New guitar (busato?) / Paris teachers, jams

nzidle · April 8

Hello

I moved to Paris a month or two ago and have spent the time seeing many players I have admired for a while playing in bars etc, it's been great.

I bought a guitar from a classified ad the other day for a reasonably cheap price and it plays really well. It has no makers mark on it but he had some work done by a luthier who suggested that it may be a Busato based on it's shape and other characteristics (very light). It's had the fret board replaced and some brace work done apparently.

I'm stoked on how it plays regardless but would be cool to know what exactly it is or if it indeed a Busato.

Also if anyone knows of any teachers or intermediate jam sessions going on near Paris that would be great.

Many thanks

BillDaCostaWilliams · April 9

Django à Montmartre next month.

strombolimusik · April 9

Looks great, would love to hear a sound sample!

Did you try calling the number on the label?

nzidle · April 9

Yep i'll try get the django à montmarte thanks !

I'll try make a video tomorrow and post a link too, haven't called the number, my french is ah so so

strombolimusik · April 9

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/117302#Comment_117302

Yeah, after 16 years in Quebec when I have to make a phone call it's still a challenge. Much easier in person.

lorenzop · April 10

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/117299#Comment_117299

googled number and this came up:

Gondebaud · April 11

Hi Nzidle, I owned this guitar 2 years ago. It's a "sonora busato", there was no label but several details are completely similar to the 43 "petit" model https://guitarejazzmanouche.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34194 ("notches" on the wood behind the head are exactly the sames for examples, but also dimensions and shape, woods [walnut neck], etc.).

It is a very nice guitar, which has been rebuilt by the luthier TheWill: he polished, put busato tailpiece etc. and braced the guitar following the Selmer pattern.

The guitar sounds pleasantly old and is focused on the high mids. In my opinion, a relatively high action and a 5 mm black trimus would perfectly suit this configuration. I must say that I discovered the trimus after having sold this guitar, but I use it on an ancient 50's guitar, with similar accoustic properties, now.

nzidle · April 12

haha that's so cool ! it really is a beautiful guitar. The guy I bought it off was very friendly (I won't put his name here for privacy) but we played for a little and I said I would sleep on it and came back the next day and bought it. I feel very lucky.. He was certainly a little sad to see her go but said he knew it was the right guitar for me.

There are currently shims under the bridge so a relatively high action which is not necessarily uncomfortable to play but I was used to my previous gitane 255 which had quite low action so I may experiment with dropping it down slightly. I'm still very new to all this and tend to play guitars as I find them. It is the first luthier made guitar I have owned and there is a real nice sense of history to it, it likes to be picked hard (more than my housemates can appreciate) but it also has a nice contemporary jazz sound when picked towards the bridge.

I would love to find a way to put a Stimer on it but it's hard with how close the fretboard goes to the hole..

Thank you a lot for the information, it's nice to know the history of her. I am really happy !

cheers