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@Sultan_of_Swing I se you're in Belgium, I'm also selling Gallato guitars in Paris area, and North of France and Europe. Tell me if you if you need more info about the guitars, Serge Galato is often very busy
Dear Chris Martin,
I’m Federico Mateos. I’m GERONIMO Mateos son and co-owner of our workshop and brand of guitars placed in Madrid, Spain.
I saw your comment this morning and neither my dad and I are persons who like to waste our time reading this kind of forums or answering about opinions BUT, a good friend of us wrote a text this morning to tell us about your comment concerning our guitars and we were really astonished later than reading your text.
Not sure where you heard that "stories" but you should verify them before sharing a wrong information in public.
Here is a little summary of the REAL story, and, of corse, as I’m just writing the truth, I invite you to come to our workshop and have a look with your own eyes all the docs that prove this info; I'm pretty sure you could not do it in the other side of the “story”:
First Gallato (made by GERONIMO Mateos) was made in July 2002.
We built exactly 189 Gallato guitars.
The two first units were 2 models 452.
Last serial number 641 was made in November 2005.
My dad built 2 units nº 452. Both were massif rosewood back and sides. Both have the logo on the heads with a mistake: GALATO instead of GALLATO. BOTH were replica from the old original Selmer 452 that “Mr. Gallato ”gave us to restore it in 2001. Once restoration of original 452 was finished,“ Mr. Gallato ”asked my dad if he would be able to build a Selmer replica under label Gallato. After nearly one year the 2 first units mentioned above were ready.
Results were really good. Angelo Debarre and other famous guitarists tested those 2 units and loved the guitars. This was the beginning of the Gallato success with selmer replicas, made in Madrid by my dad and the help of a couple of workers we had working with us at workshop.
My dad broke up the business relationship when I noticed that “Mr Gallato” used some parts of the guitars (neck, head, body and soundboard) I asked my dad to send him with the goal of have them in his shop in Toulouse to show to his clients and instead of that, he went to China to copy them and start the production there .....
After the end of the business relation with “Mr. Gallato ”, my dad decided to continue building guitars under their own name" Mateos ".
Some more info:
"Mr. Gallato ”has never built a guitar himself and won’t never make it; he’s not a luthier, he was only the owner of a shop in Toulouse, France. Geronimo Mateos and I, have built in their workshop in Madrid, Spain more than 2000 Selmer style guitars, all of them hand made in the past 18 years. Everyone can visit our workshop, see how we work and ask us freely about this story and many others to know the truth.
"Mr. Gallatto ”made a lot of money buying and selling flats in Toulouse, and pretended to do the same with guitars, but with the time people realize who is this man and nowdays his second big shop in Toulouse is already closed and the original shop was transferred (sold). Nowdays the name is Guitar Center, again a name copied from the famous Guitar center in USA.
In summary, we have an adjective in French for that kind of people: "vendors de tapis" And if you prefer in Spanish: "sell motorcycles". For those who try to trick people into thinking that their lies are the truth.
Finally, the best proof is the owners of a Gallato made by GERONIMO MATEOS want to keep this guitar, not only for its quality and sound but also because they are already part of the story of our brand.
I hope this info is clear and hope you will come to Madrid one day, to visit the workshop where many Selmer style guitars have been made to the goal of making happy the final owner ?.
Federico Mateos.
“A lie told a thousand times does not become true”
Thank you Federico for clearing this up. I was only repeating what had been told elsewhere and as neither your father or Mr Gallato had ever told their version of events on a public forum such as this it is inevitable that rumours then gain credibility.
I did wonder if Michael, as a retailer of Mateos guitars might be able to get your side of the story. The dates and numbers of the 189 guitars Mateos had made until 2005 has been told many times before and I am glad you can finally confirm that here and cancel the other theories. Certainly the subsequent history of Gallato guitars since then has been the cause of much debate, not helped by Gallato's ambiguous claims, and it is as much this confusion as any question of the quality of the instruments that has made people wary of the name.
Meanwhile, I had intended no slur on the quality of Mateos guitars and had even considered one of your very pretty 'Jazz B' models on my short list of 'Guitars Wanted'. Who knows, that might even happen one day, but while I am currently in Australia and have to go to France and England next year, I don't know if I will have time to visit Madrid but thanks for the invitation.
Thanks again for your clarification, and apologies if my passing on and posting the various theories above caused any trouble or embarrassment, at least we now have the facts about the Mateos side of the story.
Hi again @Chris Martin ,
Thanks for your answer and apologies accepted.
You know, people talk too much sometimes, and obviously the other side of the story has made some good efforts trying to “clean up” his reputation, often damaging others.
Anyway, here we are, making good guitars I think, with many clients happy and always close to them. Otherwise we would be one of Michael’s brands ?. By the way, I wrote Michael before posting my comment; As I told you we are not big fins of taking part of forums, but he told me to write and sign it with my name to clear this fake rumors.
Ok, we will be glad to meet you here if you can come ?. Advise: visit France and England, then flight cheap from UK to Spain and probably cheaper to come back from Madrid to Australia with A380?? Not sure...?
Best regards to you all AND if one day you have more doubts about anything, is better to ask the original source ?
Regards,
Federico Mateos
https://www.geronimomateos.com/en/
By the way,
I can make a list with the 189 guitars built, woods used and more info as well as pics of the original Selmer 452# repaired before the first two prototypes were built.
Regards!
Hi Federico and thanks for the info. Yes that seems about like what I thought about the whole thing. I have 2 of the later made RS-39 Debarre models (an oval and a D hole). They are both very well made (I'm an amateur luthier) and sound great. At the time I considered them one of the best sounding available Asian made Selmacs and the price was great I think they were about $1500 US which was more than the Gitanes but they were much louder and dryer than most others brands that I tried. Again, there is nothing necessarily wrong with Asian/CNC made instruments. Back when Gallato made the switch there may have still been a stigma about that and maybe that's why Gallato was hesitant to admit that some parts were made in Asia. I get that. Kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place but to hit that price point there is no other option than to use machines/automation so I can see both sides. Don't get me wrong, I build for a hobby and I also get the attraction of hand made luthier instruments.