup. I’ve seen too many people literally throw away good gear that only needed a good setup to play great.
Consider me jealous. I ordered mine (purple as well) early june and i'm still waiting for it :( But i'm glad that they are in such high demand, maybe 80's shred guitars will make a big comeback, with gibson and fender jumping on the train.
@@taimaishu-nao1922 tuning pegs are one of the least likely parts of a guitar to give problems. It's a either a problem of the nut, saddles or both. Either way, rather than changing pegs, I'd recommend changing the bridge for one of the cheaper Wilkinson models. Drop in replacement and way, way better than any OEM 6 screw trem you might find.
@@wea69420 There seems to be a misconception that locking tuners will magically improve tuning stability. In my experience it's almost always the nut that's the culprit.
@@wea69420 actually I have one of these as well. Guitars are great look and feel. Tuners and electrical switches and stuff are where they cheaped out. They are garbage tuners. Bind and so on.
Finally got the candy blue coming from Sam Ash. Guitar center kept pushing the order date back, first 8/20, then 8/30, and now 9/9. Said forget it, saw one pop up in blue on Sweetwater and jumped on it. From what I can tell I got the last one. Jeez feels like I’m playing lotto. Can’t wait to play it. I have an old red Kramer striker 200st from 86/87. I still love playing it. I’ve always liked the Kramer guitars.
Got the guitar pretty fast. Guitar Center is still showing out of stock. Glad I cancelled my order with them and went with Sam Ash. The guitar is awesome for the money. Plays very nice and neck feels good and comfortable. Had a little fret buzz on the six string, it was easily fixed my adjusting one of the saddle screws. Like a 2 second fix. The trem is locked down for dives only. I may just keep it that way instead of floating it. The volume knob may need to be replaced as it doesn’t gradually change the volume, it’s kind of all or nothing with the volume. It stays in tune pretty well, except if you do a big dive; however I’m going to apply some graphite to the nut and see if that helps. I’m extremely happy with my purchase. Thanks for the awesome review Max!
Thanks for keeping us up to date mate Now how is that fretboard? It looks like it is kind of satin finished??? I ask because i wonder how it holds up against finger dirt (the one reason i never got a maple fretboard guitar...)
@@TarynnElizabeth619 well I don't know about that. Go check out Don Dokkon's solo album up from the ashes. That's all John Norum. Probably the greatest tone and some of the greatest solo work I've heard
I do, why do you not have Ulfbert? Come on, man! Edit: Warning, they are exactly like guitars and cars and guns, once you start.... you will not stop collecting them.
For anyone with one of these who wants a more functional volume knob, there’s a capacitor on the volume knob, clipping that off made mine function much better.
Had an old "No Bozos" Kramer Baretta I got for my graduation. I liked it. Considered an Ibanez... until an ESP landed in my life. Then it was a dose of STFU. I've still got it...also have an Indonesian Jackson that's OK. I wouldn't consider going back to a Kramer unless it's top shelf...and not even then. I have an aversion to buying new guitars anyway. You'll find me over by the used racks.
I bought the white from ams and love it the tuning pegs on mine are not great but other than that its awesome I bought it to do tribute to evh so done the paint job on it came out pretty good for my 1st time!!
I got this same guitar early back in February randomly off the shelf from Sam ash. So far I’ve added a brass block, SD Distortion, Brass Nut, Locking tuners!
definitely, got a good deal on a used high output lace alumitone that matched the blue color, upgraded the electronics with a cts push-pull, bone nut, strings. Happy with it for now but will upgrade the tuning machines and mod the trim or replace it with an FL special at some point.
Still waiting on my purple people eater ordered in April from zzounds 191.67 with tax on back order was to be here on July 10th but ?????? Kizzyjo in North Carolina.
I got it right! When I saw the Kramer text on the side of the box, I immediately thought of Baretta. I mean, who wouldn't want a Baretta? I want one, too!
Great review thanks Max. Kramer have some great value options. The Kramer Guitars Focus VT211S Teal at Thomann is an amazing Strat style HSS guitar for only £126.
Probably because Dio was swinging one around in the video. I think he even had a "shawl" made out of some sort of dead critter, points for authenticity. R.I.P, there is less coolness in the world, now that he has left us.
