c.1960 Framus (Texan?) Dreadnought Guitar

Framus (Franconia Music Co) was a big factory maker of guitars in Germany post-WWII. While over here we see a lot of their late 1960s and 1970s models, I'm a huge fan of their 1950s and early 1960s models. This model, in fact, is of the same type I picked out for my Dad a few years ago as a present. It has a modern, Gibson-shaped neck, with a fast (but relatively flat, though still radiused) fretboard, and a Martin-ish body shape.

Under the hood, however, this is definitely NOT an American build, as it's got classical-style fan bracing -- similar to the style Ovation started using when they started up in 1967, and also similar to Martin's Mr. Deichmann's bracing on "the first" dreadnought built (it was a Hawaiian guitar with fan bracing).

Uh... what's that mean? A fundamentally different tone... it's big and boomy and loud and aggressive like an American-built flattop, but has more of that direct, precise energy that a classical guitar has, with focus. Due to the body shape and woods used (solid spruce top, laminate maple back/sides), it has that sort of dry 14-fret mahogany Martin tone, but... different!

Obviously, the guitar was styled on some of the more country-ish Gibsons of the time. with that super-cool giant pickguard and sunburst.

When I picked it up, I replaced the wrecked rosewood bridge with a new (parts bin vintage, but also German, oddly enough) replacement bridge, and added a bone saddle. I also gave the guitar a fret dress, good cleaning, and installed a new bone nut behind the zero fret.

Guitar has a truss rod... fretboard is rosewood.

Now, I'd like to mention that if you're hunting for a vintage Framus flattop... the ones with set necks from pre-1963/64 are a good step above the ones with bolted-on necks (mid-60s through 70s). The craftsmanship and bracing are better, they're much lighter in weight, and the materials are better. Also, the set neck transfers energy better... though almost all Framus guitars feature a neck made of a zillion laminations for strength (something many new Martin-built student/mid-grade guitars do now)... I've really never seen a Framus neck warped beyond recall and I barely ever have to touch the truss with them.

Fun classical styling, too, mixed with Western styling... notice that cutout fretboard extension. Multi-ply w/b/w bindings are typical of German guitars of the time... and earlier.

Original tuners work fine.

Nice tobacco-ish sunburst all over.