Double Bass Mystery Framus labeling

[gprigge]

I have a fully-carved Framus. Luthier guesses it's 1960-70s. But label states "Made in Germany" not "Made in West Germany." Framus went bankrupt in the 1970s. I don't think it was making uprights when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, so if it's a 1960s-70s the label should read "Made in West Germany," not "Made in Germany." Reading the history of Framus on the net hasn't been much help. Anybody know why the label doesn't say "West Germany"?

 

[Jake deVilliers]

I have a fully-carved Framus. Luthier guesses it's 1960-70s. But label states "Made in Germany" not "Made in West Germany." Framus went bankrupt in the 1970s. I don't think it was making uprights when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, so if it's a 1960s-70s the label should read "Made in West Germany," not "Made in Germany." Reading the history of Framus on the net hasn't been much help. Anybody know why the label doesn't say "West Germany"?

Where are the detailed hi-res pix?

 

[Goatrope]

Try over at Warwick.de. I bet they'd come up with an answer quickly.

 

[gprigge]

Where are the detailed hi-res pix?

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Close-up of the button?

 

[martinc]

I have a fully-carved Framus. Luthier guesses it's 1960-70s. But label states "Made in Germany" not "Made in West Germany." Framus went bankrupt in the 1970s. I don't think it was making uprights when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, so if it's a 1960s-70s the label should read "Made in West Germany," not "Made in Germany." Reading the history of Framus on the net hasn't been much help. Anybody know why the label doesn't say "West Germany"?

Two suggestions:
- They had hundreds of labels left over from the 1940's
- wishful thinking.

 

[BRIDGE]

Could also be old stock that was retained after the bankruptcy and then sold after the company bounced back in 1995, with a new label?

 

[gprigge]

Close-up of the button?

 

[james condino]

Possibly a mid century Hofner made bass with a Framus label?

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Possibly a mid century Hofner made bass with a Framus label?

That's kinda where I was going - but is that plastic binding they're using for purfling?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The purfling looks like a decal to me. I'm not seeing Hofner...my first bass was a mid-century Schroetter ply that was almost certainly a Hofner factory bass, and the resemblance is almost nil.

 

[gprigge]

That's kinda where I was going - but is that plastic binding they're using for purfling?

Yes, the purfling is a decal. The bass also has unusually narrow ribs at 6-inches. Neck is Eb. It's a smallish 3/4, but has a 41 1/2 string length.
Did Framus use basses from other manufacturers? I tried to contact the Warwick.de museum through the website form, but it wouldn't send. I also sent a private email, but no response so far. I have no wishful thinking that it may be pre WWII. I think Framus did not exist as such before WWII. I'm just curious about the label. I appreciate the interest and comments.

 

[eh_train]

One question I'd have is whether manufacturers were required to identify East versus West Germany in their labelling.

While there was probably always more status attached to West German manufacturing (think BMW versus Trabant in auto manufacturing terms), perhaps Framus believed that everyone would know they were a West German company (ie., no need to state the obvious).

Just a thought. I'd guess there is a definitive answer somewhere in cyberspace...

Cheers,

Paul (eh_train)

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The federal Tariff Act of 1930 requires every item imported into the US to be conspicuously labeled, in English, with the country of origin. I imagine the Berlin Wall would be a factor.

g, have you checked with the webmaster at framus-vintage.de? There is pretty good information there, but maybe someone knows something specific about your model of bass?

 

[gprigge]

The federal Tariff Act of 1930 requires every item imported into the US to be conspicuously labeled, in English, with the country of origin. I imagine the Berlin Wall would be a factor.

g, have you checked with the webmaster at framus-vintage.de? There is pretty good information there, but maybe someone knows something specific about your model of bass?

Yes. The on-line email form won't send, at least from my computer. I've tried it three times over several weeks. And a two private emails, about 2 months apart, have not brought a reply.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Then you may wish to do a Google image search, in parentheses, of the words Framus, bass, and each of the model numbers listed on the page.

That's how I identified a recent find (which I unfortunately missed) as a Framus soloist model 4/14.

 

[eh_train]

... every item imported into the US to be conspicuously labeled, in English, with the country of origin.

Thanks for the clarification, and you're probably right that the U.S. government would want to distinguish East from West.

Living in Canada, I've seen plenty of 1960s era German basses that are labelled with only "Made in Germany". The Ontario school system, praise be, used this as their go-to model of student bass, so there are still plenty of them around here, in various states of repair...

Cheers,

Paul

 

[eh_train]

Oh, and I meant to say that perhaps the bass was originally exported to a country where the East/West labelling wouldn't matter...

 

[gprigge]

Oh, and I meant to say that perhaps the bass was originally exported to a country where the East/West labelling wouldn't matter...

It is plausible that the bass came to the U.S. via Canada. I'm in northern Wisconsin, about 4 hours from Canada. That might explain the label. I bought it from a guy who bought it from a pawn shop near here in 2000.

 

[martinc]

It is plausible that the bass came to the U.S. via Canada. I'm in northern Wisconsin, about 4 hours from Canada. That might explain the label. I bought it from a guy who bought it from a pawn shop near here in 2000.

Another likely source for the info you need might be Ric Heinl in Toronto. He runs George Heinl's in Toronto...a venerable long-time violin and bass repair shop. They import and used to distribute a lot of new basses, strings etc from Europe. They are online.