1956 Framus Triumph Electric Upright
The electric upright bass is a true musical hybrid, representing an alternate path in our instrument’s evolution from the traditional string bass to the Fender-style bass guitar. Combining the sound, style, and feel of the acoustic bass with the amplified electric’s improved sonic flexibility, the EUB (as it is often called these days) has found its own niche in the world of contemporary bass, and it’s particularly near and dear to my own musical heart.
The earliest experiments with amplifying the string bass began in the 1930s, around the time Charlie Christian was revolutionizing the guitar through the use of magnetic pickups and amplifiers. Rickenbacker and Gibson were among the EUB concept’s early pioneers, but they were maybe a bit too far ahead of their time: Their early instruments didn’t catch on as quickly as the electric guitar did, perhaps because of the limits of the era’s amp technology, or because the string bass was still loud enough for most musical groups.
The Framus Triumph bass, introduced in 1956, was one of the first commercially viable EUBs, predating the Ampeg Baby Bass by a few years. Built in Germany by Alfred “Fred” Wilfer (whose son, Hans Peter Wilfer, went on to found Warwick Basses in 1982), the Triumph was available in both 4- and 5-string versions. Made of solid maple with a huge, chrome-plated adjustable bridge, it had the scale length of a full-size double bass. The triangular body shape and cool gold finish gave it a look all its own, and the scroll headstock with its flat protrusion and the Framus “Globe” logo served notice that a new kind of bass had arrived.
The Triumph’s chrome-plated magnetic pickup, which has adjustable polepieces, attaches to the end of the fingerboard. It has a sweet, round tone that sounds somewhat more electric than acoustic—but regardless, the physical characteristics of the strings and neck give it that unmistakable “upright” vibe. The arco sound isn’t bad; it’s a little gritty, but certainly useable. There’s a single volume knob, and absolutely no onboard tone-shaping options, which today seems odd. But if you think about it, neither does an acoustic bass—other than string type, setup, and most important, the player’s hands! The thin shape, lack of a bout, and the fairly short endpin make it a little awkward to play standing up; I’ve found that sitting on a stool makes playing the Framus much more comfortable.
Johnny Bond, jazz bassist with George Shearing, was an early Framus endorser, and Stanley Clarke also played one early in his career. One of my major heroes and influences, the German bassist Eberhard Weber, played a modified 5-string “Arco” bass, a Framus-inspired EUB built in Czechoslovakia, for many years. His wonderful albums on ECM, plus an amazing live performance that I saw in London in 1976, convinced me that the electric upright was its own unique animal, and that I had to have one. Playing an EUB is subtly different from playing a fretless bass guitar, in technique, sound, and attitude—and while I love to play both, something about the EUB speaks a little deeper to me personally.
The Framus is one of the granddaddies of the EUB family, and Warwick has periodically reintroduced the Triumph with various electronic upgrades. Even so, the original design’s influence is still evident in many of today’s electric uprights. For those looking to blur the lines between acoustic and electric, the EUB is a great way to go, and this Framus Triumph is one of the early trailblazers of that particular musical path.
