Instrument: A very high quality Framus from September 1974 (stamped 74 I). In 1974, all German manufacturers were on the verge of bankruptcy. Three rich decades and the feeling of being unassailable had made them completely sleep through the current trends. Framus had a beautiful Sixties icon in the race with the Texan, but hardly anyone wanted it in the Seventies. The USA and Japan were setting the tone, and bolt-on necks, bridges without string pins, strap tuners, archbacks and western style decorations were no longer in keeping with the times. Against this, Framus launched its Nashville series at the beginning of the seventies: uncompromising quality, extremely high-grade guitars with a fantastic sound and all modern features. But it was too late - these instruments, which were expensive to manufacture, only accelerated the downfall and in the spring of 1975 the tradition-steeped company had to file for bankruptcy.
Material: Everything here is massive! The beautifully grained, massive pear wood of the sides and back immediately catches the eye. The back is straight according to modern construction methods, bookmatched, but no longer arched. Solid fine grained spruce top, also bookmatched. The neck is made of massive maple, glued in two parts lengthwise. It has a truss rod and a rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays and side dots. The headstock is covered with maple veneer and has the new Framus Nashville lettering. The rosewood bridge has plastic string pins.
Instruments history: Unknown. The guitar was part of a collection of Framus acoustic guitars assembled between 2005 and 2010. For reasons of space, it was given away at the beginning of 2021. Due to its excellent condition, we conclude that it was a living room guitar that was played but not frequently on the road.
Restoration work: Thorough cleaning and polishing, body blown out. Fingerboard sanded and oiled, frets polished. The individual tuners were completely disassembled, resin removed, cleaned and oiled, the slightly rusty tuner bushings replaced with authentic originals from our Kirschnek stock. New 11-gauge Pyramid strings mounted and setup performed.
Current condition: This blonde Framus looks beautiful and is a top modern guitar despite being almost 50 years old. Very rare and unusual for Framus, the body is made of light pearwood, an old German tonewood, which produces a warm, woody and frequency-rich sound. The completely massive woods of the guitar provide a lot of volume. Of course, as usual with us, the guitar is in top condition and flawless except for two, three tiny dents and scratches. The varnish shines perfectly with great depth. Everything is stable and solid, fretboard and frets are flawless, the neck is straight as a die - the thick jumbo frets are a breeze to play. The guitar is immediately ready to be played and used without any restrictions. Until today, Nashville instruments are underestimated, the uncompromising quality of the series can only be found in much more expensive guitars. If you are looking for a beautiful vintage guitar full of character with a loud, full sound and modern handling, this is the one for you!
Measures: Overall length 41.7”/106 cm, body length 20.1”/51 cm, lower bout width 15.6”/39,5 cm, waist width 10.8”/27,5 cm, upper bout width 11.6”/29,5 cm; body depth 3.7”/9,5 cm, scale length 24.8”/63 cm (zero fret to saddle), fingerboard width 1.7”/4,4 cm at nut, 2.1”/5,4 cm at 12th fret; overall weight 1.920 g, string action on 12th fret 0.08”/2 mm.
Purchase and payment: Just send us an email to info@german-vintage-guitar.com and you will receive your invoice immediately. Or simply order here through the shop.
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