The Metallic Blue Baretta has arrived.
First things first: There was no candy in the box. WTF?
There was also signs that the plastic bag containing the literature, stickers, trem bar, and saddle adjustment wrench had been opened, and the adjustment wrench was missing.
Double WTF?
The high E string was dead at the 2nd fret, and the guitar had obviously not been set up.
Triple WTF?
After the red Baretta I previously received had strings so rusty I needed a tetanus booster before handling it, this is just a little disappointing. Now that I think about it, neither guitar came with a truss rod adjustment tool in the bag either, though you'd think they would have. Even the most inexpensive guitars come with that in the box.
Sure, I don't really need the candy, and I've got a gazillion of those wrenches laying around, and I know how to deal with high frets and how to set up guitars, but c'mon. What if I was somebody who couldn't fix this myself, and didn't have hex keys? What if I was a young kid and this was my first guitar? Not only is the guitar not set up, but the tool required to set it up is missing from the box. If you're gonna brag about "obsessing over details" and "WOWING" the customers, please get this stuff right. I mean, Sweetwater's statement of "Core Values" sounds like it was written by Lou Loomis, head of the Bushwood County Club Caddyshack:
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If you're going to resort to using cliche hyperbole like this, then please at least follow through. Unless you're playing a joke on us with this
flatus vocis. Sweetwater had knocked $11 off this guitar for me, making me think I got good deal on a new guitar, but then they sent me what I consider a used B stock in need of minor repair with a part missing from the box.
If they keep this up they're going to be replaced by golf carts, or something like that.
Now that that is off my chest . . .
Ruby Red and Metallic Blue Baretta.
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Kramer Family Photo
Teal Focus VT-211S,
Ruby Red Baretta,
Metallic Blue Baretta,
Scarlet Metallic Red Pacer Classic.
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Some observations on the red vs the blue Baretta:
The two Brettas actually sound different. The Blue guitar has more air in the tone, is more open, hollow, and woody. The Red has a more full bodied tone. It's not a case of better or worse, just different.
The edges of the neck on the red is slightly better, in that the frets are ultra smooth and the neck rolled to a very great degree. The neck of the blue guitar is also exceptional, with no sharp frets and very low action. It's just not quiet as spectacular as the red.
The blue guitar produces an amazing cocked wah tone with the volume knob rolled down almost to the point of where it cuts off. It reminds me of Adrian's lead tone on the first Vandenberg album. The red one can get a somewhat similar tone, though it's just not as pronounced.
As previously mentioned, the blue Baretta did have a slightly raised 3rd fret that caused the high E string to ring dead when depressed at the 2nd fret. A couple stout whacks with the plastic butt end of hefty screwdriver took care of that. No more buzzing. Here's a lesson for you kid's from a middle aged dude who learned the hard way: Always give a fret a tap before you start grinding metal.
The blue Baretta has a 2021 serial number, which is kinda weird. The red Baretta is 2022. Given how these guitars apparently sell like hotcakes, you'd think a new Baretta Special ordered at the end of 2023 would have a 2023 serial number. The only explanation I can think of is that they have a large stockpile of these necks, made a couple years in advance, and they just grab a bunch off the shelf when they manufacture a batch of these Baretta Specials. This could account for the necks being a year or two older than the actual date of assembly. I'm also wondering if the neck of the Baretta Special is shared with the more expensive Baretta model that comes with a Duncan pickup and Floyd 1000.
@Rollin Hand has suggested that the Baretta Special has a maple body that is identical to the higher end Baretta.
I'm planning on using the trem only on the red Baretta. I'll use the 3rd spring I removed from the red guitar as a 4th spring for the blue guitar. That'll keep that sucker locked down tight. A fixed bridge little rock machine with a single bridge pickup and single knob is a joyous thing to play. I'm going for a Jake E Lee type thing with this blue one, with diving only via neck bending. Jake played a blue Charvel around 1986 that I thought was so cool.
Judging all four Kramers:
As far as the entire pack, out of my four Epi Kramers I rank the two Barettas as the best. I'm not just saying this because we're on honeymoon this weekend. These Indonesia made guitars are noticeably superior to the Chinese made guitars.
The Focus has a great body, neck, and pickups, but the tuners seriously suck. It is, however, very versatile tonally and very fun to play.
The Pacer is ranked last. Don't get me wrong, I like it and I'm glad I bought it. It has my least favorite neck (a little too fat for a shredder), it is the heaviest of the bunch, and the tone is at the same time a little thin (maybe from the cheap Floyd) and at the same time slightly muffled.
I'll have to work on that.