help with info about a Framus guitar

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 04:21 PM

I have a Framus 12 - zero fret, bolt on thread-through bridge, tone-robber adjustable saddle, plays wonderfully but almost no tone at all. I suppose I could put a woodie or something in the soundhole and use it when plugged.

I know a man - no names no packdrill - who has a Framus 6 which he assures the world is VERY rare and worth megabucks, but it has all the tone of a scaffolding plank and since it has an uncambered fretboard, equivalent playability. I once borrowed it (since I was without my own guitar) to do something in a funny tuning and it took me 20 minutes to achieve a compromise tuning that would play close enough in tune up the neck.

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,tim
Date: 21 Feb 14 - 03:21 PM

Hi, I have what I was told is a 1962 Hawk beatle bass, it has the hawk logo clear but I've not been able to find anything about it anywhere, does anyone know anything about this bass?

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rumncoke
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 06:24 PM

I have a Framus Texan.

I have small hands and most guitars I have tried were just too thick in the neck.

The month and year of manufacture are indicated on the lable, numbers for the year and a letter for the month, January being A amd December L.

Anne Croucher

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,madx2
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 08:58 PM

While stationed at Aviano AFB in the early '70's, a fellow airman and I went to K-9 school in Germany. He bought a Framus classical guitar there. Bruce, if by chance you stumble upon this site, I would love to hear from you again. Post some contact information, please.
Marty

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,whoofy mike
Date: 13 Mar 11 - 12:04 PM

I have a Framus solid body (Les Paul) style....the best I can read
on the head stock is 5-219-71. I bought it in Frankfurt in 1972.
Looking for any information

Subject: RE: Let me tell you about my Framus parlour guitar
From: GUEST,Colin Owen
Date: 04 Feb 11 - 07:08 AM

Hello Framus owners,
Have recently obtained a Framus parlour guitar. It's in very good original condition,with, judging by the frets not a lot of playing.
Its serial number is 16560 Don't know of what vintage but maybe 50's
Ive had the action improved as far as is possible for a guitar without a truss rod! For a small guitar it has a lot of bass and treble response.The spruce top is virtually unmarked,with plywood back and sides,also unscathed!All in all a very nice little vintage job which attracts a fair bit of attention when I take it to folk clubs Oh, I swopped it for an Epiphone 12 stringer,an all laminated job !

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,Tedbelly
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 05:43 PM

I believe that Framus exported guitars during the 60s and 70s under the name "Triumph".

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,Coty
Date: 21 Nov 10 - 08:46 PM

I also have a framus 12 string and iwas hoping I could find out what year it was from the model number is 51296ml and the serial number is 48188

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 22 May 10 - 11:32 AM

Many years ago a friend of mine got a Framus 12 string for Christmas. To call it a piece of shit would be an insult to shit.
You could drive pilings with it but as a musical instrument, it was a great cudgel.

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,erichal
Date: 22 May 10 - 11:23 AM

I have a Framus classical Guitar that I purchased when in the military in Germany back in 1975. (model 75A SN 01410-02202) When I bought it, it is was ~$200.00 It has nylon strings and still has beautiful sound quality which was why I bought it. It has stood up to over 35 years of abuse and is simple to tune maintaining tune over significant periods of time without use. It is easy to play and has a mellow sound.
I only found one guitar that I liked better and it was a Martin that a freind had spent $5000 on. I really liked the brighness of the sound on the steel strings which would reasonate in the instrument so well.

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: BobKnight
Date: 14 Mar 10 - 08:32 AM

Guest Pete - May 09. The answer to your question is YES. I have one which I bought in the 1960's, brand new for I think £27, which was a lot of money around '68. It's a sunburst finish, jumbo shaped, with a tortoise-shell pickguard, rosewood neck, logo on the headstock as you described.

It's a bit battered and scabby, 'cause it's been left lying around without a case all this time, but I've only ever used it in the house, since I played bass mostly until 5-6 years ago. I actually bought a gig bag for it a few months ago after all these years. It has a great neck, but the tuning heads are very stiff. Tone isn't too bad either.

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 07:53 PM

I have a Framus 5/85n 6-string built God knows when. Although I have had problems with the neck the body is a gem. Probably the best sounding box that I own!

