Kramer Baretta build guidance

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mdc1mdc11

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I have a friend that is interested in building that "holy grail" van halen baretta. I guess that is what it is referred to as I really don't follow Kramer and Charvel legacy.

Here are links and descriptions of that guitar:

http://vintagekramer.com/baretta1.htm
http://vintagekramer.com/Baretta/1983.jpg
http://www.halen.com/images/uploads/FR_ ... dvert2.jpg

What he would like to do is source the best sounding parts with respect to neck, body, etc. Think he looked at some Ed Roman kit, and not sure what kind of quality and performance that kit delivers though. I assume the Gibson ones are cheap APAC clones, but don't know that much about them.

Anybody undertake building one of these and have some recommendations? Do USACG and Warmoth route bodies and necks based on the spec above?
 
i would think that your friend would want to build a pacer then.
 
I would say a KNE pacer imperial poplar body and just get the angled pickup(baretta rout) and then spend the money you save on a 12" radius Musikraft or Warmoth neck jumbo frets with the banana headstock. Kramer used alot of poplar and maple in early1983-84. I have two 1983 Poplar Pacer C serial # imperials one I bought new and the other is an earlier serial number but all black hardware but not a Carrera model, they are my Number 1 and 2 go to guitars. The holy grail baretta is usually in the C serial numbers and some D's into the 1984 model years. I would go poplar it is a nice warm sounding wood like Alder yet cheaper. I have also had a maple bodied Pacer around the same serial and I did not care for it as much as the poplar wood bodies. Stay away from the ash unless you like filling grain.

The KNE bodies are really nice for the money, I built my brother a poplar Franky and it turned out great and the body has good resonance and plays great. I believe Muskraft has a holy grail banana neck spec'd out already.

I'd like to build that off white barreta too to add to my Kramer collection but just not enough time in the day! Keep us posted on the project.
 
<quote>KNE pacer imperial poplar body </quote>

Is this the one on the site called KPAC51 ?
 
I have one of the new Asian Barettas and I tell ya, for $170 it is not a bad guitar. I had a new bridge put in but other than that, no changes. I think I'll eventually get a new pickup down the road.
 
mdc1mdc11":23dju9fn said:
<quote>KNE pacer imperial poplar body </quote>

Is this the one on the site called KPAC51 ?
Click to expand...

That's the 5150 body but pretty much the same Kramer body shape IMO you could use either.

I'm talking about the KPAC-SPL the pacer imperial body just delete the neck pickup and get the rear pickup angle routed like the Baretta.

here:

http://www.kneguitars.com/rr_bod.php
 
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