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Kramer Pacer FT202S Reviews  4 / 5 based on 3 reviews$109.00 (on sale from $129.00) from MusicYo.com. This is the only place you can purchase Kramer guitars now. This is the 3rd guitar I've purchased from MusicYo and I wanted a "shred machine" to round out my guitar arsenal. This is for when I want to try my hand at a little Van Halen, Satriani or 80's metal.
This is a double humbucker model with tremolo bar and black hardware. Very hair band-ish. Has a Lake Placid Blue paint job with is very sharp. There are a few imperfections on the finish but you have to go looking for them. This is a very light guitar that has a great neck shape, very easy to play. Nice fret work also. If you've read any reviews of these Kramer guitars you know the emphasis is on value. For $109.00 it does not have the features of a $1000.00 guitar, that's a fact. However, I will match it in quality to any Squier or similar brand in the $200-$300 range. But bottom line, if you're a beginner or intermediate looking or a starter or backup guitar, this is one to purchase.
While I mentioned the slight imperfection in the finish, the rest of the guitar is well put together, made in Indonesia. The pickups seem a little harsh, not very warm sounding, but I need to give it a workout on all my Zoom 606 patches to get a good feel. Factory set up is minimal at best, and I've taken all my Kramers to a local shop to get them set up. After that, they play beautifully with all the fret buzz removed. One reviewer said you should factor the cost of a set up into your purchase. Great idea.
This is a double cutaway guitar with two humbuckers, one volume and tone control each, 3 way pickup selector and fulcrum tremolo. The hardware is black and all colors are metallic (blue or red). It has the classic Kramer banana/hockey stick headstock. Watch any collection of hair band videos on VH1 and you'll see tons of these style guitars. Very 80's metal! Not that there's anything wrong with that!
For just a little over a $100 you can have yourself a nice little shred machine. Again, I have to emphasize that MusicYo's Kramer guitars are very value oriented. These will get you in the game without spending a whole lot of cash. And when you get better and want to spend more, they do offer higher-end professional models. I'll give this a "4" as due to the slight imperfections I mentioned. Shred on! Greg S. rated this unit on 2002-02-01. I purchased this guitar from musicyo.com, after purchasing a Kramer Focus bass. I paid $100. I had decided to give it a try after being extremely pleased with the bass.
The finish on the guitar was great, no noticeable flaws, drips or runs. I have played around a bit with the tremolo and then checked the tune on the strings, only the G string had drifted from tune. This guitar does have a good hard sound, with a 3 position selector switch to switch between bridge and neck pickups. I was originally going to get the other one of the Pacer series but decided I wanted something with a little more growl and bite to it and this axe fit the bill. The action is low and fast, but with the low action there is a small amount of fret buzz at the first couple of frets. It maybe just a matter of the truss rod needing adjustment, or it may just need a set of good quality strings. The neck is good and thin, which keeps things smooth and fast. The tuners are just plain jane tuners, nothing fancy but they get the job done. It also comes with a 10 foot instrument cable but we are talking the low end of the market here. It works for messing around though.
When my Kramer bass got here I took a look at it and thought WOW, when my Kramer Pacer FT202S arrived I looked at it and thought Okay. In other words the bass looked great, but the Pacer just looks good. For one the neck is painted, which is one thing I really preferred about the bass since it is not. The neck paint job is good it just doesn't add anything to the looks of the guitar. I mean why would you paint a maple neck.
The tone control knob was very loose, but it was easily tightened. Right now the Tremolo bar is hanging loose because I have not figured out how to tighten it up. It probably just needs another nut to act as a lock nut. Overall the quality and construction is good but they need to pay a little more attention to how the guitar leaves the factory. Also low action is great but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Overall I am pleased with this guitar there are a couple of things to fix/adjust before I start to really rock with it. If you need a good starter guitar or just another one to bang on you can't go wrong for the price. I gave it rating of 4 but only because I rounded up from 3.5.
Don Walls rated this unit on 2001-06-27. After buying the Kramer Focus, I decided to take the next step up. I was impressed with the Focus' $69.99 price tag and all that you get for so little money. I bought the Kramer Pacer FT202S for $84.99 and a $10 off coupon I received from MusicYo.com.
I love the Lake Placid Blue. Looks nice on this guitar. Like the look with no pick guard, too. Dual humbuckers and slim tapered neck (ok, it's painted, but why?) make for excellent sound and playability for the money. This guitar just looks like it's meant to rock hard and fast. And it's built to take it.
I found the bolt-on neck juncture a bit roughly finished. You can feel some roughness once you get up around the 21st fret. Mostly, I'm disappointed with the paint job. The lower horn looks faded out compared to the rest of the body. Finish is good, but something went wrong with the color. Tragic!!!
This guitar feels solid. It still manages to feel light, but it's no lightweight. Has a laminated body and maple neck (painted) with rosewood fretboard. Tremolo, knobs, and switch are blacked out. Terrific quality for the price.
I'm disappointed by the paint job because that's what everyone else sees. My ears love what I hear, so I'm holding onto it anyway. Maybe a sticker or something will cover it up. This'll make an awesome beater. Almost as cheap as the Focus, but even more for the money. If MusicYo keeps this up, I'll have more guitars than I ever dreamed possible for what I could've paid for 1. Check this one out. It's a steal.
Terry Norman rated this unit on 2001-06-27.
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