“A painstaking tribute to the guitar that changed music forever”: Kramer’s MIJ 1983 Baretta reissue offers a detailed recreation of the shred guitar that, with a little help from Eddie Van Halen, made it the biggest guitar brand of the ’80s

Kramer 1983 Baretta Reissue.

At one point, Kramer was the most in-demand guitar brand in the world. That accomplishment was due in no small part to Eddie Van Halen’s 1981 endorsement of the firm, and a few years later, its super-sleek Baretta build.

The Baretta was itself partly inspired by Van Halen’s custom-made Kramer 5150, and early builds were produced in the US at Kramer’s New Jersey base, using predominantly Japanese parts.