$180!!! I say buy one in every color! Swords, Monster Trucks and Kramer's, oh my. Love your sense of humor man. You stole Henning's line. God bless and rock on 😎🎸👍
Max, congrats on another wonderful review. I just ordered the ruby red/pink version through AMS. Can’t wait to get it. My first guitar was a Kramer Aero Star back in the 80s. This will be my first one since then. Thanks again!
@@arigreen5845 The guitar is still amazing. I truly believe this is the best bang for the buck. Sounds and plays like a much more expensive guitar. Even my friends that don’t play guitar want one! Take care
I personally like to buy a $500 guitar that is made from decent wood, plays good and put new pick ups in, pots, wiring, basically upgrade all the electronics. Then replace any crap hardware like crap tuners, a lot of the times u just need to use a file to take off sharp edges on the nut or bridge for tuning issues and then u have a guitar that sounds and plays better then guitars that cost many thousands. I am a tone chaser I have a very sensitive ear I hear things most don’t so I’m never happy with a stock guitar. Every guitar sounds different even if they are identical one is brite one isn’t and it could be as simple as adding a treble bleed or it might need a different pick up
Just got this same guitar in the candy blue delivered the other day and can't stop playing it. Sounds and plays better than my other much more expensive guitars. Not crazy about the trem though and will keep the bar off of it. Well worth the 179.00 though IMO.
@@luvrgiang I don't see a way to use the bar. The bridge seems completely pressed against the body of the guitar and if you try to wammy down there's no room for it to move it seems. I just took it off and keep it off. Still worth the 179.00 imo
I have a mid-80's Baretta with a messed up neck. I contacted Gibson about ordering a neck. Possibly from one of these new guitars as a replacement. The response was "no, we don't do that". So, if you damage your guitar, you're SOL. Fantastic. Thanks Gibson. Guess I'll have to give my money to Warmoth.
Your dad was awesome in Pulp Fiction.
Haha yes 😂😂😆😆
He shot marvin.
I thought he’s Tommy Lee Jones’s good looking brother
🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@scared08ph ..in the face!
Being in my 50's, Kramer was the shit when I was the kid. I've always wanted one of these. That demo was amazing.
I have an Anti- Jackson American Pacer- it's badass!! My guy (Gary Brawer ) used to work for Steve Vai, Joe Satch, Grateful Dead and all of the Bay Area pros..He has shop in Berkeley
Here’s how I feel about Kramer guitars.
Over twenty years ago I bought a Kramer FOCUS 111S for $69.
I have several expensive guitars, but the Kramer if the one I play the most. I
love it so much that after being ribbed by some friends for always playing it,
I wrote a poem about it. Here goes:
“Some girls and boys buy expensive toys, shelling out all
that legal tender.
They think it’s good luck if they spend the big buck, for a
Gibson, a Gretsch or a Fender.
And some guitar players try to put her down, they laugh and
they defame her.
But in all of my years I have known too few joys, like my
Sweeeeeeet sixty nine dollar Kramer!”
Shalom,
gw.
Beautifully written
Excellent poem my friend!
👏👏👏👏👏
Make this man the spokesperson for Kramer during Namm.
hahaha quite good poem, dude, you can make a song with it, congrats ;)
Dude, you look like what would happen if Wayne from Wayne's World really got into bodybuilding. Excellent!
I read lil Wayne lol
@@Brewed.tea. That's definitely wack.
He looks a bit like Cisco Ramon from The Flash series too
@@zkateyguy facts
Oh yes you will mine ... I just bought the creamy white version with rosewood neck can’t wait to get her
I mostly switched to bass, traded in a lot of my guitars for bass gear. I missed having a good cheap shred guitar to knock around with. My local store was selling one of these in their shop used, for $130. All set up with new strings, perfect intonation. I couldn't put it down when I got home. Best $130 I've ever spent!!
Bought a Kramer Pacer in late 83’ with my high school graduation $. The Kramer Pacer was the first production guitar to come with a Floyd Rose locking system. Paid around $750. Transparent green. Polished maple neck. It was a awesome guitar! The Shaller humbuckers that came on the guitar had really good tonality. I played the hell out of that guitar living my rock & roll dreams for a decade. I fell off the singers shoulders when he tripped on a
mic cables while I was playing the Kramer Pacer. I was o.k. But the Kramer Pacer didn’t survive. Never had another Kramer until just recently. I bought a Purple Kramer Baretta Special from Musicians Friend after seeing you unbox your Baretta Special. Thanks for the review!
how is it????
