The 1980s Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300 in Black Pearl is an unmistakable product of Kramer's peak hard-rock era, combining an aggressive Superstrat platform with extravagant star detailing, three humbuckers, gold hardware and a locking Floyd Rose tremolo.

Developed as Richie Sambora's Kramer signature guitar during Bon Jovi's explosive late-1980s rise, the original model predates the later Kramer revival guitars that would become known as the Jersey Star. Period Kramer literature identifies the signature model as the KRS-1300, making an original-era example particularly interesting to players, collectors and Bon Jovi enthusiasts.

The specification is pure late-'80s excess in the best possible way: three humbuckers, five-way switching, additional mini switches, star fingerboard inlays, a pointed Kramer headstock and gold locking tremolo hardware.

Finished in striking Black Pearl, this Pre-Owned example is offered in Very Good condition and includes a hardcase.

At A Glance

Key Detail	Information
Brand	Kramer
Model	Richie Sambora KRS-1300
Common Later Association	Jersey Star
Era	Late 1980s
Finish	Black Pearl
Body Style	Double-Cutaway Superstrat
Fingerboard Inlays	Star
Pickup Configuration	HHH / Triple Humbucker
Bridge	Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo
Hardware	Gold
Condition	Pre-Owned, Very Good
Included	Hardcase
Main Appeal	Original-era Richie Sambora signature Kramer
Best For	Hard rock, glam metal, classic rock, lead guitar and collecting

Pre-Owned Condition Report

Very Good Condition

This 1980s Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300 Black Pearl is offered in Very Good condition.

Very Good condition means the guitar shows cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership and its age while remaining fully functional and suitable for continued playing, recording or live use.

On a genuine 1980s instrument, some evidence of age and previous ownership should be expected and forms part of the character of a player-grade vintage guitar.

No faults, repairs or modifications have been supplied for this listing.

What’s Included?

✔ 1980s Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300 Black Pearl
✔ Hardcase

✘ No Additional Accessories Included

Condition Notes

This individual Kramer has been graded Very Good, giving it an appealing balance between genuine late-'80s character and overall presentation.

The Black Pearl finish, gold hardware and star-themed detailing create an unmistakable period look closely tied to Kramer's late-1980s artist-signature era.

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

This Pre-Owned Kramer has been inspected and assessed by the Fair Deal Music team before sale.

Our checks include:

• All three humbuckers
• Five-way pickup selector
• Additional mini-switch functions
• Master volume control
• Output socket
• Frets
• Fingerboard
• Neck condition
• Locking nut
• Tuning machines
• Floyd Rose tremolo
• Tremolo hardware
• Intonation
• Tuning stability
• Overall playability

The supplied hardcase is also checked for basic usability.

Service / Setup Work

All Pre-Owned electric guitars at Fair Deal Music are set up and checked before leaving the shop.

Our assessment includes action, neck relief, fret condition, intonation, tuning stability, electronics, pickup balance, Floyd Rose setup, hardware and overall playability.

Please remember that wooden instruments can respond slightly to changes in temperature and humidity during transportation.

Why Choose The Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300?

Original Richie Sambora Signature Design

This is not simply a later guitar inspired by Sambora.

The KRS-1300 belongs to the original 1980s Richie Sambora signature era, developed while Kramer was one of the dominant names in high-performance rock guitars.

That gives it considerably more historic interest than a modern recreation of the same visual concept.

Triple-Humbucker Layout

Three humbuckers immediately separate the Sambora model from the more stripped-back Baretta and Pacer designs for which Kramer became famous.

The HHH configuration provides a broad range of powerful rock sounds and gives the guitar a visual identity almost as distinctive as its star inlays.

Five-Way Switching And Mini Switches

The electronics go beyond a conventional two-humbucker guitar.

A five-way selector and additional mini switches provide expanded control over the pickup system, giving the KRS-1300 substantially more tonal variety than its high-output rock appearance might initially suggest.

Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo

A locking Floyd Rose-style system was almost compulsory equipment for a serious late-'80s performance guitar.

It allows dramatic dive bombs, pull-ups and expressive vibrato while the locking nut helps maintain tuning through aggressive tremolo use when correctly set up.

Star Fingerboard Inlays

The large star inlays are among the model's most recognisable visual details.

Combined with the pointed headstock, gold hardware and dramatic body styling, they make the KRS-1300 instantly identifiable as a Richie Sambora-associated Kramer.

