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.

Amazing guitar for the money. It keeps the 80s vibe at a very low price. The pickup sounds great and the painting is flawless. However, I am looking foward to upgrading the bridge for a Floyd Rose (holes and nut modification needed) and changing the pickups and the pot, which is a LONG POT. I have put some locking tuners and the tune stability is really decent. The only negative aspects I can find is that the strings are hard to bend out of the box and the guitar needs some adjustments and fret polishing.

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!