No that’s 80’s! Warrant use to do the shoulders thing!
I had a Kramer with double humbuckers and a Floyd Rose tail piece.
Man, I wish I still had that guitar. That was 30 years ago.
One thing I remember was how nice and thin the neck was which made it
an incredibly fast guitar to play.
Thin neck's are the best for playing fast, seems like most people miss that when buying guitars.
@@redgreen6436 yep, but cramp hands when playing live for hours at a time, poor eating habits paired with low hydration when touring, but if you take care of yourself, thin necks walk around like no other. I like a compound neck myself, but this sounds like they do shape profiling really well. That's the other secret, Jazz bass like neck Tapering on a Kramer. Fat back, skinny throat.
I absolutely love Kramer guitars, especially the Beretta model with the push pull knob, it really does give you a full range of sound. I'm a novice plaer so I really appreciate the simplicity of the control setup, by far my favourite guitar out there. I only wish they made one with a natural finish.
I like Kramer guitars. You must have one in 80s. When it ran out of business, I felt like heartbreaking. I agree with Max, Gibson doesn't respect the Kramer brand.
I had a 80's Kramer Focus 1000 with that kind of neck, I've been looking to find another guitar like that like that since then.Most guitars supposedly made for fast playing like Jacksons etc. don't usually have that really narrow neck and string spacing which makes it really good to play fast.
So this is what Vincent Vega does when he's not shooting Marvin in the face
Lol
Dude awesome! haha
Yikes
Great reviewing style. Most reviewers spend zero time on playability. Your approach, Max, is refreshingly thorough. Many thanks.
I Love Kramers.
There was a Time when Kramers were the Best Guitars on the Planet.
Supernatural 9R Didn’t Kmart used to sell them?
YEAH 1997
Only because of Eddie. Not the best, just most popular.
@No Name No Sir. To each is own. My $120.00 Squier Strat plays better than my Wolfgang does(I'm a Strat guy) As long as it's comfortable for you, that's all that matters. A name don't mean nuthin'😬
Kramer late 80s USA made, the super thick Brazilian Rosewood. Only Ibanez prestige lines compare today.
Gibson doesn’t take their own seriously, let alone Kramer or Steinberger.
they buy these companies out so they can kill them and keep them from becoming competition . that way they don't have to improve the quality of the crap they slap their logo on these days.
@Wise Guy indeed. I believe this may have been a similar case as with Fender buying Jackson under similar circumstances (early 2000s, both companies being bankrupt). Despite being the big names in the guitar industry, neither Gibson nor Fender could really compete against these Superstrat brands back in their heyday, all their attempts at building something similar were poorly received.
As the market for this type of guitars decreased due to the loss in popularity of 80s hair metal, some of these brands couldn't keep up with the times and failed, giving a good opportunity to both Gibson and Fender to control and be competitive in this specific market while having the main brand focusing on their signature instruments.
Notice IMO Jackson isn't doing that much better these days, while I'm a big fan of the pre-Fender guitars, up until very recently they lacked any sort of innovation and were light years behind what Ibanez is doing. Even nowadays, they put a lot of focus in their budget JS line (that may not look like it but definitely feels budget) and then the intermediate quality Indonesian models still don't even come close to the old Japanese-made ones in terms of quality.
Blah, blah blah just saying the same internet dribble. Gibson quality blah blah blah.
Yea if you want a modern, shred-y style guitar Ibanez or Schecter are probably your best bet
@@horse_dog charvel
I love this thing so much, I know nothing about Kramer but that vintage logo on the painted headstock is an absolute gem
Yeah, the matching paint and that logo sold me. I have a purple one, love it.
I see a tasteful man here, you have the Out of this world record by Europe on the back, thats one of my favourite albums ever!
He had this one out because it fits the guitar, which is also out of this world.
Yes! Out of this world is a good description of Kee Marcello's solos on that album as well.
Ha ! The EUROPE in the background....seriously did laugh out loud
I commented a couple months ago about ordering one and having to wait. The Sweetwater dude I talked to told me that they were literally making them to send out the door for orders. Well, I finally got one for 188 total after tax and free shipping.. This is better than any 200 dollar guitar you can find for the craftsmanship. No sharp fret edges, it feels like a more expensive guitar when you hold and play it unlike an Ibanez Gio for about 20 dollars more, it was set up perfectly out of the box with perfect action and what the hell?? It stays in tune??!! Perfectly in fact.
