Kramer v Charvel

[CharvelRocker]

Don't know where you got that info, CR.
Personally, I have played some great Beretta's and would put them up against an early J/C any time. Focus, I've only run into a couple, in the old store, and the ST line was always their "Charvette". But some of the ST's weren't all that bad, either.

Its well known ESP made a ton of the USA Kramers. And Kramer had about 5 Charvette lines. The 100 Series, the Aerostars, the Strikers, the XLs, and probably one I am forgetting.

[nhspike]

I've always liked my Kramer guitars.
Every time I pull out my Kramer Imperial and play it, I'm blown away with a number of things.
The neck is sweet, the body is heavy, pickups are screaming, and, well... OFR... how can that be hated.
The strings are like little rubber bands... that's the easiest way to explain it.
It does what I want it to do... and more... that's another way to splain it.
But, as with all things, to each his own n stuff.
There is truth in the company history previously described above, I get that.

But there is truth in the mojo as well.

If you've not had a good one in your hands, well, when you do get one in your mitts you may decide to own at least "one".

I know I do.

[Cygnus X1]

Holy Shit ! we have a traitor BAN HIM @!!!!!!:ROTF:

I only own one Kramer. And it's a project guitar.
The Jackson, and the Charvie stay true to the way they were intended.
Well, mostly, anyways.

[Cygnus X1]

I don't get why people blow loads over every Kramer they see either.

EVH Nostalgia, perhaps?

[nhspike]

EVH Nostalgia, perhaps?

There is truth in that.
Back in '86 or so, when my first marriage went down the toilet, and I had time and emotional energy on my hands I bought my Kramer Imperial.

I traded in my amp-in-the-box Peavey for it that one.

Anyhow... it was me, and a tab notation of Ice Cream Man that got me through it all.

LOL

I'm not shitting you when I say I played for 10-14 hours a day during that 1 or 2 year stretch.

I had issues.

:/

[Bengal]

I don't get why people blow loads over every Kramer they see either. I know people see those junky Strikers and go nuts for them. Kramer was a shady ass company who built a good chunk of their "USAs" in Japan and flooded the market with crap.

So what if ESP made a bunch of Kramer stuff. ESP makes good stuff. So how is that bad? Is it also bad that Cort makes a bunch of Ibanez stuff? Just because a company farms out some production to another company doesn't make them bad by any means.

I'm guessing you have not played a decent Kramer. I use to HATE them, then I got a USA Baretta and that thing smoked. Now I have a Focer and it smokes most guitars I lay hands on. Something about them, like Spike said, heavy bodies, great necks, OFR bridge, hot pickups, just good shit.

Or are you just trying to cash in on the "We Hate ESP" sentiment?

I don't think people "blow their loads" over Kramer because of EVH. I think there is a lot of confusion out there about Kramers and what is a good one and what isn't.

[jacksoncsplayer]

:ROTF: I honestly haven't played enough kramers to form an honest opinion, something about the bananna headstock and the look of the body. I dig the fact that they used good parts.

[CharvelRocker]

So what if ESP made a bunch of Kramer stuff. ESP makes good stuff. So how is that bad? Is it also bad that Cort makes a bunch of Ibanez stuff? Just because a company farms out some production to another company doesn't make them bad by any means.

I'm guessing you have not played a decent Kramer. I use to HATE them, then I got a USA Baretta and that thing smoked. Now I have a Focer and it smokes most guitars I lay hands on. Something about them, like Spike said, heavy bodies, great necks, OFR bridge, hot pickups, just good shit.

Or are you just trying to cash in on the "We Hate ESP" sentiment?

I'm not saying its bad. I'm just saying Kramer was a shady company for having stuff made in Japan and still stamping MADE IN USA on their instruments. Ibanez has guitars made by Cort, but they say Made in Indonesia on them, not Made in Japan.

[Bengal]

I'm not saying its bad. I'm just saying Kramer was a shady company for having stuff made in Japan and still stamping MADE IN USA on their instruments. Ibanez has guitars made by Cort, but they say Made in Indonesia on them, not Made in Japan.

So you don't think Charvel is shady for putting a Texas address on their neckplate?

[Cygnus X1]

I'm not saying its bad. I'm just saying Kramer was a shady company for having stuff made in Japan and still stamping MADE IN USA on their instruments. Ibanez has guitars made by Cort, but they say Made in Indonesia on them, not Made in Japan.

Huh. My Charvel Model 88 has a Fort Worth, TX plate on it.
The Kramer ST300 has a Neptune, NJ plate on it it. Neither one
says "Made in USA".

[thetroy]

Charvel didn't lie outright, they just didn't tell the truth. It's slightly better. Only slightly though...

[Bengal]

Charvel didn't lie outright, they just didn't tell the truth. It's slightly better. Only slightly though...

All that did was create confusion. We know it, we see it about every week here when someone askes if their Model 2 is USA made.

Just because the parts were made in Japan then assembled in the USA, doesn't that mean it was "made" in the USA? I don't think Kramer did anything wrong here.

Lets not forget the Fender HM Strats that were made in Japan but had Fender USA on the neckplate. A lot of companies did some shit like that back in the day.

[CharvelRocker]

But Kramer did indeed advertise there guitars as USA or Made in USA. Charvel and others didn't. And btw, I would not mind a Beretta or sometime. I'm just saying, Kramer stepped over the line IMO.

[Bengal]

But Kramer did indeed advertise there guitars as USA or Made in USA. Charvel and others didn't. And btw, I would not mind a Beretta or sometime. I'm just saying, Kramer stepped over the line IMO.

But if it was assembled in the USA it could be called "made" in the USA. It's a stretch, I know. Some serious gray area there but I think thats what they would say is going on.

[nhspike]

:ROTF: I honestly haven't played enough kramers to form an honest opinion, something about the bananna headstock and the look of the body. I dig the fact that they used good parts.

I believe the official term for that is the "Wanker" headstock

hehehe