Hawaiian

Hawaiian music was already very successful in the thirties in the United States when in the beginning of the booming fifties the Germans started to get into hula dances and exotic sounds. Framus reacted to this trend and developed in 1953 the first West German Hawaiian guitar, which was sold under the Electra Orchestra name. It was a twin-neck model that could be used as a Hawaiian or as a jazz guitar.

Later models followed with exotic names like Bali, Waikiki, Sumbawa and Tahiti, and they were designed with the help of leading musicians like Heinz Reinhardt of the Framus String Band. Probably the most famous European virtuoso of this instrument, namely Theo Ehrlicher who was a member of the Dutch band Kilima-Hawaiians, also promoted Framus Hawaiian guitars.