If the serial number of your Kramer starts with the following serial numbers, it is NOT a USA Made or 'American' series Kramer:

1) Two letters followed by a serial number (e.g. AA1234, AC1234, FA1234, FC1234, SA1234)

2) One letter followed by five letters (e.g. b12345) The only exception to this would be some of the 'E' series neckplates did have one letter followed by five letters (e.g. e12345).

3) Five numbers, no letters (e.g. 12345)

4) Model numbers preceding serial number (e.g. XL-1234)

5) A chrome or black neck plate with nothing on it but a Kramer headstock and a serial number stamped on them. These neck plates are smooth flat neck plates with no 'Neptune, N.J.' stamped on them

Keep in mind that just because the neckplate is imprinted with 'Kramer, Neptune, NJ' does NOT mean that the guitar was Made in the USA or an 'American' series. Kramer was very careful to not stamp 'Made In USA' anywhere on its neckplates starting in about 1985/1986.

Starting in late 1985, virtually all Kramer guitars were being made by ESP Guitars in Japan. Although the 'American' Series guitars were made by ESP in Japan, they were assembled in the US. In general, the following is a good way to determine if your Kramer is USA made or an 'American' series:

• If your Kramer has a Strat or Classic headstock and has a Kramer logo with a capital 'K' followed by a lower caser 'ramer', the guitar is an early 1981-1984 USA made Kramer guitar.
• If your guitar has a banana headstock and a block style Kramer logo in all caps 'KRAMER', it is a 1984-1986 USA Made/American Series Kramer Guitar.
• If your guitar has a pointy headstock and a block style Kramer logo in the same sized lettering in all caps, it is a 1986/1987 American Series Kramer Guitar.
• If your guitar has a pointy headstock and a diminishing sized Kramer logo with the letters diminishing in size from the K to the R and, there is a script 'American' decal after the 'KRAMER' logo, it is a 1987-1994 American Series Kramer Guitar.
• If your guitar has a pointy headstock and a diminishing sized Kramer logo but does not have 'American' in script after the logo, it is NOT an American series guitar.

The following wood neck guitar models were the ONLY Made in USA or 'American' Series guitars:

• Baretta Series, Pacer Series, Stagemaster Series, Vanguard Series, Voyager Series, Classic Series, ProAx Series, NightSwan Series, Ripley Series, Spector Series, Paul Dean Series, Richie Sambora Series, Triax, Enterprize, Elliot Easton Series, Sustainer Series, Liberty Series, & Condor Series.

The following wood neck guitar models were NOT Made in USA or 'American' Series guitars. These guitars were made either in Korea, Indonesia, or Japan.

• Striker Series, Focus Series, Hundred Series (e.g. 410, 610), Thousand Series, XL Series, Aerostar Series, Showster Series, and Ferrington Series. Furthermore, the Gorky Park special edition model is also an overseas made guitar.

Another good way to tell if your Kramer is an overseas made model is if it is made out of plywood or composite wood. Also, if your Kramer has 'non-name' pickups or 'Designed by Seymour Duncan' pickups, it is an overseas model. Finally, if your Kramer came with a Floyd Rose II, Floyd Rose with no fine tuners, or a Floyd Rose unit that does not require the ball ends of the strings to be cut off, it is an overseas model.

Oh yeah, If you bought your Kramer from Music Yo' you can be sure it is a low cost Korean instrument. Please don't confuse any product that comes from Music Yo' with the original.