2011 Holo Hot Club Model

Bob has made a name for himself over the last few years as an aficionado of the Franco-Italian guitar designs of Selmer, Maccaferri, Busato, Favino, etc. He spent years studying vintage Selmer style guitars including nearly every Selmer, Favino, and Busato that has come through our shop. He has taken on the challenge of making new guitars that have the elusive and ineffable qualities heard in the very best vintage Selmer type guitars. Few will doubt he has been incredibly successful in his quest, as his guitars are now in the hands of many of today's leading players: Adrien Moignard, Rocky Gresset, Stephane Wrembel, Mathieu Chatelain, Neil Andersson, Antoine Boyer, Alfonso Ponticelli, etc. Bob has essentially been a "luthier for the stars" these past few years...but now you can take home one of these gems yourself!

The Hot Club model is Bob's traditional sounding guitar which produces the "old world" tone of the classic French guitars. It is primarily based on the Selmer design, but has some Busato elements, most notably the three piece neck.

The top is spruce, back and sides are Indian rosewood, and the neck is walnut with a Busato style rosewood spline. There is no truss rod, but the neck is reinforced with carbon strips which will keep it eternally straight. The fingerboard is made of ebony. The interior is lacquered in the tradition of the original Selmers.

The Rosewood bridge is a new compensated design....looks really cool and does a great job intonating the guitar.

The tone of this guitar is very present, clear, and poignant. Whereas the Nouveau model is open and complex, the Hot Club model fairly dry and direct. The midrange is particularly robust in a way reminiscent of the classic pre-war Selmers favored by so many of the greats. These qualities give single notes excellent definition and depth while rhythm work sounds crunchy and precise. There's no doubt, this guitar wants to party like it's 1939!

This instrument plays very smoothly, with low 3mm action and 10 gauge Argentine strings. It's very rare that one can string a Gypsy guitar with 10s when the action is this low. The fact this guitar can be strung with light gauge strings and not buzz profusely is a testament to Bob's precise neck geometry and meticulous fretwork.

This instrument has a slight blemish so it has been discounted 0. On the side of the lower bass bout a small section of the inner ply of the laminate is visible. You have to look at it in just the right light to see it.

If you're looking for a traditional sounding guitar, with a tone that's akin to 1940s Django, but with the ultra-smooth playability you'd expect of a modern instrument, then this one should suite you quite well.

This is the CASH price...add 3% (4% for International orders) if you'd like to pay with a credit card.