I love it. It's in my top 5 out of my 15 guitars.. And I don't own all cheap guitars 😁 but this thing I sit next to my 700 dollar Jackson and all I am considering is a pickup swap. It's that nice. I'm nothing but impressed with this guitar and I don't have to feel worried about taking it places because of its price. It truly feels as if it belongs in the 300 to 400 range. Just need a pickup swap.
the only things missing are a Floyd rose, spandex pants, and hairspray
P.O.S. guitar. Suppose it's worth $180 though
And Reb Beach
This aint the fucking band
@@barrymiller2272 what makes it a POS
@@rayota260 ya get what ya pay for...believe me...I own 167 guitar's! That "tone wood" is IKEA...haha. But also enough effects on it.. you may get a great sound haha
Kramer is badass as ever. They were badass in the 80’s and still are today. I’ve bought 4 Kramers in the past year and a half and I’m addicted.
I worked at a store that was an Epiphone dealer, and Kramer is treated as part of the Epiphone line on the dealer side. And you're correct about their build and wait times. They try to corner dealers into scheduling guitars an entire year in advance, which is what we had to do in order to get opened up with them, it's crazy.
I have the vintage white one. It is an excellent guitar. The action is very low and the pickup sounds great.
Legends never die! Plays a shred guitar in clean tone ! Respect!!!
I know it's an older video, but I got a purple 1 in this week. I ordered it for my nephew.
I'm just glad you can still get Kramer guitars. Back in the 80's I used to go to the big music stores and play all the different Kramers, Charvels & Jacksons and Kramers were always my favourite. The cheap ones always felt and played better than a lot of other guitars.
"Monster Trucks! Quad wars! 11.99 a seat! But you will only need the edge"
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111ONE
Seriously, when I heard that ad on the radio as a 10-year-old boy, I was jumping for joy!
There's always something about opening up a new guitar that makes the world stop
I still have my original 1985 Kramer Baretta I purchased new back when I was 13. It's still one of the best playing guitars I've ever had.
The owner/driver of Grave Digger lives a couple miles south of me. We eat at his diner once in awhile.
Tennessee? I know about a decade back he lived there.
@@anthonynoe8889 North Carolina on the outer banks.
for some reason I read we eat his wife for dinner, lel
@@maxmustardman298 I reread it after reading your comment and for a split second it does look that way. Weird!
Anthony Noe kill devil hills. Dennis anderson. Been there many times
I'm new here
This dude just unboxed a metal guitar with a viking sword... I'm sold
Welcome!
a man who unbox a guitar with a SWORD has my respect for life ;)
Just picked one up this week. Always wanted one when I was growing up in the 80s. Can't believe how well it plays!!!! Amazing sounding guitar for 180 bucks (got mine for 169 brand new with a $10 coupon from Guitar Center). Great guitar.
Fantastic! This is a great review. There are so many reviewers on RUclips who can just barely play. Don't get me wrong...not criticizing those guys, but you have chops! Holy smokes!
I have one in white. Changed out the bridge with a full block GFS and some locking tuners. It’s a great guitar. Couldn’t be happier.
I must say with the preorder/wait issues I've had that myself out of a different "Gibson affiliate company"..... I my self used to love Gibson and their branch company's far more than others. Now I seem to be finding myself growing fonder to Fender and their affiliate companies. I must say when I am more impressed by a $500 Jackson vs my $1400 Gibson maybe that should go to tell Gibson something. 🤷♂️
Wow, nice honest review, the sound of the 80's i remember...the only thing missing is the tight fitting spandex!!!
Wait did you say monster truck!!! 1400Hp of nitro boosted METAAAAAL.
Stickers go on the back to prevent buckle rash!
In 1986 I bought a white Kramer Liberty special edition, neck through body, Floyd Rose, Gold hardware, headstock in Black with Gold Kramer Logo and Seymour Duncan JB Humbucker Pickups. Played it live for years. The best rock/metal guitar ever made, period. That guitar has a recognizable sound, very unique, just incredible. That was when Kramer was Kramer. Bought it at Guitar Center Hollywood on Sunset Blvd :-) ...
I don't know how many of those were made, but it was only a few. I have used this guitar on just about every recording I ever made.
The only thing that bothers me is that the snow white has turned a little beige over the years.
I once threw the guitar across the stage during a concert, hoping to break it... it didn't break, nothing.... I could hardly believe my eyes. Afterwards, and even to this day i am soo happy it didn't break.
