PALM Guitars from Argentina
To contribute to the knowledge of the manouche or Gypsy jazz guitar, we share the history of PALM guitars, crafted in Argentina by luthier Pedro Alfredo Lucas Malosetti (P.A.L.M).
Pedro Alfredo Lucas Malosetti was born in Open Door, Luján, Province of Buenos Aires, in 1923. He was the oldest of five siblings, with Walter, the renowned guitarist, as his younger brother.
Growing up in a rural family, Pedro learned guitar by listening to the radio, developing skills in folk and classical music. He passed his knowledge to his brother Walter.
His journey into luthiery began when he disassembled a "CASA AMERICA" guitar gifted by his father, Alfredo. This marked the beginning of a long path of learning.
His work began in 1950 and continued until 1993, when he built his last guitar, named "WM" in honor of his brother Walter Malosetti. Both his son Raúl and nephew Ricardo Pellican own a PALM "WM" model guitar.
Throughout his career, Pedro received various honors, including one in 1970 at the "Concert Guitar Exhibition" at Club Gath y Chavez, during the Latin American Biennial.
Pedro Alfredo Lucas Malosetti crafted classical, electric, and "French guitars," as he called the "Selmer-style D-hole" guitars (like Django Reinhardt's), as well as requintos and even basses.
Walter Malosetti and Ricardo Pellican used his "french guitars" (selmer style) on the famous "Swing 39" band, formed together with Carlos Acosta in clarinet and Hector Basso in bass.
Also "Los Blue Strings", formed by Ruben "Baby" Lopez Fürst : Guitar (owner of the first Selmer guitar that arrive to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1953)
Hector Lopez Fürst : violín
Bernardo Birenbaum (replacing the first guitarist Carlos Macri (See picture from Carlos in 2024 with his palm):Guitar
Enrique Gutierrez de León : bass
Pedro carefully selected woods, including alpine spruce, Canadian spruce, and others, to craft durable works that last to this day. He worked each piece entirely by hand, with a methodical and dedicated approach, paying special attention to details like knobs, on which, according to his son Raúl, he could spend an entire day refining.
His workshop closed in 1993 when he returned to his hometown, Open Door, Luján, where he lived until his passing in 1999.
Today, his legacy lives on in his unique musical instruments, each with its own characteristics and details. Comparing two guitars of the same type, one might notice differences in finish, wood, ornamentation, or style, making each instrument truly one-of-a-kind.
Pedro Alfredo Lucas Malosetti left an indelible mark on Argentine music with PALM guitars.
Among the Argentine manouche jazz guitarists who have played his guitars are Walter Malosetti, Ricardo Pellican, Walter Coronda, and others.
For more informations, there is an Instagram Account for PALM Guitars and a Facebook Group for PALM GUITARS.