The Franky - A Pictorial History

**jimi11580** · 03.30.11, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by Brett

I thought it was the Diamrzio Super Distortion that was in the Bumblebee that Ed said never sounded good.

It was a DSD with a an old PAF magnet. But more on that in the VH II thread...

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:02 AM

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

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:03 AM

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]

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:05 AM

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!

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:06 AM

1981-

1982- Kramer Strat headstock maple neck, first "fine-tuner" Floyd added, quarter removed!

Note that the “Kramer’ logo has been sanded off!

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:07 AM

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

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:07 AM

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).

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:08 AM

The ‘90’s…

1993-Japanese guitar magazine photo shoot

1997-Another photo shoot, the 21-fret, square heeled maple neck is now re-attached

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:09 AM

2004- Hanging in the "5150" studio...

2004-During the rehearsals for the tour...

**nhotas** · 03.31.11, 02:28 AM

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 Musgo

On a side note. I have been trading emails with Tadashi Itou, the author of The Guitarman EVH. Super nice guy! Really helpful, very nice person. Unfortunately, he can't speak eglish, so he has to use a translator. Works really well, but sometimes there are some things that can't be translated. Like the text on this picture he sent me. Still, it's easy to understand the meaning. That is part of his investigation. Since I can't see Jimi's pictures, I don't know if it has been posted or addressed.

The pic is HUGE, but I hope you understand why it has to be so.

That's a great "montage" that Tadashi put together- excellent work!
This version of the "Franky"...

...is the "missing link" that completes the puzzle!

Originally Posted by jimi22812

So, here's the sequence:
Unfinished "Strat" body with white, 11 hole pickguard, red Mighty Mite single coil, Tele pick -ups in middle and bridge position...

.. the same pickguard modified to accept a humbucker in bridge position...

...Tele pick-up removed from middle position...

...pickguard removed, middle Tele pick-up reinstalled!

Confused? Amazed? Nah, just another day's work for the EVH obcessed with too much time on their hands...

**TheArchitect** · 03.31.11, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by nhotas

In deed, Ed took his baby to whoever would be capable of making his main tool reach its peak. Here is Peter Baranet, AKA MAX (who built a certain famous Les Paul replica for Slash, arguably/possibly used in Apetite For Destruction) messing with Franky.

Taking it to the best is to be expected. Its just that he seems to take a lot of credit for "luthiery" skills that he really doesn't seem to have.

**nhotas** · 03.31.11, 02:35 AM

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!

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 02:56 AM

Originally Posted by TheArchitect

Its just that he seems to take a lot of credit for "luthiery" skills that he really doesn't seem to have.

Ed's the first to admit that he's butchered countless guitars.

**nhotas** · 03.31.11, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by jimi11580

Ed's the first to admit that he's butchered countless guitars.

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?

**jimi11580** · 03.31.11, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by nhotas

Hey, Jimi! What say we also show our investigation about which tuners were/are on Franky?

Yeah, sure, why not? That's just another piece of the evolution of the Franky! But keep in mind that it will open up a can of worms regarding the Fender Replica! LOL!