Kramer Guitars Baretta Vintage
BODY: Maple
NECK: Maple
SCALE: 25.5”
FINGERBOARD: Maple
FRETS: 22
PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan JN (neck),
Seymour Duncan JB (bridge) with
series/parallel tap
HARDWARE: Floyd Rose 1000 Series
Tremolo, Kramer 14:1 machine heads
FINISH: Pure White, Orange Burst
with Tiger Graphic
AT A GLANCE
BODY: Alder
NECK: 3-piece Maple
SCALE: 25.5”
FINGERBOARD: Maple
FRETS: 22
PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan JN (neck),
Seymour Duncan JB (middle), Seymour
Duncan JB (bridge) with coil-split switch
HARDWARE: Floyd Rose 1000 Series
Tremolo, Die cast machine heads
FINISH: Alpine White,
Candy Apple Red
AT A GLANCE
TOTAL GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2020
90
That’s quite a finish…
You certainly won’t go unnoticed with this hanging around your
neck, decorated with the same kind of stripes seen on George
Lynch’s 1986 signature. There is also a Pure White version for
those wanting something less outrageous.
Is that the classic Seymour Duncan JB/JN set?
Why, yes it is – and they’re still hard to beat for rock tones. Better
still, each volume control doubles up as series/parallel switch for its
pickup, and there’s a 002mf capacitor bleed circuit to retain treble
Isn’t that Richie Sambora’s old signature?
Pretty much – and it continues to be one of the best-selling Kramers
out there. It’s easy to see why, this is a Superstrat that feels more
like an actual Strat – the elliptical C-pro le neck feels meatier,
there’s a ve-way selector and the body is made out of alder, which
is more rounded than the maple-bodied Pacers. The option to split
two of the humbuckers allows for true single-coil sizzle, whereas
options to tap into parallel usually result in a sound somewhere
in between.
frequencies when volumes are down. So, a lot of tonal
ground covered.
Where’s the pickup selector?
It’s a three-way mini-toggle found beneath the bridge volume
knob. For most, this will function well enough and makes for a tidy
front, but if you’re the kind of guitarist who constantly switches
back and forth, this particular design makes the control slightly
less accessible. Then again, it’s worth remembering this is an
instrument aimed at rock players who mainly live on the bridge,
except for clean sections and solos high up the neck.
What else is different about this guitar?
While the other instruments in this round-up have a fl at 14”
ngerboard radius, this particular model is even fl atter still at 16” –
which makes it incredibly playable. The addition of gold hardware
also works especially well against this Alpine White nish.
Doesn’t that middle humbucker get in the way?
To be fair, three humbuckers can often feel a bit excessive – both
visually and tonally – but here, it’s a most welcome addition.
Dialling in more cleans and crunches than other 80s rock guitarists,
clearly Sambora needed something that could handle it all...
PACER
VINTAGE
Cause I saw tiger, now I understand…
JERSEY
STAR
Bad medicine is what you need
TH
E G
AS
S
T
A
T
I
O
N
£699
£1049
TGR336.gear_test.indd 90 13/08/2020 11:27