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Thread: The Franky - A Pictorial History
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03.31.11, 12:45 AM #31
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03.31.11, 03:02 AM #32
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Goods news! Thanks to Sergio, I was able to salvage a Franky thread that I had made a couple of years ago. I think it's more organized and comprehensive and I also think it offers some more details and information than the one i just posted... let me know what you guys think!
Dust off your thinking caps, boys and girls. It’s time for yet another stimulating compendium of riddles, puzzles and paradoxes from the fascinating world of Edward Van Halen’s guitars!
Yes, it’s a chance to take another look at some of the brain teasers and mysteries surrounding the "Franky"... the world's most recognizable guitar.
We admire it, we obsess over it, we would give anything to be a Japanese guitar magazine photographer with full access to it…
So, join me now for a fun-filled, spell-binding, pictorial investigation into it's many transformations over the decades, but be careful- there are many mind-blowing twists and turns ahead!
Let's start with the '70's...
1978- Holy Grail
1978- Rosewood neck, white pick guard, Telecaster pick up in middle position
Note the three mounting screws for the middle position…
1979- Painted red, with white pickguard
Last edited by jimi11580; 03.31.11 at 03:10 AM.
WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:03 AM #33
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1979- Pick guard removed, middle pick-up reinstalled
1979- Charvel VH II neck attached, Charvel logo taped over
As you can see, 1979 was a year that brought about numerous changes to the Franky's appearance![/quote][/QUOTE]WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:05 AM #34
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Now to the ‘80’s…
1980- Floyd Rose added, all-creme pick up installed, small partial pick guard added
1980-“10th fret blood stain” maple neck affixed
Note the unusual tremolo spring configuration!
1980-Black tone knob, first sighting of partial Strat pick guard, quarter (“screwed in tails ups”) added.
Note that the bridge pick up is still creme colored!
WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:06 AM #35
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1981-
1982- Kramer Strat headstock maple neck, first "fine-tuner" Floyd added, quarter removed!
Note that the “Kramer’ logo has been sanded off!
WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:07 AM #36
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1983- The “Starfleet” Sessions, modified Danelectro neck attached
Just prior to the May 31st “US Festival”
1983-Kramer “Classic”(AKA “Duckbeak”) maple neck and quarter (now "heads-up") added
WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:07 AM #37
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1985-89(?)-Kramer “hockey stick” neck is attached by Tom Anderson who also moves up the Floyd bridge ¼” to correct the intonation
At this point, the Franky is essentially retired to the studio (although it does make a brief appearance in the “Feels So Good” video).WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:08 AM #38
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The ‘90’s…
1993-Japanese guitar magazine photo shoot
1997-Another photo shoot, the 21-fret, square heeled maple neck is now re-attachedWGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:09 AM #39
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2004- Hanging in the "5150" studio...
2004-During the rehearsals for the tour...
WGAF?!!
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03.31.11, 03:28 AM #40
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Quite right, quite right! Too much information, too good intel to go to waste! More salvaging to do, stay tuned.
BUT FOR NOW... as a bonus..... Jimi and I, with the precious help of a Japanese pal, curator of the Van Halen Museum... have established what happened in those misterious days in 1979, when pickups were getting on (and off) Franky.
Originally Posted by jimi22812
Originally Posted by jimi22812
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03.31.11, 03:31 AM #41
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03.31.11, 03:35 AM #42
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Not quite that, Ed is a hack, plain and simple. He takes credit for inventing and messing, not lutherie work. He messes with things and forces them (deforms them) to work to his will. He is the reason why the Floyd Rose is so spread, he pushed the boundaries of high gain back in the day, he tried and tested several ways to make things work. But he was no luthier, by any means!
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03.31.11, 03:56 AM #43
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03.31.11, 04:03 AM #44
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There you go.
I regard Franky as that weird, animal-looking, all scratched, maimed and scar faced commando that, no matter what, gets behind enemy lines, does the job, and comes back home for more.
Hey, Jimi! What say we also show our investigation about which tuners were/are on Franky?
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03.31.11, 04:12 AM #45
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