Anyway - that's the best guitar there is.
Love Kramer guitars! I have a Striker 200st from the 80s myself. They really should be more appreciated as a brand!
My first guitar was a Kramer Striker ST model back in the early 80's. I still love that guitar.
I'm also a huge fan of a one pickup, one knob guitar. Nothing to mess with and I the tone out of that humbucker on my evh is beautiful. If I want neck and middle tones I'll use my strat and split the humbucker but using a single humbucker has really got me digging this Kramer. I might buy one
Yep - first thing that popped into my mind for an 80's shred guitar was Kramer. I still have my Kramer Explorer from the mid-80's. :)
I'm waiting on the Purple Colored one 4 months & counting through Zzounds ?? I bought a Schecter Super Shredder Tele Body style with EMG 70's in the Bridge and Neck. Sea Foam Green and my fav feature SS jumbo frets on a Maple fret Board . The Schecter was reasonably priced for a Awesome as it is but I still want the sub $200 Kramer ! When I was playing gigs in the 80's Kramers were so expensive that I was never able to afford one . George Lynch of Dokken played Kramers and he was my Guitar Guru Hero then and still today one of the GODS of Guitar !!
Max you sold me on this guitar when I sae this review. I've had a day to play with this and it just blew me away. The biggest surprise was that pickup. It sounds very good. The only thing I'd swap out is the volume pot. I found the trem system to be really decent as well.
*sees sword*
You could say that he's...slashing prices 😐🍸
He loves trimming the fat from packaging, his physique, and all the hype about expensive brands. This guys doesn't just use a Ninja for fitness(blender), the Ninja takes lessons when he does unboxings, and blushes.
This is my guitar! stuck a super distortion in it and did my own bridge and tremolo work! Replaced the nut and gonna get locking tuners soon its so amazing, eventually i want a Vega trem but the kramer trem when u set it up properly is just as good as a strats. Best budget guitars on the market
Gibson doesn’t give a crap about ANY of the brands they acquire, I’m still pissed about SONAR!
What went down with SONAR ??
Gibson sold Cakewalk Sonar to BandLab, and now Sonar is an online version of Artist meets Platinum. I got Sonar Artist for $99 like the year before that went down, after having Sonar 4 PE do years...
And now Mesa Boogie!
@@sideparting6845 thats the killer, they own Mesa. It kills me, the most irresponsible legacy guitar brand by far, holds Mesa? Where the hell was Fender on that one? They would've kept it closer to true and not hired the price a trillion dollars. They probably would have shipped the stuff to Ensenada, and they'd actually be cheaper, while the same.
All because of this video, I pulled the trigger on a purple one last week. I love the simplicity of this guitar. I even traded my 2014 epi les paul studio towards it.
For Europe, it's theorically available (they announce 6-8 weeks to wait) in that color and 2 more (Ruby Red and Vintage White) at Thomann for 169€ plus shipping... Hope this could be usefull, even if I'm already late to the party ^_^
I really enjoy my STRIKER 300 ST
----
I wouldn't mind having one of THOSE
I don't play guitar.came here for the sword and comments.and I'm satisfied
That is a box cutter not a sword
@@mobaisnevercomingback7016 my apology. I've been wrong all my life. Maybe it's always has been a box cutter after all
LOL
Just found one in purple and ordered it right away! I’m so excited, it can’t get here soon enough!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
You should upload a vid as soon as it gets to you!!!
Just bought the ruby red one from sweetwater. Hopefully ships soon
How is the guitar?
I've modded my vintage white one with a floyd. Not knowing alot about woodwork but its easy to do. I can recommend
The Vintage White one looks kick ass! Huge fan of one pickup one volume guitars. These seem like the perfect blueprint for modding, Just like the JS Series Jackson's.
This one or a JS-11?
Just curious, what makes you a fan of single pick up guitars? I would think the lack of tone options without other pickups to switch to would be a hindrance.
@@Davivd2 For me since i am mainly a guitar player that plays extreme metal music, I only use the bridge pickup and the tone knob is on full every time, Now, i definitely use the neck pickup for leads and cleans and once in a while i roll of the tone knob for different tones, but for the most part the bridge pickup i use 100 percent of the time. As far as advantages for a 1 pu/ 1 volume, I'd say less noise, less work when switching pickups, magnet pull on the strings from the neck pickup might have an effect on sustain? But then again this is just preference and my opinion. But yes, the lack of tone options without other pickups to switch to would be a hindrance, totally agree... This is why us guitarist have more than one guitar.
