beautiful but mysterious Framus Archtop..any ideas?

[Tone]

I am trying to identify this guitar.It has a Heart of Bavaria label inside.Serial No.53216. The rest of the label has faded but the year stamp looks like it ends in 3M.It has what looks like a 0 before the 3,maybe a faded 6? The finish is a bright deep red.Can anyone help? The neck is in natural wood finish.

 

[Nachobassman]

Maybe you could find it here:



And welcome aboard, BTW. 8:

 

[Tone]

Muchas gracias Senor Nacho.I have had a pretty intensive look thru the vintage site.The body/neck is like the Jet Fret/ New Sound shape 50s/60s but the six knobs don't fit the picture and the only Bigsby B7 I have found is on the new Mayfield signature guitar (same body as well).I have tried photobucket,google and shops but no luck yet.But im getting to see a lot of inspired beautiful guitars.This one is lovely...I want it!! and if the price is right...? Wish me luck and thank you for the welcome:lol: tone de fone

 

[Andreas Egelkraut]

Hallo Tone,

On this thinline guitar is any mysterious. The neck is from an Framus Thinline guitar from the begin of the 60s, examply by the model Fret Jet or New Sound. Bodys without or with painted binding built the label later on the end of the 60s or begin of the 70s.

The swithch plate, the neck pickup and the poti knobs are also from the begin of the 60s, the order and quantity from the poti knobs aren´t from Framus, the Bigsby Vibrato is also from a later time this part was construct from the begin to the middle of the 70s. I believe that the middle the bridge pickup and the vibrato was replaced.

The red finish I know from IMS models an cheap Framus label from the begin of the 70s. The bridge I can´t see good on the photo, I think she isn´t also original. This guitar is difficult to assign but I believe That the neck was replaced to another body. Regrettably we haven´t documentation over prototyps ore custom instruments from the label.

An Thinline model in this design I have naerly in catalogs or on the vintage website from the museum.

Andreas Egelkraut
Warwick/Framus Social Media Vintage

 

[Tone]

Thank you Andreas,
I was thinking along the same lines as your comments above.The body does have an inlaid plastic trim (binding?) and a label inside.I think it might be a 1963 December.The photos don't do the color justice, it is very bright red.The neck and body have been apart ,there are glue trails.I think it may have been rebuilt and hotted up in the 70,s.I need to get new top switches and check the rest of the electrics so I will find out more as I work on it.It has a lovely neck (as nice as Audrey Hepburn,s!) and is truly built to Rock,n,Roll.I guess I don't want the Gretsch after all.I hope to visit the Framus Museum sometime.I didn't know about Framus before.Im glad I found it! Thanks again for your help Tone def one