Kramer Guitars

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 company began producing aluminum neck instruments exclusively in the mid-1970s in Neptune, NJ and released their first wooden neck guitars in late 1981. It was their exclusive deal with Floyd Rose in 1982 that gave them the edge they needed within the heavy metal market. When the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo was introduced, their popularity exploded.

The original aluminum necks were reinforced with wood inserts crafted from 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 lots of money in mint condition today.

By the time the company got into manufacturing wooden neck guitars during the early 80s, they were starting to outsource components to companies in eastern Asia. The exclusive agreement with Floyd Rose was what gave Kramer the decided advantage in the industry.

Kramer released their flagship Baretta in 1983 and this led to the single pickup revolution that occurred in the marketplace. 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.

After that, Kramer enjoyed only awhile on top before a labor strike in Korea, poorly negotiated endorsement deals and royalty issues led to bankruptcy. The brand was eventually sold to Gibson Guitar Corporation and their Epiphone division took over production in the late 1990s and has since reissued several classic models.