Kramer SM-1 – Precision Tool For Surgeons Of Guitar Sound

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Kramer is one of those brands which will get you the tool you need to get the job done, no matter what that job is. Kramer SM-1 is an incredibly versatile guitar aimed at those who need a way to wrangle distorted tones and make them do things they're not supposed to. It's a scalpel in the world of sledgehammers. Compared to other guitars in its price range, it's not hard to see why Kramer SM-1 is among the best guitars you can get for under a grand. If you're still not convinced, join us as we go over some its features.

Body And Neck

Just like many other big brands out there, Kramer went with a modified Super Strat body for this project. Reasons for this are many, least of which is the proven ergonomics of Fender's original design. They've built this body using solid high-quality mahogany. You can probably already see where this guitar is going. The finish is either all black, all white. The neck comes is a through body piece also made of mahogany, which features an ebony fretboard dialed into perfection. Just laying your hands on this guitar gives you a feeling that you're dealing with a true performance machine.

Hardware

One great way to support its highs speed nature was to plant a Floyd Rose FRT-1000 bridge at the lower bout. These bridge systems have been proven countless times by now, and were simply an obvious choice. Tuners are a high-quality set which is perfectly capable of keeping up with the Floyd Rose. No matter how many aggressive dive bombs or bends you do, Kramer SM-1 stays on point like a Swiss clock. While most guitar players won't need this type of ruggedness, those who do tend to appreciate the reliability of this configuration.

Electronics

Looking at the electronics, again we see a repeating pattern. Kramer wanted to give us the best, and they did. That meant going over to EMG and carefully selecting a set of pickups which would perfectly fit the nature of this guitar. The result is a combination of the legendary EMG 81TW humbucker at the bridge position, and two EMG SA singles in the middle/neck position. These three are wired to two push-pull knobs, one for volume and one for tone. On top of that, you get the standard pickup selector switch as well.

Sound

Where to even begin with this one. If you're into higher precision, complex, distorted pieces, this guitar is a perfect weapon of choice. It features an impressive tonal range, and having an HSS EMG setup guarantees near perfection no matter what channel
you go for. This Kramer simply delivers in every aspect you can think of.

Conclusion

Competing with large brands which have a rich heritage is not easy and for some, it's borderline impossible. Kramer is one of the few exceptions. They do it by going an extra mile to find the exact perfect components which will get them the results they need. That means no compromise. Unfortunately, this type of attitude is becoming more and more are these days.

More info about the Kramer SM-1, click here.
More electric guitars for less then 1000$, click here.