The Kramer Striker

In 1984, Kramer released the Korean-made alternative to the USA and Japanese Kramer lines, the Striker series. The Striker models were aimed at the entry-level player and followed suit with the Focus lines beginning with the 100ST, the Baretta-influenced single hum/single volume version. These also sported the banana style headstock and rosewood board. The 200ST, like the Focus 2000, was the answer to the Pacer Imperial with it's 2 hums, single volume and tone controls and 3 way switch. These sported the classic, or beak style headstock. The 300ST was the Pacer Deluxes' cousin with the HSS configuration on a pickguard with 5 way select and volume and tone(2 tones in some cases) and the classic headstock. The early strikers such as these all sported non-locking, traditional styled trems. Additionally one of the earlier Striker flyers (seen right) featured Striker guitar bodies with more "Strat-like" shapes vs. the more "Kramer" type body with the enhanced tummy cut. Also, 100st headstocks featured yet another banana headstock design which even differs from the 1985 100st banana shape.

Early Striker Models

		100ST	200ST	300ST	400ST	500ST	600ST	700STB

Later in 84-85, the trems were changed to single locking non-tuner Floyds. The Floyds had the same type saddles with no joint/lever action and strings were tightened from allen screws in the rear such as the original Floyd Rose.

Rare, Early Striker with Black ESP Flicker Trem

In 85, the 400ST and 500ST models were introduced. The 400ST being the Randy Rhoads type body(same as the Focus 4000) with 2 humbucking pickups, a 3 way toggle, volume, and tone knob.

The 500ST was the answer to the Focus 5000 of Voyager with the star shaped body and same electronics as the 400ST. For a while the 500ST sometimes had a strange non-locking type trem with fine tuners on the saddles. 1985 also sparked the debut of the Striker 700STB bass which was close to the Focus 7000 bass but had only a single Jazz bass style pickup, three way switch(coil taps), two volumes and one tone knob. these basses had a classic-y type headstock and maple or rosewood board.

The color options in 1985 were black, white, candy red and midnight blue, the same as the Focus lines. The Striker 600ST came out in 1986 and was the twin to the Focus 6000; no pickguard, 3 on/off switches, coil tap(some without) and a volume knob. The Striker headstocks remained the classic or beak style(with the exception of the 100ST) until sometime in 1985 when they gained the non-tilt banana head version. Then again in 1986, the heads were changed to a slimmer version of a hybrid banana/pointy head with a rounded nose. The Strikers were to gain the pointy head version by 1988.

Headstocks

	Classic or Beak	Classic Bass	First Banana	Second Banana	Third Banana/Pointy Hybrid
	Non-angled Pointy	Standard Angled Pointy

In 1988, the Striker lines contained seven guitars, the ST100, ST200, ST300, ST400, ST600, ST605, and the ST700 bass. In keeping with the details of the American lines, the headstock was changed to a tilt-back pointy droopy variety with a black face and three-piece laminated maple necks with maple or rosewood 22 fret fretboards and dot inlays. By now, the bridge of choice was the Floyd Rose II with recessed cavities in the body. Hardware was black and pickups were listed as Turbo Sonics designed by Seymour Duncan. The ST100, ST200 and ST300 remained with the same features as before. The ST300H substituted a humbucker in the bridge position as opposed to the single coil. The ST400 moved from the previous shape to the Rhoads V shape with 2 humbuckers. The ST600 remained the same as before. the ST605 was the the same as the ST600 but had a bound body. The ST700 bass by now had J & P pickups by Spector, 3 way select, one volume and two tones. By this time color options were: white, metallic blue, metallic silver, candy red, violet, fluorescent pink, fluorescent yellow and fluorescent green and lefty options were available.

The Striker lines continued until 1989.

Notes:

Some sources claim early Striker bodies as solid wood although this hasn't been confirmed. Most are laminate and/or plywood manufacture. Considering the majority of the Focus lines involvement with completely similar bodies, this theory does not seem far-fetched.

Strikers, up until the final version with the tilt-back pointy head are easy to identify because of the model designation next to the logo. When the
headstocks changed, the model type was then inscribed on the truss rod cover(100ST, 200ST,etc) with the Kramer pyramid logo alone on the face of the headstock.