Kramer Condor

Solid-body acoustic (similar to Chet Atkins SST)
Locking Gotoh tuners
Cutaway
Pinless bridge
Built-in piezo pickup
Volume and Bass/Treble knob

For an acoustic electric guitar, it has most of what I need. I would have liled the guitar to comewith a pickguard of some sort to protect the face, but I guess cosmetically it would have looked awkward on the design.

I love the locking tuners as I don't have to spend time wrapping the strings around the pegs and it cut down my restringing time.

This guitar definitely is designed to be plugged in. The sound is good but with an acoustic DI preamp, it sounds nicer. I do notice that for recording, the guitar's low don't come through that well - but that's also true when I'm using a soundhole pickup too. Agian, the Acoustic DI makes a world of difference.

I play mostly rhythm guitar, some finger-picking in Country and Contemporary Worship music.

But compared to a lot of midrange guitar I've tried, the sound holds up and for the money, it was well worth it.

The guitar is very eye-catching because of the unique look. It's solid black. I can't complain about the finish, but I had to lower the action a little as it was a little high. It also comes in a natural color, but it didn't look as nice to me... The black one is sleek.

The guitar looks solid. I would gig with a new 9V battery as there is no battery indictor to let me know how much juice is left.

I am a little annoyed that there is only one strap button... But is is pretty solid.

MusicYo has awesome customer support in general. I didn't need it for this guitar, but previous experiences with them have made me a customer for life... (Much to my wife's dismay)

I've been playing for about 18 years. I have two other full body acoustics - Guild D4NT & a Martin D15M. My electrics include a Epiphone Les Paul, a Fender Strat, a Washburn HB30DL.

I bought the guitar as a novelty but find it to be a nice addition to my collection. Compared to the Epiphone Chet Atkins SST, I like the Condor better. Compared to the Gibson Chet Atkins SST, I like the Gibson much better... However, the Gibson is about 10x the price.

I did have trouble finding a case for this thing and the body shape is unusual...

Solid body guitar with under-saddle SHADOW piezo pickup, quality Gotoh tuners...basically - it plays like an electric and sounds like an acoustic.

It`s really a guitar that`s meant to be played through an amp or PA. For me, the real beauty of this guitar is that I can pick it up, plug in to the same amp I used on the last song, and get a great acoustic sound with a guitar that`s fast and comfortable to play with ZERO FEEDBACK

Finish and build quality was A1. Action was poor out of the box to be honest...needed a bit of a tweak

Solid and reliable guitar...gigged and rehearsed >12 months and no problems. One design flaw...only one strap button...shoelace anyone ???

Had a major problem with a cracked saddle which took a bit of sorting out...during which MusicYo proved to have the best customer service dept that I`ve ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Can`t say fairer than that.
I must also thank Joe Marinic at Shadow Electronics in Germany and Joe Melchiorre at Shadow Electronics USA - a couple of Top Guys...I`d deal with them again too...

Been playing guitar 20 years. I play a rick 330 or a Jim Reed telecaster through a yamaha dg100...all excellent pieces of kit...and the Condor fits in great and does a job that the other guitars can`t do.
I`m a fan

Solid body with hollowed out areas for acoustic resonance + spruce top. Under saddle piezo with built in active preamp with tone and volume knobs (runs on 9 volt battery). gotoh tuning pegs all lined up on one side like on Kramer electrics. I gather that they have stopped making this guitar, as it is no longer on the musicyo website. not all that many features, but that's the idea with solidbody acoustics - simplicity. Its ugly in a really pretty way.

This guitar definitely can sound large, when I turn up the bass and get that Jumbo sound, I want to weep. The more trebly settings sound a little bit thin, but with a good acoustic amp or preamp you can fix that. Because of the solid body and no soundhole, feedback simply doesn't exist at any volume (no matter how close you are to the amp).
Even though leadwork is super easy to play on the electric-esque neck, the sound is slightly lacking compared to a traditional acoustic, but I'm a strummer so it doesn't affect me all that much.
I'm playing this thing through a carvin ag100d acoustic amp/pa system and it sounds amazing, especially with some chorus to fill out the sound. It also sounds extremelly good directly into the 4 - track that my band records on.

the neck on this guitar is amazing, the frets are really clean and smooth and the action is very close to my fender electric and best of all there is very little buzzing. My Condor is black (the color which shows finish flaws the best) with white binding. The finish is pretty good, but there are some visible bumps when I examine it under the light. The binding is well done. The tuners are great (had it for a week and the tuning is still perfect without any adjustment). The only thing that looks really bad is the bridge. The dot inlays are cheap plastic and are crudely done and the bridge itself is rectangular (I just dont like rectangular bridges) With a replaced bridge this could be one of the prettiest guitars I've ever played.

Its a workhorse. I dont have to worry about bumping it like a traditional acoustic (My Martin got a 4 inch crack in the top from a ball point pen being dropped on it) I would gig with this guitar but I would make sure I had a backup in case the battery died. other than that, the guitar is extremely tough.

who knows?

