Kramer Custom

I don't know what guitars the other reviewers are talking about, but they're not talking about the Kramer Striker Custom FR-424CM Electric Guitar. I've owned this particular guitar for nearly a year and I'm still very satisfied with it.

For a Chinese made guitar, it is very playable and sounds great. With 24 frets, an HSH pickup configuration (w/ coil tap), a licensed Floyd Rose, and a beuatiful vintage burst finish, this unit is an absolute steal for the price. Also, the body is a solid single piece of Alder, with a flamed maple top. Definitely better wood than the basswood or agathis bodies on similar priced guitars from ESP, EPI, Ibanez.

The Kramer Striker Custom FR-424CM makes no noise until made to do so, but when called to action, this unit roars and sings.

I play mostly hard rock and this guitar is made for it. However, with the coil-tapping and a clean channel on my amp, it can easily make the switch to less aggressive tones as well.

My Kramer Striker Custom FR-424CM needed some minor tremelo adjustments when I first got it, but no big deal. Everythings works as it should and no flaws out of the box.

This appears to be a very solid guitar with no issues at all. I've no doubt as to it's reliability and have played it many times with no problems.

Never needed any assistance.

I've played many guitars in the last 25 years, this guitar is one of my all time favorites and I'd easily choose to play his model over much more expensive brands.

24.75 scale length, quilt top. grover tuners, some kind of stop tailpiece and most definitely a laminated top (kinda cheap looking but still beautiful) the color is a yellowish quilt, not sure of the name though.

pickups are passive and had the epiphone sticker still attached.

overall, i think the features for this guitar at an entry level price are great. the tuners are good, the pickups are average, typical stock pickups, and the look is fantastic. the abalone detail really rivals my esp ec-1000 at a fraction of the price.

the sound on this guitar is average, i would compare it to a stock epiphone les paul. the only thing holding this bad boy back are the pickups...

the action had some problems when the guitar arrived by mail, but that was to be expected. i needed to adjust the truss rod, however there was a major problem with the nut. the high e was filed down too low so there was open e buzz. rather than returning it, i just got it fixed at a local music shop and it is now perfect. had this been the only problem with the new cheap kramer line, i wouldnt mind too much. however, i recently purchased a 422s bass from them that had multiple issues with its nut and needed to be replaced too. i dont think it is too much too ask for working parts, however i did choose not to send the guitars back and just upgrade it while i had the chance.

dont know yet...

dont know...

overall, i am extremely pleased with this guitar. the fact that the guitar was on sale for only $200 really helps though. with a few mods for 200ish, this guitar is really gonna rival the looks and playability of my esp. the esp has sperzel tuners though of course... yes there were issues but the guitar is really beautiful and has tons of potential at a very cheap price.

As you have read, it is Kramer's copy of the ESP LTD Les Paul copy. Since it is made by a division of Gibson, you decide if that is sacrelige. The abalone is beautiful; mine is the amber color and it's more of a transparent yellow. Still really nice. My only ding is the recesses around the three-way switch and the vol/tone knobs aren't finished- they seem to be more of a burnt color. I'll black mine out with a Sharpie and it will look fine on stage.

WOW the stock pickups suck. It's a hot Epi bridge and a PAF-like neck. Neither were very satisfying. It's fine if you want to play shred metal with a tinny sound. They are poor quality ceramic pickups. I prefer to play more pop and classic rock. They were installed well, and the wiring is solid. I do a lot of home studio work and they just weren't going to cut it for pop, jazz or classic rock.

I was looking for more of a PAF sound, and I dropped in some GFS Vintage (zebra) '59s. Made all the difference. Nice sound now, more of a general PAF style. With the originals, 5. With the GFS, 9.

Action was really nice on mine, and I really didn't have to do anything to make it playable (other than put good strings on it.). Really beautiful yellow finish, with a dark transparent clear on the neck and back. No flaws that I could find.

I've had nice luck with Music Yo, and recommend it to many of my GAS or beginner friends. They are great for newbies, or for those of us that have never met a guitar that didn't need "something".

It has withstood live playing, and I may swap out the bridge, but it's fine for now. I'm just thinking that the bridge would be nicer if it were a tone pros.

I could easily use it solo. It's built for playing hard, and it sounds nice.

