Busato Grand Modèle

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 et 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 Anouman on his Busato.


This very Busato was owned by Neil Andersson, the lead guitarist for Pearl Django. It was his main performing and recording guitar for many years. It is considered by many to be one of the best sounding and playing Busatos in existence.

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 every 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 then 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. Same long 675mm scale length. 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 strip in the middle.

This guitar has the original BB tuners and tailpiece. The tuners have brass buttons which are very classic looking.

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.

This guitar is currently strung with Argentine 11s and is incredibly easy to play. Neil had extensive setup work done to this guitar by Josh Hegg and John Saba. The setup is the best I've ever seen on a Selmer type guitar. It plays like butter with no buzzes or other sonic problems. It has a custom bridge made by Josh Hegg.

The neck is unusually slim for a Busato. It feels very modern and plays easily. Most Busatos have a much thicker neck. So this one is special in that regard.

The condition of the guitar is excellent. It has some pick wear on the top and various minor dings and scratches. No cracks can be seen.

This guitar actually has the original Busato label on the neck block. It's the only Busato I've ever seen with a label! It's near impossible to date Busatos...but my guess is this was built in the late 40s.

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