Framus unveils D-Series line of affordable electrics

Framus has unveiled its D-Series of electrics, announcing seven new models: the Diablo Pro, Diablo Progressive X, Diablo Supreme, Panthera Supreme, Panthera Pro 7, Phil XG Artist Line and WH-1 Artist Line. These Chinese-made instruments boast features common to premium models, but at prices that won’t break the bank.

Diablo Pro

The Diablo Pro is the most affordable of the bunch. It features a flat basswood body, Tigerstripe ebony fretboard (which features on all seven models), bolt-on maple neck, a Wilkinson-style vibrato, and three Seymour Duncan pickups: a Cool Rails humbucker on the neck, Vintage Staggered Strat single-coil in the middle, and a JB Trembucker at the bridge. Both humbuckers have also been coil-split.

Other specs include a 25.5-inch scale length, 12-inch fretboard radius and 22 jumbo frets. The guitar is available in Natural Transparent Satin, Nirvana Black Transparent Satin and Burgundy Red Transparent Satin.

Diablo Progressive X

Moving up a notch, the Diablo Progressive X boasts a carved top with a poplar burl veneer top and mahogany back. The pickups are also by Seymour Duncan, but this model swaps out the HSH configuration for an HH one: a Jazz Neck and a Duncan Distortion Trembucker on the bridge. And the addition of an original Floyd Rose vibrato system lends even more hard rock cred to this guitar.

Its other appointments mirror those on the Pro (except this has two more frets), and is only available in Nirvana Black Transparent High Polish.

Diablo Supreme

The most spec’ed out Diablo model, the Supreme, takes the Professional X’s good looks and ups the ante. It has a carved AAAA flamed maple veneer top and mahogany back, a set mahogany neck, Tune-o-matic bridge and different Seymour Duncans: a ’59 Model at the neck and the hot-rodded JB Model humbucker at the bridge.

The guitar has the specs as the Pro, and is available in Nirvana Black Transparent High Polish, Bleached Ocean Blue Burst High Polish and Burgundy Blackburst High Polish.

Panthera Supreme

The Panthera Supreme has the same features, pickups and specs as the Diablo Supreme, but sports a Les Paul-style body shape, as well as a shorter 24.75-inch scale length.

This guitar is available in Burgundy Blackburst High Polish, Nirvana Black High Polish and Bleached Ocean Blue Burst High Polish.

Panthera Pro 7

The seven-stringed Panthera Pro 7 features a carved top, mahogany body, bolt-on maple neck, all-black hardware and a Tune-o-matic bridge. And for even more muscle, this guitar is powered by a pair of active Seymour Duncan Blackout humbuckers.

Other specs include a 25.5-inch scale length, 12-inch fretboard radius and 22 jumbo frets. The guitar is available in Burgundy Blackburst High Polish, Nirvana Black High Polish and Solid Black Satin.

The Phil XG Artist Line

Guitar maestro Phil X joins the party with his signature SG-shaped guitar. It features a flat mahogany body with a ‘fat’ mahogany neck, as well as a Tune-o-matic bridge. And like the Diablo Supreme, this six-string comes installed with a Seymour Duncan ’59 Model at the neck and a JB Model humbucker at the bridge.

Specs include a 24.75-inch scale length, 12-inch fretboard radius and 22 small frets. This guitar is available in Vintage Sunburst High Polish, Solid Cream White High Polish, Solid Black High Polish and Solid Satin Black.

Wolf Hoffman WH-1

The WH-1 Artist Line, which is German guitarist Wolf Hoffman’s signature, features a basswood body, set-in maple neck, and a Floyd Rose Original Tremolo System. It’s also the only D-Series model not to use Seymour Duncans. Instead, it comes with a Fishman Fluence single-coil at the neck and a Fluence humbucker at the bridge.

Other specs include a 25.5-inch scale length, 12-inch fretboard radius and 24 small frets. The guitar is available in Solid Black High Polish, Solid Creme White High Polish and Solid Black Satin.

The Diablo Pro, Progressive X and Supreme list for EUR 906, 941 and 1,058, respectively; the Panthera Supreme and Pro 7 are available at EUR 1,058 and 1,000; and the Phil XG and WH-1 Artist Line models go for EUR 941 and 1,141. For more information, check out warwick.de.