Framus D-Series Diablo Pro

105
JANUARY 2020 GUITARIST
reviewFRAMUS PRO SERIES & D-SERIES
the DCR of a classic PAF yet it retains some
vintage warmth thanks to its Alnico II
magnets. Tonally, this pickup’s bark is in its
treble and midrange. The bass end is less
defined and, again, more vintage flavoured.
When you figure in the neck APH-1N
Alnico II Pro humbucker that completes
the Panthera’s tonal tag team, this guitar
feels more like a classic rock contender.
You can, of course, split these pickups
for single-coil tones. Think of this as a
clarity switch when you’re running the
bridge pickup on high gain. When applied
to the neck pickup it reveals more of the
woodiness you want for blues noodling
on clean and light overdrive settings.
The message here? Anything you’d want
to subject a Les Paul to, the Panthera II
Supreme would be more than happy to
accommodate your needs and then some.
The Diablo Pro has plenty to say via its
bridge-mounted TB-4 JB Trembucker.
This is the vibrato-spaced version of the
iconic ‘Jazz Blues’ ’bucker. There’s bags
of the midrange that JB junkies will be
familiar with and we always enjoy this
pickup’s impressive note separation, no
matter how much dirt we pile on top of it.
The middle-position single coil
eliminates hum when you run it in
conjunction with the bridge or neck
’bucker. In split mode you get some dead
on Jimi and Stevie Ray in-between sounds.
Yep, despite the Diablo Pro’s utilitarian
looks, this guitar is actually a pretty
impressive tonal tool. Tuning stability is
damn good, too, though we did pull a few
creaking sounds from the neck/body join
when we dumped the strings with the
whammy bar. Maybe it’s just settling in…
Verdict
You can see where all the money’s gone into
the making of the Panthera II Supreme: the
high-grade top, Seymour’s pickups and the
whole ‘Team Built in Germany’ thing. This
guitar exudes class. It’s right in the kilogram
sweet spot in weight for a Les Paul-inspired
guitar, and the neck shape will make far
more friends than enemies. We could live
without the silver go-faster stripes, but
that’s a small niggle.
3 &4. While the Panthera
II Supreme (image 4)
has a glued-in neck, the
Diablo Pro (image 3)
is a bolt-on. Only two
screws are visible on
the rear of the guitar,
but there’s additional
anchoring inside the
neck join. Despite this,
we did experience
some creaking when we
played the guitar
3
THE RIVALS
Given the Panthera II Supreme’s
conceptual proximity to a Les Paul
Standard, Gibson’s icon is a good place to
find a rival. Take a look at the 2019 spec Les
Paul Standard ’60s (£1,999). The slim neck,
mahogany carcass and maple top make it
a tough customer for Framus to beat. Ditto
the highly rated Eastman SB59/V (£1,999).
The model designation is a good clue that
this beautiful guitar is aimed at the those
looking for a late 50s ‘Sunburst’ vibe.
Fender has a number of Stratocaster-
shaped and prettier stumbling blocks for
the Diablo Pro to negotiate. Consider the
humbucker-loaded Dave Murray Signature
(£899). You don’t have to enjoy Dave’s Iron
Maiden stuff to appreciate his guitar’s
241 to 356mm (9.5 to 14-inch) compound
radius rosewood fingerboard, Seymour
Duncan Hot Rails Strat (bridge and neck)
and middle-position JB Jr humbuckers
plus Floyd Rose.
4
It might look like an
HSS format guitar,
but the Diablo Pro
features a TB-4 JB
Trembucker at the
bridge, a SSL-1 RW/
RP Vintage Staggered
single coil in the
middle, and a SCR-1n
Cool Rail humbucker
at the neck. It’s
actually an HSH guitar
with coil-split options
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GIT454.rev_framus.indd 105 28/11/2019 15:27