MADE TO ROCK HARD
Made to Rock Hard. Born in 1976, the original hard rocking guitars of the 80s defined a new generation and a style of counter-cultural player oblivious to the rules. Kramer is fast, loud, statement-making, and continues to instigate shredders of all ages. For a time in the 1980s, Kramer was the world’s largest guitar brand based on the popularity of Eddie Van Halen and his use of Kramer guitars on stage and in studio.
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kramer
history
1976 - today
Unlike its 19th century brandmates, Kramer was born at a time when guitar rock was king. The wild, heavy sounds of the day pointed to a different kind of design, and this newcomer met the moment in record time.
The guitars and basses coming out of Kramer in the early days were truly exquisite examples of American lutherie, with walnut or maple inserts set in epoxy inside aluminum necks and bodies made of fancy woods such as curly or birdseye maple, walnut, and koa. The hardware was top-notch as well. When Kramer added a standard tremolo that could stay in tune through repeated, hard, hair-metal solos, the formula was complete.
In 1982, the relationship between Eddie and Kramer was forged.His embrace laid the foundation for Kramer’s meteoric rise in the 1980s — a number one artist wielding the top selling instrument, lighting a fire under a generation of guitar(and air guitar) heroes.
KRAMER FOUNDED (1976)
Early Kramer basses and guitars feature the trademark aluminum-reinforced necks with a fretboard made of ebonol — a material similar to the one used in bowling ball production. Kramer’s “T-neck” line lasts roughly until 1982.
GENE SIMMONS AXE BASS (1980)
Kramer’s first artist model is as over-the-top as the wildly costumed Kiss frontman who inspired it. The Gene Simmons bass is shaped to look like an executioner’s axe, with the strings up the handle and the pickups by the blade.
ROCKINGER TREMOLOS (1981)
Kramer sees that the guitar techniques of the early 1980s demand a tremolo system that will stay in tune through “whammy bar” acrobatics, and partners with a German inventor named Helmut Rockinger to offer a high-performance system.
EDDIE VAN HALEN GOES KRAMER (1982)
Kramer builds a small set of custom guitars for Eddie Van Halen. Throughout the 80s, classic Kramer designs like the SM-1, Nightswan and Barretta dominate MTV and magazine covers in the hands of guitar heroes like Vivian Campbell, Richie Sambora, and Elliot Easton.
FLOYD ROSE TREMOLOS STANDARD (1983)
Eventually, Kramer switches to Floyd Rose tremolos and makes them standard on all guitars. These quality stock components, along with Schaller tuning keys and Seymour Duncan pickups, are a huge competitive advantage over other manufacturers.
KRAMER JOINS GIBSON (1997)
Gibson purchases Kramer out of bankruptcy and reissues classic models assembled in the USA in addition to its guitars made overseas.
BRAND RELAUNCH (2020)
Gibson’s new owners and management team relaunch Kramer with the goal of reviving the irreverent brand. The motto “Made to Rock Hard” heralds the new Original, Modern, Artist, and Graphic collections.