Kramer guitars began their business by manufacturing aluminum-necked guitars in the 1970s, and then changing over to wooden-neck guitars, catering primarily to the hard rock musicians.
EddieVanHalen5150Guitar
Kramer is now a division of Gibson, and is still a popular brand. However, it was most popular in 1985 and 1986, actually reaching the status of the best selling brand for those two years. Kramer manufactures a quality instrument, but the endorsements it received from such heavyweight rock musicians like Richie Sambora, Eddie Van Halen and Vivian Campbell, surely helped in acquiring even more buyers.
The Kramer brand effectively came to an end in 1990, due mainly to financial problems. After spending vast amounts of money on advertising and endorsements, and then losing a lawsuit to Floyd D. Rose (over royalties), the end looked inevitable. Henry Vaccaro, an original investor, attempted to revive the business, but only managed to produce a few hundred instruments.
Gary Kramer, the original founder, and namesake of Kramer Guitars had left the company shortly after it took off and moved to California. In 2005 Kramer started another guitar manufacturing operation, Gary Kramer Guitars.
The Kramer name was to be purchased from bankruptcy by Gibson Guitar Corporation, with their Epiphone division producing guitars and basses under the Kramer name since the late 1990s. They are mainly sold factory-direct through the MusicYo.com Website.
There has been a renewed interest in the Kramer brand, encouraging Epiphone to release classic Kramer models, including the '1984 Model', (a homage to Eddie Van Halen's famous "5150" guitar used from 1984-1991) the "Jersey Star;" (a homage to the Richie Sambora signature 1980s Kramer) and most recently, the "1985 Baretta Reissue (A standard slant-pickup Baretta)". These high-end instruments are assembled in the USA from American components.
Kramer has also released a 'Striker' controller for Guitar Hero III for the PS2. A Kramer Focus was also available as an in-game guitar, as was one of the earlier aluminum neck model Kramers. The Kramer Fatboy has been featured in Guitar Hero III:Legends of Rock, and Guitar Hero Aerosmith.
There are many Kramer players and collectors around, and the Internet has been a great way to bring them together. There are numerous sites devoted to these legendary guitars and basses. Go to VintageKramer.com, KramerForum.com, and KramerNaniaxe.com for more information.
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