I've been playing for 3 years. I own a Martin DM acoustic, a Fender Cyclone, an Epiphone LP junior and now this. I play these through the ag100d and through my fender Stagemaster100. my Martin has a Fishman rare Earth magnetic pickup and just didn't sound vibrant enough for some songs. I knew I needed a piezo. This guitar will never replace the Martin, but its really nice to have such a sturdy, reliable and playable (not to mention great sounding) guitar around. I can't believe the price was so low - definitly the best value piece of gear I own.

Spruce top, mahogany body. Active pre with volume & tone controls. Mahogany neck. String-thru bridge. Slim neck, 24 frets.

Great acoustic tone. Because it's a solid-body, there's absolutely NO feedback at all. Bought for recording purposes and it sounds great recorded direct in to the board. I can't emphasize enough how good this guitar records. Very full sound with no background noise.

Guitar came setup perfectly; just had to adjust tuning a bit. Guitar didn't contain any flaws. Action on this guitar is great. It plays really fast and because of the solid body, you don't have to worry about the guitar sliding away like some of those oval-shaped-backed models. This guitar has the feel of an electric. Think acoustic guitar that plays like an electric.

I've only had it for about 3 months so I can't speak on what will come. But, it seems of solid quality and i'd be surprised if anything would happen. It seems very built. I haven't played out live with it but that's only because I don't gig anymore. I wouldn't hesitate to, and it would probably hold up better than a traditional acoustic.

Ordered it from MusicYo.com. Didn't have any problems with service, but haven't had to deal with anything more than purchasing.

I have to admit that I read about this guitar on another music review site. You always have to be skeptical when you read such a GLOWING review for something but in this case, I'm glad I took the leap of faith.

Guitar is not my primary instrument and I already had a Fender "traditional" acoustic. I wanted something for recording that was easy to play with good tone. (I need all the help I can get). Bottom line is that this guitar sounds great and plays like an electric. A good purchase for my needs anyway.

this guitar was made in 1984 in the USA. its a 22 fret beast. it features a volume knob, tone knob and 3 way pickup selector switch. originally these things had 2 schaller pickups but the neck pickup on mine had been changed to some no name brand. its got a really nice metallic blue finish. it has an original floyd rose trem

it suits my style, METAL! i dont play anything else on it ever, the bridge pickup sounds really good with heaps of distortion, the neck pickup (some noname brand) sounds absolutley terrible. it doesnt matter cause i only ever use the brige pickup

the action was shocking when i bought the guitar, i got it off some guy who had absolutley no idea how to restring a guitar. the strings were to high a gauge and were pulling the bridge up heaps far, the trem only had 2 springs in the back. iv had it properly set up now and its great. it looks like its been refinished, from what i can tell it was originally gold in colour which would have been butt ugly

its all good

would if i could but i cant so i wont

i own a strat, bc rich virgin and the condor. i play it through a marshall JCM900 head into a 100wt marshall quadbox. if it were stolen i would hunt the person down and beat them to death with it, i couldnt buy a new one cause they were only made for a year in 1984. this guitar at the moment is my main axe

1985 Kramer Condor in bright candy apple metallic red. The Condor was a strange beast. It was made for one year only and is fairly rare. It's basically a Gibson Explorer body on crack. If you took an Explorer body and grabbed the top right horn and the bottom left corner, and then pulled on each and stretched the hell out of the body, you would get a Kramer Condor. I like it because it's so strange. People come over to my house and end up just looking at it in amazement that Kramer had the balls to produce something so wild. I guess it didn't go over very well since they only made them for 1 year.

In 1985, Kramer was using the banana(rounded end) headstocks, the one's on Eddie Van Halen's guitars. All Kramer's of the era had 1 5/8" Floyd Rose locking nuts. However, on special order you could get a super wide neck with a 1 3/4" nut and that's what my Condor has. Kramer had a real problem with the luthier joint coming apart on these 1984-85 banana headstock necks. They replaced a lot of them under warranty and in good faith. My Condor must have had one of the bad necks because now it has a late 1986 pointy end headstock neck(which actually matches the super pointy body better). I'm pretty much positive that Kramer replaced it themselves because you never find one of these 1 3/4" nut necks floating around......very, very rare.....and the standard neck is not as wide and would leave gaps at the body joint.

From 1982 to 1985, all USA Kramers were full of Schaller parts....pickups, electronics, tuning keys, Floyd Rose(really made by Schaller in W. Germany), etc. The Condor has 2 Schaller humbuckers, 1 volume and 1 tone knob. The body, I'm guessing is Alder.

The Condor is so strange looking, it's pretty much a heavy rock and metal machine. I think you'd get thrown off stage if you played anything else with it. I love these old Schaller humbuckers. They remind me a lot of a DiMarzio Super Distortion. They sound great and give a good heavy distortion sound. I don't bother trying to do anything else with them.

