Framus Diablo Supreme

F
rom acoustics that sound
like electrics, to pedals
that can emulate any amp
under the sun, there’s no
limit to the options at our
fi ngertips in 2022. But sometimes
choice can be overwhelming, and
there’s a lot to be said for the
what-you-see-is-what-you-get
approach. What you see here
conforms to that concept - the
D-Series Diablo Supreme from
German guitar wizards, Framus.
The D-Series takes the design
ethos of the brand’s guitars,
played by the likes of Devin
Townshend and William DuVall,
and places them at a more
aff ordable price point. There are
a number of Diablos in the
D-Series range: the Diablo Pro,
Progressive and the best-spec’d
Supreme that we have here. As
we were saying earlier, simplicity
is at the heart of this guitar’s
design, off ering a classic
double-cut body shape, a pair of
Seymour Duncan humbuckers,
22 frets and a fi xed bridge. On
paper it’s a meat ’n’ potatoes
rocker, but as we’ve learned
before, simple doesn’t need
to mean ‘basic’.
Starting with the body, you get
a traditional mix of a mahogany,
topped with a tasty-looking
AAAA maple veneer, in this case
decked-out in a transparent
Burgundy Blackburst fi nish. The
veneer is well matched, giving
the guitar a pricier appearance.
The neck is set maple, fi tted with
a posh looking tigerstripe ebony,
which despite the name is
actually a pretty solid and dark
example on our review model.
There are some fi nishing touches
too, including the Warwick
(Framus’ parent brand) security
strap locks, a graphite nut,
easy-access cavity cover and
sleekly recessed controls.
In use, it’s fair to say there’s no
surprises here. It’s a utilitarian
rock machine, The combination
of the neck - speedy but still
substantial - ebony board, jumbo
nickel silver frets and medium-
level action make it a smooth
player. The fret size and fi nish
mean that bends slide without
friction, giving you a glassy feel
as you go. The back of the neck
is glossed, which may or may
not fl oat your boat, but we
didn’t experience too much of
the ‘tack’ that you sometimes
get with a fi nished neck.
Onto the sounds then. Those
covered Seymour Duncans are
actually the timeless pairing of an
SH-1 in the neck position, and an
SH-4 in the bridge. Or, to put it in
street terms, a ’59 & a JB. These
two work together with the ’59
off ering a scoopy clarity, with
enough body to make sure you
don’t get buried, but without
the low-end heft of some neck
buckers. It’s met by the extra
cut of the JB, off ering thick,
mid-rich tones with some
extra bite. Here they conform
to tradition, off ering a set
of tones that is capable of
covering the rock playing
fi eld with ease.
The master volume/tone layout
and lack of a coil split could be
limiting to some, but there’s not
a lot to fault with this Framus.
It’s entered the mid-priced
battleground, and it holds
its own very well, off ering
an alternative to some of the
more obvious ‘bigger’ brands.
Stuart Williams
FRAMUS DIABLO SUPREME
German efficiency meets affordability
with this no-fuss six-string
1
2
3
AT A GLANCE
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
Photography Phil Barker
1
PICKUPS
There’s a classic
combination of a
Seymour Duncan ’59
and JB in the neck and
bridge positions,
respectively.
2
SCALE
The body suggests
G, but the scale length
is from the F stable at
25.5”, adding a bit of
tension and making
it more suitable for
down-tuning.
3
CONFIGURATION
With a mahogany
bod/maple veneer, dual
humbuckers, simple
controls and a fixed
bridge, the Diablo
supreme is a no-
nonsense rock tool.
BODY: Mahogany
with maple veneer
NECK: Maple
SCALE: 25.5”
FINGERBOARD:
Tigerstripe ebony
FRETS: 22
PICKUPS: Seymour
Duncan SH-1 (neck),
SH-4 (bridge)
CONT ROLS: Master
volume, master tone,
three-way switch
HARDWARE:
Tune-O-Matic bridge,
Framus tuners
LEFT-HANDED: Yes
(Nirvana Black
Transparent only)
FINISH: Burgundy
Blackburst High
Polish, Nirvana Black
Transparent HP,
Bleached Ocean
Blue Burst HP
CONTACT: High Tech
Distribution, www.
warwickbass.com
£719
FEBRUARY 2022 TOTAL GUITAR
REVIEW
91
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