As the big American guitar manufacturers
were swelling in size and success
during the rock ’n’ roll explosion of the
’60s, European manufacturers were also
evolving and enjoying a similar—though
still unique—trajectory. By the mid ’60s,
the largest among them was Germany’s
Framus International, a brand with global
recognition and a full line of instruments,
from solidbody and hollowbody electrics
to steel- and nylon-string acoustics, banjos,
lap-steel guitars, and other stringed
instruments. However, bankruptcy eventually
forced Framus into almost 20 years
of hibernation before it was revived by
Warwick in 1995. It has since flourished
and become a major player in Europe once
again, thanks to its wide range of guitars
and amplifiers. This year, the company
stepped up its game in the US market by
opening a flagship store in lower Manhattan
and releasing an Earl Slick signature model
that was co-designed with the New York-based
former David Bowie sideman.
The new 24 3/4"-scale Hollywood
DC is based on the original Hollywood
5/131—a model that originated as Framus’
late-’50s bid to meet the demand for rock-oriented
guitars. Produced until 1966, it
featured a set neck, semi-hollow construction
with a laminate top and back, and a
pair of single-coils. This accessibly priced,
Korean-made reissue retains the features,
pawnshop attitude, and playability of the
original—all with style that stands apart
from the pack.
Sweet Cream
While there’s no shortage of retro-styled
guitars today, many of them lack the visual
balance that made the vintage classics so
beautiful. In this respect, the Hollywood
DC is a welcome breath of fresh air. Its
curves are modest rather than wonky, its
body is compact and ultra light, and its controls
and hardware are cool yet functional
and discreet. The polished cream finish on
our review model has a quality look and is
a great match for the dark rosewood fretboard
and black binding. The aged plastic
parts, bone-colored Graph Tech nut, and
brass truss-rod cover with traditional Framus
emblem complement the vintage look. The
rotary pickup selector and universal Bass/
Treble tone knobs remind you that you’ve
picked up something a bit removed from
American design convention. The tailpiece
and bridge are surprisingly austere—height
is the only adjustment you can make on this
slotted, palm mute-friendly bridge—and
they contribute to the Hollywood’s funky
vibe. A true headstock inlay (rather than
a painted-on motif) would have provided
the finishing touch. Instead, the headstock
graphics are the most significant deviation
from the original design.
The first thing I noticed when I picked
up the Hollywood was its light weight. The
solid rim and plywood top and back make
the mostly hollow body a little Danelectro-like
in construction (though Danos use
masonite tops and backs). The mahogany
neck has a substantial heel, but upper-fret
access is still quite easy. In many ways, the
Hollywood felt something like a Les Paul
Jr./Danelectro hybrid—comfortable and
impressively balanced. The neck profile is
somewhere between a medium-to-shallow
C and, combined with the relatively flat
14” fretboard radius, is fast playing and
bend friendly. The fretwork was especially
impressive—the nickel-silver frets were
excellently leveled and crowned. All these
points combined with the aforementioned
features to add up to a quality, fun experience
with very few rough edges to distract
from the music-making.
Sturm und drang
The Framus’s unplugged character is light
and bright, with a lively acoustic quality that
you can feel in the body. It’s energizing to get
this kind of volume from an unplugged electric,
and it compelled me to play loudly right
away. The Hollywood has a playful aura, one
that inspires enthusiasm in a simple open
chord. Plugged into a Carr Sportsman set
to a clean, blackface-style sound, the neck
pickup rendered these same acoustic qualities
quite convincingly. There was a springy
definition from the wound strings and a
sparkling response from the higher unwound
strings, that and it added up to satisfying
tonal complexity. On both the neck and
bridge pickups, the low-end response was
tight and crisp—perfect for jangly, early-’60s
rock rhythms. The Hollywood’s bridge
pickup was bright and vocal, with a fair
mount of twang that could cover a lot of
surf- or blues-rock territory. But, as I was to
discover when using a little overdrive, the
Hollywood’s real bread and butter is churning
out vintage rock bark, textured punk
thrash, and cutting alt-rock tones.
I cranked the Sportsman for natural
distortion and put a VHT V-Drive in the
signal path for a slight gain boost and a bit
of high-end texture. With the bridge pickup
selected, I got biting, Vox-like grit that
brought to mind the punchy, syncopated
riff in “Paperback Writer.” As I cut back on
the reverb, turned up the gain, and dialed in
some mids, I was in a scorching Jack White
tone zone that got better with the gradual
onset of feedback. Compared to most solidbodies,
the Hollywood DC made it fairly
easy to coax feedback, which is undoubtedly
attributable in part to the hollow construction.
But the feedback was easily reigned
in, too, and that controllable liveliness is
one of the real signatures and surprises of
this guitar. This is an instrument that can
be pushed to the edge, but remain balanced
enough to stay within the player’s control.
Framus also did a great job with the
overall voicing of the Hollywood—the bass
never got muddy, and treble, though ample,
never became unwontedly brittle or piercing.
In fact, it retained clarity at every gain
setting I used, and remained capable of cutting
through the densest mixes.
The Verdict
Whether you want a fresh showpiece for the
gig or an all-around rock performer with
bite, the Hollywood DC is worth serious
consideration. Although many players will
likely wish the bridge were something like
an intonatable Tune-o-matic, I found the
guitar hugely addictive, and loved the fact
that it nails almost all the features of its
popular precursor while achieving professional-
level build quality—all at around a
grand. Exotic but timeless, it’s a gimmick-free
German design with lightweight simplicity
and a bright voice and that begs to
be slung over the shoulder and played.
Buy if...
you need a versatile, cutting
rock instrument with major
head-turning capacity.
Skip if...
you need warmer jazz sounds or can’t
get down with the European styling.
Rating...
Street $999 - Framus International - framus.de
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