Gallato (France)

Bones · December 2018

Wow, never heard of that before??? What happened? Can you post a picture?

BTW, the tuners on my Gallatos look like VERY high quality and are supposedly faithful to his vintage Selmer. Nothing necessarily superior if they are made in Europe or Asia. The Asian manufacturing is top notch and well suited for mechanical parts.

ChrisMartin · December 2018

Bones wrote: »

Wow, never heard of that before??? What happened? Can you post a picture?

BTW, the tuners on my Gallatos look like VERY high quality and are supposedly faithful to his vintage Selmer. Nothing necessarily superior if they are made in Europe or Asia. The Asian manufacturing is top notch and well suited for mechanical parts.

The thing is, the modern Chinese factories can make anything, but it still depends on price. They often have a poor reputation because many companies ask to have stuff made down to a price and you get what you pay for. They are also capable of making top quality if someone is willing to pay. But, it will take a while longer for the perception that ALL Asian manufacturing is junk to change and meanwhile some would prefer to pay for the idea that European is better. Which is why Gallato continues to stick to his "Made in France" marketing talk.

Bones · December 2018

Yeah it's more about the design (i.e. how the part was intended to be made). The Asians can build anything nowadays to whatever level specified and I'm not just talking about instruments of course. In my experience it has been a LONG time since all they could do was make poor quality. In fact, they have taken over the manufacturing sector.

CyrilGaffiero · December 2018

The Selmer style tuners installed on some Gallato guitars are made in Montauban, in south-west of France, not in Asia. Those tuners are really close to original Selmer tuners, some very well known luthier use them on their guitars, just changing the knobs and replacing the Gallato logo by Selmer logo. The guitars are made in China, and assembled and set up in the Galltao shop in Toulouse, or in my shop by myself for customers in the Paris area. They are very good guitars for that price, I just regret the necks are a little too thick and square for today's taste, but Serge will soon have some thinner necks made

S@nderV · December 2018

Bones wrote: »

Wow, never heard of that before??? What happened? Can you post a picture?

My 2 yo daughter bumped into my guitar. The guitar fell sideways parallel and touching the wall. After about 40 cm the tuning peg hit the sharp edge of a heating radiator and broke off. I wondered about the quality of the alloy, but I'm hardly an expert.

Bones · December 2018

Cyril, thanks for the info yes that seems like what I expected. Made in Asia and set up at the Gallato shop is what I figured. Makes sense. Nothing wrong with that.

Sander, oh ok yeah that explains it. Yeah just buy a new set.

ChrisMartin · December 2018

Bones wrote: »

Cyril, thanks for the info yes that seems like what I expected. Made in Asia and set up at the Gallato shop is what I figured. Makes sense. Nothing wrong with that.

No, of course nothing wrong with that, same as Gitane, Altamira and others, EXCEPT !!!
Serge Gallato had spent years denying it and trying to continue the pretence that they were made in France. It is that dishonesty which has hurt his reputation as much as anything. As I said before, there are those who prize 'Made In France' much more than 'Made In China' and I am not saying either is right or wrong, both have their merits, but Gallato knows the former still has a greater perceived market value than the latter which is why he continues to try to ask 'Made In France' money for a 'Made In China' guitar. But it is the pretence that one is buying something other than what it really is that rankles and has now tarnished the name.

Bones · December 2018

Chris, I don't really know anything about Serge's PR issues. I had heard some of that before I bought 2 Gallatos. Didn't really care about that as the guitars were well made, sounded great, loud, and drier than anything else I had played (and I tried a LOT of them including some at more than twice the price luthier made). Plus they were a total bargain at that price. And the setup was great right out of the box even after being shipped from Europe and they still play perfectly years later. I have never touched the setup. Absolutely no complaints quite the contrary. I guess some people get all wrapped up in the stigma that used to be associated with Asian manufacturing and I understand how maybe Gallato wanted to avoid that stigma. Makes some sense. The thing is Asian made does not necessarily mean poor quality anymore and has not for a long time. I just wish I could still play a long scale guitar but sadly my arthritis demands a short scale. I think the ticket if someone wants a great reasonably priced Selmac is to get one of them and slightly reshape the neck so it's not like the old Selmers which is an easy mod (that is unless one likes that neck shape as some people do).