Ok gentlemen! Here's what I've found out.
I played the guitar Saturday before heading out of state for a wedding gig. Serial number is in the 19000s, so assuming a '61 or '62 perhaps?
Man, it sounds great!! This was my first Franz experience, and I was quite impressed. The pickup is very chimey, which is nice for a neck pickup. It wasn't dark at all, but I could certainly jazz it up with the tone knob. The neck profile is excellent too; feels like a full C.
It's in great shape for its age. I was able to really inspect it, and the only thing I noticed was a potentially shimmed nut. Otherwise, everything worked well. Pots moved cleanly, great action with plenty of room on the bridge. Frets are in good shape. Original tuners. Pickguard DOES have the logo! Metal truss rod cover. The input jack was a little loose, but the shop will tighten it up for me. The seams on the back of the body were obvious, but not separated or anything. Take a look and tell me what you think!