Help Identifying Guitar

[Rick Jones]

Hi All,
I'm working on identifying this guitar. The label inside is pretty faded so it's hard to see in the picture but I've attached it any way. It looks like the handwritting may say J / 79GL inside. My best guess at the stamped number is 6388 or it may be 6382 or 63888 or 03888 it's hard to say. This plays beautifully but I'd like to know more about it. Model, year, wood that was used, etc. If anyone can help, I sure would appreciate it.

[Pilgrim]

Hm, a wild guess... what if the label says J 196? Have a look at https://www.framus-vintage.de/J-196-...9605011-Dix-6/
And did you look at the backside of the headstock? Some framus guitars have a serial number stamped in there, e. g. 48556-64 H would show a date of production in August 1964.

[Rick Jones]

Thanks Pilgram, I appreciate the input. I can see the J-196, that makes sense. It doesn't have any numbers on the backside of the headstock, so that's out. Overall, it is very similar but there are some differences between this one and the J 196 which gets me wondering. The headstock is darker than the body vs lighter than the body and it doesn't have Framus on the pick guard but that could have worn out.

[Pilgrim]

In the archive it says that the neck of the J-196 was either made of maple or multi-ply. The neck of your guitar is definitely multiy-ply, which usually has a darker colour than maple.
Strangely the german version says that the top was made of spruce. The english version says maple (?). It's hard to identify the wood grain on the photos, and I'm no carpenter either, but I guess your guitar has a maple top and a multi-ply neck, and the guitar in the archive has a spruce top and a maple neck.
But there are lots of possible reasons for colour differences: maybe Framus used different varnish through the years, or different sorts of maple wood (which can differ in colour, too), maybe your guitar once had a paintjob on the top or a neck replacement, ...
The overall shape and the shapes and makings of the saddle and the pickguard seem to fit, but you have to be quite an expert to be sure - and I'm definitely not

[Styles Bitchley]

Hi All,
I'm working on identifying this guitar. The label inside is pretty faded so it's hard to see in the picture but I've attached it any way. It looks like the handwritting may say J / 79GL inside. My best guess at the stamped number is 6388 or it may be 6382 or 63888 or 03888 it's hard to say. This plays beautifully but I'd like to know more about it. Model, year, wood that was used, etc. If anyone can help, I sure would appreciate it.

I'm just reading some back threads in the forum and it's interesting to see your post. It's certainly a J/196, as mine is a J/296 (2 for 12 string, 1 for six string) and it looks practically identical (including the multi ply neck). I don't think the top is maple. Maple looks different. I'm trying to figure out the wood used on my top too, but I'm quite certain the back and sides are mahogany. If you're still getting updates from the forum, post some images of the sides and back. Note that the "L" references the natural finish. The date of manufacture on mine was UNDER the label inside the sound hole. You'd have to remove it to see if it is there.

[Poppi Moran]

I was gifted two vintage 12 string guitars. The labels show serial numbers of 93032. Date looks like 69G. The second 12 string serial number is 16523, model 51296, date looks like 62D. Can anyone tell me something about these?

[Fee K.]

I'm fascinated that this forum is mostly about 12strings popping up everywhere. I posted a summary in the Company and History subforum, They were mostly a mid/late 60s thing, like yours are, and can find links to other members' guitars there that will look familiar. If something still is unusual you're welcome to show photos. Which one do you prefer?