Kramer is aiming to reconnect past and present with its all-new Volante range of Superstrat-style electric guitars.
Taking cues from the firm’s legacy of producing fluid-playing instruments, while simultaneously striving to meet the needs of the modern player, the Volante marks an intriguing and fresh new venture for Kramer.
Loaded with some fine specs and pickups crafted in the Gibson Pickup Shop (on the HS models), the Gibson-owned company is seemingly looking to add greater diversity in a market widely populated with the Fender family’s like-minded Charvel and EVH electric guitars.
Translated from the Italian word for flying, the Volantes are machines built for speedy but smooth shredding. Its maker hopes they “transcend nostalgia and reposition Kramer as the progressive choice for high-performance guitarists”.
There are four new models in all, each serving up lightweight alder bodies, thermally aged three-piece maple necks with a compound radius, and the firm’s Elliptical C-profile neck shape. An ergonomic forearm and body carve promise top tier comfort, too.
The necks are secured in place with nifty five-bolt heels – a newly engineered spec for the Volantes – and benefit from Kramer’s KeyLock system for stable tuning and maximum vibration. Maple and ebony fretboards – depending on the model – come with 24 jumbo frets.
Breaking things down, the series can be split into two halves. The premium Quilt range adds AAAA quilted maple tops to the mix, and there’s an HH and HS model on each side of the equation.
Tonally, the HS models have been built from the ground up with their noseless single Triton pickup made in the USA by the Gibson Pickup Shop. All humbuckers are Neptune models which have existed for a little while. They use Alnico 2 magnets for hard rock-primed, dynamic tones.
Broadly speaking, the Quilt builds and the non-quilted HH models all have Floyd Rose tremolos, save for the HSGT, which keeps things simple with a two-point tremolo with a whammy. It also has die-cast locking tuners.
Naturally, with one foot still nostalgically in the 1980s, some eye-catching colorways are available. The premium quilted models serve up Ultramarine, Ultraviolet, Magenta, and Aqua Bursts, and the the standard models come in Intruder Black, Defender Red, Angel White, and Triburst.
“The Volante proves we’re not resting on our laurels,” says Lewis McKinney, Brand Manager, Epiphone and Kramer. “Inspired by past success, but built for new frontiers, the Volante is made for players who demand speed, performance, and excellence.”
As with Kramer’s Custom Graphics releases, the firm has continued to build throwback guitars, compounded with the release of a “vault find” from the ’80s that came as part of an extensive range overhaul. The Volante is a more contemporary build and it certainly is a welcome one.
With the EVH Frankenstein recently getting some bold new looks, and Charvel turning to a heavy relic finish for its latest super shredder, competition out there is tough, but this bold new repositioning will help give Kramer a much sharper edge at the market.
Recognizing the cost of the competition, the new builds are competitively priced – the HHFR and HSGT cost $999, with the Quilt HSFR and Quilt HHSR $1,199 apiece.
Head to Kramer to learn more.
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