Framus bass found at a yard sale

A

allmartysstuff

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Jun 18, 2017
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#1
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I found a Framus bass at a yard sale. I got there late in the afternoon so it had been there all day long. It was a ridiculous low price so I bought it. I have other guitars, but this is my first bass. I would like to get some information about it. I have done some searching but I have not found a picture of one that matches.
I would like to find the model of an electric bass that I recently acquired. It is stamped STAR-BASS on the part that holds the strings. It guitar is 39" long and the widest part of the body is 13". The hollow body is 1.25" thick with a pick guard that covers a lot of the body and has a tapering recessed area under the strings. I can see inside but I do not see a label. The neck is 1.75" wide and has two tuning knobs on each side of the head. The serial # is 31472-62B, I assume that this was made May 1962. There is another number scratched into the back of the head that looks like CP26C70035 and maybe another c. I plugged it in once and there was some crackling. I have not tried cleaning anything yet. What is the other plug for? Of course I would like to know the current value. I know that it needs work, so I am interested in having the repairs cost less than the value.
Was this on the lower end of the Framus line? Any idea of original selling price?
 
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#2
A quick search shows it as a possible
Framus 5/148 Hollywood Star Bass 1962 Redburst
The pickup is movable up and down that channel. You can most likely contact Framus/Warwick to authenticate.
Mint-condition units fetch around $700-$900.
You may wind up spending almost as much to get it back to mint-condition... so it is by far not a diamond in the rough. It may just be worth spending a few dollars getting it into playing condition and leave it at that.
 
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#3
allmartysstuff said:
View attachment 1158928
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A sliding pickup?!? Like on Gibson Grabbers, only with more sliding?
This is awesome. Make it a player and bang the snot out of it!

HaphAsSard said:
And it's pretty to boot! I seriously like the body and pickguard shapes: they have a, I dunno, a certain flow. Amidst all the wonkiness there were real design gems in the bass guitar offerings of past ages.
Click to expand...

^ This was my reaction to another TBer's acquisition, which I would like to extend to yours as well. I must be a fan of 1960s German guitar design, by Framus in particular.
 
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#5
allmartysstuff said:
View attachment 1158928 View attachment 1158929 View attachment 1158930 View attachment 1158931 View attachment 1158932 View attachment 1158933 View attachment 1158934 View attachment 1158935 I found a Framus bass at a yard sale. I got there late in the afternoon so it had been there all day long. It was a ridiculous low price so I bought it. I have other guitars, but this is my first bass. I would like to get some information about it. I have done some searching but I have not found a picture of one that matches.
I would like to find the model of an electric bass that I recently acquired. It is stamped STAR-BASS on the part that holds the strings. It guitar is 39" long and the widest part of the body is 13". The hollow body is 1.25" thick with a pick guard that covers a lot of the body and has a tapering recessed area under the strings. I can see inside but I do not see a label. The neck is 1.75" wide and has two tuning knobs on each side of the head. The serial # is 31472-62B, I assume that this was made May 1962. There is another number scratched into the back of the head that looks like CP26C70035 and maybe another c. I plugged it in once and there was some crackling. I have not tried cleaning anything yet. What is the other plug for? Of course I would like to know the current value. I know that it needs work, so I am interested in having the repairs cost less than the value.
Was this on the lower end of the Framus line? Any idea of original selling price?
Click to expand...
Nice find, love the skinny neck.
 
#6
Thank you for the help. I knew that for $5.00 I could not go wrong. I hope that it only takes a new saddle to make it playable. I am intrigued by the skinny neck. I have a set of drums that I was given for my granddaughter and I have a couple of guitars. I have been wanting a bass so that I would have enough equipment to have people just drop by and play. I also picked up a 1952 Magnatone lap guitar and a harp at an auction for $65 so I should be set.

Based on the picture that I am now able to see from eastcoasteddie information, I am assuming that the plug for the amp cord is not from the factory that they used the larger multi pronged plug back then.
 
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#16
Hell, I'll double your money.

Seriously, that's a great find. Yes, it's going to take some work to get into good shape, but since you have almost nothing invested so far, you're way ahead of the game. I would have paid $5 for just the knobs. Well, maybe $3, but still...
 
#20
I love Framus basses. Have 2. I would have snapped that baby up without a 2nd thought. Definitely worth making it playable. They are more highly regarded in Europe/Germany.

What you have is a Framus "Hollywood" Star Bass Model 5/148. Yours appears to be the "black rose" color

  • black rose, red, red/gold finish
  • solidbody, semi-solid, double rounded cutaway (flat version)
  • Rosewood fingerboard
  • black pickguard with "Framus"-engravement
  • 1 PU, slideable, tone control
  • built since the beginning 60s
  • built until the mid-60's
I read where Framus sometimes built them with small variations. The additional plug I believe was a popular European connector style.
 
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