United States · Est. 1976
Kramer Guitars
The brand synonymous with Eddie Van Halen and the 1980s hair metal explosion, Kramer's aluminium-necked and superstrat designs shaped an entire era.
About the brand
Kramer Guitars was founded in 1976 by Gary Kramer and Dennis Berardi in Neptune, New Jersey. The brand's earliest instruments featured aluminium necks — an innovative but polarising design choice that gave the guitars a distinctive look and feel. When Eddie Van Halen began playing modified Kramer guitars in the early 1980s, the brand's fortunes were transformed overnight.
Van Halen's endorsement made Kramer the best-selling guitar brand in America by 1985. The 5150, Baretta, and Pacer models became the go-to instruments for the hair metal scene, with artists like Richie Sambora and Mick Mars following Van Halen's lead. Floyd Rose tremolo systems became standard equipment on virtually the entire Kramer range.
Kramer went bankrupt in 1990, a casualty of the over-expansion driven by its brief period of dominance. Gibson acquired the brand in 1997, and Kramer was revived in 2009 with reissues of the classic 1980s models. The brand remains a nostalgia-driven proposition, but the reissues have genuine quality and historical authenticity.
Key facts
- Founded in 1976 in Neptune, New Jersey
- Eddie Van Halen's endorsement made Kramer America's best-selling brand in 1985
- 5150 and Baretta models are defining instruments of 1980s hard rock
- Revived by Gibson in 2009 with accurate reissues of the classic 1980s catalogue
Iconic models
Kramer Baretta
Eddie Van Halen's guitar of choice throughout the 80s, with its single-cutaway body and pickup-selector-free design that became a rock icon.
Kramer Striker
The more affordable version of the Kramer 80s catalog, which brought the superstrat design to the mass market at the height of hair metal.
Kramer Pacer
One of the first Kramer models with an aluminum neck and banana headstock, a symbol of the brand's avant-garde spirit before adopting the superstrat format.
Kramer Nightswan
Kramer's exclusive offset body design, associated with Vivian Campbell and recognizable by its unique silhouette within the brand's catalog.