Although Japanese makers became infamous for copying successful American guitars in the late 1960s, this Framus Hollywood 5/132 shows that German makers were blazing that trail a decade earlier.

The general body shape and the cherry sunburst finish of this guitar were obviously intended to appeal to players who aspired to own a Gibson Les Paul Standard.

The Framus differed from the Les Paul in many obvious ways, including it’s three pickups, large pickguard, tailpiece, and control knobs. And under the top, the difference was even more significant, as the Framus was actually a semi-hollowbody rather than a solidbody guitar.

Framus, founded in Germany in 1946, was the leading European maker of electric guitars by the mid 1950s, and the Hollywood series of simulated solidbodies – available with one, two, or three pickups – appeared in 1958.