@@snowdevil7727 If i were to choose, I'd go with a Jackson JS22 or the JS32 series, They are a bit more than the $179 price point but are well built, the necks are unfinished and incredibly slim, they offer a variety of shapes, from the dinky, king v, rhoads, kelly and now the monarkh (les paul style shape) But then again this is all just preference, if you are on a budget and like the Kramer its definitely not a bad choice, it is a straight up simple guitar that's ready to go. If you mainly use the bridge pickup go for that, but if your specific genre of music that you play needs a wide variety of tones then the JS-11 will do since it can offer more.
@@Davivd2 I'm with you on that. I could never own a 1 pickup guitar. The neck and bridge pickups have such different tonal characteristics, and you never know what the song is going to call for as far as tone goes. I will never own a single pickup guitar, it's such a waste to me. To each their own I guess
So cool that you didn't spoil the big reveal. I was literally at the edge of my seat.
I love your videos man. With the start of my love for playing guitar begins in the eighties,your riff repertoire is spot on! And keeping them alive and relevant, Bravo my friend. Look forward to next video.
Great vinyl in the background 👌 And great video as always! 👏
Shout out for having that EUROPE album in the background, broheem.
I used to have a Kramer Pacer in black with rosewood fingerboard and a Floyd Rose trem and schaller pickups and tuners back in about 1987 or so. I eventually sold it to a friend of mine for not a lot of money as I recall. It was a pretty nice guitar.
Great review and playing as allways, I would love to buy a Kramer Barrerta and maybe put in an evh pickup? Good idea?
Thanks!
Guitar max u r the true ideal guitarist one can follow .... U love cars u r classic u play guitar .... Its all in a one package .... Love u sir ❤️❤️❤️❤️
"I'm getting excited...let me just have a sip of tea here...." 👍😂
Got mine the other day! I have some locking tuners coming to put on it. Going with a 3x3 set to change the direction the 3 high strings turn, hopefully straighten out the strings past the nut
Max get a guitar that looks like a sword. There one out there. Oops messed up . You should get a guitar that's the shape of a box knife.
Maxx: I love it when they include stickers...
Me: ME TOO!!!
Gibson affiliate producing a guitar with a straight up strat body. Play authentic ya'll. Beautiful guitar which sounds great though, regardless of the mother company!
Look up the Kramer Focus VT 211s, direct strat rip off down to the neck plate. Play authentic.
I bought one of these in March 2021. 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 holes that attach the saddles on the bridge is not in line with the others. The strap button screws are very short and thin, definitely needs to be replaced if you are going to use a strap. Some of the screw holes for the back cover plates and the humbucker ring are not drilled straight, as well as two of the four neck mounting holes, someone doesn't know how to use a drill. The paint job shows some waves and irregularities. There are a few deep scratches in the finish on the back of the neck and some jagged edges around the headstock. Overall, it plays well and sounds great once the frets are polished and the strings replaced. Worth the price if you are not too particular about the flaws in the fit and finish.
Rough and gritty frets mean a PLECK might be used at the factory these are made. Makes sense, most use them today.
Hey max, I'm in the uk I managed to get a purple one about 3 months ago, I already had the candy blue one but saw an online store had a purple one in stock so I bought it and arrived in about 3 days with the packaging all in German, so I've now sold my blue one for the same price I paid for it and my purple one has a slash seymour duncan I got from a buddy so I'm all set to get rocking my only dislike of the guitar is the use of the trem doesnt stay in tune for long so I've just removed the bar and left it off, love your channel dude 🤘👍
Put Grover 406C6’s or any other locking tuner on them. Either that or the strings are still stretching, as what happened when I picked up my Ibanez Mikro. Switching to locking tuners definitely improved tuning stability. Another thing to look at is lubing the nut slots and saddles with graphite to prevent the strings binding and causing erratic tuning issues. Other than that, get a professional setup. I’ve seen too many people literally throw away good gear that only needed a good setup to play great.
Consider me jealous. I ordered mine (purple as well) early june and i'm still waiting for it :(
But i'm glad that they are in such high demand, maybe 80's shred guitars will make a big comeback, with gibson and fender jumping on the train.
