Kramer Guitars Baretta Special CB

I really, really wanted this maple neck on mahogany body Indonesian, built in 2020, after stripping down to essentials (1 bridge pickup, 1 volume) many other guitars. Just to turn up the volume and try licks for hours and hours - no fiddling with a 5-way switch, tone setup, tremolo.

Thinner than a basswood/alder/poplar, with rounded edges and the body has a lot of sustain, even though by not having extra cavities for neck and middle pickups - the electronics cavity is quite large.

I found the neck with 2-parts angled headstock and a large joint inviting the hand to move up and down, maybe because of the non-compound 12 inches radius (sic!) - thinner than a C-shape, thicker than a Gio or JS equivalent. Not 24 frets - so what ? Laquered, not oiled, but not in a glossy style.

Pickup - I bet the average ear will not find the differences from a real JB, either clear or distorted - I didn't.

Tremolo - just to be ignored and used as a hardtail (pity that the iconic heritage led to maintaining this part).

Tuning keys - on my guitar are regularly going out of tune, even not played aggressively and the knob screws tightened.

Out-of-the box, the truss rod, action (surprisingly low for an entry level factory setup) and pickup height were fine for me.

Electronics and grounding - one will want to change the volume pot or at least to use a drop of kontakt und tuner spray to avoid the noises it generates, and to cut the excess of wiring.

Painting: no flaws found. Color didn't count for buying.

Barreta Special might not be the ideal all-round-your-first-electric-guitar, but those looking for simplicity of playing and sound will add it on the wish list.

I bought it after owning 5 guitars ranging from 500$ up to 1600$. This guitar feels like it costs at least 6x its price easily. The only downsides I could find are the plastic nut and vintage-style tremolo. This guitar really does need a Floyd, as it was not designed for a regular tremolo. This is not terrible but I definetely feel it, given the guitar gets out of tune more often than my other guitars. Putting some graphite from a pencil definetely helps but doesn't solve the problem completely.

Nevertheless, I bought this guitar to mod it with a Floyd Rose, as there is no blue Baretta available and I really dig the single slanted pickup. I did not expect it, but even though I did not install the Floyd yet and the guitar annoyingly gets out of tune every 30-40 minutes of playing, I find myself playing it much more often than any of my other guitars, costing way way more. It is just so easy and comfortable to play that you don't wan't to play anything else afterwards, especially compared to Les Pauls. The looks of the guitar contributes to this just as much. If you like the 80s and like Blue, just get this guitar. Even by looking at it the cost will pay off for you. The color and the painting are perfect, so is the Kramer font on the headstock.

The neck is thin and wide, which is perfect for my taste. The weight of the guitar is also something to point out as playing it standing is fantastic. It is very lightweight and, switching to it after Les Pauls, my back keeps saying thank you to me. The guitar is a little bit headstock heavy because of this though but the lower weight is more important for me. The biggest surprise, however, and the greatest part of this guitar, apart from its neck, was the pickup. It is simly amazing, especially for playing the 80s stuff.

Overall, except for the tremolo and the plastic nut, I did not find any problems with this guitar. If you like the color and a slanted pickup, I definetely recommend getting it and possibly modifying in the future. If you just want a Baretta, I would recommend the version with the stock Floyd Rose, as it solves all the beforementioned problems and adds to the coolness of this guitar. Hail to the 80s!

For any potential buyers I just want to say first off that this guitar is an absolute shredding machine especially for the price. I had just gotten it today and out of the box it does need a setup but thats expected for a guitar of this price and once setup its incredible. The neck is so comfortable and slim and has the right amount of weight and heftiness to it. My only criticism is that the volume control knob is so fragile and actually cracked with very little pressure applied to it so I would recommend replacing that part regardless of its condition. The bridge supports use of a whammy bar and is great to use when set up. The only thing is if you want to use the whammy bar at its best, I strongly suggest removing the middle coil spring located on the back of the guitar and adjusting the bridge accordlingly to get the best performance when using the whammy bar. The pickups are actually incredible which I didn't expect for a guitar this cheap so its definitely very budget friendly. The only thing I will say is that the baretta sacrfices versatility but thats definitely not a bad thing if what you bought it for was to play hard rock and metal particularly from bands of the 80s like Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Kiss, Twisted Sister and Motley Crue just to name a few notable artists that this Kramer Baretta is built for. If you want to play classic rock and metal particuarly from the 80s, the Kramer Baretta is literally your best friend for the job. I highly recommend this guitar!!

I met this guitar by accident, during wasting time on Youtube. She's got my attention and curiosity immediately. Some features are still suprising for me, so I will go straight to the pros and cons.

Pros:
+ Mahogany body - unusually at this price; guitar has great sustain and sound "from the plank"
+ Very nice Alnico humbucker with clear and aggressive sound
+ Classic tremolo bridge
+ She looks absolutly beautiful, candy blue painting is amaizing
+ With all features, this is very cheap guitar
+ You can feel like Eddie Van Halen

Cons:
- At my model, slight visual defects on machine heads and neck
- Maybe she's little fast detuning, but I will try different strings
- For some guitarist just one pickup and knob can be problem

Summary: I think, maybe this is no perfect guitar for beginner, but great for guitarist who wants try something new for little money. Especially for playing Hard Rock or Heavy Metal from 70s and 80s. Just remember the spandex pants.

I orderd this Baretta in order to updgrade it a little. Didn't have to do much. Changed the volume knob, tuning machines and the bridge. The pickup actually sounds amazing, I have a Kramer '84 with a Seymour Duncan which sounds amazing and still the Baretta Special sounds killer too. The bridge was kind of standart Strato style and I changed it for a VegaTrem Vt1 UltraTrem. Easy to install by the way. I installed Schaller locking Tuners M6 and changed the knob for a Q-parts Dome with Abalone. The action is set perfectly, ready to shred. Neck feels amazing, soft and slim. Intonation is perfect. Woods are great, maple neck is good quality and the mahagony body delivers a lot of sound. Note that the head is glued with the neck, and still it is made very clever to avoid any weakness right on the spot where the neck ends and the head starts. They moved to joint a little up. Looks good tow. Price is amazing for this great sounding guitar. All you need to do is a few upgrades here and there and ready to rock where ever you want. Finish is amazing, nothing sloppy. Very accurate and nicely finished.

I accidentally came across this guitar on the Internet . I was very surprised at the price of such a legendary instrument . After reading the owners ' reviews, we decided to place an order . And here she was . I was amazed by the quality of this guitar . After adjusting the anchor (the neck was slightly concave), we lowered the strings. 1.5 mm on 22 frets and nothing rings-super ! The neck is perfectly smooth, and the Frets are neatly folded, like on premium guitars . The body is painted perfectly and in combination with the maple neck looks very beautiful . Now the most important thing is the sound . Given that this guitar is an inexpensive pickup, it sounds great . I can imagine what it would sound like if you put something from Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan on it . I have something to compare it with . Over time, I'll probably put on my favorite Dimarzio Super distortion . The only drawback is that there is no tremolo at all . It just doesn't work . What do you want for this price ?! I would also change the tuners . They do their job normally, but I like a smoother setup. In short, if you want a non-expensive and very high-quality instrument, take this guitar, I recommend it . And after a small upgrade, you will get a high-class instrument . And as always, I want to thank you Thomann.de for excellent products, prices and service .