It is a good time to be in the market for a shred-ready electric guitar with strong whiff of the ‘80s, because Kramer has just dropped a refresh of six of its most-popular models, and just looking at them would be enough to have veterans of Sunset Strip, 1984, swearing they can detect the heady scent of Aqua Net hairspray in the air.
Just look at the group pic at the top of the page. It’s a real motley crew, all right. Not pictured is the plain finished Assault single-cut, which is available as an online exclusive for 2024 in Jet Black Metallic (both right and left-handed), which might be loud enough when you consider that reverse banana headstock on a single-cut body, and is definitely loud enough in its Bumble Bee Yellow or Vice City Pink finishes.
The Assault Figured, meanwhile, pulls focus with its Magenta Perimeter and Caribbean Blue Perimeter stained AAA flame maple veneer finishes. The fundamental recipe across all these Assault variants is relatively consistent; mahogany bodies, Kramer USA Eruption humbuckers, which were wound by Gibson’s master luthier Jim DeCola, a Floyd Rose 1000 Series vibrato and dual-volume and master tone controls.
For those of a certain age, it is remarkable to think that these are effectively vintage-inspired. Joining the Escape, we have the Richie Sambora-approved Jersey Star, in Black Pearl and While Pearl finishes, gold hardware, with a trio of Kramer USA Neptune humbuckers and a Floyd Rose 1000 Series vibrato. Star inlays on the fingerboard for the win.
It would not be a Kramer release without an updated 84. This is one of the ür-shred guitars, the hot-rodded S-style that propagated the banana headstock back in the day. That Red Satin finish certainly captures the imagination, but you can pick one up in Bumblebee Yellow, Atlas Green, and Angel White.
Key details on this include the Floyd Rose 1000 series vibrato, the rear-mounted R2 locking nut (period correct, it should be said), and the Kramer USA Eruption humbucker at the bridge. There is just a volume control on these. Who needs tone anyway? The body is alder, the neck bolted-on maple, the fingerboard maple, and the ride is fast.
Another classic S-style speedster in this drop is the Pacer Carrera. Again, we’ve got a Floyd Rose 1000 Series vibrato, but Kramer has outsourced the pickups on these, giving them a classic Seymour Duncan pairing of a JB humbucker at the bridge, and an SH-2N Jazz at the neck – one of the all-time great electric guitar pickup combinations.
We also have a Nite-V, which is very Dave Mustaine, and not very ‘80s. This was first launched in 2008. It ships in Royal Blue Metallic and Crimson Metallic finishes, with the online exclusive option Jet Black Metallic.
These have a pair of Kramer USA Eruption humbuckers, a Tune-O-Matic bridge and string-through-body tailpiece, and a thermally aged maple neck that is bolted onto a mahogany body.
With SlimTaper C profile necks, these were not assembled to see how few notes you can play. Maximalist styles will be rewarded. All ship in a premium gig bag. For more details – and online exclusives, after all, we nearly neglected to mention that you can get a Wild Zebra Pacer and Red Bullseye 84 direct from Kramer – head on over to Kramer.
