Six String Synopsis:
In 1974, Travis Bean and Gary Kramer founded Travis Bean Guitars. The fledgling company was renowned for innovations in guitar building. In particular, Travis Bean used machined aluminium through necks with a distinctive hollow ‘T’ headstock. While widely admired, commentators noted the heaviness of the construction and, as aluminium is a good conductor heat, Travis Bean necks felt cold to the touch. In late 1975 Kramer left Travis Bean and joined up with Dennis Berardi (instrument retailer and guitarist) and Peter LaPlaca (former Norlin vice president) to found Kramer Guitars, opening their factory in July 1976, located in Neptune, New Jersey, USA. The first Kramer instruments left the factory later that year. The key to Kramer’s success was to produce a more affordable guitar still using aluminium necks but with a more traditional feel. The cast aluminium necks – Kramer called them ‘alumi-necks’ – were bolt-on and had wood inserts in the back of the neck. Kramer guitars and basses featured a ‘tuning fork’ headstock and a synthetic ebonol fingerboard. Gary Kramer left the company within a year leaving Berardi and Laplaca to run the business, still using the Kramer trademark.
By 1978, Kramer had several lines including the 250, 350, 450 and 650 G (guitar) and B (bass) series, as well as the DMZ series using DiMarzio pickups. By 1980, designs were developing into more radical outlines to appeal to the 1980’s glam rock and heavy metal guitarists (e.g. the XL and XK Series). The ratio of basses to guitars produced was about 4:1, primarily because of bass players’ were more receptive to experimentation. 1981 saw the introduction of the Steinberger‑like The Duke guitars and basses featuring downsized bodies, still with aluminium necks and headstock‑less necks. The Duke series were the last American models to use aluminium neck construction. Around the same time, Kramer started migrating to more traditional guitar materials including all‑wood necks. Kramer teamed up with guitarist and endorsee, Eddie Van Halen, which heavily influenced future designs, including the use of Floyd Rose vibratos. From 1985, Kramer started mass production, manufacturing instruments in Japan and Korea. Kramer became top‑selling guitars in 1985 and 1986, cementing their success and beating their main rivals at the time, Charvel and Jackson.
To the surprise of many in late 1989, Kramer filed for bankruptcy. The company continued trading selling imported guitars, while closing the Neptune facility in New Jersey. Kramer ceased trading in January 1991. By the mid‑1990s, Kramer guitars were completely out of fashion and they basically couldn’t be given away, let alone sold as a business concern. In the spring of 1995, Kramer Music Industries, Inc, (KMI) was formed in Eatontown, New Jersey with investment from previous stakeholders but it didn’t last long. Gibson Music Corp. finally acquired Kramer in autumn 1997 and the brand remains part of the Gibson stable today, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Kramer guitars are now built by Gibson’s Epiphone division.
In 2005, Gary Kramer, the original founder of Kramer Guitars, teamed up with luthier Leo Scala and returned to guitar building with boutique models including the Delta Wing guitar under the brand name, Gary Kramer Guitars (GKG). The new company is not related to the Gibson‑owned Kramer brand.
Kramer’s official website is… Kramer Guitars
Gary Kramer Guitars website is… Gary Kramer Guitars
Check out the Kramer page on Wikipedia… Wikipedia
Some famous Kramer instruments include…
450B, 450G, 650B, 650G, The Duke, Baretta, Pacer, Stagemaster, Vanguard, Voyager, XL/XK series, Classic, NightSwan, Ripley, Spector, Condor, Challenger, Liberty, Invader, Focus, Aerostar
Some famous Kramer guitar players include…
John Bon Jovi, Vivian Campbell (Whitesnake), Elliott Easton (Cars), Sammy Hagar, Scotty Hill (Skid Row), Paul Dean (Lover Boy), Howard Leese (Heart), George Lynch, Mick Mars (Motley Crue), Rick Neilson (Cheap Trick), Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Gene Simmons (KISS), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Eddie Van Halen, Nancy Wilson (Heart), Dweezil Zappa
Parent Company… Gibson Guitar Corporation
Related Company… Gary Kramer Guitars
Links to CRAVE Guitars Kramer Features:
1983 Kramer The Duke Deluxe Bass
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