The Original KRS-1300 And The Jersey Star Name

The terminology surrounding these guitars can become confusing.

During the original late-1980s Kramer period, the instrument was marketed as the Richie Sambora signature model, with the KRS-1300 designation documented in period Kramer literature.

Years later, Kramer revisited Sambora's distinctive triple-humbucker, star-themed design under the Jersey Star name.

For search and recognition purposes, original instruments are therefore frequently described today as Richie Sambora / Jersey Star guitars.

Historically, however, this 1980s instrument belongs to the original KRS-1300 Richie Sambora signature family, rather than being one of the much later Jersey Star reissues.

Comparison Against Popular Alternatives

KRS-1300 vs Later Kramer Jersey Star

Later Jersey Star guitars recreate the visual concept for a newer generation. The original KRS-1300 has the additional historical appeal of belonging to Kramer's actual late-1980s Sambora signature period.

KRS-1300 vs Kramer Baretta

The Baretta is famously stripped back, traditionally concentrating on a single bridge humbucker and Floyd Rose. The Sambora moves in the opposite direction with three pickups and expanded switching.

KRS-1300 vs Kramer Pacer

A Pacer offers classic Kramer Superstrat versatility but usually presents a more conventional visual specification. The Sambora is the more elaborate and artist-specific design.

KRS-1300 vs 1980s Charvel/Jackson

All occupy similar high-performance rock territory. The Kramer distinguishes itself through the triple-humbucker layout, star motif and direct connection to one of the decade's most recognisable rock guitarists.

Who Is It For?

Richie Sambora And Bon Jovi Fans

This is one of the defining guitar designs associated with Sambora's late-1980s period.

1980s Rock Guitar Enthusiasts

The pointed headstock, locking tremolo, HHH pickups, gold hardware and elaborate styling capture the era exceptionally well.

Lead Guitarists

The fast Superstrat format and locking tremolo are ideally suited to expressive rock lead playing.

Collectors

Original artist-associated Kramer models from the company's 1980s peak have considerably more historic interest than later recreations.

Players Wanting Something Unmistakable

Very few guitars look like a KRS-1300. On stage, the Black Pearl finish, star details and triple pickups give it immediate visual presence.

Suitable Genres And Uses

The Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300 is particularly well suited to:

• Hard rock
• Glam metal
• Hair metal
• Classic rock
• Arena rock
• Heavy rock
• Lead guitar
• Shred
• 1980s tribute performances
• Studio recording
• Collecting
• Live performance

Why Three Humbuckers?

Most Superstrats from the period used either a single bridge humbucker or an HSS/HSH configuration.

The Sambora model's three full-sized humbuckers gave it a considerably more imposing appearance while expanding the number of high-output pickup combinations available.

For rock players, this provides different levels of body, attack and harmonic response depending on the selected combination.

It also reinforces the philosophy behind the entire guitar: the KRS-1300 was never intended to be understated.

Story & Context: Richie Sambora And Kramer

By the middle of the 1980s, Kramer had become one of the defining electric-guitar brands of the decade.

Its association with high-performance players, locking tremolo systems and Superstrat design made it an obvious fit for the rapidly expanding hard-rock scene.

In 1986, Kramer president Dennis Berardi approached Richie Sambora about developing a signature model.

The first Sambora signature guitars appeared during 1987, at almost exactly the moment Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet had propelled the band into international superstardom.

Rather than producing another stripped-down hot-rodded guitar, the Sambora design went deliberately extravagant.

It combined three humbuckers, gold hardware, Floyd Rose tremolo, star inlays, star graphics and Kramer's pointed headstock, making it one of the company's most immediately recognisable artist models.

The Richie Sambora KRS-1300 is documented in Kramer's 1988 catalogue, placing the model firmly within the original signature era.

The original Sambora line disappeared around the end of the 1980s as the relationship between Kramer and Sambora changed.

