krmer guitars

[kramerguitarsrule]

hello my fellow guitarists. I would like t tell you about in my opinion the best guitars. Kramer guitars. well Kramer guitars were built to rock hard and they still are OK this is sounding to professional well in my opinion the best thing that comes out of Gibson is Kramer i am not dissing Gibson they just don't catch my ear. but if you guys have never considered one they are great my personal favorites are the striker 211 custom and assault 220 fr a the bassest in my band uses a Kramer bass and it is divine i hope you all consider one cause they are great.

[stingx]

They pale in comparison to the originals built in the Neptune, NJ facility and they messed up the naming conventions on most models. Kramer ruled the roost for a few years in the 80s outselling Fender and Gibson combined. I own a vintage Pacer and I tried the new reissue. Close but no cigar.

[Duffy]

What happened, Stingx, to the Neptune facility? What is it today? What happened to the great ideas, designers, and skilled workers that made that whole excellent guitar thing happen? Don't tell me this is another example of "corporate greed" - selling out and moving off shore in an effort to rake in boat loads more of money, with little or no regard for the initial ideas, designs, and manufacturers; not to mention the workers.

I have no idea what happened. Maybe it was because they would have been way to expensive to sell today if they kept making them in Neptune. Maybe it was just another "great" Gibson management idea to move the operation off shore.

It would be interesting to see them open an Epiphone or Kramer plant back in the US and see if they can do it at a profit. With modern manufacturing practices used today I can't suppose that it would cost an inordinate amount to mass produce a guitar. You would think that it could be successfully done right here at home, with them still making a good profit - plus they would be creating decent jobs. I doubt if they have any committment to US workers and are primarily motivated by greed. Seems to me like a lot of these big corporate heads forgot where they came from, like old Scrooge.

[stingx]

Duffy, if you want the scoop read the attached link below. I have fond memories of the Neptune facility. I even met Eddie Van Halen there when he was flown in for promotional stuff. My Pacer was never babied and it was the only electric I owned for many years and it was played to death. It still looks brand new and plays fantastic. I love how the tuning keys say "Made in W. Germany" too! It's adds to the nostalgic feel. These guitars were the bomb!

http://vintagekramer.com/story.htm

Factory tour!

http://vintagekramer.com/company3.htm

You can also learn a lot about the company from wikipedia.org:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramer_Guitars

So sad how the mighty often fall.

[poodlesrule]

With modern manufacturing practices used today I can't suppose that it would cost an inordinate amount to mass produce a guitar. You would think that it could be successfully done right here at home, with them still making a good profit - plus they would be creating decent jobs.

I am with Duffy on this, and my engineering experience tells me that modern tools would make quick work of that, with quality output.
Marketing, distribution, even though large tasks, would benefit from modern means of communication. One can set up a kick-*** site and product release in a couple of days.