Skid Row guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo is featured in a new interview with Andertons Music Co for a round of gear talk, looking back on his formative years, his new Kramer signature guitar, his influences, and coping with the pandemic. Check out the interview below.

Snake: "The challenge of all this (the pandemic) for me has been maintaining motivation on a daily basis. And some days you're just shredding for hours and hours, Other days you're like, whatever I do sucks. That's the mental thing that goes on. The good thing, at least from my viewpoint, I do see light at the end of the tunnel. I think people realize, maybe more so now than ever, how much of a role music plays in our everyday lives. It was becoming background noise for a little while, and I don't think that's the case anymore. I think music's being consumed on such a larger level now."

Kramer, the original Made To Rock Hard guitar brand has been setting trends with a legacy of premium, performance-focused instruments since it was first launched in 1976. Made for rule-breakers that play fast and loud, Kramer has been embraced by legendary rockers and shredders like Eddie Van Halen, Vivian Campbell, Richie Sambora, Elliot Easton, and Mick Mars and more during the height of the metal era in the 1980s - a period when it was the most popular guitar brand in the world. Kramer’s innovative approach and unwavering commitment to performance spans entry-level and intermediate guitars, to professional offerings, across the entire line and continue to make Kramer instruments the choice of today's hard rock and metal legends.

New for 2021, Kramer debuts the new Artist Collection featuring collaborations with Snake Sabo (Baretta), Charlie Parra (Vanguard), and Tracii Guns (Gunstar Voyager), with more collaborations to come throughout the year. From its iconic models and legendary artist collaborations to the Original and Modern Collections, Kramer is back.

“We leveled-up with our Kramer re-birth and new focus, giving hard rock and heavy metal shredders what they wanted,” says Cesar Gueikian of Gibson. “This is just the beginning for Kramer, we have big plans for the brand’s future, starting with these exciting collections and collaborations plus a few more we will be announcing throughout 2021.”

The Snake Sabo Baretta is the premier signature model from Skid Row's Snake Sabo. Inspired by his favorite road guitar, the Snake Sabo Baretta features a replica graphic commissioned by Sabo and created by legendary Kramer artist Dennis Kline. The Snake Sabo Baretta features a new Kramer 85-T™ Double Black Open Coil Humbucker™ that was designed by Gibson™ USA Luthier Jim DeCola, a K-SpeedSlimTaper™ neck with jumbo frets, a Floyd Rose® 1000 bridge system, and a EVH® D-Tuna® Drop D Tuning System. Watch a demo video below.

“I’m so proud that the Kramer brand has been resurrected by Gibson and humbled by the fact that they’ve allowed me to be a part of it,” says Snake Sabo. “The Snake Baretta started out as a simple idea 35 years ago and played such a big part in our formative years. Now Kramer has kindly released it as a limited edition. I’m so proud and honored to be part of the Gibson and Kramer family. I hope everyone enjoys this guitar as much as I have since it was first made in 1985.”

The Tracii Guns Gunstar Voyager is ready to rock and marks the first Kramer signature model for pioneering L.A. Guns guitarist. The Gunstar Voyager features a star-shaped mahogany Voyager body with a black metallic finish and flame graphics, a 3-piece set maple neck with a Slim C profile and a classic Kramer pointy headstock with a Kramer Pyramid logo on the front and a chrome wrench holder on the back, two Epiphone™ ProBucker™ pickups, each with its own volume control and coil-splitting push / pull switch for broad tonal flexibility, and a Floyd Rose 1000 series tremolo and a top mounted R2 Locking Nut and Chrome string retainer bar.

“I play the guitars my heroes play, and those guitars are Gibson’s,” says Tracii Guns from L.A. Guns. “As the future has arrived now, I have designed the ultimate metal guitar with Kramer guitars loudly and proudly called the Kramer Gunstar Voyager for my shredding friends. Made To Metal!!!”

The Charlie Parra Vanguard is the second Kramer signature model from the Peruvian metal master. Featuring a mahogany body, 3-piece satin-finished maple neck, bound ebony fretboard with 22 jumbo frets, dot inlays with 12th fret Day of the Dead owl, a single chrome knurled master volume control and 3-way pickup selector switch mounted on a satin aluminum pickguard, EMG™ 57 and 66 pickups with chrome covers, a recessed output jack on the upper horn, and a LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece. Charlie Parra's signature is engraved on the truss rod cover, and his Vanguard is finished in Candy Apple Red Gloss.

"I’m so humbled and honored to be part of the Gibson family as their first South American signature artist thanks to the comeback of Kramer,” says Charlie Parra. “This limited-edition Kramer Vanguard honors the classic 80s look and vibe with a twist of modern hardware, 24 fret madness and full access cutaway. I hope guitar players everywhere enjoy this instrument that may look tough, and heavy, but plays really smooth!"

Watch and share the new Kramer signature artist panel featuring Tracii Guns, Snake Sabo, Charlie Parra and host Mark Agnesi, Director of Brand Experience at Gibson Brands below.

The Kramer heads back to basics with the Original Collection of guitars which capture the look and feel of the original shredder guitar. Utilizing the best tone woods, components, neck profiles, and iconic body shapes, these guitars take players back in time to experience guitars made famous by legendary guitar heroes. The new Original Collection which includes the Baretta Special, and Focus VT -211S which are some of the most influential guitars in rock history and designed for new players to discover Kramer at an affordable price. Crossing over into the higher-end rock classics, Kramer brings in the Jersey Star, Pacer, SM-1, NightSwan, The 84, the Baretta and all of the iconic models that changed the guitar world forever.

The Kramer Modern Collection add a present-day twist on killer classic designs. Be on the lookout for guitars with new neck-to-body joints, contemporary hardware and tremolo options, cutting-edge pickups and electronic options for a wider range of tonal possibilities, and other options geared toward players that want to launch into hyperspace all with the Kramer DNA intact. Kramer’s Modern Collection features innovative design with classic lines including the Assault 220, Assault Plus, Nite-V, Nite-V Plus, and Kramer’s premier bass, the D-1 Bass and more.

(Photos - Kramer)