@@lukeabrahamsen-collins808 I guess I was thinking backwards on how to paint it. Then again, I see someone buying the red one and getting just black and white electrical tape to "make a cheap version" as well.
Well he's not quite a shredder yet...but he's getting dangerously close. His playing's a lot more fiery than the gentle bluesy / jazzy noodling he used to do.
SM-1 stands for Stagemaster. Which starting in 87 was Kramers top of the line guitar. I actually have an original 89 stagemaster and the sm1 is spot on to the original
I bought an EVH 5150 Series in army green last month.Fretwork was junk.Neck had a slight twist.I think i just got a lemon from what i hear.I just got one of the new Kramers the other day.The pewter grey one.Love it!!!
@@rca3rd Fender seems to be having some real problems with their Indonesian made guitars these days. Hopefully they get their issues squared away, because some of those Indonesian guitars of theirs are amazing. I have an Indonesian made Squier Jazz Bass and its the best bass I've ever owned. Its even got flame in the maple neck!
@@bucknasty69 Flamed maple!Nice!Yeah,this Kramer was made in Indonesia and is amazing!Not sure who is making them.Gibson owns them.The EVH was out of the Fender Mexican factory.It was junk.Three more EVH Mexicans have come in to the shop and they are junk as well.That is sad because i have many Fender MIM gutars and basses that are amazing.
I had an 86 Pacer in that superrr cool greenish grey blue. I think it was called slate or something like that. The bridge pickup was starting to go and at the time I was dumb, I figured selling it to get a trusty tele was the better option. Too this day thats the one guitar I want back.
I still have my Striker 100ST with a chrome Floyd Rose II and hardware and a black volume knob and pickup. Poor thing has been thru alot - banged into walls and doors, accidentally dropped (only once from a broken strap), etc. A little while back I had the bridge dowled and reset, the neck dowled and reset, the action lowered, and the volume pot and input jack replaced. More recently I had the first 5 frets replaced, the other frets redressed and a final set-up all done by a professional luthier I happen to know. I was briefly considering having it cleaned up and repainted, but decided against it. I guess you could say I have a strong attachment to the guitar.
The pickup on the berreta is angle because when it was built with EVH's input the pickup pole piece spacing(at the time) wasn't what they needed for the tremolo/bring spacing , so it was required to be angled to help match up the spacing
Sorry to be a pedant but I think the reason Mr Van Halen angled his humbucker is that it was a Gibson humbucker with narrower string spacing so in order to get the pickup under the E strings he angled it like a Strat bridge pickup hence the later development F-spaced humbuckers for Fender string spaced guitars.
"F spaced" humbuckers are unnecessary. Even the Fender Tom Delonge Strat used Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge, but using the regular, not f-spaced (SD don't make them, but DiMarzio does) humbuckers, just like some of the Strats and Teles they make now with the narrower spaced SDs and some others.
@@michaelcarey9359 As to whether F-spaced humbuckers are necessary I do not have the expertise to say. Seymour Duncan do make F-spaced humbuckers, they call them Trembuckers. John Suhr makes his humbuckers in Gibson and F-spaced specs as does Tim at Bare Knuckle.
I love 80’s guitars, I feel these colors miss the mark in capturing the era. They went more contemporary to appeal to more people but they should have went more loud and crazy.
They did go loud and crazy near the end, to an extent. But yes, it's easy to find an 80's Kramer in black but there are fewer brightly colored ones available. But this is likely true for most guitar makers.
I was a teenager in the 80s..and I really don't remember them selling much other than black, candy red, white, blue and some special ones that had airbrushed graphics for an upcharge. (lefties were REALLY limited) BC Rich was one that had the dayglo shit. Many of the rock star players had crazy color stuff but those were custom jobs.
Interesting. I just received mine yesterday. ESP neck came to mind. However I like it better than my old esp (forget the model) so neck might be slightly different- definitely narrow though compared to my two Ibanez rgs and even my old Kramer 80s hot pink f-1000
Eddie Van Halen made Kramer the big name, he created the super strat, the single pickup single knob....it was all Ed. Dont be afraid of his name boys, he almost put the les Paul out of business in the 80s. Lee you're almost as old as I am and should know this.
13 Stars for the original 13 Colonies what became the first 13 States of the Union. Also, 13 stars on the first U.S. "Stars and Stripes" flag, a.k.a. the "Betsy Ross" flag.
I’ve still got my original 80’s Kramer’s including a Stagemaster Deluxe 1 from 1988 I think it was, that is what the SM1 is based on. The original stagemasters were built my ESP and then shipped to the factory in New Jersey. I heard once it was the ESP customshop that made them but I don’t know how true that side of the story is. The Barettas are a massive amount of fun to play I love them. Headstock wise the Pacer is based on an early 80’s design after fender used a cease and desist order preventing Kramer from using the peghead design. That grey Kramer Baretta has what’s known as the 84 to 85 banana headstock this change again in 1986 when it went to the pointy style seen on the jersey star and finally to the one seen on the SM1 in 1987. There is a nightswan reissue too but I’ve not seen one yet. The original ones are awesome I’d never part with mine and the original jersey star reissue from 2004 is also good. Not tried the new ones but they look very cool
I have an original '86 Baretta in flip-flop pink and rosewood board & reverse zebra. Pointy but same sized logo. in '87 they changed to logo to the decreasing sized one. I also have a Baretta II in flip-flop blue with the later logo on it. Unfortunately it's a mutt with an added single coil sized humbucker added to the neck (and the bridge swapped to a DiMarzio.. WHY!!?!) but it sounds good..
