Kramer 1983 Baretta Reissue Electric Guitar Ebony

The Kramer 1983 Baretta Reissue is a faithful recreation of an archetypal Superstrat for hard rock and metal guitarists. Initially styled as an Eddie Van Halen signature model, the Baretta took several cues from illustrious instruments in his collection, including the infamous Frankenstrat, which inspired the Baretta’s Floyd Rose tremolo system, diagonally positioned bridge humbucker and single volume control. Scores of innovative rock and metal guitarists gravitated to the Kramer Baretta as a powerfully simplistic platform that allowed them to push the boundaries of their playing, and Kramer electric guitars skyrocketed to the pinnacle of popularity by the mid ’80s. The Kramer 1983 Baretta Reissue harkens back to an explosive era in electric guitar history, during which generational talents forged contemporary techniques and new sounds with a forcefully influential instrument in their hands.

Definitive ’80s Double Cutaway

The soul of the ’83 Baretta Reissue is a maple double-cut body owning plenty of curves and contours consistent with a Superstrat-style electric guitar. The cornerstone of a hard rock and metal workhorse is comfort that facilitates efficiency, made possible by the 1983 Kramer Baretta’s extensive belly carve and exaggerated arm contour that puts the picking hand in optimal position. Maple is dense and provides the Baretta a substantial feel despite its sculpted lines—as a tonewood, it’s lively and punchy, complementing high-gain amp settings with perceptible clarity. Favoring softer, rounder edges than similar high-performance instruments of the day, the Baretta’s outline is, at once, vintage-inspired and ever contemporary.

Original Floyd Rose Tremolo

Much of the fingerboard acrobatics taking place in the ’80s owes itself to the Floyd Rose tremolo. At the time, Kramer was the only electric guitar company installing Floyd Rose systems stock on production models, giving players a rock-solid tuning foundation and the opportunity to embellish solos and riffs with whammy flutters and dives. The Kramer 1983 Baretta is equipped with an Original Floyd Rose tremolo, R5 locking nut and Gotoh SG360 tuning machines. With one of the most stable floating bridge designs ever invented, even the most demanding techniques won’t push the Baretta out of tune.