I got this guitar in 1999 so it was already 14 years old. I have several Kramer guitars from this era and I have to say that whatever kind of paint Kramer was using at the time is absolutely kick-ass! This stuff is tough. These guitars will not ding, that paint is so thick and strong, it will only chip if whacked really hard. I have a 1985 Kramer Vanguard(Rhoads V) that was seriously abused and chipped to hell all over but not a single ding in the wood. I refinished it and it looks like new now. My Condor has a few minor chips on the corners but no biggie. Everything fits well and works properly.

There's something magical about the feel of these old Kramers. It's hard to explain. They don't ooze with the quality of something like a Jackson USA custom shop neck-thru guitar. They feel more like that perfect project guitar that you wanted to build and all the parts came together perfectly. I think I see why Eddie like them so much. Kramer is one of the few companies that knew how to setup a Floyd Rose correctly.

I don't see anything on my guitar that would cause any kind of concern in regards to reliability/durability. If you have 1984-85 Kramer USA neck with the luthier joint, chances are it's going to come apart or has already been fixed. Mine was replaced with a late 86 pointy headstock Kramer USA neck.

Who knows? Kramer was a great guitar company that cheapened themselves out starting in 1986 when they started outsourcing all neck and bodies to ESP in Japan and some cheapo place in Korea. It caught up to them and within 4 years they went from the #1 guitar company to bankruptcy. There's a lesson to be learned here!!! Jackson, are you listening??? Your new line of lowend guitars from China and Indonesia SUCK more than anything Kramer ever put out from Korea.

I like weird shaped guitars. I've got at least one of all the weird body shaped Kramer's from the 80's. I espcially like the Voyager, star shaped body. This one hangs on my wall along with all the other wierdo Kramer's. I do play it occasionally and it is a wonderful guitar. Nobody is making cool guitars like this now with the same high quality parts. The Jackson bolt-on "Professional" series stuff from Japan is pretty close I guess.

This one is a keeper to me. It's a goofy looking beast that is almost embarassing to play in front of people. I like it because it's so strange.

Kramer Condors were only made for about one year, 1985. Needless to say, the are fairly rare. It is a USA bolt on "explorer" shape, rosewood board on a 22 fret maple neck, I'm not sure what the body wood is. One tone, one volume, and a 3 way switch control the two Schaller humbucker pick ups. Original Floyd Rose. All the hardware on the Kramers of the era is Schaller. I have several USA Kramers, and the Condor has the thinnest, fastest neck. I love the hockey stick headstocks.

Kramer is best known for Eddie Van Halen dive bombs and fast playing. While the guitar is great for that style, I also use it for blues and ballads. Schaller pick ups are excellent in my opinion. Good clean sound, awesome distortion sound. I use a Fender Princeton Chorus amp. You have to deal with the Floyd Rose if that's the set up you want. I would never own a guitar again without a Floyd, but they can be a pain if you change the guage of strings or use alternate tunings. This is a top USA made guitar and it sounds just like that.

Well, I found this guitar in a used shop. It is 15 years old. In some places, it looks it. I don't know how the guitar was cared for before I got it. The set up was fine after I adjusted the bridge saddles and rear springs. Neck to body is solid. There is a very thin finish crack that runs about 3 inches across the top "wing" on the face. There is heavy wear on the lower, treble side body horn. On the rear of the body the paint is kind of "bubbling". The finish looks like it has been played for 15 years. The neck has no chips or flaws. The paint on the neckplate has worn off. All of the Schaller hardware is solid.

This is my #2 guitar. I use a 1986 Kramer Vanguard ("flying V") as my main axe. It plays like a champ. I use Dimarzio locking straps on all of my guitars. As for playing, it would take all the abuse you can throw at it. The finish, again, isn't looking so hot.

Kramer USA went out of business in 1990.

I have been playing guitar for over 14 years. I have owned Gibson, Fender, Peavy, Jackson, Ovation, and Ibanez instruments. After I got my first Kramer, I sold all my other guitars to buy more Kramers. These guitars are no longer made, and the Condor model is hard to find. i would try to find another one if mine was lost or stolen. I rewire some of my guitars so there are 2 volume controls (one for each pick up) and no tone control. If you want a USA bolt on neck guitar that screams to be played, seek out an old Kramer. They are comparable to San Dimas Charvels, but for half the cost. The hardware on Kramer is better than what Charvel used back in the day. When you play one it is easy to tell why Kramer ruled the 80's guitar market.

Year 84 or 84, Made in U.S.A. Frets-22 Volume & tone config. h/h Pickups Dimazio Super D. 3's Passive alder Locking, Grover tuners

Very versitile I try to play all styles Crate amp w\digital effects Quiet Bright sound Depends on the person playing it The feel, the look, adn the sounds

yes! it has lasted for 13 years looks almost new strap buttons are great! without doubt. yes.

I've dealt with the person who designed he was very helpful in answering all my questions. Have'nt had to repair it forgot.

32 years. A very good harmony strat with Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounders Peavy T-60, Ibanez Iceman w\ Pj Marx pickups, Crestline 335 type w\57 classics. I rarely use effects. No, I'm glad I bought it. If I can find it I'd buy it again, it's kind of a hard one to find. The neck, body, I like it alot. No I don't compare it, it's in it's own class No so far I like what I have NO!