Those mid 00's MusicYo models are increasing in price everyday. The mid 00's Pacer Imperial and Baretta (not the 84 that was made in korea and assembled in America)were actually made at the Nashville Gibson factory. They should release some more higher end USA models.
AquaCentauri I have a Jersey Star from 2004 that was built at the Nashville plant. To be honest the quality of mine was not good at all. Gibson paid for it to be fixed by a local luthier because when I finally managed to get some to listen there the JS was out of production. The rework on my guitar was extensive literally the only areas not touched was the face of the head stock and the fretboard. Everything else paint included needed work. It was a very long road to get the work done but now it’s a totally different guitar. Tone, playability, looks and more. Yes it still looks like a standard JS but the work done has completely transformed it. The JS is a really versatile guitar with lots of tones. I just hope the quality control has improved.
@@blitzedST The Musicyo JS was MIK and assembled in USA, you can go on the WayBackMachine and look at the Spec sheets for all the MusicYo guitars. The only ones made in Nashville were the 85 Baretta reissue and the 83 Pacer Imperial reissue.
AquaCentauri built=assembled. Fully made would mean all processes. You are right to a point there were also some 1984’s that were ‘made’ in USA too. The fact that the semi raw CNC machined wooden components (neck and body) were made overseas is only marginally different to how things were done from 1986 onwards aka the ESP era. All the electronics were made in USA and the hardware is German made Floyd Rose and Schaller. I honestly could not care less where the neck and body were made. I know some people have a big issue with where something is made but honestly IF it’s a well made quality product should we care? As long as there are no moral issues. Even though the music yo era USA range was a mixture of USA paint, finish, final assembly and quality control and some overseas components they did turn out some really good stuff I guess I was just unlucky to get one so bad, it happens. You would think though that they would have had tighter quality control of the parts prior to paint and assembly when those components arrived in Nashville. As for the fully made USA Baretta 1985’s they were originally done by Hill Guitars I seem to remember if my memory serves? Sadly the quality went down bank and music yo had to sell off a lot of stock as B grade. I understand that the contract for building those parts was then given to another subcontractor. The Pacer imperial reissues were USA guitars but sadly they did not have a long run. I’m not sure how that all ended, heard numerous rumours but every now and then you see NOS Pacer reissue parts pop up on eBay. I imagine that supply of unbuilt guitar parts must be close to running out unless of course it already has. I have had a look at the new stuff for NAMM 2020 and it looks interesting but as I said before I just hope that they have sorted out the quality issues they were having. I have made the decision to not buy anymore though for no other reason than I have what I like and need so I’m good. It’s amps I’m looking for now and then I’m done gear wise and I can get back to writing and recording. Hope you like the new range of guitars 👍
So thankful I have a Tele Off shoot called a Ferrington, made by Kramer!!! It is fantastic and I will never give it up!!! It does all that, and all that too!!!!
Kramer now feels and sounds like the vision Kramer was looking for in the 80s. I own 2 Barettas, one with a Floyd and the cheapest vintage trem model and the highest quality is in both.
Great film. Pulls at the heart strings! I went through the same thing. So let me tell you my story. I was born in 1970, things were not good, I loved my mother!...
I had a couple of those early 00s Gibson Kramers (and some Electar and Slingerland stuff) distributed through the MusicYo thing they had. The Rhodes type V 24 fret hardtail with quad rail pickups, and two of the Custom LP type with a quilt top, decent Epi pickups and Grover tuners. I regret selling them every day, even though I got two and three times what I paid. Gibson, possibly by accident, had a really good thing going with MusicYo. I miss it.
Not successful?? Kramer destroyed Fender and Gibson in the late 80s, Kramer was the biggest selling guitar in the US in both above and below $1000 for their final 3 years, before the partying from Bernadi finally sent the company broke, they also had the exclusive OEM deal with Floyd Rose until their demise which helped. Everyone simply partied too hard in that decade it all had to end, lol.
Yeah, superstrats and Ibanez were quite a bit more popular in the states than the classics for a while, at least until Slash brought Les Pauls back into fashion, and grunge hit with Jazzmasters etc.,
Yep, they screwed it up by investing in their lifestyles as opposed to the company. But, my '84-85 Baretta body (ser. #D00xx) w/ Jackson Custom neck is going nowhere 'til after I die. It's in my will that it Doesn't get sold and stays in the family until someone else learns to play. Hopefully that'll be me reincarnated. Wouldn't that be fun!!
