Busato (1950s) Grand Modèle 44, D-hole (Gypsy, Django, Manouche, Gipsy, Gitane)

Here's something really special — an ultra-rare 1950s Grand Modele 44, Grande Bouche with a cedar top. Like most grand models, it features the typical 68cm scale length and the 41cm lower bout width.

Note that around the period of the workshop in Champigny-sur-Marne, Busato did not build any guitars himself. The upscale instruments of this later period were still sometimes signed and dated by him, however, they were directed or assembled by other foremen.

After foreman Gino Papiri left Busato to support Favino's business in the late 1940s, Pierre Calza took over (seen on the right in the last picture). Calza, who had learned his trade with piano maker Gaveau, was in charge of Busato's major part of the manufacture of the more deluxe and bespoke guitars until 1957, after when Busato started producing and out-sourcing the smaller Selmer-sized guitars only, just before the factory lost focus on instruments business altogether

Calza's guitars, in general, were often outfitted with Busato's simpler jazz model specifications (model 42-43). Gone is the Boulevard de Menilmontant losange plate and the neckblock label. Other jazz model specifications included open tuners, a braceless heat-pressed back, mahogany back and sides, a cedar top, a nickel-plated tailpiece and a one-piece neck.

Many of Calza's guitars, often with stunning birdseye maple back and sides, feature much less dense veneers. Because of this and other specific features unique to Calza's instruments, including a four-braced top, he may have built some of the best-sounding Busato's in history, with this one being no exception.

Scarred from gipsy life, with several repaired cracks to the top, this guitar obviously has had its fair share of playing. However, in our opinion, it significantly adds to the appeal of this instrument: this seventy-year-old vintage Busato looks very attractive. The hardware, including the very rare flower cap nickle tuners, still in excellent shape.

As you'd expect from a vintage grand model, the guitar has a very potent and mature tone and the guitar has a extremely powerful and dry sound: the cedar top delivers strong fundamentals with loud, exuberant projection yet is exceptionally balanced and warm. In our opinion it really has a perfect tone. Big, fat-sounding chords along with rounded, well-defined lead lines that are smooth but clear. It has all the aspects you're looking for in an acoustic, gypsy jazz instrument.

Furthermore, it has exceptional playability: a very comfortable neck, recently levelled frets, and a replaced bridge, getting the action around an easy 3 mm. At 3.7 lbs or 1.7 kg, the guitar is practically weightless. The large D-soundhole makes this instrument also very versatile and applicable to styles other than gypsy jazz.

This very rare, late Grande Modele is, without a doubt, one of the best we've had on our hands so far. Only very few guitars get to this level of projecting and sounding as well as this one does.

This makes this guitar not just a collectable Busato and an extremely rare late one at that, but also a unique chance to own a meticulously made instrument, clearly meant for a professional player, with a typical and phenomenal Busato sound and exceptional playability. And all of this comes in a beautiful, high-quality, vintage case to boot.

Specifications
Brand  Busato
Luthier Pierre Calza
Workshop Champigny-sur-Marne
Year 1951-1957
Model Grande Modele 44
Sound Hole D Hole
Fret Neck  14 frets to the body
Condition  Very good
Size 16 1/4"
Scale Length 68cm
Lower bout 41cm
Nut Width 2"
Top  Cedar
Back and Sides Sapele
Neck  Ash
Fingerboard  Ebony
Binding  Ebony
Finish  Nitrocellulose
Tailpiece  BB
Tuners  L'Huillier & Massicot
Action  3mm
Strings  Argentine 1510
Weight  3.7 lbs / 1.7 kg
Case Hardshell (Vintage)