Retro-Rama: 1974 Framus “Nashville” Bass
| June, 2008
This unusual bass was one of the last new products from Framus before financial difficulties sank the company in 1975. Framus was a prestigious and successful European instrument maker, founded by Fred Wilfer in 1946 with its roots in the grand tradition of German violin building. Settling in Bavaria in post-war Germany, Wilfer’s vision and hard work built Framus into a strong company, which by 1954 had moved into a state-of-the-art factory in Bubenreuth to capitalize on the guitar boom of the late ’50s and early ’60s. Among its innovative instrument line was the Triumph bass, one of the first electric upright basses. Paul McCartney’s first guitar was a Zenith made by Framus, and John Lennon played a Framus 12-string in the Beatles’ 1965 movie Help! Famous Framus endorsees in the ’60s include Bill Wyman and, believe it or not, Charles Mingus!
After Framus lost its U.S. distributor in 1973, the “Nashville” series of guitars and basses were developed as part of an ill-fated attempt to revive the company’s fortunes. Famed pickup designer Bill Lawrence, himself of German origin, had been working in cooperation with Framus since 1953, and was key in the development of this new series of instruments. Chet Atkins had some involvement in the Nashville models as well, and one of his favorite studio bassists, Henry Strzelecki, was pictured in a 1974 ad touting the bass.
This Nashville bass, which belongs to Tim Marks, is a very cool and different instrument. It sounds great and plays well, though the action has crept up a bit. The body is made of highly grained Larchwood, native to Germany, and the transparent stained finish has aged to a beautiful amber hue. The cream binding and chrome hardware are classy touches. The large body shape is reminiscent of the hollowbody Gibson Les Paul Signature bass, later reborn as the Epiphone Jack Casady Signature. The sides show that the body was made of two matched halves sawn parallel with the top and glued together, and there seems to be a hollow chamber in the upper body. The 34" scale neck glued to the body is chunky and solid.
With flatwound strings, this Framus has a rootsy feel and sound similar to a 1960’s short-scale bass, but is definitely beefier and more high-fi. The two chrome covered Bill Lawrence-designed pickups have a smooth, even response. The tone circuitry consists of master volume and tone knobs, plus a chrome 4-way tone selector switch, not unlike the Les Paul Recording bass. The four settings are as follows: 1) neck pickup only 2) both pickups in phase 3) both pickups out of phase and 4) bridge pickup only. The first and second are the most useable settings, and have a creamy mellowness, accentuated no doubt by the flatwounds. The tone knob could have a wider range of high-end cut, but that’s the only quibble I could find on this unique bass.
Unfortunately, the Nashville series wasn’t enough to save Framus from its untimely demise, but for once, this is a story with a happy ending: Fred Wilfer’s son Hans Peter carried on the family tradition when he founded Warwick in 1982, at the age of 24. Hans Peter reacquired the Framus trademark shortly before his father’s death and began to reintroduce the Framus line in 1995. The company’s groundbreaking and illustrious history is now contained within the new Framus museum, which opened last year in Markneukirchen, Germany. It seems sometimes good things do come back around. The “Nashville” series was certainly a noble attempt in its time, so who knows—maybe it will resurface one day. Until next time, Peace, Love, and Grooves!
Dave Pomeroy has released nine solo and band projects on Earwave Records. His latest CD is Three Ring Circle, an instrumental trio with Rob Ickes on dobro and Andy Leftwich on mandolin. It’s available at www.davepomeroy.com.
