I'm 50 years old, been a Stones fan since the first time I heard "Tell Me" in 1964 on my fathers Motorola radio, and have been playing bass since I was 14. After all this, I have never seen a Framus bass anywhere else but in Bill Wymans hands in the early Stones, and have always wondered what they were like, how they played, sounded etc.
PS. Is it mandatory to hold the neck straight up and down like an upright?
Don, what's that Framus bass like?
I had a Framus bass ( well two actually) Best way to descibe the first was like a Gibson Les Paul ie; single cutaway with a cello shaped body. Violin type bridge and raised chrome pickguard and single pickguard. Very slim glued in neck. Headstock held 2 tuners either side , Framus name was engraved on pickguard. Single tone and Volume. pots. When you dropped them, the necks broke out at the body .
My second framus was simply a larger version of the first . I cant remember If it was single or two Pu's. The first had a f hole too.. Cant remember about the second
As far as I can recall Wyman held all his basses in a similar manner .
My second framus was simply a larger version of the first . I cant remember If it was single or two Pu's. The first had a f hole too.. Cant remember about the second
As far as I can recall Wyman held all his basses in a similar manner .
I cant really recall definitively what the sound was like. All I remember was that I took flat wounds off and replaced them with Burns Black Bison plastic wound and got a much better sound. The flats just seemed to slap and thud. One of the main reasons for buying a framus(with a hollow body) was because we could preliminary run throughs in someones back room without filling the room with amps. Try doing that on a solid body .
I bought the second one after the first one lost its neck for the same reason plus the thin neck. I couldnt get my hands around a Precision neck. Price was pretty good too as I recall.( back in the late 60's)
I bought the second one after the first one lost its neck for the same reason plus the thin neck. I couldnt get my hands around a Precision neck. Price was pretty good too as I recall.( back in the late 60's)
Yeah I read something where Bill wyman said the same thing, he liked the P basses but his hands were too small for them.
I was joking about the way he held them, he must have started on upright. But I was always curious about them, I figured that they would have been more popular considering that Bill played them, didn't he take the frets off of his? He got some nice bottom out of them too, when the lousy early Andrew Loog Oldham mixes allowed the bass to sound like one, like on "It's all Over Now" or "Confessin' the Blues" on 12 X 5, must have been the Chess studios stuff.
I was joking about the way he held them, he must have started on upright. But I was always curious about them, I figured that they would have been more popular considering that Bill played them, didn't he take the frets off of his? He got some nice bottom out of them too, when the lousy early Andrew Loog Oldham mixes allowed the bass to sound like one, like on "It's all Over Now" or "Confessin' the Blues" on 12 X 5, must have been the Chess studios stuff.
-
toneman
I've got one Framus Star Bass like Wyman's. Mine was made in 1966. Small neck!! Big 17" hollow body w/red to black see thru sunburst finish. Big sound but only sounds good with flatwound strings..
I have Pyramid Golds on mine and oddly enough that's what they would have come with as Pyramid and Framus are in the same town (as is Hofner!). It's an easy to play bass and has that Wyamn tone through my old Vox AC-50 head and T-60 cabinet.
Not required to play upright. I think Bill did that so he could reach the top of the neck easier. He's a real small guy. Maybe about 5'5".
I have Pyramid Golds on mine and oddly enough that's what they would have come with as Pyramid and Framus are in the same town (as is Hofner!). It's an easy to play bass and has that Wyamn tone through my old Vox AC-50 head and T-60 cabinet.
Not required to play upright. I think Bill did that so he could reach the top of the neck easier. He's a real small guy. Maybe about 5'5".
The Warwick and New Framus just dont do it for me, cosmeticaly. I tried a warwick at a Music show but there were too many head bangers trying to impress with their maxed out versions of metallica riffs to get a clear idea of how the Warwick really sounded.. Dont like the angled machine heads. Ill keep my 4003 thanks
just click the upload attachment button when posting
The email address shown is down, you can email me at septic_bullfrog@yahoo.co.uk
