Click on the underlined heading for each guitar to view photographs of that particular example.

1. CZECHOSLOVAKIAN INSTRUMENTS

SELMER FUTURAMA SOLID GUITAR - THE RESONET GRAZIOSO 

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.

• c1958 RESONET GRAZIOSO SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Duscan Palka, California, USA
  
  
• c1958 RESONET GRAZIOSO SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Larry Wassgren, Wisconsin, USA
  
  
• c1958 RESONET GRAZIOSO SOLID GUITAR   (# 1143) - Owned by Brian Coan, Australia
  
  
• c1958 RESONET GRAZIOSO SOLID GUITAR  (# 1206) - Owned by Valentin Stefanov, Finland
  An example of the later rosewood fingerboard version.
  

SELMER FUTURAMA II & III SOLID GUITARS - NEOTON/JOLANA STAR I, STAR II, & STAR III 

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 Valentin Stefanov, Finland
  
  
• c1960 FUTURAMA II SOLID GUITAR  (# 38 - 1868)  - 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 (#1329) - Owned by Kevin Benson, Yorkshire, England. In superb original condition.
  
  
• 1959/60 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR (# 2213) - Owned by Valentin Stefanov, Finland
  
  
• 1959/60 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR (# 2493) - Owned by Valentin Stefanov, Finland
  
  
• c1959/60 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Duscan Palka, California, USA
  Still sporting the three-a-side headstock.
  
  
• c1959/60 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Michael Lloyd, England
  Another three-a-side headstock example.
  
  
• c1961 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR (# 247) - Owned by Gavin W. Semple, Oxfordshire, England.
  A 6-a-side "Tele" headstock example.
  
  
• c 1961 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR (# 353) - Owned by Steve Russell, Derbyshire, England
  This is another one with the later 6-a-side "Tele" headstock.
  
  

SELMER FUTURAMA II, III, & DUO SOLID GUITARS 1963 ONWARDS- JOLANA STAR V 

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.

• c1963 FUTURAMA II/DUO SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Margaret Butler, Tyne &Weir, England 
  
  
• c1963 FUTURAMA II/DUO SOLID GUITAR - Courtesy of Guitars & Music Exchange, Manchester, England
  
  
• c1964/65 FUTURAMA II/DUO SOLID GUITAR - Courtesy of Simon Riding, Lancashire, England 
  
  
• 1962 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR - Owned by Valentin Stefanov, Finland
  A maroon finish, with the "Tele" style headstock.
  
  
• 1962/63 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR (# 01118) - Owned by Valentin Stefanov, Finland
  Red finish with "pointed" headstock.
  
  
• c1963 FUTURAMA III SOLID GUITAR  (#3551) - Owned by Steve Russell, Derbyshire, England
  Another red one with a "pointed" headstock.

2. SWEDISH HAGSTROM INSTRUMENTS:

FUTURAMA DELUXE SOLID GUITARS & BASS GUITARS

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.

• c1963 FUTURAMA 3 DELUXE (PLAIN SCRATCHPLATE VERSION) - Courtesy of Neil Gill, UK.
  
  
• 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
  
  

FUTURAMA CORONADO SOLID GUITARS & BASS GUITARS

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.

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