 Long a secret of many prominent
European players, both before and
after the company’s rebirth under the
Warwick umbrella in 1995, Framus guitars
have recently been making their way
over the pond and into the hands of plenty
of more widely recognized artists. Earl
Slick, Elliot Easton, Adam Cohen, and
P-Funker Blackbyrd McKnight have all
been seen waving the Framus flag lately,
and along with this increased exposure,
the company’s reputation for innovation
and originality seems to be growing. This
issue, we check out three quite different
Framus models, the AK 1974 Custom,
Panthera Supreme, and Mayfield Custom.
Each guitar includes a Warwick RockCase
flight case, and is set up on Framus’ very
own PLEK machine (a computer controlled
guitar setup and fret leveling system.
All three models we tested are solidly
built and smoothly playable instruments
by any standard, with versatile tonal capabilities
that suit them to a wide range
to break out of the traditionally narrow
U.S.-inspired design molds might find a
lot to love in any of them.
AK 1974 Custom
Named for its origins in the form of the
official Framus Jan Akkerman signature
model released in 1974, the AK 1974
Custom displays several features that were
hot-to-trot “innovations” back in the day,
and still help to make a more versatile
instrument for many playing styles four
decades later. Notable among these are its
through-neck construction, 24-fret fingerboard,
deep single cutaway with smoothly
contoured neck heel, and 6-way switching
that offers split-coil combinations in
addition to the standard full-humbucker
positions. A maximum body depth of 2"
at the rims and the use of highly flamed
maple throughout—other than for its
unbound tigerstripe ebony ’board—make
the AK 1974 Custom a chunky, solid, and
rather heavy semi-acoustic, despite the
genuine airspace either side of its central
neck/body block.
 Construction and finish look great,
and inspire confidence in the hand. Its
AAAA flamed maple top reveals lively
figuring beneath an ebony burst finish,
and is beautifully complemented by the
gold-plated hardware and split-diamond
with snowflake fretboard and headstock
inlays. Alongside the above-mentioned
“advanced features,” other construction
points more redolent of vintage Euro axes
include a super-slim C-shaped neck, which
measures just .750" deep at the first fret,
and has a prominent volute behind the
nut. While I’m not usually a fan of such
thin necks, this one feels surprisingly good
in the hand, and this 25.5"-scale guitar
is faultlessly playable. That volute, however,
does get in the way of low-fret riffing
now and then, and might take some
getting used to.
Tested—as were all three guitars—
through a Dr. Z Z-28 1x12 combo and a
TopHat Emplexador MKII, the AK 1974
Custom revealed plenty of girth and punch
in general, with a broad tonal palette
expressed across its switching range. The
Seymour Duncan SH-1 ’59 humbuckers
help to retain clarity in all positions, with
plenty of throaty, ES-335-ish warmth in
the neck, and more honking, biting grind
from the bridge. The split-coil combinations
really up the versatility, though, and take
you from chimey jangle to hollow, funky
in-between tones with ease. In all, the AK
1974 Custom is a stoutly confident semiacoustic
with a lot to say for itself.
Mayfield Custom
While it’s a rather more straight-on take
of its clear inspiration, the Gibson ES-335,
the Mayfield Custom nevertheless expresses
its individuality in several subtle ways. Its
thinline semi-acoustic body is somewhat
more svelte than the classic Gibson, with
narrower horns and a slightly different
profile. And the custom split-diamond-withsnowflake
fretboard and headstock inlays,
and chromed knobs take it well away from
copyville, even at first glance. Constructed
of laminated AAA flamed maple top, back,
and sides with a solid maple sustain block
at the center, the Mayfield Custom reveals
a more varied figuring beneath its translucent
tobacco finish, which almost leans
toward a gentle quilting. Its glued-in flamed
maple neck sports another slim carve, with
a depth of around .750" at the first fret, and
the volute returns here, too, though this one
is smaller and less obtrusive feeling than the
AK 1974 Custom's. The tigerstripe ebony
’board wears celluloid binding and carries
22 jumbo frets. Pickups are Seymour Duncan’s
APH1n and APH1b humbuckers with
alnico II magnets, through the traditional
four knobs and 3-way toggle switch control
array, with no coil-splitting capabilities.
