In Part 2/3 of our article about Feautures of original Busatos we briefly describe the exact details of Busato-Guitars with descriptions and images.
Busato-Guitar mostly had Labels glued into the insides, regrettably not stating any year of making or alike the original Selmer-Guitars with a continuing serialnumber, or as with original Favino´s with additional years. Many of these old instruments have "lost" their Labels over time or it has been removed (for whatever reason).
So basically here are four different Busato-labels to distinguish: square ones and ovals with different stamps and printed statements. Commonly they were stating the name "B. Busato" plus additionally the adress of the workshops they were made in (Cite de Griset 4, Paris XI). In rare cases (mostly in the younger years from 1950) they even had a year on it and additionally the signing of Busato.
Label-Variations
Busato-Guitar mostly had Labels glued into the insides, regrettably not stating any year of making or alike the original Selmer-Guitars with a continuing serialnumber, or as with original Favino´s with additional years. Many of these old instruments have "lost" their Labels over time or it has been removed (for whatever reason).
So basically here are four different Busato-labels to distinguish: square ones and ovals with different stamps and printed statements. Commonly they were stating the name "B. Busato" plus additionally the adress of the workshops they were made in (Cite de Griset 4, Paris XI). In rare cases (mostly in the younger years from 1950) they even had a year on it and additionally the signing of Busato.
As stated earlier some guitars were made by Busatos workshops for other musicstores and/or distributors, so these guitars may have Labels of Symphonia, Paris Musical, Sonora and also some of them "Paul Beuscher".
All of Busato´s guitars basically were made identically, which means the size of the bodies, shapes or design variated just litte (mostly 40 or 41 cm sides). Also the guitarmodels were mostly equipped with four "Bracings", as original Selmers do.
Model-Features
• The sides and backsides of the "Grand models" mostly were made from brasilian Rio-Palisandre.
• the simplest "Moyen"-Model was made from walnut-wood, the top out of french spruce, the necks from Rosewood or also walnut.
• some of the "Grand models" were also made from Rosewood, sides and backsides laminated brasilian Rio-Palisandre.
The Headplates 
• The headplates of the "Grand Models" in pre- or after wartimes were decorated with a small metal-plate (brass) with the engravings "Busato Fabricant, 140 Blvd. Menilmontant" mounted (see image 4 right).
Additionally many "Grand Modele Deluxe" had wonderful inlays and carvings on their headplates (see image left). It seems that some of the co-workers had left over their marks on those kind of wooden carvings for Busato´s Deluxe-guitars.
The Neck
• another important feature of original Busatos are the three-piece-necks which have an inlay of ebony in the middle (see image 5 right).
• the necks were often made from exotic Mahagony or Rosewood often with the midlle inlay of mahagony or ebony.
Although the first Favino-Guitars (aprox. until 1990) have a three-piece-neck, but mostly made from maple. The typical feature of many "Grand or Moyen"- Busatomodels is the black ebeony stripe in the middle, starting with the year 1940. Some luthiers have begun copying this feature afterwhat, also often using a black inlay in the middle of the backside of their guitarnecks, but mainly not made from ebony...
Read more -> Features of original Busato-Guitars (3/3)
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