Please help me identify this guitar (Busato after all..??)

Gabriele

Hello everyone, I've got a mystery guitar on my hands. I got it in France, and all I know is that it was bought in the 1930s or 1940s. It has no markings at all, and I haven't succeeded in finding anything similar online. I brought it to a luthier recently to straighten the neck, he mentioned the neck is made of unusually soft wood. So the whole guitar is just how I got it besides the fret markers and the nut. Also its back is arched and the top isn't entirely flat, too.

Really hoping the pictures will ring a bell to someone!

Buco

I've seen DiMauro guitars with that type of bridge but that doesn't mean much.

wim

It looks similar to a DiMauro boogie woogie

Gabriele

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/103212#Comment_103212

Yes, I think so, too, but the mouth is very evenly oval on mine. Is there a possibility there was some sort of variation, maybe this one an earlier model?

everett

body shape looks more like a rene gerome, but the headstock not so much.

https://www.djangobooks.com/Item/gerome-bean-hole

Gabriele

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/103214#Comment_103214

I agree, but most Rene Gerome guitars I've seen have a pretty narrow mouth, whereas this one is quite wide. The Silhouette is very similar, though!

ChrisMartin

I know it can stir up a lot of trouble whenever one mentions the 'B' word but the shape is reminiscent of early Busato. Remember the early ones were all truly hand made and they all seem slightly different but the one constant would be the outline of the body as that was dictated by the body molds and this one is identical to one of the shapes Busato used. Busato himself was too busy to make guitars himself after 1952 and many so-called Busatos were sub-contracted or made by employees which is why there is so much variety (and mystery).

We have also seen that tailpiece on Busatos before, although that is no guarantee as such accessories are easily swapped around.

It is not like any Di Mauro shape I have seen, and while the outline is similar to Gerome nothing else looks Gerome about it.

The only worrying thing is the one-piece neck where most of the Italian luthiers -Busato, Di Mauro, Favino etc - were making three piece necks; although even there we have seen exceptions, and again necks were often bought in from suppliers when times were busy.

You say it has an arched back, looking inside are there no braces on the back? Have you looked inside with a torch and a small mirror for any markings on the neck heel block?

Here is one similar that was sold by FOA in Netherlands which they identified as a genuine Busato.

Gabriele

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/103216#Comment_103216

Thank you so much for the information! I didn't dare even consider this could be a Busato, haha. But the outline is identical. The fretboard tail ending too. I found the measurements of the Boogie Woogie yesterday, they're not the same. Wonder if TFOA would have the dimensions of the guitar still? Would that mean anything?

There are no braces on the back, and no markings on the neck heel block. I only see a small "X" on the underside of the top.

crookedpinky

The 'B' word hahaha. I thought that when I saw the original pics. Interesting that TFOA Busato seemes to have a one piece neck.

bbwood_98

I'm with Mr. Martin - I think this might be a Busato or Buccolo - the line is all there, as is the soundhole shape and rosette. Interesting guitar. Arched back guitars rarely have/need back braces. Have you looked inside with a light? an x brace would seem totally out of character - busatos are 'usually' (lol) ladder-ish braced.

Good move!

Gabriele

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/103223#Comment_103223

Thank you for your input! I sure hope this is a Busato, haha. I meant there is a small X pencil marking. It is ladder braced.