Framus Strato 6 10230

Unfairly ranked amongst the 1970s starter guitars such as Guyatone, Satellite and Teisco - the ones sold in department stores, the Framus models were a cut above. Like Kent, Avon and a few other cheap but good guitars from the era, they were eventually relegated to the attic when the Fender came along, or the adverts in the Guitarist magazine lured you into the world of Hohner Professional, or in this case, Washburn. Those that didn't get dumped at the charity shop eventually become victims of parents downscaling; attics cleared and reunions happen - usually, they just need mild recommissioning as Framus guitars were built to survive.

Good quality electrics mean a forensic clean, a bit of joint reflowing and a gentle appointment with a can of Silvo will remove the tarnish. This Strato 6 simply needed a nut and bolt rebuild, a deep clean and some adjustments to join the collection of posh moderns on the wall - it joins them and stands proudly next to them.

The pick-ups have such character, the mystery of the lower tone control solved and now it dials in and out the lower mid-range frequencies to suit. Take a listen to the video to see how these can and should live amongst the modern stuff.

Since these photos were taken, the one and only weak-spot of these models has been addressed - the tuners are now replaced with Gotoh SG-381 - the only quality (affordable) products that fit the headstock design.