1940s Gypsy Mystery

This beautiful sounding guitar bears many of the characteristics of instruments built by the great Franco-Sicilian luthiers. Although I can't positively identify who made this instrument, it very well could have been built by Busato, Castelluccia, Bucolo, Di Mauro, Fontaine, or any of a number of other immigrant run shops active at the time. It has no label, but it's impressive woods and hardware suggest it was a flagship "presentation model" or perhaps a custom order.

While loosely based on a Selmer, this unique design is in essence a "slimline" Gypsy guitar of sorts. The 15 15/16" body is just 3 1/2" deep, making it extremely comfortable to play. It has a spruce top which is supported by only three braces. The back and sides are constructed of highly figured walnut. The three piece walnut neck was built in the Sicilian style, with an ebony spline. Hardware includes a set of the highly coveted BB tuners and a BB tailpiece.

The three brace design and soundhole shape are very reminiscent of Castelluccia's work so this instrument could have been constructed in that shop or by someone who had worked there. While the instrument does have Busato hardware, it doesn't appear to be original to the guitar.

The sound of this instrument is big, bold, and full with lots of character and projection. It most certainly makes a great rhythm guitar as it produces thick, meaty chords that sound almost like two guitars playing at once. But it's also quite snappy, with nice single note projection that results in easily audible leads that have a lot of depth, warmth, and roundness.

This instrument is remarkably well preserved, with no major damage and completely free of cracks. It has numerous dings and scratches that are consistent with light use and the replaced frets have little wear. It's easy to play and all the notes sound clearly up and down the neck.