The 80's are back in full swing in 2020. Kramer is going to have a BIG year for all the 80's era guitars. Supposedly several retro graphic finishes, Snake Sabo signature and a Tracii Guns sig possibly too. Kramer just needs to solve whatever production/shipping issues are plaguing them now, still waiting on my new Nightswan I ordered that debuted last year. Also looks like the Fender HM "The Strat" is back, in pastel pinks and blues.
I bought the baretta special last month for $180 minus 20% musicians friend offered. Added a floyd and a Jalen Pinnacle pickup(basically a evh Frankenstein clone pup) and this guitar plays every bit as good as my $1000+ guitars,love it.
Kramer was taking over the market with Charvel in the mix. Fender purchased Charvel to have a slice of the pie. Gibson purchased Kramer to shelve the competition. Fender had the better gameplan sadly. I love vintage Kramer Guitar's glad Gibson are attempting to bring the brand back.
So, being an owner of the EMG equipped SM-1, I really wish I had the SD equipped version. With that being said, Chapman didn’t even touch the push/pull volume knob. It activates the bridge pickup when you’re in the neck positions. Pretty versatile guitars. Love mine.
I just bought the same Orange Crush model as in the video & they have removed the push/pull knob on the new ones without really telling anyone. I have the older one in Vintage White from 2013/ 2015 & it does have that push pull knob. Also, the older ones are made in Korea & these new models in Indonesia. Finally, the new ones do not have Seymour Duncan stamped on the pups like the older ones (which I think greatly takes away from the aesthetic.) I feel they really cut corners on the newer ones a bit, but the the sheer awesomeness of the metallic sparkle orange makes up for it as it is simply too beautiful to complain about. It is painted like an automobile. Don't get me wrong though it does still shred as hard as the older ones.
SM-1 is basically the Stagemaster from the 80s reborn. I have a black one. It's awesome. I didn't expect it to be but I did the "oh crap I'm getting this" maneuver after being surprised at how good it was.
Sometimes... Just sometimes... It might be nice to hear guitars like these hooked up to some "vintage" or re-issue amps, straight, and hear how good they would sound in an attempt to play something more "traditional" Makes one wonder...
Kramer outsold Gibson and Fender combined two years in a row, 1985-6 of course. When I was a teenager I found an aluminum-necked fretless DMZ6000B in a storage unit for $50. Went to a Kramer convention, met Gary Kramer, had him sign the thing, enjoyed it for a few years and sold it for $600 which was still a deal for somebody, though the ebonol fretboard was wearing down to the aluminum dot side inlays. At that convention I also won a raffled off little lapel pin that looked like the old Kramer aluminum headstocks as well, though I haven't been able to figure out where I misplaced it :/ Truly an interesting company with some neat innovations along the way. Also our flag had 13 stars to represent each colony at first. Now we have 13 stripes but 50 stars.
The message here from Kramer is simple, every bridge pickup on an 80's shred guitar should be a Seymour Duncan JB (ideally with a Jazz at the neck). Personally, the one that appeals to me is the orange SM1 that Chappers ends up playing. If I could get one, the ideal version for me would essentially be the same but change the trem to a non-locking one and have some shark-tooth inlays. The ones based on the headstock shape just seem a bit too silly for me.
That neck is made with the "Claw" inlays from Kramers past..they are the top of the line necks then and possibly now..I have had 2 89' Kramers that had these "Claw" inlaid necks..super thin with a small "D" shape..most comfortable necks I have ever owned or played.
Guitar Snobs. Don't know what they have in that purple Kramer. Mahogany body. Maple Fretboard, Alnico V pickups, Treble Bleed, and painted headstock all for $129. Pretty impressive stuff.
Best rock/shred guitar on the planet, possibly ever made: Late '84, early '85 Baretta body, solid bookmatched maple body, serial #D00XX. '92 Seymour JB, affixed directly to the body with sheet metal screws by me, routed for a single coil sized neck pickup angled like the bridge one, a Seymour Cool Rails installed. Sounds like a Hot Rails, have to turn the volume down a bit to give it a proper neck pickup sound. Kramer had issues with the scarf joint glue which caused them to fret out at the first fret. So I had the Jackson custom shop build a neck, quarter sawn maple, reverse headstock w/ fluorescent green logo, 1/4" quarter sawn fretboard, unfinished (lemon oil after) with no position markers, 12-16 compound radius, Dunlop 6100 fret wire, 1" at the heel + the fretboard, puts the strings about 3/4" above the body making the bridge (Real original floyd, constructed out of the best parts from C and D Baretta bridges) full floating with no body rout. 3/4" nut. Slightly scalloped fretboard since I clean it with oooo steel wool. If this sounds familiar you know who I am. Not for sale, It goes to surviving relatives when I die. Hope to have it waiting for me when I reincarnate. Thanks to the Old Kramer and Jackson companies, this is like a Stradivarius or Steinway. Mass appreciation every time I play.
