Can someone tell me more about this Framus Bass from 75'

[Catino]

I recently came across some of my fathers old stuff. He used to be a musician.
We decided to sell most of it because we don't have enough room.
One of those things was his Framus Bass guitar from 1975. While we where trying to sell it online, a man contacts us and tells us that the bass is worth more than we were asking for it. I decided to do some research and became very intrigued with the story behind it. It isn't just another bass guitar to me anymore so I decided to keep it in the family. I believe it is a Framus 12700 S-380. And according to www.framus-vintage.de Jaco Pastorius used the same model bass when he recorded the CD "Broadway Blues".
I hoped to find out more about this bass so I created an account on TalkBass.
Can anyone tell me more about it?
Has anyone experience playing it?

 

[TomB]

I can't tell you about that bass, but a little about Framus, at least in the US. They were among the brands imported for a while into the US after domestic demand exceeded supply in the early '60's. They were know in the late '60's for their hollow-bodied basses, the Star Bass being one that was somewhat popular - I know I sure wanted one! Bill Wyman of the Stones played a Framus that he defretted himself in their early years. As the US market demand for guitars stabilized in the '70's, I didn't see the brand much any more around the Midwest. I believe that with the collapse of that export market, Framus folded mid-70's, only to be purchased by Warwick much later - a name well-known today. I never knew they got into the Fender copy market, as did so many Japanese companies around that time (mid to late '70's), so I've never seen a bass like yours. I'm not sure that makes it rare or valuable, but Framus quality was decent at the time and I bet it's a nice instrument! Thanks for sharing.

 

[MG Wolf]

I bought a similar bass on the 'Bay ten plus years ago. Mine was a 1972 with original Maui Blue finish and made in West Germany (I don't think they were ever made in Japan).

When I sold it on Reverb a couple of years ago I was contacted by a potential buyer who owned lots of Framii over the years, and he described it as a "funky somewhat crude" Jazz copy with hot pickups. He also advised me that my asking price was far too high, and that the original pickguard would have been tort, not mother of toilet seat.

Subsequently I ended up selling it to another buyer for a bit less than my original asking price.

I like the zero fret on it and definitely thought it was cool for what it was.

PS: I sent the OP a private message with the price I paid and the price I sold the bass for, I don't think Forum rules allow me to state that here.