Budget NGD: Kramer Baretta FR404S

[dayl]

I guess the cheapies should get some shine from time to time.

Just picked up this mint 2004 Kramer Baretta FR404S for $350.


Have been looking for an unfussy cheap superstrat 6 to practice on. This is set up well an plays beautifully even when compared to my previous superstrats at 6 times the price.

Set neck is great and the floyd isnt bad but will be blocked. The quad rails are very big sounding, they dont sound too flash on cleans and muddy up a little with higher gain. Good for heavy wall of sound but not great if you really want to tighten up. Not awful but are getting swapped out asap. Build quality reminds me of mid range LTD around the 600 series.

Overall, after watching the local market over the past month, this feels like a bit of a score and exceeds what I was hoping to land.

The shullhead gotohs are a lil strange though

20230520_120929.jpg (3.46 MiB) Viewed 711 times

20230520_121111.jpg (3.11 MiB) Viewed 711 times

20230520_121216.jpg (5.74 MiB) Viewed 711 times

[jeremyb]

BARGAIN!!!

[hamo]

Awesome!

[Olderama]

Nice!!!!!

[Kris]

love the quad rails!

[dayl]

love the quad rails!

They do heavy really well (which is my gig) just need to tighten up.

[The Scarecrow]

Great price for that. Always had a bit of a soft spot for this model after an older kid that I looked up to in terms of guitar playing at school had one and used to wail away in the music room.

[dayl]

Has a great feel to it for sure.

[matman]

Where were those made?

[dayl]

Where were those made?

Korean built I believe

[werdna]

Fun guitar. EVH riffs all day long.

[dayl]

Fun guitar. EVH riffs all day long.

Funny you say that. I was looking at an old set of Peavey Wolfgang pups I have wondering if I should hook them up.

[Slowy]

I'll admit to being a tedious guitar anorak but this thread reminds me I know absolutely nothing about superstrats. I doubt I could tell a good or bad one even if it was in my hands.
Bit of a hole actually...
Time to patch the anorak.

So what makes a great superstrat?

[hamo]

Tough question, and I'm not well qualified to answer, but I'd say for me it's the same thing that makes a great guitar in general - how it feels when you play it. I would argue that it shouldn't fight you. Since there's quite possibly a Floyd involved, tuning stability is important. I kind of expect the pickups to do a lot of the work too. Upper fret accessibility, since there's a good chance you're going to be widdly-widdling away, otherwise you would have bought something else.

That's just 2c from an uneducated eejit though.

[Slowy]

..... there's a good chance you're going to be widdly-widdling away, otherwise you would have bought something else.

That's just 2c from an uneducated eejit though.

Not that much of an eejit; you explained my ignorance most eloquently.