I just bought a 1986 Kramer Focus 6000 in excellent condition. And I have a Kramer American Showster Metalist 1+1 coming today. I'm in the market for an 80's era pacer and Stage Master. But they are hard to find in good shape.
Man, I obsessed over Kramers in the 80s, a sickness that culminated with the Nightswan. Then I got better on bass than guitar and have just started back on 6-string, 30 years later. And what did I pick up from a friend, who happened to have one stashed away in a pile o’ crap? A Baretta body, an Invader humbucker, and a Floyd Rose. Now to source more parts. Until then it’s my junky Dano!
I have one of these from the eighties, it needs a lot of work... new pickups, saddles, fretboard is dry as crap, but it doesn’t sound horrible the way it is, it just crackles and I’d rather just put entirely new pickups in.
The 13 stars are representative of the original US flag that was the first nationally recognized flag for the original 13 states. New Jersey was the 3rd state Here is some info from a site about US flags: During the Revolutionary War, numerous flags were used. After the Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776, the people realized they needed one flag to replace all the assortment of flags used previously. On 14 June 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the following resolution: "RESOLVED, that the flag of the 13 United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: That the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
I see the 1984 selling well in white, and local hardware stores selling out of masking tape and black and red paint. 5150 time!
Got to he Schwinn red.
The original was black not white before he painted over it so I don’t know what people are doing
Guess everyone has their way of doing it.
Jman3302 well...
@@lukeabrahamsen-collins808 I guess I was thinking backwards on how to paint it. Then again, I see someone buying the red one and getting just black and white electrical tape to "make a cheap version" as well.
"This radius is as actually as flat as the earth!" 10/10
Zomby Woof I have to say, ‘fat as the proverbial’ was what got me🤣
Lmao. You win
I remember sticking gold stars on the fretboard of a toy guitar i had as a kid, wanting to be like Richie.
I still do it!
The captains shredding levels have gone up tremendously. Well done Captain Lee👍
He must have been eating Shredding Wheat 🤟
Well he's not quite a shredder yet...but he's getting dangerously close. His playing's a lot more fiery than the gentle bluesy / jazzy noodling he used to do.
I have that orange sm-1, incredible beast of a machine. I don't play anything else at all now. Kramer hit is out of the park with that guitar.
Yes, dinamite!
SM-1 stands for Stagemaster. Which starting in 87 was Kramers top of the line guitar. I actually have an original 89 stagemaster and the sm1 is spot on to the original
someone needs to shoot out these new Kramers -vs- the EVH STD series....
Yes that would be great.
I bought an EVH 5150 Series in army green last month.Fretwork was junk.Neck had a slight twist.I think i just got a lemon from what i hear.I just got one of the new Kramers the other day.The pewter grey one.Love it!!!
@@rca3rd Fender seems to be having some real problems with their Indonesian made guitars these days. Hopefully they get their issues squared away, because some of those Indonesian guitars of theirs are amazing. I have an Indonesian made Squier Jazz Bass and its the best bass I've ever owned. Its even got flame in the maple neck!
@@bucknasty69 Flamed maple!Nice!Yeah,this Kramer was made in Indonesia and is amazing!Not sure who is making them.Gibson owns them.The EVH was out of the Fender Mexican factory.It was junk.Three more EVH Mexicans have come in to the shop and they are junk as well.That is sad because i have many Fender MIM gutars and basses that are amazing.
My first guitar ever was a Kramer, and I miss it every day.
Same here. I live in NJ so chances of owning one were high. Still got mine too
I still have my Barletta II. It's an '85
I had an 86 Pacer in that superrr cool greenish grey blue. I think it was called slate or something like that. The bridge pickup was starting to go and at the time I was dumb, I figured selling it to get a trusty tele was the better option. Too this day thats the one guitar I want back.
Mine too. A red Striker 400.
Still have my original 83 floyd rose signature model! Still plays like a dream.
Flashback to the 80's when I had a Kramer Striker 100ST, jean jacket with band patches, and a mullet. Very much enjoyed the video. Thank you.
I honnor your Kramer and I honnor your mullet.
I still have my Striker 100ST with a chrome Floyd Rose II and hardware and a black volume knob and pickup. Poor thing has been thru alot - banged into walls and doors, accidentally dropped (only once from a broken strap), etc. A little while back I had the bridge dowled and reset, the neck dowled and reset, the action lowered, and the volume pot and input jack replaced. More recently I had the first 5 frets replaced, the other frets redressed and a final set-up all done by a professional luthier I happen to know. I was briefly considering having it cleaned up and repainted, but decided against it. I guess you could say I have a strong attachment to the guitar.
I still have my Striker 600ST. Worst guitar I ever loved.
Ditto on the 100ST and the mullet 🤣
The exploding coffee mugs still make me laugh a lot more than they should. 😂
27:46 - Lee breaks out the Kramer "Danish Pete Custom" 😁
The pickup on the berreta is angle because when it was built with EVH's input the pickup pole piece spacing(at the time) wasn't what they needed for the tremolo/bring spacing , so it was required to be angled to help match up the spacing
Lee, I love you, man, for worshipping Richie Sambora. I thought I was the only one
You are definitely not the only one..:) long live the king of swing
Amen
Lee, your playing in the intro was friggin awesome, dude!
