Looking for parts!

[Fernando]

Hello! My name is Fernando and I'm a luthier currently living in the southwest of Spain, almost at the very end of the continent. My introduction to Framus guitars came to happen when I was around 16. I swapped a Fender acoustic for a wonderful 70s Framus Junior Deluxe. Black, all original parts. Really amazing sound, I became enamored of the feel it had. Sadly, a few years later I sold it for a ridiculous price, but I needed the money. Ever since then, I wanted it back, and recently I found one for sale that I'll probably be getting soon.

However, I'm here to ask about a different guitar, actually. This week I'll be getting a gold Framus Strato. I believe it's a 1962 Strato 5-154. One like this:



Absolutely stunning design. Love at first glance. This year I'll get back into building guitars and I'm probably going to get inspiration from this one. You can't dislike Framus' take on the Les Paul style of shape. The way everything is displayed on the body and the more modern 6-in line kind of headstock make for such a frozen in time 60s german look. It's like a super advanced piece of machinery but it's very traditional at the same time. Perfect balance! It's become one of my favourite guitar designs of all time.

Back to the topic! First off, I'd love to find some original parts for it. Mine is missing the tremolo cover, the tremolo bar, and one original tuner:



I looked for a single or even a set of those teardrop shaped tuners but I couldn't find any. However, they're open back tuners and they look pretty rusty. If I can't get them in proper working order, I'll probably get a good set of Schaller vintage looking brand new tuners. I just don't want to throw away the possibility of finding a single original tuner just yet. I looked in the Framus-Warwick shop but they don't offer that model. Does anyone know where I could source one? Same goes for the tremolo cover and the tremolo arm. I can probably repurpose a Teisco/Fender bass ashtray and make a custom arm with a steel rod but I'd love to restore it as originally as possible.

It also had an original 5-pin connection output which was replaced for a regular jack female. I'm not looking to retrofit a pin connection, honestly, but I'm curious about it. Does anyone know what the purpose of the pin connection was? To control other Framus equipment from the guitar, maybe? Or it was just one of the different connections there were around before the 1/4" jack became the international standard?

This leads me to my second question: What about the controls? I'm confused about the rotary switches. My best guess is the one with roman numerals control which pickups are on, and the one with T + B lettering are "tone presets"? Or do those control what pickups are on? But then, what about the numbers? Exciting!! I imagine the last knob is a volume or tone control, right?

I couldn't find any information about the pickups either. My guess is they're either a Gibson Firebird copy, or a narrower single P90-style beefy single coil. Anyhow, once I get the guitar, I'll disassemble everything, take notes and share them with you all so that there's a little more info about these out there.

Paint's cracked all the way, were they painted with nitrocellulose like old Gibsons and Fenders? Cracked gold is one cool finish, let me tell you, but there's straight up chipping on the back of the neck, which will need refinishing. I imagine it's extremely uncomfortable to move around the neck as it is now. Other than that, seems to be in decent shape.

As soon as I have it I'll share with you any information, measurements (physical or electric) or specs that I'm asked. I'd love it if there was a Framus encyclopedia out there, just like there is with other makers from the same era. Can't wait to get my hands on it! Indeed a nice Christmas present and a very Christmasy looking guitar. There's a beautiful goldtop Gibson Les Paul resting on my workbench as I write this. Gold guitar winter it is.

Merry Christmas everybody! Thank you for reading me.

P.S.: I've been thinking about getting the Framus Vintage book, does anyone have it? If it contains lots of info on their old models, I'd love to get a copy, as I plan to restore as many of these guitars or basses as I can get my hands on.

[rain-air]

. This week I'll be getting a gold Framus Strato. I believe it's a 1962 Strato 5-154.

Hi Fernando, lucky you! After letting mine go 10 years ago I have been looking on and off for a project guitar, once I almost bid on an almost affordable one in this rare colour... interesting that this finish is pictured, but not listed in the old catalogue. You can find the excerpt in "history" section of the forum.
Sorry, I can't help with parts and believe it's getting harder day by day - one specialist for old German electrics, musikkeller seems to be retired by now. There's philthyguitars, maybe look him up.

