Busato Grand Modèle 14 Fret Oval Hole Guitar with Hardshell Case ***SOLD!!!***

Holy smokes, this is one hell of a Busato! It's sound is best described as "SHOCK AND AWE!" This is without a doubt the loudest Busato I've come across, and probably the loudest Selmer style guitar period. Amazing projection on this one! It has the characteristic aggressive bass sound of Busatos, but a little less then most. It's sound is very concentrated in the high end and also in the upper mids....a bit nasal like a Favino. Also, very OPEN in sound..lots of interesting overtones float above each note you play. The explosive sound of this guitar will get you through even the rowdiest campfire jam! If you buy this one then you may as well sell your amp because you won't need it anymore....ha ha.

This guitar is in excellent condition, especially for a Busato (most of which are battered beyond repair). Most of the separation you see in the top are not cracks, but seams! Like most Busatos this guitar has more then two pieces making up the top. Many Busatos have four piece tops, but this guitar appears to have a six piece top!

In addition to the seams there are a few top cracks as well. All have been professionally repaired and are stable.

All the original hardware is intact and in perfect working order. The tuners still work very well after all these years!

The guitar plays very nicely with 3.25mm action...10 gauge strings are usually best but silk and steels also work nicely and add extra warmth and playability (but still LOUD!!)

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.

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