It was awful as always.
I liked it and preferred it to Rob's.
@@adiohead I must agree. Rob's didn't fit as well. Lee sounded awesome.
I thought they were both awful
@@brianfoster4493 Why are you here then. No need for that negativity here.
LEE
JUST
KEEPS
GETTING
BETTER!
Amazing intro gentlemen!
Sorry to be a pedant but I think the reason Mr Van Halen angled his humbucker is that it was a Gibson humbucker with narrower string spacing so in order to get the pickup under the E strings he angled it like a Strat bridge pickup hence the later development F-spaced humbuckers for Fender string spaced guitars.
Yeah that's right why does chappers shredding sound uninspired
"F spaced" humbuckers are unnecessary. Even the Fender Tom Delonge Strat used Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge, but using the regular, not f-spaced (SD don't make them, but DiMarzio does) humbuckers, just like some of the Strats and Teles they make now with the narrower spaced SDs and some others.
@@michaelcarey9359 As to whether F-spaced humbuckers are necessary I do not have the expertise to say. Seymour Duncan do make F-spaced humbuckers, they call them Trembuckers. John Suhr makes his humbuckers in Gibson and F-spaced specs as does Tim at Bare Knuckle.
Lee, I’ve been following you guys for a few years now, and I have to say, that your playing has become very impressive. Nice lead in the beginning.
Interesting fact as well is that in the 80s ESP actually made A Lot of the necks/bodies for Kramer and they got assembled in the USA.
seeing the jersey star can we get a Bon Jovi BY Busting the bank to redeem from that HORRIBLE without busting video
YES!
Good idea
Reed Tard I can agree
@Reed Tard what music do you listen to?
@@ivorharden stuff thats just as shitty as everyone else.
I love 80’s guitars, I feel these colors miss the mark in capturing the era. They went more contemporary to appeal to more people but they should have went more loud and crazy.
Puttin mine in the booth for a neon yellow job soon ;)
They did go loud and crazy near the end, to an extent. But yes, it's easy to find an 80's Kramer in black but there are fewer brightly colored ones available. But this is likely true for most guitar makers.
Graphics would be cool
The pacer comes in tiger stripe
I was a teenager in the 80s..and I really don't remember them selling much other than black, candy red, white, blue and some special ones that had airbrushed graphics for an upcharge. (lefties were REALLY limited) BC Rich was one that had the dayglo shit. Many of the rock star players had crazy color stuff but those were custom jobs.
ESP made almost EVERYTHING for Kramer ... Necks for sure.
Interesting. I just received mine yesterday. ESP neck came to mind. However I like it better than my old esp (forget the model) so neck might be slightly different- definitely narrow though compared to my two Ibanez rgs and even my old Kramer 80s hot pink f-1000
Eddie Van Halen made Kramer the big name, he created the super strat, the single pickup single knob....it was all Ed. Dont be afraid of his name boys, he almost put the les Paul out of business in the 80s. Lee you're almost as old as I am and should know this.
Richie Sambora also put Kramer on map
I stand corrected! Not only is Lee's blues playing getting better, but his rock soloing is getting there to, awesome...
"...bridge is down! Send in reinforcements....."
You guys are making my day. Perfect start into the weekend. Thank you.
These videos keep getting better easily the best guitar vids on you tube.
I love these show cases, really help me find new guitars to obsess over haha
I've still got my original 87 NJ Kramer Baretta with Kline graphics - and still love the guitar🤘👍🤘
..and Kline is still painting bodies. :)
I have an '86.. Will never let that guitar go..
I just bought a pacer, couldn't say no to the deal I snagged! It's absolutely beautiful! Huge raunchy red metal flake paint!
Love the orange one, and the other blue colour of that model. Black headstock with gold writing is what reminds me of Kramer.
I played one at Summer NAMM. As far as feel it was surprisingly the best playing guitar I played there.
Outstanding as always, Gentlemen!
You know when its shred guitar when Rob is like a kid playing like crazy and Capt gets bored easily haha
This is the wholesome content I needed this morning.
Cheers playboiiz 🥂 ☕️ 🍾 🌅 🎶
13 Stars for the original 13 Colonies what became the first 13 States of the Union. Also, 13 stars on the first U.S. "Stars and Stripes" flag, a.k.a. the "Betsy Ross" flag.
Most kids here have no idea about any of that.....sad.
Relevant to the video and especially about Kramer guitars! 😧
@@jjbast You're a little ray of sunshine aren't you.
@@adiohead As you are full of pertinent information.
@@jjbast Thank you, I agree.
I’ve still got my original 80’s Kramer’s including a Stagemaster Deluxe 1 from 1988 I think it was, that is what the SM1 is based on. The original stagemasters were built my ESP and then shipped to the factory in New Jersey. I heard once it was the ESP customshop that made them but I don’t know how true that side of the story is.
The Barettas are a massive amount of fun to play I love them.