I looked for a single or even a set of those teardrop shaped tuners but I couldn't find any. However, they're open back tuners and they look pretty rusty. If I can't get them in proper working order, I'll probably get a good set of Schaller vintage looking brand new tuners. I just don't want to throw away the possibility of finding a single original tuner just yet. I looked in the Framus-Warwick shop but they don't offer that model. Does anyone know where I could source one? Same goes for the tremolo cover and the tremolo arm. I can probably repurpose a Teisco/Fender bass ashtray and make a custom arm with a steel rod but I'd love to restore it as originally as possible.

yes, I believe that is the way to go, original cover is rather thin, made of brass, nickel plated

It also had an original 5-pin connection output which was replaced for a regular jack female. I'm not looking to retrofit a pin connection, honestly, but I'm curious about it. Does anyone know what the purpose of the pin connection was? To control other Framus equipment from the guitar, maybe? Or it was just one of the different connections there were around before the 1/4" jack became the international standard?

It used to be the standard connector for audio equipment in Germany into the 70s, called "DIN"-Plug (Deutsches Institut für Normung). It's a brave move replacing it, as the body and shielding cavity behind the pickguard (presumably soldered shut) are too shallow for the phone plug.

This leads me to my second question: What about the controls? I'm confused about the rotary switches. My best guess is the one with roman numerals control which pickups are on, and the one with T + B lettering are "tone presets"? Or do those control what pickups are on? But then, what about the numbers? Exciting!! I imagine the last knob is a volume or tone control, right?

Right. Presets, pickup selector and single volume pot

I couldn't find any information about the pickups either. My guess is they're either a Gibson Firebird copy, or a narrower single P90-style beefy single coil. Anyhow, once I get the guitar, I'll disassemble everything, take notes and share them with you all so that there's a little more info about these out there.

Paint's cracked all the way, were they painted with nitrocellulose like old Gibsons and Fenders? Cracked gold is one cool finish, let me tell you, but there's straight up chipping on the back of the neck, which will need refinishing. I imagine it's extremely uncomfortable to move around the neck as it is now. Other than that, seems to be in decent shape.

As soon as I have it I'll share with you any information, measurements (physical or electric) or specs that I'm asked. I'd love it if there was a Framus encyclopedia out there, just like there is with other makers from the same era.

This forum's intention is just that. But I'm not very optimistic. People much prefer to share their views at a company specialised in theft of user generated content, and will this be around forever? There used to be a pretty extensive review of Framus pickups from the 60s on a forum that's long gone. (all single coils, mostly made by Schaller) The other day I read about a chemical that melts and blends nitro finish, but stupidly can remember neither name nor source. Interesting that back of neck matches body colour, most were painted black. Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

[Fernando]

Hi Fernando, lucky you! After letting mine go 10 years ago I have been looking on and off for a project guitar, once I almost bid on an almost affordable one in this rare colour... interesting that this finish is pictured, but not listed in the old catalogue. You can find the excerpt in "history" section of the forum.
Sorry, I can't help with parts and believe it's getting harder day by day - one specialist for old German electrics, musikkeller seems to be retired by now. There's philthyguitars, maybe look him up.

This forum's intention is just that. But I'm not very optimistic. People much prefer to share their views at a company specialised in theft of user generated content, and will this be around forever? There used to be a pretty extensive review of Framus pickups from the 60s on a forum that's long gone. (all single coils, mostly made by Schaller) The other day I read about a chemical that melts and blends nitro finish, but stupidly can remember neither name nor source. Interesting that back of neck matches body colour, most were painted black. Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

Hello there! Thank you for your response. I'll try my luck with both sites! About nitro, it's always told it 'never cures', so whenever you spray a nitro layer, it melts and bonds with the existing layer. It can't just make 60 year old cracking disappear though!

I was surprised there wasn't a bigger source of information considering how many Framus instruments are still around, but I guess it's because old sites have been going down, as you mention. Can you remember the name of that forum? Maybe there's something still up in the internet archive. I'll go for a read in the history section meanwhile.

Thank you!

[rain-air]

Cheers Fernando,
in fact I did have a brief look at the archive before I posted, out of curiosity if euroguitars.co.uk would be usable as a source, but I felt that the captures aren't deep enough, i.e. you get forum lists, but not the posts, plus random photos without description. Same with the old framus-vintage.de site where I couldn't locate the compact model lists (which have had no major additions since then).
I'm not a moderator, have only laid my hands on a dozen or so Framus instruments but have been studying nearly everything since the late 80s. And still am eager to see new things from the old ages.