KRAMER BARETTA VINTAGE
Since the passing of EVH everything Eddie is new again. These days with many of us enjoy wanting to explore guitars that were never in our previous comfort zones it is an ideal way to get into a Floyd. They wisely put on the best of the licenced models Floyd's the 1000. The PU is a Duncan JB which is ideal for a single PU guitar because it hot without getting nasty and backs off for cleans. The body and neck was taken from 1984 specs. A basic Strat body and a 25 1/2' scale neck. The Kramer hockey stick headstock and a 14" radius neck.
It is an 'everything you need and nothing that you don't' guitar for playing high gain
music styles.
The all maple neck was the perfect choice. Maple is cheapest of the serious tone-wood's and it avoids any problems with rosewood and all it's controversy. It also keeps the guitar from ending up with dumb down alternative woods for fret boards.
It is offered in white, flat white, metallic blue and a light green metallic and pinkish red.
At the moment on Pewter Gray and Ruby Red are available. The Red I feel is the only disappointment because it looks like a hooker's pink lipstick. lol
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| $700.00 USD |
Kramer's first owners bailed after a few years. The guitars were doing well but the company was not well managed. A second group took over and were not much better. They decided to close down the factory and have all the guitars made by
Godin up in Canada. Godin made them as 'kits' and shipped them back to be assembled in the U.S. This skirted customs as they came in as parts and allowed them to be sold as made in the USA. Unfortunately the 'kits' were literally assembled in IKEA fashion by untrained staff. Ouch!!!
If a good tech took them apart and reassembled them and set them up the guitars were killer. Godin's woods, fit and finishes were flawless. Unfortunately the
majority of the guitars were just hung on the wall of the stores. Double OUCH!!!
Kramer tanked!!!
Godin though got smart. They set up a factory to assemble their own guitars in New Hampshire and another in Berlin Germany.They produce more guitars than Fender and Gibson on US soil. They are also the biggest guitar maker in Europe. Their quality control is beyond the best! A spec of dust can turn a Godin guitar into a factory second. The fit and finish is Custom Shop level!
WHY THE F. NOT!!!
You have to ask yourself WTF ...why doesn't Gibson get Godin to make the Kramer's in New Hampshire ???? A basic Tele style Godin sells for $640.00 USD.
Yes ...American made for $640.00 USD Surely they can do Kramer's that sell for
the same or close to the imports?
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have have had a prototype of a guitar I designed made in China
Not only is it all hand made having things like original body and
headstock shapes adds very heavily to the cost because in spite
of the term 'hand made' ALL company's that sell guitars under $2000
use a computer aided CNC machine to cut out the bodies and necks.
Doing this by hand can NEVER be mistake free.
I will get to the point. A new shape requires a program for the CNC
machine and that is damn expensive. Programs to knock off a Strat
body and neck come free in the basic software for the machine.
I digress only to show you in some detail that I really now what costs
what and what can be done.
SO ...the Kramer above with the same PU but not the Duncan label
could be sold without the Kramer name for about $400.00 USD
No I am not complaining about the price. I am just disappointed no
one makes this as a clone.
The big problem is that this guitar without a Floyd 1000
is a $200 guitar. Company's just do not sell a guitar when half it's
value is in one part. BIG BUT. One can easily up grade electrics
even tuners. You can not easily upgrade a whole f.ing Floyd.
The only thing I would change is the color. I would only do it white.
stats show the biggest selling guitars are either black or white. Fact!!
I would not choose black only because to older buyers it suggests
some Metal styles that are ether offensive or simply adolescent.
No one no mater what color they prefer feels uncomfortable on stage
with a white guitar.
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