Kramer Marks 50th Anniversary with New Malina Moye Pacer Deluxe Signature Model
Kramer celebrates 50 years with the Malina Moye Pacer Deluxe signature guitar, featuring HSS DiMarzio pickups and available in left-handed models.
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Kramer
Dennis Berardi, Gary Kramer, Peter LaPlaca and Phil Petillo started Kramer in Neptune Township, New Jersey, in 1976, and the brand's rise through the 1980s owed a lot to one endorsement: Eddie Van Halen's Kramer guitars, fitted with Floyd Rose trems that actually held their tuning through a dive-bomb. Heavy advertising spend and a string of legal disputes caught up with the company by the end of the decade, and the original Kramer effectively folded in bankruptcy in January 1991. Gibson bought the name in 1997 and now builds Kramer models through Epiphone, leaning into the brand's 80s shred-guitar identity with reissues of the original Baretta and Pacer shapes. Anniversary reissues and Van Halen-era gear stories are what we cover most. Here's what we've written.
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5150 Holy Grails: Eddie Van Halen’s Studio Kramer Guitars—Complete with Smoked Cigarette Butts—Up for Auction
Eddie Van Halen's studio-used 5150 Kramer guitars built by tech Zeke Clark hit auction at Backstage Auctions, starting at $50k each.
Founded1976
Based inNashville, Tennessee, USA
FounderDennis Berardi, Gary Kramer, Peter LaPlaca and Phil Petillo
Parent companyGibson
Articles here9
Makes
- Electric guitars
- Bass guitars
Known for
- Baretta
- Pacer
- SM-1
- Nightswan
- Striker
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Kramer FAQ4 questions
Who owns Kramer?
Gibson. Kramer was founded in Neptune Township, New Jersey in 1976 by Dennis Berardi, Gary Kramer, Peter LaPlaca and Phil Petillo, and the brand is now run from Nashville, Tennessee as part of Gibson alongside Epiphone and Mesa/Boogie.
Why did Kramer use aluminium necks?
That was the original idea of the company. Kramer produced aluminium-necked electric guitars and basses through the 1970s before switching to wooden necks in the 1980s, when the brand refocused on hard rock and metal players. The aluminium-neck instruments are now a collectors' niche.
What is a Kramer Baretta?
The single-humbucker, Floyd Rose-equipped superstrat that defined Kramer in the 1980s. Its association with the decade's guitar playing — Eddie Van Halen's endorsement above all — made Kramer one of the biggest names in the market before the 1990s turned against that style.
Are current Kramers the same as 1980s ones?
They are modern instruments carrying the same model names, built under Gibson ownership rather than continuing an unbroken line. The current range recreates the classic shapes at accessible prices, but a 2020s Baretta and a 1985 Baretta are different products.