Instrument: With its 14" body, the Framus Studio was the smallest archtop in the range and was actually marketed as a "strumming guitar for delicate female hands". It is nevertheless a complete archtop, very popular at the time, and was a sales success that remained almost unchanged in the program for about 20 years. The stamp 74 E on the soundhole label of our Studio stands for May 1974.
Material: The guitar is made entirely of maple, including the two-piece longitudinally glued neck. The top and back are arched and very solidly bookmatched. The back is beautifully flamed. The fingerboard is rosewood with pearloid dot inlays. All other hardware parts are old favorites from the Framus shelf: the open tuners with transparent pearloid grips, the black stained pearwood bridge and also the short, solid tailpiece.
Instruments history: Unknown. We took it over from a private middleman. But it's certainly a living room guitar that's never been subjected to much wear and tear.
Restoration work: There was not much to do. All surfaces were cleaned and bale polished, the body blown out. The tuners were refurbished and re-oiled, fingerboard and frets were stripped and oiled or polished. Finally, new strings were installed and a basic setup was performed.
Current condition: This beautiful Studio is in original condition right down to the last screw. The deep gloss Black Rose finish is perfectly executed. Considering it is almost 50 years old, the guitar is practically like new. A few scratches on the back, light spots on the upper end of the headstock - there is no other damage. Everything is of course stable and resilient, all glue joints bombproof, everything works as it should. The neck is straight as a die, fretboard and frets are in mint condition. Playability is child's play and together with the low string action of less than 2 mm at the 12th fret, we have here a top player on today's quality level. The sound is midrange and treble rich, very bluesy, it reminds in certain pitches of the sound of a banjo. All in all an opportunity for collectors! Or a small, handy travel archtop! Or a very individual addition to the range for demanding blues and fingerstyle guitarists. The main thing is to play it, because it would be a shame not to use this sound.
Measures: Overall length 40.6”/103 cm, body length 19.1”/48,5 cm, lower bout width 13.6”/34,5 cm, waist width 8.5”/21,5 cm, upper bout width 10.4”/26,5 cm; body depth 3.2”/8 cm, scale length 24.8”/63 cm (zero fret to saddle), fingerboard width 1.7”/4,2 cm at nut, 2.0”/5,2 cm at 12th fret; overall weight 2.010 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.
