Framus D-Series Diablo Pro
review
FRAMUS PRO SERIES & D-SERIES
102
GUITARIST JANUARY 2020
“The IFT system allows for fret
installation with perfect precision and
previously unmatched constituent quality,”
says Framus. “Compared to traditional
fretting techniques, the fret slots are not
cut across the entire fingerboard. Instead,
two millimetres of wood remain on each
side. This results in a U profile, which
increases neck stability against twisting
and improves the transfer of vibrations into
the instrument.” This notched tang fret
installation is far from unique, although
we’ve not heard quite such bold claims in
regard to stability and vibrational transfer
before. Either way, it’s a very tidy job.
Shifting our attention to the D-Series
Diablo Pro you’ll uncover a more Fender-
inspired spec sheet. The five-piece 648mm
(25.5-inch) scale maple neck is also topped
with a ‘tigerstripe’ ebony fingerboard, 22
jumbo frets and a set of die-cast tuners. This
little lot is bolted to a basswood body using
two visible screws (there are others hidden
away) and a recessed crescent shape plate.
The neck/body interface, the Ergonomic
Neck Joint, is designed to offer the greatest
possible stability and Enhanced Vibration
Behaviour without impeding the player’s
efforts at the higher frets.
Running our finger down the spec sheet
we hasten to mention the pickups. Here we
get a TB-4 JB Trembucker at the bridge,
the SSL-1 RWRP Vintage Staggered single
coil in the middle, and a SCR-1n Cool Rail
humbucker at the neck. This powerful gang
is routed through a master volume, a master
tone with a push/pull coil-split function,
and a five-way pickup selector lever switch.
Before we move on, let’s take it to the
bridge. Here you get a chunky Framus-
branded Wilkinson two-pivot point
vibrato with a push-in arm. It’s just as
well the Diablo Pro is well hung in the
hardware and tonal departments. With the
greatest of respect, it’s not a looker. That
natural finish and thick single-ply black
scratchplate combo are hard to reconcile
with its £773 price tag.
Both models come with RockBag padded
gigbags. As you might expect, the Panthera
II Supreme enjoys much thicker padding at
its price point. If its bag was a porterhouse
steak, the Diablo Pro’s thinner ‘Student
Plus’ carrier would be Wiener schnitzel.
Here endeth the German puns…
Feel & Sounds
The Panthera II Supreme’s ‘fat’ neck profile
deserves the quotation marks. In reality,
it’s slimmer than its beefy name suggests.
Think of a ’59 Les Paul profile with a tad
less meat. Just don’t expect the obesity of an
earlier 50s Gibson neck. The Diablo Pro’s
neck is on the slim side, more like a mid-60s
vintage Fender.
In terms of playability, both guitars do a
sterling job with the Panthera II Supreme
excelling thanks to its Plek’d ’board.
Maybe there’s something to the Invisible
Fretwork Technology, too. It’s hard to tell.
All we know is the action is great, there’s
no buzzing or choking, and dead spots are
conspicuous by their absence.
Plugging in the Panthera, we’re
immediately struck by the power of the
bridge Seymour Duncan SH-11 Custom
Custom. Running at 14.1k, it’s packing twice
2
1
Anything you’d
subject a Les Paul to,
the Panthera would
be more than happy
to accommodate
1. There’s some beautiful
German carving to be
found on the Panthera,
which lowers the level
of the volume and
tone controls, and of
the three-way pickup
selector toggle switch
pictured here
2. The Panthera II Supreme
comes loaded with a
pair of Seymour Duncan
humbuckers. You get a
SH-11 Custom Custom
at the bridge and an
APH-1N Alnico II Pro in
the front position. If you
love classic rock, these
pickups are for you
The Panthera II
Supreme comes
with 22 extra-high
frets that have
been Plek’d for
great playability.
It also benefits
from Framus’s
Invisible Fretwork
Technology (IFT),
which apparently
involves more
accurate placement
of the frets and less
chance that the
neck will warp
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT454.rev_framus.indd 102 28/11/2019 15:27