Kramer by Gibson

[shupe13]

Any love for the Kramer by Gibson?

 

[Shelkonnery]

Wow, those are shredding machines! Congrats!!
What Duncans are those?

 

[shupe13]

Thank you!

The Nightswan has double JBs and the Tiger a JB/Jazz.

 

[Duane_the_tub]

I had a Baretta reissue but couldn't bond with it. The neck was just too thin and I'm not a Floyd guy.

Super cool guitar, though. I really wanted to like it, as I grew up on 80s and 90s music and always wanted one.

Yours are really cool! It's a great brand that has helped write a serious chapter in music history, obviously with EVH but also others.

 

[geddy]

I have one!

 

[Jeremiah]

The Nightswan is sick, the board looks so cool to me

 

[JTM45]

Great players for sure

 

[Seven]

Absolutely love them. Plan on getting another.

 

[mvenuti1980]

My favorite neck of all time was from a mid 80s Kramer Focus 1000. I’m my case it was attached to a Charvette body! Always wanted a full fledged Kramer. Someday I’ll get a nightswan, if nothing else for the Vivian Campbell/Whitesnale connection.

 

[hbucker]

I love the classic 80s look of the Pacer body. IMO, it really is a perfect modernization of the Strat design. I also remember the Kramer necks from the 80s. Never owned one of the originals, but the ones I happened to play were special/unique.

With that (and not to rain on this thread's parade, but...) I got a Pacer Classic last Spring. I should have returned it, but started modding it before I realized how jacked up it was.

The first concern is the Floyd that won't sit parallel to the body. Not tilted forward (spring tension). Higher on the bass side. Lower on the treble side... And this is not subtle. Probably a quarter inch difference. Still functional, but of course this affects the knife edge contact with the posts so it feels clunky when used compared to a properly positioned Floyd.

I could not figure this out. Neck seems fine (even though it's too thin for my preferences - wish they hadn't changed the 80s neck profile.) Then I removed the neck...

The neck pocket is a total mess - Looks fine with the neck on, but the pocket was literally chiseled at the factory. Presumably, it was a bad route and they crudely chiseled it out so the neck would seat in "properly" - or so that with the neck installed it would look okay. In order to actually get the Floyd to sit correctly, the neck pocket would need to be rerouted.

Again, I should have returned it, but figured I'd just set it up right as i have many, many times before on other guitars. I had no reference for how bad this thing was right from the factory.

It was the budget model - still no excuse. With this, the tuners were garbage. If not for the locking nut, they would have been basically unusable. Stock pickups were fine - even good, but have been replaced.

It's mine now... Basically all hardware and electronics have been replaced and it is my backup gigging guitar. Looks really cool! But wow! I have never imagined buying a guitar from a reputable brand with these kinds of issues. I wish now that I'd just spent the same money on a Harley Benton.

fwiw

 

[shupe13]

I love the classic 80s look of the Pacer body. IMO, it really is a perfect modernization of the Strat design. I also remember the Kramer necks from the 80s. Never owned one of the originals, but the ones I happened to play were special/unique.

With that (and not to rain on this thread's parade, but...) I got a Pacer Classic last Spring. I should have returned it, but started modding it before I realized how jacked up it was.

The first concern is the Floyd that won't sit parallel to the body. Not tilted forward (spring tension). Higher on the bass side. Lower on the treble side... And this is not subtle. Probably a quarter inch difference. Still functional, but of course this affects the knife edge contact with the posts so it feels clunky when used compared to a properly positioned Floyd.

I could not figure this out. Neck seems fine (even though it's too thin for my preferences - wish they hadn't changed the 80s neck profile.) Then I removed the neck...

The neck pocket is a total mess - Looks fine with the neck on, but the pocket was literally chiseled at the factory. Presumably, it was a bad route and they crudely chiseled it out so the neck would seat in "properly" - or so that with the neck installed it would look okay. In order to actually get the Floyd to sit correctly, the neck pocket would need to be rerouted.

Again, I should have returned it, but figured I'd just set it up right as i have many, many times before on other guitars. I had no reference for how bad this thing was right from the factory.

It was the budget model - still no excuse. With this, the tuners were garbage. If not for the locking nut, they would have been basically unusable. Stock pickups were fine - even good, but have been replaced.

It's mine now... Basically all hardware and electronics have been replaced and it is my backup gigging guitar. Looks really cool! But wow! I have never imagined buying a guitar from a reputable brand with these kinds of issues. I wish now that I'd just spent the same money on a Harley Benton.

fwiw

The Pacer body is perfect for me. It's ridiculously comfortable standing and sitting!

So far all the new Kramers I've played have been fine. The Nightswan had gritty frets out of the box but the Pacer was fine. Fit, finish and fret work are pretty impressive at their price point. I'd like the '84 in white.

 

[3bolt79]

I had an SM-1, but sold it. I got a matching set of Kramer Pacer Vintage with JB and Jazz and OFR’s that were old warehouse stock. One for me and one for my son. 500 bux each. I also have a polka dot NightSwan. That is my favorite. Will get one in Aztec finish maybe next year. I had to do lots of work on the Swan. Level and crown, lower the Floyd nut. polish the frets.

I have also briefly owned, and sent back, an 84, a Baretta Vintage, Focus 211, and Baretta Special. Those were junk.

I also traded a Kramer Pacer Classic that I rehabbed for a Gibson LP Studio. It was more or less a parts guitar.