Framus Television resto-mod

Bringing your older offset back to life.
Post Reply
User avatar
nanamour
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 791
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:22 pm
Location: Hell's Kitchen

Framus Television resto-mod

Post by nanamour » Sun May 29, 2016 8:59 pm

I've passively fantasized about picking up or building a thinline offset, maybe a Japanese Thinline Jag, or perhaps pulling the trigger on one of Saylor Guitars' thinline JM bodies on eBay for an age now, but one thing or another always prevented me from pulling the trigger on either. Something buried within the depths of my conscience always mandated I hold out for something really special (and a bit unique) like a Hopf Saturn or the like. Well today Mercury and Venus aligned and I found something that satisfies my thinline offset fetish AND THEN SOME:

Image

A Framus Television! I've always loved the naïve post-war technological optimism in 50's/60's guitar naming and this one might take the cake for me in its kitsch...Telecaster is sooo 1951. I play a Television! :w00t:

I have my work cut out for me: the auction was for the body and neck only; I need to track down the vibrato tailpiece, bridge, pickups, control plate for the upper horn, tuners, and fiddly bits like knobs, strap pins, etc. Seeing as sellers seem to be placing absurd premiums on these old parts like Holy Relics touched by Saint Framus himself(!), this will probably become more of a resto-mod. Number one priority for me is tracking down the pickups (I have a line on one correct pickup already for not too bad a price); beyond that I'm considering maybe a Bigsby B3 and Gretsch Space Control bridge in lieu of OG Framus factory equipment (any glaring problems anyone sees with this?). I have no idea what the quality or stability of the original trem tailpiece is and am more than a bit skeptical of shelling out 149 Euro for one.

Here she is in her (slightly worse for wear) current state [seller's pics]:

Image

The neck has obviously recieved a replacement fretboard at some point but the seller wasn't able to tell me what work had been done/what's left to do, though he did confirm that the neck is straight and the truss rod works. From the looks of the pictures the board needs radiusing and of course frets--all this make me a little uneasy but I've been waiting for an excuse to teach myself these skills, so not a glaring negative in my book.

Anyway, I'm practically shaking with excitement to get this in my hands and get started; here's what it would have looked like with its original accoutrements:

Image

Stay tuned for future transmissions!
Last edited by nanamour on Sun May 29, 2016 9:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
antisymmetric
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3601
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:32 pm
Location: New Zealand

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by antisymmetric » Sun May 29, 2016 9:25 pm

Cool project, will indeed stay tuned! 8)
Watching the corners turn corners

User avatar
raphaël
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 881
Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:42 am
Location: Moëlan sur Mer, France

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by raphaël » Sun May 29, 2016 11:52 pm

Awesome :w00t: !!!

User avatar
b bender
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:53 am
Location: Sunny South West England

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by b bender » Mon May 30, 2016 12:47 am

nice I've recently picked up a bass version, this is on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Framu ... SwNsdXQtPh" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (it might be the one you spotted) .. I have a "thing" for Framus ... if i see anything for you I will let you know.......
"Sent from my Sinclair ZX81"

User avatar
nanamour
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 791
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:22 pm
Location: Hell's Kitchen

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by nanamour » Tue May 31, 2016 6:40 am

b bender wrote:nice I've recently picked up a bass version, this is on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Framu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... SwNsdXQtPh (it might be the one you spotted)
That was the one! Was outbid at the last second, and so the search continues!
b bender wrote: I have a "thing" for Framus ... if i see anything for you I will let you know.......
That'd be a tremendous help! My strategy so far has been dredging German/UK eBay...I don't think too many Framus's (Frami? ;D ) made their way across the moat to the States.

User avatar
b bender
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:53 am
Location: Sunny South West England

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by b bender » Tue May 31, 2016 6:55 am

the trem tail piece turns up now and again ...... last one went for £19 (one bid) so parts can be bought reasonable just needs a wait .........good luck :) :)
"Sent from my Sinclair ZX81"

User avatar
b bender
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:53 am
Location: Sunny South West England

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by b bender » Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:46 am

pm sent
"Sent from my Sinclair ZX81"

User avatar
sirspens
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 786
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:26 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

Re: Framus Television resto-mod

Post by sirspens » Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:58 pm

How did this turn out?

Post Reply