@@taimaishu-nao1922 tuning pegs are one of the least likely parts of a guitar to give problems. It's a either a problem of the nut, saddles or both.
Either way, rather than changing pegs, I'd recommend changing the bridge for one of the cheaper Wilkinson models. Drop in replacement and way, way better than any OEM 6 screw trem you might find.
@@wea69420 There seems to be a misconception that locking tuners will magically improve tuning stability. In my experience it's almost always the nut that's the culprit.
@@wea69420 actually I have one of these as well. Guitars are great look and feel. Tuners and electrical switches and stuff are where they cheaped out. They are garbage tuners. Bind and so on.
Finally got the candy blue coming from Sam Ash. Guitar center kept pushing the order date back, first 8/20, then 8/30, and now 9/9. Said forget it, saw one pop up in blue on Sweetwater and jumped on it. From what I can tell I got the last one. Jeez feels like I’m playing lotto. Can’t wait to play it. I have an old red Kramer striker 200st from 86/87. I still love playing it. I’ve always liked the Kramer guitars.
Got the guitar pretty fast. Guitar Center is still showing out of stock. Glad I cancelled my order with them and went with Sam Ash. The guitar is awesome for the money. Plays very nice and neck feels good and comfortable. Had a little fret buzz on the six string, it was easily fixed my adjusting one of the saddle screws. Like a 2 second fix. The trem is locked down for dives only. I may just keep it that way instead of floating it. The volume knob may need to be replaced as it doesn’t gradually change the volume, it’s kind of all or nothing with the volume. It stays in tune pretty well, except if you do a big dive; however I’m going to apply some graphite to the nut and see if that helps. I’m extremely happy with my purchase. Thanks for the awesome review Max!
Thanks for keeping us up to date mate Now how is that fretboard? It looks like it is kind of satin finished??? I ask because i wonder how it holds up against finger dirt (the one reason i never got a maple fretboard guitar...)
Kee Marcello is such an amazing guitar player.
Agreed! I loved his playing on the Europe - out of this world album…. better than John Norum in my opinion.
@@TarynnElizabeth619 well I don't know about that. Go check out Don Dokkon's solo album up from the ashes. That's all John Norum. Probably the greatest tone and some of the greatest solo work I've heard
Watching you size up a box to cut open with a sword is something I dodnt realize I needed
I'm sure everyone has a gladiator sword lying around their house 😂
I certainly hope so!
I have 3 swords
You’ll need it when Rome rises again.
I do, why do you not have Ulfbert? Come on, man!
Edit: Warning, they are exactly like guitars and cars and guns, once you start.... you will not stop collecting them.
I've been in the same position... I've been trying to get the purple one since the beginning of this year. DAMN IT KRAMER TAKE MY MONEY!!!!
I subbed when he said “do you like monster trucks?”
For anyone with one of these who wants a more functional volume knob, there’s a capacitor on the volume knob, clipping that off made mine function much better.
Also, I’m general it is a really nice guitar. The pickup and everything are pretty good in my opinion, and it plays nice.
Had an old "No Bozos" Kramer Baretta I got for my graduation. I liked it. Considered an Ibanez... until an ESP landed in my life. Then it was a dose of STFU. I've still got it...also have an Indonesian Jackson that's OK. I wouldn't consider going back to a Kramer unless it's top shelf...and not even then. I have an aversion to buying new guitars anyway. You'll find me over by the used racks.
I bought the white from ams and love it the tuning pegs on mine are not great but other than that its awesome I bought it to do tribute to evh so done the paint job on it came out pretty good for my 1st time!!
This guitar is rife with mod possibilities!🤘🤘🤘
What would you do with it?
I got this same guitar early back in February randomly off the shelf from Sam ash. So far I’ve added a brass block, SD Distortion, Brass Nut, Locking tuners!
definitely, got a good deal on a used high output lace alumitone that matched the blue color, upgraded the electronics with a cts push-pull, bone nut, strings. Happy with it for now but will upgrade the tuning machines and mod the trim or replace it with an FL special at some point.
@@emanuelhuff3263 FR, aftermarket pickup, higher output pot.
I’ve always loved Kramer. My first guitar in the 80’s was a Kramer. Still have an 83 Focus. Great guitar
Perhaps you can utilize the “calm yourself down” segment in future unboxings. That was good.
I love how unsure you look when you say "We're just gonna tear that off in a second...." GOLD.