Headstock wise the Pacer is based on an early 80’s design after fender used a cease and desist order preventing Kramer from using the peghead design. That grey Kramer Baretta has what’s known as the 84 to 85 banana headstock this change again in 1986 when it went to the pointy style seen on the jersey star and finally to the one seen on the SM1 in 1987.
There is a nightswan reissue too but I’ve not seen one yet.
The original ones are awesome I’d never part with mine and the original jersey star reissue from 2004 is also good. Not tried the new ones but they look very cool
I have an original '86 Baretta in flip-flop pink and rosewood board & reverse zebra. Pointy but same sized logo. in '87 they changed to logo to the decreasing sized one. I also have a Baretta II in flip-flop blue with the later logo on it. Unfortunately it's a mutt with an added single coil sized humbucker added to the neck (and the bridge swapped to a DiMarzio.. WHY!!?!) but it sounds good..
Those mid 00's MusicYo models are increasing in price everyday. The mid 00's Pacer Imperial and Baretta (not the 84 that was made in korea and assembled in America)were actually made at the Nashville Gibson factory. They should release some more higher end USA models.
AquaCentauri
I have a Jersey Star from 2004 that was built at the Nashville plant. To be honest the quality of mine was not good at all. Gibson paid for it to be fixed by a local luthier because when I finally managed to get some to listen there the JS was out of production.
The rework on my guitar was extensive literally the only areas not touched was the face of the head stock and the fretboard. Everything else paint included needed work. It was a very long road to get the work done but now it’s a totally different guitar. Tone, playability, looks and more. Yes it still looks like a standard JS but the work done has completely transformed it.
The JS is a really versatile guitar with lots of tones.
I just hope the quality control has improved.
@@blitzedST The Musicyo JS was MIK and assembled in USA, you can go on the WayBackMachine and look at the Spec sheets for all the MusicYo guitars. The only ones made in Nashville were the 85 Baretta reissue and the 83 Pacer Imperial reissue.
AquaCentauri built=assembled. Fully made would mean all processes. You are right to a point there were also some 1984’s that were ‘made’ in USA too.
The fact that the semi raw CNC machined wooden components (neck and body) were made overseas is only marginally different to how things were done from 1986 onwards aka the ESP era.
All the electronics were made in USA and the hardware is German made Floyd Rose and Schaller. I honestly could not care less where the neck and body were made. I know some people have a big issue with where something is made but honestly IF it’s a well made quality product should we care? As long as there are no moral issues.
Even though the music yo era USA range was a mixture of USA paint, finish, final assembly and quality control and some overseas components they did turn out some really good stuff I guess I was just unlucky to get one so bad, it happens. You would think though that they would have had tighter quality control of the parts prior to paint and assembly when those components arrived in Nashville.
As for the fully made USA Baretta 1985’s they were originally done by Hill Guitars I seem to remember if my memory serves? Sadly the quality went down bank and music yo had to sell off a lot of stock as B grade. I understand that the contract for building those parts was then given to another subcontractor.
The Pacer imperial reissues were USA guitars but sadly they did not have a long run. I’m not sure how that all ended, heard numerous rumours but every now and then you see NOS Pacer reissue parts pop up on eBay. I imagine that supply of unbuilt guitar parts must be close to running out unless of course it already has.
I have had a look at the new stuff for NAMM 2020 and it looks interesting but as I said before I just hope that they have sorted out the quality issues they were having.
I have made the decision to not buy anymore though for no other reason than I have what I like and need so I’m good. It’s amps I’m looking for now and then I’m done gear wise and I can get back to writing and recording.
Hope you like the new range of guitars 👍
The pick-up was slanted by Vanhalen to match up the non f-spaced pole pieces.
Alternate universe prediction: If Gibson had just put the robot tuners on these instead of the Gibsons, they would’ve blown up.
Yeah, every time you need to unlock the locking nut the strings tune themselves, then you just lock it again, no hassle. That’s genius.
Loved that white pacer reminds me of Tony Mac Alpine's Edge of Insantity Kramer back in '86.
These look like a lot of fun.
So thankful I have a Tele Off shoot called a Ferrington, made by Kramer!!! It is fantastic and I will never give it up!!!
It does all that, and all that too!!!!
12:37 I recognised that cheeky Richie Sambora riffage from the Captain! 😆🤟 Great sounding guitars, glad to see Kramer making a return
What riff was that?
Sweet video lads! 💪❤
Rob did an amazing job nailing those harmonics all over the fretboard.
Kramer guitars rocked, everyone played one.
Great playing guys!
Capt. Lee, you rocked that intro jam.! 👌🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
That 80s jam in the beginning melted my entire face clean off
Take a time machine back to the 80s I played a guitar solo while Nancy Reygun flashed me the horns !!!!
Kramer now feels and sounds like the vision Kramer was looking for in the 80s. I own 2 Barettas, one with a Floyd and the cheapest vintage trem model and the highest quality is in both.
I like your demos because it’s just the guitars !