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| AK1974 Custom
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This 24.75"-scale guitar is another easy
player, and indeed all three Framus models
seem to benefit greatly from the company’s
use of PLEK technology for final setup
and fret dressing. Plugged in, the Mayfield
Custom offers a sturdy take on the thinline
semi-hollow mojo, a platform that these
medium-output Duncans complement
beautifully. Neck tones have that creamywith-
air quality that helps to make a good
ES-335 such a versatile beast, while the
bridge belts out plenty of raw, thick, slightly
nasal lead tones of the kind that can easily
supplant the solidbody’s supposed dominance
in the rock camp. Feedback comes
a little more easily to the Mayfield Custom
at high volumes, but it’s easily controllable,
and generally short of menacing squeal
unless you really ram it at the front of the
amp. All in all, it’s a smooth, professional
instrument that could turn its hand to a little
of just about anything. Panthera Supreme
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| Mayfield Custom
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A slightly more “traditional alternative” shot
at the Gibson template, the Panthera Supreme
runs more directly toward the LP-styled setneck
single-cut side of the tracks—with perhaps
a slight detour via the Nik Huber and
PRS camps, as seen in its sculpted neck heel,
ribcage body contour, and more Gumby-esque
body lines. This 24.75"-scale instrument has
a solid mahogany body and a carved AAA
flamed maple top that looks great beneath
a vintage sunburst finish. Another tasty
looking tigerstriped ebony fretboard, this
one is bound and carries 22 medium frets,
and subtly elegant oval-shaped abalone dot
position markers. The Tone Pros Tune-omatic
bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and Framus
locking tuners are the same as on the AK
1974 and Mayfield, though the hardware is
chrome-plated this time. Another Duncan
SH-1 ’59 makes an appearance in the neck
position, while a hotter SH-14 Custom 5
sits in the bridge, routed through a 3-way
switch with Master Volume and Tone controls,
with a push-pull switch on the latter
for coil splitting. | 
| | Panthera Supreme |
The Panthera Supreme has another slim
neck profile, though carved from mahogany
this time, with just a hair more depth at
around .775" at the first fret, and no volute
to bolster that transition to the gently backangled
headstock (or to get in your way).
Again, this shallow-C feels great in the
hand—comfy enough for this lover of chunkier
profiles to enjoy perfectly well, and very
likely a dream to fans of skinny, early-’60sstyle
necks. Like its brethren, the Panthera
Supreme is set up with a low action and is
a fast, easy player.
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| | The AK 1974 is a sharp looker with its ebony burst finish and gold hardware. |
Unplugged, this solidbody rings with a
lively, resonant tone, which thickens nicely
when amped up. There is still admirable clarity
here, and decent note separation amid
heavier distortion, along with a beefier midrange
response than the AK 1974 Custom
provided, with more hair around the notes,
too. The bridge ’bucker gets snarly and
raucous fast, with easy sustain and willing
feedback, but cleans up decently using the
guitar’s Volume control. The neck position
takes us confidently into more vintage-LPblues
territory, while the in-between and
split-coil settings yield a range of snappy,
spanky alternatives. Given the format and
design, there are no major surprises here,
but the Panthera Supreme does its thing
well and with confidence, and provides a
sturdy alternative to lovers of that ever-popular
set-neck-with-humbuckers formula.
Specifications
CONTACT Framus Guitars, (212) 777-6990; framus.de
AK 1974 Custom
PRICE $6,732 street, including flight case
NUT Width 1 11/16" TUSQ
NECK Flamed maple through neck, slim C profile (.750" thick at 1st fret)
FRETBOARD Tigerstripe ebony, 14" radius
FRETS 24 jumbo
TUNERS Framus locking tuners
BODY AAAA flamed maple top, AAA flamed maple back
BRIDGE Tone Pros Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece
PICKUPS Two Seymour Duncan SH-1 ’59 humbuckers w/closed covers
CONTROLS Single Volume and Tone, 6-way selector switch
FACTORY STRINGS Framus nickel coated, .009-.046
WEIGHT 9 lbs
BUILT Germany
KUDOS A well-crafted guitar packed with originality and great tone versatility.
CONCERNS Obtrusive volute between neck and headstock might impede some playing styles.
Mayfield Custom
PRICE $4,949 street, including flight casev
NUT Width 1 11/16" TUSQ
NECK AAA flamed maple, slim C profile (.750" thick at 1st fret)
FRETBOARD Tigerstripe ebony, 14" radius
FRETS 22 medium-jumbo
TUNERS Framus locking tuners
BODY Laminated AAA flamed maple top and back with solid mahogany sustain block
BRIDGE Tone Pros Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece
PICKUPS Two Seymour Duncan humbuckers: APH1n neck, APH1b bridge
CONTROLS Independent Volume and Tone for each pickups, 3-way selector switch
FACTORY STRINGS Framus nickel coated, .009-.046
WEIGHT 7.8 lbs
BUILT Germany
KUDOS Well crafted, elegantly dressed; an easy playing and good sounding take on the
traditional semi-acoustic formula.
CONCERNS None.
Panthera Supreme
PRICE $5,394 street, including flight case
NUT Width 1 11/16" TUSQ
NECK Mahogany, slim C profile (.750" thick at 1st fret)
FRETBOARD Tigerstripe ebony, 14" radius
FRETS 22 medium-jumbo
TUNERS Framus locking tuners
BODY Mahogany with carved AAA flamed maple top
BRIDGE Tone Pros Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece
PICKUPS Two Seymour Duncan humbuckers: SH-1 ’59 neck, SH-14 Custom 5 bridge
CONTROLS Single Volume and Tone with push-pull coil tap switch, 3-way selector switch
FACTORY STRINGS Framus nickel coated, .009-.046
WEIGHT 8.2 lbs
BUILT Germany
KUDOS Impressive construction and finish; good playing feel, solid tones.
CONCERNS None.
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