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 10:44 AM

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 04:52 AM

Hi, here's some more Info on the OP's little guitar. The Model "Sport" was a so called "Wandergitarre", i.e. a small, inexpensive guitar meant to take along on the road etc.. The "Sport" was built from the early 50ies to mid 70ies, check out some pics under this link to the Framus vintage pages: http://www.framus-vintage.de/modules/modells/instruments.php?katID=4667&instrumentID=3864&modellID=1372&cl=DE

Small-bodied Framus steel string guitars such as this one are relatively sought after (but prices are moderate) as an alternative to "real" parlour guitars, also often set up for sliding, i.e. with a higher action which many of the older guitars have anyway due to the lack of truss-rods. German Ebay has some of them on and off, I saw quite a few while looking for a parlour-type guitar, mostly quite cheap ...

Hope this helps!
Niels

www.nielscremer.com

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Arbuthnot
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 12:49 AM

As I remember, the Warwick Bass company was set up by the son of the last "Mr Framus" because Framus went out of business, but he couldn't use the Framus name until relatively recently.

I'm sure there's some info on
http://www.warwick.de/modules/start/start.php

but it loads so slowly on my dial-up ...

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,stooball
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 01:06 AM

Back when I was young and dinosaurs still roamed the earth, a friend of mine had a Framus 12-string banjo - weirdest thing I ever heard. Imagine bass runs on a 12-string banjo! I persuaded him to swap the monster for a Dobro, and nowadays he abuses me because he doesn't have the Framus in his extensive collection. Who knew?

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 12:19 AM

HI FRAMUS FOLKS!, I HAVE HAD MUCH ASKED TO ME AS WELL ABOUT THE BARVARIAN 12 STRING. I KNOW A GUY WHO HAS A 12 AND USUALLY SETS IT UP AS A 6. HE HAS HAD IT FOR YEARS AND LOVES IT! HE TOLD ME IT IS VERY BEAT UP AND HE IS PLANNING ON REFINISHING IT. LAST YEAR GUITAR PLAYER MAG. DID A HISTORY ON FRAMUS AND A REVEIW ON A CURRENT HIEND MODEL AS WELL. MARCH 09 ISSUE WITH BRAD PAISELY ON THE COVER. I BET IF YOU CONTACT THE MAGAZINE DIRECTLY, THEY WOULD SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE. THE FRAMUS HAS A UNIQUE HISTORY AND I HAVE HEARD MORE GOOD THAN BAD REGARDING THEM. GOOD LUCK, JERRY KLOSS,PA

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: GUEST,Pete
Date: 14 May 09 - 01:58 PM

Was there ever a Framus acoustic called the Hawk ? I've had on since the mid 60's and I gig with it regularly. It has a pictire of a sird in flight on the headstock with"the Hawk " printed underneath. There's also an elomgated diamond printed below that. Nothing to suggest what it is but someone suggested it might be a Framus.

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Darowyn
Date: 10 Jul 07 - 02:53 AM

It's worth having a look here:-

European Guitar Forum

I have several Hofners, and this is an associated site to the Hofner Forum

Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: maeve
Date: 09 Jul 07 - 12:01 PM

Refresh.. It's a lovely wee thing. Any string suggestions?

maeve

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: maeve
Date: 09 Jul 07 - 07:07 AM

This is a refreshed older thread. I wonder if Rustic Rebel was describing the Framus Parlor Guitar. I picked one up this last weekend and it's a lovely thing, valuable or not. Resonant, nicely proportioned, and good looking mix of mahogany and spruce with a rosewood fingerboard. Nothing heavy or field hockeyish about it at all!

I read through the few Framus threads I could find here at Mudcat as well as finding bits and pieces of information via Google , eBay, German sites (harvesting as much info as I could translate), etc. but still don't feel I've gotten sufficient information.

Anyone out there have a Framus parlor guitar that they like? What strings would be best? The present three remaining steel strings are much too heavy for it. I wondered if it'd do better with nylon. It needs replacement tuners as well.

maeve

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 12:19 AM

Just an additonal note, not at all responsive to what Rustic is looking for, I've seen some of those old heavily built Framus guitars set up with a raised nut extension and played as Dobros--and they sounded Good. Not sure how you put a nut extension on a zero fret guitar.