I actually really like the look of those
Love the kramers, such an awesome guitar.
Captain was on soulful fire!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥
Nice run at the beginning Cap!!!! Hell yea
Great film. Pulls at the heart strings! I went through the same thing. So let me tell you my story. I was born in 1970, things were not good, I loved my mother!...
Oh good lord I need all of these...and the Nite V, always loved that take on a V
I had a couple of those early 00s Gibson Kramers (and some Electar and Slingerland stuff) distributed through the MusicYo thing they had. The Rhodes type V 24 fret hardtail with quad rail pickups, and two of the Custom LP type with a quilt top, decent Epi pickups and Grover tuners. I regret selling them every day, even though I got two and three times what I paid. Gibson, possibly by accident, had a really good thing going with MusicYo. I miss it.
YEESSSSS RICHIE SAMBORA MEETS THE CAPTAIN!
has anyone else noticed that as the videos have gone on the captains playing has gotten much better and more creative and such.
I have coffee coming out my nose thanks to That Skeksis impression
Not successful?? Kramer destroyed Fender and Gibson in the late 80s, Kramer was the biggest selling guitar in the US in both above and below $1000 for their final 3 years, before the partying from Bernadi finally sent the company broke, they also had the exclusive OEM deal with Floyd Rose until their demise which helped. Everyone simply partied too hard in that decade it all had to end, lol.
Yeah, superstrats and Ibanez were quite a bit more popular in the states than the classics for a while, at least until Slash brought Les Pauls back into fashion, and grunge hit with Jazzmasters etc.,
Yep, they screwed it up by investing in their lifestyles as opposed to the company. But, my '84-85 Baretta body (ser. #D00xx) w/ Jackson Custom neck is going nowhere 'til after I die. It's in my will that it Doesn't get sold and stays in the family until someone else learns to play. Hopefully that'll be me reincarnated. Wouldn't that be fun!!
Nice work gents!!
The 80's are back in full swing in 2020. Kramer is going to have a BIG year for all the 80's era guitars. Supposedly several retro graphic finishes, Snake Sabo signature and a Tracii Guns sig possibly too. Kramer just needs to solve whatever production/shipping issues are plaguing them now, still waiting on my new Nightswan I ordered that debuted last year. Also looks like the Fender HM "The Strat" is back, in pastel pinks and blues.
I used to own a 2004 Reissue Jersey Star - Very fun guitar!
The 80's, "eat some fries, play a gig, and see the boobs", exactly what it was like... lol
Don't forget beer!
I bought the baretta special last month for $180 minus 20% musicians friend offered. Added a floyd and a Jalen Pinnacle pickup(basically a evh Frankenstein clone pup) and this guitar plays every bit as good as my $1000+ guitars,love it.
The white Pacer was my favorite. Sounded great 👍
Still have my 83 Kramer floyd rose signature model! Still plays like a dream and all original.
Kramer was taking over the market with Charvel in the mix.
Fender purchased Charvel to have a slice of the pie.
Gibson purchased Kramer to shelve the competition.
Fender had the better gameplan sadly.
I love vintage Kramer Guitar's glad Gibson are attempting to bring the brand back.
Well, I think Charvel/Jackson was the main innovator of superstrats, but Kramer made great guitars no doubt
Go on lee son! That intro was nuts.
So, being an owner of the EMG equipped SM-1, I really wish I had the SD equipped version. With that being said, Chapman didn’t even touch the push/pull volume knob. It activates the bridge pickup when you’re in the neck positions. Pretty versatile guitars. Love mine.
I just bought the same Orange Crush model as in the video & they have removed the push/pull knob on the new ones without really telling anyone. I have the older one in Vintage White from 2013/ 2015 & it does have that push pull knob. Also, the older ones are made in Korea & these new models in Indonesia. Finally, the new ones do not have Seymour Duncan stamped on the pups like the older ones (which I think greatly takes away from the aesthetic.) I feel they really cut corners on the newer ones a bit, but the the sheer awesomeness of the metallic sparkle orange makes up for it as it is simply too beautiful to complain about. It is painted like an automobile. Don't get me wrong though it does still shred as hard as the older ones.
Love that Kramer especially the large logo one......
Kramer!
Bring back the Pacer II and Proaxe 🤘🤘🤘
SM-1 is basically the Stagemaster from the 80s reborn. I have a black one. It's awesome. I didn't expect it to be but I did the "oh crap I'm getting this" maneuver after being surprised at how good it was.
What is the weight on those SM-1s? I don't see it listed on any retailers' sites.
The captain has improved immensely at guitar!
Jersey Star is on my list!!!! 🤘
I love these. Can we get a band for a grand reunion for Christmas please?
Wow the Captain shredding! Never seen this one before.
Sometimes...
Just sometimes...
It might be nice to hear guitars like these hooked up to some "vintage" or re-issue amps, straight, and hear how good they would sound in an attempt to play something more "traditional"
Makes one wonder...
probably rlly good, a decent pickup is a decent piclup
Love the coffee cup gag ,, so good
The Captain is getting better and better by the minute!