Still waiting on my purple people eater ordered in April from zzounds 191.67 with tax on back order was to be here on July 10th but ?????? Kizzyjo in North Carolina.
I got it right! When I saw the Kramer text on the side of the box, I immediately thought of Baretta. I mean, who wouldn't want a Baretta? I want one, too!
Needs a Floyd Rose. Otherwise, it's incomplete
It's on the higher end models.
my 83 Focus 1000 had a Floyd!
I like hardtails. Floyd Roses are a pain in the ass in more ways than 1
Jake E. Lee didn't use one.
Yeah usually if you buy a Kramer with a Floyd Rose they put an actual Floyd on them also. Not a cheap copy.
Great review thanks Max.
Kramer have some great value options.
The Kramer Guitars Focus VT211S Teal at Thomann is an amazing Strat style HSS guitar for only £126.
The sword made me immediately think of holy diver, I don't know why.
Probably because Dio was swinging one around in the video. I think he even had a "shawl" made out of some sort of dead critter, points for authenticity. R.I.P, there is less coolness in the world, now that he has left us.
So awesome! Can’t get enough of this 80’s stuff, always takes me back to my long haired rocker youth, thanks man!
You're like the white version of Herman li
LOVE that you've got a Europe - Out of this World LP on the amp behind you!
Monster truck vs that savage guitar you buried alive out in the desert who wins?
$180!!! I say buy one in every color! Swords, Monster Trucks and Kramer's, oh my. Love your sense of humor man. You stole Henning's line. God bless and rock on 😎🎸👍
HOPEFULLY KRAMER EVER INDEPENDENT AGAIN!!!
Max, congrats on another wonderful review. I just ordered the ruby red/pink version through AMS. Can’t wait to get it. My first guitar was a Kramer Aero Star back in the 80s. This will be my first one since then. Thanks again!
It’s been a year. How is the guitar?
@@arigreen5845
The guitar is still amazing. I truly believe this is the best bang for the buck. Sounds and plays like a much more expensive guitar. Even my friends that don’t play guitar want one! Take care
@@markdickerson39 thank you for responding. That’s great to hear!
The most disappointing news one can hear: “sadly I can’t help you with monster trucks”
I personally like to buy a $500 guitar that is made from decent wood, plays good and put new pick ups in, pots, wiring, basically upgrade all the electronics. Then replace any crap hardware like crap tuners, a lot of the times u just need to use a file to take off sharp edges on the nut or bridge for tuning issues and then u have a guitar that sounds and plays better then guitars that cost many thousands. I am a tone chaser I have a very sensitive ear I hear things most don’t so I’m never happy with a stock guitar. Every guitar sounds different even if they are identical one is brite one isn’t and it could be as simple as adding a treble bleed or it might need a different pick up
Cool guitar Max. That color is bad ass. Love the “that’s what she said” joke. I use it all the time. Lol. Thanks.
getting this guitar and planning on upgrading a few things on it, it already sounds good but with just a few small upgrades could do wonders
Are you kidding me 1 80 Dollars?? I am blown Away. I thought like 800 or 600 Dollars.
Just got this same guitar in the candy blue delivered the other day and can't stop playing it. Sounds and plays better than my other much more expensive guitars. Not crazy about the trem though and will keep the bar off of it. Well worth the 179.00 though IMO.
how is it now? does the whammy make it out of tune? im sorry if i use wrong words because im a newbie
@@luvrgiang I don't see a way to use the bar. The bridge seems completely pressed against the body of the guitar and if you try to wammy down there's no room for it to move it seems. I just took it off and keep it off. Still worth the 179.00 imo
In defense of Kramer, everybody’s supply chain has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thing is, this has been going on for years with Kramer, this isn't a 2020 issue.
IV had this issue for nearly 4yrs. . . .
Nice! My first guitar was and still is my 1984 Kramer Focus 1000...
180 bucks ! Madness !
I have a mid-80's Baretta with a messed up neck. I contacted Gibson about ordering a neck. Possibly from one of these new guitars as a replacement. The response was "no, we don't do that". So, if you damage your guitar, you're SOL. Fantastic. Thanks Gibson. Guess I'll have to give my money to Warmoth.
Gibson blows. I'll take any overseas guitar any day.
I've owned many, still have 3. No issues period with them 👍
Just buy the guitar, and swap necks. Will still cost less than buying an after market neck.
i have an original 85 baretta neck