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 11:26 PM

Thanks for all help, I still don't see anything like I have. This is such a small guitar, almost like it was for a child. An old girlfriend gave it to me way back when and she said it was her grandpa's. Many times I have thought that if I ever saw her again she may want it back for her grandkids or just for the keepsake. Anyway I'm going to keep on trying. Would like to know the year. I'm wondering if it is a 1950 because of the 50/. Rustic

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 10:15 PM

One more thing......In this picture the 12 string on the far right is exactly like the one I had. I bought a used Gibson 12 and sold the Framus to a friend. I've had a lot of 12's since then, but the guy I sold the Framus to still has the damn thing! I saw him 4 years ago at a reunion and he told me it's still around, he doesn't play anymore, but it's still around!

Spaw

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 10:12 PM

BTW, Rolfy gave you a good site that you'd already been too and I linked the other photo which was an easier individual link and was the model probably most popular......also a price there which is frankly high as I saw one at Elderly awhile back in mint condition for about $225.

Wish I had more for you!

Spaw

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 10:06 PM

Back in the time period you're talking about, Framus imported quite a few guitars to the U.S. They were never an upscale guitar by any means, but in many ways they were a significant step up from both the cheapies and entry level type guitars available then. They never had any resale value to speak of, but there were quite a few around. They had a reasonable playability and my first 12 string was a new Framus. The most notable feature, often joked about a lot, was there extremely solid construction......If you couldn't play it you could play field hockey with it!

I recall at least 4 different Framus models which we sold in a shop where I worked parttime back in the early 70's. As michaelr noted, every Framus acoustic I ever saw had a "0" fret and most had a header bar that the strings went under on the peghead. All of the acoustics also had an "adjustable" (sorta') saddle with big honking screws. The fretboards were pretty narrow and the 12-string was very narrow for a 12.

I couldn't find too much on the net about the older vintage of Framus, but check this picture ...a "Texan" model, but pretty similar in appearance to a lot of Framus guitars. Note the 0 fret and the header bar. This one seems pretty much the worse for wear...obviously had a pickup installed at on point..........But I bet you could still play a mean game of field hockey with it...and some 12 bar blues too.

Spaw

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: michaelr
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 08:26 PM

Back in the day I had a Framus dreadnought with a huge, screwed-on bridge and (I think) a zero fret. It played OK but had no bass response whatsoever. I doubt that Framus instruments are worth much, collectible-wise.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: 53
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 06:52 PM

Didn't Paul Mccartney play a Framus guitar in his early days with the Beatles?

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 04:48 PM

I am refreshed HA! Just want to keep this open another day looking for any info out there! Rustic

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 03:03 AM

Thanks Rolfyboy6 for the link, I had been there and looked through all his photos and that's where I found the info on the company, but I appreciate you trying. Rustic

Subject: RE: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 01:40 AM

The only site I know about for older Framus guitars is a hodge-podge of stuff. I don't know if it will be any help to you or not. Framus made a lot of guitars and of all different types. A google search turns up mostly retailer pages for the new revived Framus brand and are probably asian made instruments.
Vintage Framus Guitars

It's likely that others here will know more. Good hunting.

Subject: help with info about a Framus guitar
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 01:24 AM

Hello. I'm trying to find some information on an old Framus guitar I have. All I know about it is what's on the label; Framus, Built in the heart of Bavaria, model-SPORT 50/1 L, serial #-245A9, tested by Miller(that is hand written in)-80E, Framus-Werke-Bavaria, Made in Germany. It has a big stamped EX on the label (almost like a watermark) It is a blonde, small bodied 17"Lx12"W at the base (35"L-total), shaped like an 8, acoustic. I don't know to call it a classical or not, but it has steal strings on it. The only info I have is the founder was Alfred Wilfer, company founded in 1946 and went bankrupt in 1975, later to be re-started in 1982. I have had it for about 25 years. Any info would be helpful, like year, what kind of guitar,it's worth. Thanks! Rustic