Much later, Kramer revived the concept under the Jersey Star name, ensuring that the original star-covered design remained familiar to another generation of guitarists.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product Type	Solid Body Electric Guitar
Brand	Kramer
Model	Richie Sambora KRS-1300
Era	Late 1980s
Finish	Black Pearl
Body Style	Double-Cutaway Superstrat
Neck Construction	Bolt-On
Neck Material	Maple
Scale Length	25.5"
Number of Frets	22
Fingerboard Inlays	Star
Headstock Style	Kramer Pointed / Hockey-Stick Style
Pickup Configuration	HHH
Pickups	3 Humbuckers
Electronics	Passive
Main Control	Master Volume
Pickup Selector	5-Way
Additional Switching	2 Mini Switches
Bridge	Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo
Nut	Locking
Hardware Finish	Gold
String Configuration	6-String
Condition	Pre-Owned, Very Good

Specification Note

The original Richie Sambora signature guitars were produced across several variants during the late 1980s, and surviving examples can differ in pickup branding, fingerboard material, hardware colour and smaller production details.

No serial number or detailed factory documentation has been supplied for this individual guitar.

For that reason, this listing deliberately avoids assigning an exact manufacturing year, country of final assembly, body timber or specific pickup manufacturer where those details cannot be confirmed safely from the information supplied.

Power Requirements

No battery or external power supply is required.

The three humbuckers and switching system operate passively.

Connect the guitar directly to an amplifier, pedalboard, modeller or recording interface using a standard 1/4" instrument cable.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Original late-1980s artist Kramer models are no longer ordinary catalogue instruments.

Their appeal comes partly from the specification, but also from the era they represent and their connection to the musicians who helped define the sound and visual identity of 1980s rock.

An original Richie Sambora KRS-1300 therefore offers something fundamentally different from simply buying a modern Superstrat.

Every Pre-Owned guitar at Fair Deal Music is individually checked and assessed before sale.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

★★★★★ 5/5

The 1980s Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300 Black Pearl is gloriously uncompromising.

Three humbuckers, a locking Floyd Rose, gold hardware, star inlays and the pointed Kramer headstock could only have come together quite like this during the peak of the 1980s rock-guitar boom.

More importantly, this is an original-era Sambora design rather than a later Jersey Star recreation, giving it genuine historical interest alongside its stage appeal.

Best suited for: Richie Sambora fans, 1980s rock players, Kramer enthusiasts and collectors of original artist models.

Customers usually upgrade from: Modern Kramer reissues, contemporary Superstrats and later Jersey Star models.

Most commonly paired with: Marshall-style valve amplifiers, high-gain heads, overdrive, chorus, delay, wah and rack-style effects.

Our tip: Spend time exploring the five-way selector and mini switches rather than treating it as simply a bridge-humbucker rock machine. The three-pickup arrangement is one of the features that makes the original Sambora design genuinely unusual.

Showroom feedback: Few guitars sum up late-'80s arena rock as completely as the original Sambora Kramer. Even among vintage Superstrats, the HHH layout and star detailing make it impossible to mistake for anything else.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

You can buy with confidence thanks to:

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians
• Carefully checked new and Pre-Owned musical equipment
• Birmingham showroom
• More than 6,000 Excellent customer reviews
• Secure ordering
• Fast UK delivery
• Friendly support before and after your purchase
• Decades of experience with new and second hand musical equipment

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Thinking about upgrading? Your next guitar could cost less than you think.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges a wide range of guitars, basses, amplifiers, keyboards and other musical equipment.

Your existing gear could help reduce the cost of this Kramer Richie Sambora KRS-1300. Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation and we'll be happy to discuss your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an original 1980s Richie Sambora Kramer?

Yes. The KRS-1300 designation appears in period 1988 Kramer catalogue material for the Richie Sambora signature model.

Is it officially called a Jersey Star?

The original late-1980s model was marketed as a Richie Sambora signature Kramer. The Jersey Star name became associated with later Kramer revivals of the same star-themed design, although original guitars are now frequently described using both names.

How many pickups does it have?

It uses an unusual three-humbucker / HHH configuration.

Does it have a Floyd Rose?

Yes. A locking Floyd Rose tremolo system is central to the original Sambora specification.

What are the mini switches for?

Period Sambora instruments use additional mini-switching alongside the five-way selector to expand the pickup options.

How many frets does it have?

The original design uses 22 frets.

What is the scale length?

The Richie Sambora model uses a 25.5" scale.

Is a hardcase included?

Yes. This Pre-Owned example includes a hardcase.

What condition is it in?

This guitar is offered in Very Good condition, showing appropriate evidence of previous ownership for an original instrument from the 1980s while remaining fully functional.

Can I request a closer look?

Yes. Our Request a Video Demo option is particularly worthwhile for a vintage instrument like this if you'd like to see its exact condition, Black Pearl finish, hardware and switching system before purchasing.