I still have my orginal, unmolested white '84 Baretta & a '89 Stagemaster Custom 1 which looks like the SM1 minus the middle pickup.
Captain held up nice in that metal jam! Bit of speedpicking and a bit of whammy will get you by.
Six to midnight!! Love single pup guitars!
I have a epiphone bass with a similar head stock from 93.
Was my 1st bass.
I laughed so hard at the Skeksis impression. Incredibly funny.
Kramer outsold Gibson and Fender combined two years in a row, 1985-6 of course.
When I was a teenager I found an aluminum-necked fretless DMZ6000B in a storage unit for $50. Went to a Kramer convention, met Gary Kramer, had him sign the thing, enjoyed it for a few years and sold it for $600 which was still a deal for somebody, though the ebonol fretboard was wearing down to the aluminum dot side inlays. At that convention I also won a raffled off little lapel pin that looked like the old Kramer aluminum headstocks as well, though I haven't been able to figure out where I misplaced it :/
Truly an interesting company with some neat innovations along the way.
Also our flag had 13 stars to represent each colony at first. Now we have 13 stripes but 50 stars.
Awesome Domination by Pantera Chappers!!!
great intro solo, lee!
No Nightswan? That's the one I remember I think it was a Vivian Campbell signature model.
They've been selling out literally days within coming in stock. It's really annoying!
That's the one I have.
yeah they have the polka dot Nightswan.....
The message here from Kramer is simple, every bridge pickup on an 80's shred guitar should be a Seymour Duncan JB (ideally with a Jazz at the neck). Personally, the one that appeals to me is the orange SM1 that Chappers ends up playing. If I could get one, the ideal version for me would essentially be the same but change the trem to a non-locking one and have some shark-tooth inlays. The ones based on the headstock shape just seem a bit too silly for me.
That neck is made with the "Claw" inlays from Kramers past..they are the top of the line necks then and possibly now..I have had 2 89' Kramers that had these "Claw" inlaid necks..super thin with a small "D" shape..most comfortable necks I have ever owned or played.
Guitar Snobs. Don't know what they have in that purple Kramer. Mahogany body. Maple Fretboard, Alnico V pickups, Treble Bleed, and painted headstock all for $129. Pretty impressive stuff.
Best rock/shred guitar on the planet, possibly ever made: Late '84, early '85 Baretta body, solid bookmatched maple body, serial #D00XX. '92 Seymour JB, affixed directly to the body with sheet metal screws by me, routed for a single coil sized neck pickup angled like the bridge one, a Seymour Cool Rails installed. Sounds like a Hot Rails, have to turn the volume down a bit to give it a proper neck pickup sound. Kramer had issues with the scarf joint glue which caused them to fret out at the first fret. So I had the Jackson custom shop build a neck, quarter sawn maple, reverse headstock w/ fluorescent green logo, 1/4" quarter sawn fretboard, unfinished (lemon oil after) with no position markers, 12-16 compound radius, Dunlop 6100 fret wire, 1" at the heel + the fretboard, puts the strings about 3/4" above the body making the bridge (Real original floyd, constructed out of the best parts from C and D Baretta bridges) full floating with no body rout. 3/4" nut. Slightly scalloped fretboard since I clean it with oooo steel wool. If this sounds familiar you know who I am. Not for sale, It goes to surviving relatives when I die. Hope to have it waiting for me when I reincarnate. Thanks to the Old Kramer and Jackson companies, this is like a Stradivarius or Steinway. Mass appreciation every time I play.
I just bought a 1986 Kramer Focus 6000 in excellent condition. And I have a Kramer American Showster Metalist 1+1 coming today. I'm in the market for an 80's era pacer and Stage Master. But they are hard to find in good shape.
Isso são guitas de verdade, as verdadeiras guitarras do glam metal!!!
Tipton and Downing!!!
Man, I obsessed over Kramers in the 80s, a sickness that culminated with the Nightswan. Then I got better on bass than guitar and have just started back on 6-string, 30 years later. And what did I pick up from a friend, who happened to have one stashed away in a pile o’ crap? A Baretta body, an Invader humbucker, and a Floyd Rose. Now to source more parts. Until then it’s my junky Dano!
I have one of these from the eighties, it needs a lot of work... new pickups, saddles, fretboard is dry as crap, but it doesn’t sound horrible the way it is, it just crackles and I’d rather just put entirely new pickups in.
Baby Yoda Baretta?
You made me want that sm1 when you started playing the domination breakdown
My goodness, just been on the Kramer Website - that’s also from 1984! Time to get serious Kramer (Gibson).
The 13 stars are representative of the original US flag that was the first nationally recognized flag for the original 13 states. New Jersey was the 3rd state Here is some info from a site about US flags:
During the Revolutionary War, numerous flags were used. After the Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776, the people realized they needed one flag to replace all the assortment of flags used previously. On 14 June 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the following resolution:
"RESOLVED, that the flag of the 13 United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: That the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
Sheldon Cooper presents " Fun with Flags"? :-D