1976 Jacques Favino 14 Fret Oval Hole Guitar with Bigtone Pickup and K&K Internal Mic (Modele #10 -

This is it!! The classic Jacques Favino sound that is so loved by Gypsy jazz musicians world wide. This guitar has all the Favino characteristics: A prominent upper mid range which gives a "nasal" sound. Deeper bass notes then a Selmer and a "grinding" lower mid-range, and that famous Favino bark. Best of all, this guitar has the qualities that only age can bring: a sparkley, shimmering high end and a "tight", defined low end. The guitar has the "crisp" sound you only hear with aged instruments. Like most older Favinos, it has a very strong fundamental with no strange overtones or sympathetic ringing. A new Favino copy like a Dell Arte Hommage will sound similar, but because they're new they sound muddier, murkier, and duller and also have a lot of overtone ringing. The vintage Favino is much clearer...and has just loads of mojo and character.

If you like the classic Favino sound on the early Boulou Ferre recordings like Gypsy Dreams and Pour Django, Bireli's early recordings (Swing '81 and Routes to Django), or Han'sche Weiss/Lulu Reinhardt (Lulu Swing) then this is the guitar for you!

This guitar has the most common wood choices: Laminated Indian Rosewood back and sides, three piece Maple neck, Spruce top, and an ebony fingerboard.

This guitar currently has very comfortable 3mm action. It plays very easily with 10 gauge Argentine strings and is not buzzy.

This is one of the rarer Favinos with a shorter 665mm scale length. Usually Favinos have a 675mm scale, some have a 670mm (same as Selmer), but a rare few have an even shorter scale of 665mm. Gives the guitar a bit lusher tone and a more supple feel then the longer scale version.

There is a bigtone and a K&K internal mic installed which has been tested and sounds very good.

Overall the guitar is in very good condition. It has mostly been spared a "Gypsy life," with only two cracks running from the fret board to the sound hole. This is one of the most common places for a crack on any Selmer type guitar. These cracks have been professionally repaired and are stable. There are no other cracks on the guitar. There was once a strap pin on the back, at the base of the heel. It has been removed, so there is a small hole there now (can be easily patched). There is some pick wear on the top and a fair amount of scratches, dings, etc. But nothing serious so the guitar looks quite nice overall!

This guitar has the original Salavtore Billardi tuners. These are the best tuners Billardi made, they have the metal tuning buttons which won't crack like the plastic ones. Very rare to find these and these are brass which I've never seen before (most are nickel plated). The tailpiece was replaced with a DR.

Jacques Favinos are becoming increasingly rare these days....it seems that Busatos are even easier to find to then Jacques Favinos.

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