Kramer Guitar Was Born to Rock
During the 1980s, rock guitarists everywhere wielded the Kramer Guitar onstage to the delight of adoring fans.
Guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen put his name behind the brand and it was not long before others were lining up to sign on as well.
The guitar company was formed during the 1970s in New Jersey and it was known for producing guitar necks out of aluminum exclusively.
Looking for an edge with metal musicians, the company switched to wood necks in 1981.
A year later, an exclusive deal led to the addition of the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo to their instruments and a huge leap in popularity.
The original aluminum necks were reinforced with wood inserts made out of walnut or maple to improve the feel.
Ebonol, a material much like that found in a bowling ball, was used to make the fretboard.
Maple or walnut bodies were most popular but designers also incorporated various exotic woods like Swietenia, Koa and Afromosia.
The hardware used was of the highest quality with pickups manufactured by DiMarzio or Schaller.
These earliest guitars displayed astonishing craftsmanship and are worth a lot of money in mint condition today.
In 1980, Kramer switched to a wooden neck design and began purchasing components from various manufacturers based outside the country.
When they added the Locking Tremelo system, they gained the marketing edge that put them over the top.
Kramer released their flagship Baretta in 1983 and this led to the single pickup revolution that occurred in the industry.
Designers gave the Baretta a rounded banana headstock and added the single humbucker used by Eddie Van Halen to get his signature sound.
Seymour Duncan pickups replaced the Schallers in 1985 and the year after that the headstock was designed with a slant and came to a point.
These features cemented Kramer's position at number one in the marketplace.
Shortly after this success was realized, the company began to flounder.
It was eventually forced into bankruptcy as a result of a combination of events including a Korean labor strike, legal issues with royalties and overspending for endorsements.
The brand name was purchased by Gibson Guitar Corporation and since 1990 their Epiphone division has reissued several classic Kramer models.
Guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen put his name behind the brand and it was not long before others were lining up to sign on as well.
The guitar company was formed during the 1970s in New Jersey and it was known for producing guitar necks out of aluminum exclusively.
Looking for an edge with metal musicians, the company switched to wood necks in 1981.
A year later, an exclusive deal led to the addition of the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo to their instruments and a huge leap in popularity.
The original aluminum necks were reinforced with wood inserts made out of walnut or maple to improve the feel.
Ebonol, a material much like that found in a bowling ball, was used to make the fretboard.
Maple or walnut bodies were most popular but designers also incorporated various exotic woods like Swietenia, Koa and Afromosia.
The hardware used was of the highest quality with pickups manufactured by DiMarzio or Schaller.
These earliest guitars displayed astonishing craftsmanship and are worth a lot of money in mint condition today.
In 1980, Kramer switched to a wooden neck design and began purchasing components from various manufacturers based outside the country.
When they added the Locking Tremelo system, they gained the marketing edge that put them over the top.
Kramer released their flagship Baretta in 1983 and this led to the single pickup revolution that occurred in the industry.
Designers gave the Baretta a rounded banana headstock and added the single humbucker used by Eddie Van Halen to get his signature sound.
Seymour Duncan pickups replaced the Schallers in 1985 and the year after that the headstock was designed with a slant and came to a point.
These features cemented Kramer's position at number one in the marketplace.
Shortly after this success was realized, the company began to flounder.
It was eventually forced into bankruptcy as a result of a combination of events including a Korean labor strike, legal issues with royalties and overspending for endorsements.
The brand name was purchased by Gibson Guitar Corporation and since 1990 their Epiphone division has reissued several classic Kramer models.