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Rookie Monsters
by Dominic Hilton
Reposted with permission from the February 2002 issue of Guitar World
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KRAMER IMPERIAL S-404S
With its matte black finish, matching black hardware and aggressive swept-wing body style, the Imperial S-404S looks more like a heavy metal stealth bomber than a hot piece of musical gear. The body is machined from a sizable slab of alder, and its weight helps keep the Imperial balanced when the
guitar is worn with a low-slung strap. The bolt-on mqaple neck has a fast profile that's enhanced by a smooth satin finish, and the rosewood fingerboard sports 24 jumbo frets that hug the flat radius with a polished fit and finish, giving the guitar an accurate feel. Sporting a pair of U.S.-designed
Quadrail humbuckers, master volume and pull-to-tap tone controls, and a three way pickup selector, the Imperial producs diesel-powered chunk, with a hot tone that thrives on high gain amp settings. The focused low end is perfectly suited to dropped tunings and maintains a crisp attack. The Imperial
is no slouch in the lead department, either, with its modern speed neck and smooth neck pickup.
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