1940s Busato Modele #45

This was my own personal Busato for ten years. Over that time, not a single Busato, Selmer, or other instrument came through the shop that could match the sound of this one. It is an exceptional instrument who's bewildering tone and projection has wowed players and luthiers alike. Additionally, it is one of the very rare model #45 Busatos which was the the fancier, more ornate model in Busato's catalog. The rhinestone studded headstock and ornate fingerboard inlays are gorgeous and one-of-a-kind.

A guitar of this stature needs no introduction. Next to Selmers, Busatos are the most sought after guitars by today's top players. So many contemporary Gypsy jazz guitarists play these exquisite guitars:

Romane (he plays a Busato on most of his recordings over the last 5 years)

Stochelo Rosenberg (performs with his Selmer but is an avid collector and player of Busatos)

Yayo and Fanto Reinhardt (Romane's rhythm section get an amazing dry rhythm sound with their Busatos!)

Moreno and of course, Django himself! (see Django's Busato here: Django's Busato).

Django is rumored to have written the ballad Anoumanon his Busato.

So what makes a Busato so great? Generally speaking, it simply out performs other guitars in almost every way. First off, they are positively the loudest guitars ever made! I've compared Busatos to numerous classic Gypsy guitars such as Jacques Favinos and Selmers as well as new guitars by J.P. Favino, Dupont, ALD, and Dell Arte. A good Favino is pretty loud...but the Busato is just a cannon. A vintage Selmer is actually quite timid by comparison. The Busato has three tonal elements which really make it cut in acoustic settings. 1) It is extremely dry. It has little or no natural wetness (reverb.) This makes the guitar much more focused and is therefore much easier to hear in a loud jam setting. 2) The tone is very pure with very simple overtones. The fundamental pitch of single notes are very strong while the overtones are extremely clean and even. Very flute like in character. A Selmer sounds more complex, but is also somewhat "messier" sounding which dampens projection. 3) It responds to the slightest touch. Just barely strike the strings and you get a lightening fast bolt of sound. I really like this because you don't have to play these guitars hard to be loud. Busatos yield an exceedingly wide frequency response. They have a crisp, bright high end which gives your leads some sparkle and adds ambiance and clarity to rhythm work. There's not much mids, except for a slight upper midrange nasalness. But nothing like a Favino in that regard. Like a Favino, there is far more low end than a Selmer, and it's an incredibly tight, clear low end. Not mushy or ill defined in anyway. The tight low end of a Busato mixed with it's dry character really make it excel for rhythm playing. It's just so clear. The high end cracks like a whip and the bass notes are like a kick in the gut. The dimensions of Busatos are fairly close to that of Favinos. Body is 16 1/4" across the lower bout (Selmer is 15 3/4", Favino is 16 1/2".) Busatos are also the curviest Gypsy guitars out there. The bombé (top arch) is the most pronounced I've ever seen on a Selmer type guitar. It's like a huge bubble under the bridge. The back is also beautifully arched.

This guitar has Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, a spruce top, and a three piece mahogany neck with an ebony spline in the middle. The top is actually 5 separate pieces of spruce which is very common for Busatos. So many of the "cracks" you see are actually the seams of the 5 pieces. This guitar has the original BB tuners and tailpiece. The hardware is in excellent condition save for a small bend in one of the tuning shafts. The tuners are perfectly functional and turn very smoothly.

It should be noted that there were many, many Busato models. Many of which seem to be experiments. This model, which is often referred to as the "Grand Modèle" (oval hole, 14 fret neck), is the one preferred by the pros like Stochelo, Romane, Moreno, etc. Busato's catalog lists this model as item #44 or the fancier #45.

The original fingerboard was replaced, but the original ornate fingerboard inlays were expertly reset in the new neck by renowned guitar tech Mike Lull. Additionally, the frets were leveled using a PLEK machine,resulting in a precision setup normally not possible via traditional hand methods. You won't find a better playing guitar, vintage or new.

This guitar is currently strung with Argentine 10s and is incredibly easy to play. It plays like butter with no buzzes or other sonic problems. Action is shockingly low at 2.6mm! Very few new guitars can get that low and still sound good.

This guitar has the original Busato metal name plate on the headstock with the Boulevard de Ménilmontant address.

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