Never dealt with them, but I haven't ever needed to deal with a guitar company since a bad experience with a Hondo in the early 80's. Suffice to say, today's Indonesian and Asian guitars are way better than anything that Fender or Gibson put out in the early 80's...

I have been playing for 28 years, pro, semi pro and amateur. I have played for bar bands and state universities. I have 15 guitars, mostly strat styles or tele styles.

I've always wanted to have a 24 and 3/4 scale Gibson for fun, and I got more than I thought I would. This guitar is really, really nice. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another and mod it just the same way I did.

I really love the inlays and the finish. It's really a very pretty guitar to look at. I will steel wool the finish off of the neck and spray on a nice satin finish to slide my hand up and down better. (Standard mod for me.)

I bought this one because it was on sale at Music Yo, and it was so cheap I had to do it.

I wish they had cleaned up the recesses on the knobs, but otherwise, graphite nut, Grover tuners, abalone inlays, can't beat it for under $400...

I really have not had any bad experiences with Music Yo, and although it seems that Gibson is not as excited about it as it was when it first came out, they make pretty decent modifiable guitars.

Mahogany body, maple quilt top. Amber color and abablone body and neck binding along with abalone fret markers. Also includes a tuno-matic bridge, grover tuners and kramer pickups that had epiphone alnico custom stickers on it when it arrived.

22 frets. two pickup volume controls, two tone. set neck.

Overall this guitar sounds decent but not great. The looks alone more than make up for that and with a few upgrades I think I will be very happy with this guitar. The problem is the nut is very cheap, doesnt even feel like graphite, more like plastic. and the open high e string buzzes. i know how to do setups so i adjusted the truss rod and raised the action but it just wont go away. also, the notes sound dull when played open on almost all strings but full of life when fretted. that tells me that nut is either crap or needs to be fixed. either way, i will have it replaced since it is very cheap to do so and once that is done i should see a noticable improvement.

As for the pickups, they are decent. They sound good clean, not great but clean and clear. When heavily distorted (I am a metal head), they are remarkably clear but do not have nearly enough output or harmonic sensitivy. In the neck position however, I have no complaints. It sounds nice clean and bluesy when distorted. It isn't the best pickup, but for the neck for me it is ok for now.

The action out of the box needed adjusting. I had nut problems as mentioned above that need to be fixed, but also, the low E buzzed and the neck was too straight. Once I added some relief, it was just fine.

As far as looks, simply stunning. The attention to detail on the looks portion are amazing for what i paid (199). it looks so much like my ESP EC1000. Looks alone, it rivals it. But the playing of it and sound of it is another story and it isnt fair to compare a $900 to a $200 guitar. The fact that the looks rival it really do say something about the finish.

I think it will last after my upgrades, but only time will tell.

never tried.

Overall I would give this guitar a 9 based only on potential. Once I replace the nut and add a new humbucker, I am looking at a total spending of 199 plus 125ish for the upgrades. 325 for a beautiful guitar with a dimarzio or duncan, not bad.

21 frets. Mahogany body (not massive!, so it's weight is not sooo much as a Gibson LP like), Quilt top, set neck, black hardware. Mine's has a yellow/amber finish, so beautiful!. Abalone inlays and binding (body, neck and fretboard). 2 volume pots and 2 tone pots. Two US humbuckers, replaced in mine's by two EMG85.

It has a great tone. Rounded, beautiful using neck's humbucker. It has not as much bottom end as a LP custom, but this costs much less!!!. I use it detuned to B, and damn, using a Pod Xt Pro (Uberschall sim.) + BBE Maximizer 362 + Mesa Boogie 2:Ninety + Mesa Boogie 4x12 cab, it growls as the creator of Hell. It has a so powerfull punch, with a defined, rich sound. When using bridge's humb. with clean sounds, it gives a bite of clear sound, better even than an original Gibson.
Incredible for this price!

Totally changed action from when I took for first for suiting my taste.

Finish is explendid. Quilt top in amber looks really incredible (better than in photo!), and with abalones inlays and binding, it gives an smart finish to the guitar!

In live playing as in rehearsal room: GREAT. See above

Never dealed with customer support

Incredible great guitar for this price. Chinese model, but it doesn't mine if you're looking a great tone for few bucks. If stolen for sure will buy another one...in the same colour!