Kramer Nightswan Vintage White | Review

Kramer Nightswan Vintage White | Review

MSRP: (UK) £899 / (US) $899

Step back into the world of late-'80s rock with the Kramer Nightswan Vintage White, a reissue that captures the essence of a shredder's dream. This guitar combines a compact double-cutaway body with dual Seymour Duncan JB pickups for a tone that's bold and articulate. Its fast 24.75" scale neck, with an ebony fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets, invites rapid playability, while the Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo system keeps your tuning locked down. Nick Jennison tells us more.

While the Baretta is considered by most to be the definitive Kramer design, the NightSwan has always been my personal favourite. Originally conceived by Buddy Blaze as "The Shredder," it was first released under the Kramer brand in 1987 as a signature model for then-Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell. It sports a deeper cutaway than other "superstrats" of the era, allowing for full access right up to the very top of the 24-fret neck, with an original Floyd Rose tremolo.

There are several unique features that set the NightSwan apart from other similar instruments of the era. It has a 24.75" "Gibson" scale length and a two-humbucker configuration that places the "neck" pickup in the position where you'd usually expect to find a middle pickup (leading many Kramer enthusiasts to refer to the pickups as "bridge" and "middle").

The current iteration of the NightSwan may not carry Campbell's endorsement, but it's a very authentic rendition of the '80s classic design. It features a three-piece maple neck with an ebony fretboard and "ping pong" dot inlays. The neck profile is slim and super fast, with a 16-inch radius that allows for an incredibly low action without choking out on bends. It's different from the compound radius found on the very earliest models, but it feels great. It features an R2 Floyd Rose nut rather than the very narrow R1 found on the originals – not a faithful recreation, but a string spacing that will feel more familiar to most players. Another slight departure is the pair of Seymour Duncan JB humbuckers, as opposed to the Full Shred/JP pairing found in the originals.

Kramer are currently offering the NightSwan in a variety of finishes, including the classic Polka Dots and the Aztec Graphic on the model shown here. Interestingly, the Aztec Graphic is considered the rarest of the classic NightSwan finishes, with many enthusiasts refinishing used NightSwans in an attempt to recreate this finish – let's just say, "to varying levels of success."

Sonically, the NightSwan is a fire-breathing '80s shred machine. It's mid-forward, hot, and aggressive, and absolutely screams through a distorted amp. The bridge position is where you're likely to spend the majority of your time, but the other two pickup positions offer some unique and very cool tones. The "both pickups" position is like a thicker, phasier take on the "Strat position 2" sound, and works really well for heavily effected '80s cleans and stringy, wiry lead tones.

The 1000 Series Floyd Rose is set up for a slight upward travel (unlike the originals, which had a flush-mounted tremolo), allowing for smoother vibratos and access to the suite of "tricks" like gargles, flutters, and reverse scoops that can only be performed on a floating trem. It's rock solid in terms of tuning stability and a lot of fun to use.

The Kramer NightSwan brings an all-time cult classic back to life, and I'm very much here for it. Whether you're a Vivian Campbell fan or just a player who enjoys the '80s aesthetic, the NightSwan is an extremely fun guitar, and one that absolutely rips.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.kramerguitars.com/en-US/p/Electric-Guitar/KRA51W770/Vintage-White-with-Aztec-Graphic