Django’s ‘French’ Luthier’s
A Luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed Instruments. The word Luthier comes from the 19thC French word Luth meaning “Lute“
Julian Gómez Ramirez was born in Madrid in 1879. About 1892, he began an apprenticeship with Agustín Andrés. By 1910, however, he was working as a journeyman in the shop of José Ramirez I. Although not related to Ramirez, the Ramirez family claims him as a disciple of Ramirez I. According to Robert Bouchet, Julian told him he had worked for Manuel Ramirez before coming to Paris around 1914. He remained in Paris until his death in 1943. Julian Gómez Ramirez was befriended by Robert Bouchet (1898-1986) & was a frequent Visitor in Julian’s tiny, dark & jumbled Workshop & credits Julian with inspiring him to become a Guitar Maker. Despite the working conditions in his Shop, Julian Gomez Ramirez produced Guitars of genuine quality. Among the players who owned his guitars was the Concert Guitarist Ida Presti (1924-1967).
All Sicilian Luthiers were born in Catania, at the foot of Etna, the Volcano. The poor economy of the region highly contributed to the huge Migrant wave in the 20s towards France that gave birth to an extraordinary School of French Luthiery.
The luthiers from Catania are to be mentioned: Pappalardo, Antonio Di Mauro, Amico, Anastasio, Bernabe ‘Pablo’ Busato, Bucolo, Castelluccia, Favino, Olivieri, Burgassi, Martella, Grizzo, Rossito, Petillo – among many others. Busato Guitars
For a long time nobody was even sure if there even was a person named “Busato” although it turns out that there was. He died in 1952, a year before Django. Information on Bernabe Busato & his Shop is sketchy at best. At first we thought that it was just a name, because the Workshop appeared to move frequently, or else there was more than one. There were also Busato Accordions being made at the same time crafted by another Firm (Castagnolo? Fratelli Crosio?) & Sold through Busato‘s Shop with his name on them. He also made or Sold Banjos, Basses, etc.
In Marseille, Arthur Carbonell-Torres II was actively producing fine Guitars until he ended his very full career in 1975. His father had been a Guitar Maker in Valencia before he opened a Workshop in Marseille around 1922 where he taught his son the Craft. After WW2 the son turned to the construction of Concert guitars (numbered from about 300 to 580). He taught the craft to Joel Laplane who took over the workshop in 1975.
Django was also photographed with a Carbonnell and owned a Busato.
Paris. from left: Antonio Di Mauro, Carmelo Catania, Vincenzo Jacobacci
During the 1930s, the Guitar was played by such popular Musicians as the Singer Tino Rossi & a Jazz Artist like Django Reinhardt took it to the highest level of esteem & created a demand which was satisfied by the new Luthiers who came with the Cabinetmakers from Italy to Paris during the 20s. Some of them came from Catania, Sicily, a Manufacturing Centre which furnished a lot of cheap Instruments for the popular Music Market. The 1st to open a Workshop in Paris was V Jacobacci whose Workmen were to become many of the Luthiers of the Future. These new Arrivals were named Pappalardo, Di Mauro Amico, Anastasio, Busato, Bucolo, Castelluccia, Favino, Oliveri, Burgasssi, Martella, Grizzo, Rossito, Petilio, etc. They built mandolins, banjos & guitars in large quantities. They worked hard and produced very fairly priced Instruments. Some of their sons, like Pappalardo, Favino, Anastasio & Castelluccia, still carry on their Family Enterprises today.
The appearance of the Selmer Guitar in 1932, thanks to the talent of Mario Maccaferri and his Partnership with Henri Selmer, led to the creation of an incommensurable number of imitations & interpretations of the “Selmer” Concept. The most beautiful & faithful reproductions remain today the Busatos and Favinos. The Selmer, Busato & Favino Guitars represent then the Holy Trinity of what is known as the “Manouche”-style Guitar. They are of course carnally linked to the prowess of the Jazz Musician Django Reinhardt as well as to the mythical era of the more or less well-known Musicians from the Bastille Balls, the Saint- Germain-des-Prés Underground Clubs, the Clignancourt Flea-Market & the Samois-sur- Seine Festival.
Mario Maccaferri (1900-1993): One of these Emigres had a remarkable International Destiny. His name was Mario Maccaferri, born at the beginning of the Century near Bologna. Having studied Guitar Playing & Guitar making with Luigi Mozzani in that City, he moved to Paris in 1919, then to London and began a career as Guitarist, Luthier, Engineer & Businessman. Around 1930 he developed 3-Guitar models for the French firm of Selmer: Classical, Jazz or Orchestra & Hawaiian. Commencing in 1932, Maccaferri hired workers (mostly Italians, by the way), oversaw the Outfitting of the Workshops & the making of Jigs and Moulds, established Specifications for the Initial Models, and generally got things rolling while continuing his career as a Concert Classical Guitarist (though this was soon to be cut short by a freak accident). The Classical & Jazz Models had a unique appearance & featured a large Cutaway on the Upper Bout so the left hand could easily reach the highest notes. Classical Guitarists did not adopt that feature, but Jazz Players made it a great success, Django Reinhardt 1st & Foremost. The production of these Guitars by Selmer lasted only a short time because of a disagreement between the 2-Partners. The Design eventually entered the Public Domain and was taken up for many years by the Italian Luthiers of Paris. Just before WW2 (1939-1945) Maccaferri emigrated to the United States & started a successful Company that made Clarinet & Saxophone Reeds. Shortly after 1954 he invested a lot of money in the Manufacture of Plastic Guitars which were cleverly Designed & very Affordable, but they proved to be a Failure. However, his Ukuleles made of the same material became a huge success and more than 9M were sold.
While Maccaferri may no longer have been around (and his Resonator had been abandoned), the later Guitars retain many unusual characteristics of his Original Innovative Design, including the Cutaway, the world’s 1st sealed Oil-bath Machine heads & a top that is bent, Mandolin-style, behind the Floating Bridge – something that contributes to the Guitar’s remarkable Volume when played. Following his Departure, his name and the Patent Numbers for his Resonator had been eliminated from the Headstock Engraving and his “Credit” was literally inked out on the internal Label.
Gypsy Jazz UK 