VISITORS'
GALLERY
Click on the underlined heading for each guitar to view photographs of
that particular example.
These are the first Czech solids
brought into the UK
by Selmer from about 1957/58. They were produced by the Dreokov company
in
Blatna, South Bohemia using the Trade Name Resonet, under the direction
of a Mr Ruzicka. Selmer gave them the name of "Futurama Solid
Guitar" in their catalogue.
These are the second phase of
Czech solids imported by Selmer into the UK
from 1959. The Blatna Resonet company had ceased making
musical
instruments, so this role had been taken over by the CSHN company in
Hradec
Kralove, again under the guidance of Mr Ruzicka.
CSHN initially used the trade
name of "Neoton", but this was soon changed to "Jolana". The
Jolana Star I two pickup solid guitar was traded as the Futurama II by
Selmer.
The Futurama III was actually called the Jolana Star II and later Star
III in Czechoslovakia.
c1960 FUTURAMA II SOLID
GUITAR - Owned by Geoff Everett, England
c1960 FUTURAMA II SOLID
GUITAR - Owned by Steve Russell, Derbyshire, England
1959 FUTURAMA III SOLID
GUITAR - Courtesy of Music Ground, Leeds, England
This
particular guitar seems to be a transition model between the Grazioso
and the
Star II. It has the Grazioso type two-post vibrato unit fitted.
1959/60
FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Kevin Benson, Yorkshire,
England. In superb original condition.
These are the third and final distinct phase of Czeck solids distributed by Selmer under the Futurama label. They were again made at the CSHN Hradec Kralove factory, but both basic models had significant (and what look like cost saving) design changes.. By now, the trade name Jolana (model name: Star "#") was used in Czechoslovakia throughout this period.
These guitars were basically the Hagstrom Kent with elements of the Hagstrom II and III models, simply re-badged and sold as Futurama's by Selmer in the UK. Solid red, and light blue finishes were offered, and the guitars were introduced into the Selmer catalogue in late 1963. They were still there in the September 1965 catalogue.
Both two and three pickup options were offered in 6 string guitar format, both with vibrato tailpieces, and also a bass guitar. Earlier two and three pickup guitars seem to have had a plain plastic scratchplate. Later two pickup guitars and basses had a very odd "cheesegrater" section built into the scratchplate between the pickups. A feature of these guitars was the "Kings Neck", with "expandable stretcher" - a steel truss rod enclosed within an aluminium sleeve. All-in-all, these were good quality guitars at a budget price.
- c1964 FUTURAMA 2 DELUXE (PLAIN SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of John Walsh, Basingstoke, England.
- c1964/65 FUTURAMA 2 DELUXE (PLAIN SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of Mick Price, Yorkshire, England.
- c1964 FUTURAMA 2 DELUXE (CHEESEGRATER SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of Robert Wake, County Durham, England.
- c1964 FUTURAMA 2 DELUXE (CHEESEGRATER SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of Grame Fletcher, UK.
- c1964 FUTURAMA DELUXE BASS GUITAR (PLAIN SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of Guitars & Music Exchange, Manchester, England.
- c1964 FUTURAMA DELUXE BASS GUITAR (CHEESEGRATER SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of Ron Mellor, Cheshire, England
More "Up-Market" than the Futurama Deluxe, the Coronados were again made in Sweden by Hagstrom.
- c1965 FUTURAMA CORONADO AUTOMATIC - Courtesy of Lloyd Metselaar, Peterborough, England.
- c1965 FUTURAMA CORONADO 6-STRING BASS - Courtesy of Mark Ringer, England.
