1960s Jacques Favino 14 Fret Oval Hole Guitar with Hardshell Case ***SOLD!!!***
Here's an unusual Favino in great shape for it's age! It has a
beautifully rich tone and is a breeze to play. 60s Favinos are hard to
come by...so this one is really rare! Most Favinos were built in the
70s.
The label has been roughed up a bit and is no longer legible. It is
with out a doubt a Jacques Favino from the 60s. What is left of the
label is identical to the labels he used in the 60s. For comparison
see: 1965
Jacques Favino
One very unusual aspect of this guitar is its shorter then normal scale
length: 665mm. I've never seen a Modèle #10 with such a short scale.
Some of Jacques Favino's other guitars had the Selmer scale length
which is 670mm. But the more commonly seen Modèle #10 has a 675mm
scale. It's also worth noting that JP Favino builds most of his guitars
with 666mm scale...maybe he got this idea from his father? This guitar
was probably custom ordered like this. Apprently Georges
Brassens had Favino build his guitars with a 665mm scale, so maybe this
was built for him?
As you would expect, the shorter scale on this guitar makes it very,
very easy to play. It is strung with 11 gauge Argentines which rarely
sound good on a Favino. Also, the action is exceptionally low at
2.75mm. It plays like butter with no buzzing...an amazing feat for a
guitar of this age!
After playing dozens of these old Favinos I've come to the conclusion
there are two basic types of Favino tones. One is the more commonly
known sound which is very nasal, loud, and aggressive (the longer scale
Favinos usually sound like this). The other is a more complex, warm,
deep sound that is characteristic of the shorter scale Favinos (670mm
and below). The Enrico Macias modele and the Favino owned by Han'sche
Weiss were both like this. This Favino also has that warm complex tone.
It's a really satisfying, full bodied, thick tone that really gives
your single note lines a lot of depth and character. Also, the low end
is nothing short of stunning! Big fat bass notes with nice definition
and clarity. If I had to compare this guitar to a famous recording, I'd
say it's the most similar to Stochelo Rosenberg's first recording: Seresta
(I wonder if Stochelo's Favino had a 670mm or shorter scale?).
The rest of the body specs are typical Favino: 16 1/2" body with
a 4" body depth. The back and sides are Indian Rosewood. The
guitar has a three piece Maple neck.
The dot has been moved to the 9th fret and there is a strap pin in the
heel.
The hardware was replaced with a DR tailpiece and Waverly style tuners.
The condition of the guitar is very good, especially considering most
Favino's have suffered the proverbial "Gypsy life." The finish is
original. There are two hairline cracks along the fingerboard (very
common for Selmer type guitars.) These were repaired 16 years ago and
are totally stable. It has it's share of dings, checking, and pick
wear. But overall, it's pretty minimal considering the age of the
guitar. Overall, it's a really nice looking instrument!
This is the CASH price...add 3% if you'd like to pay with a credit
card. Add 4% for international credit card orders.