1960s Jacques Castelluccia

This fantastic instrument was built sometime in the 1960s by Jacques Castelluccia. Castelluccia was one of the many famous Italian luthiers to make his name in France (along with Busato, DiMauro, Favino, Anastasio, Maccaferri, etc.) Castelluccia is the oldest continuously running shop in Paris, still producing guitars under the direction of Jacques Castelluccia's son, Jean-Baptiste.

While the price of guitars made by Busato (along with other Italian makers such as Favino and Maccaferri) have skyrocketed in recent years, Castelluccia's have been largely overlooked. But after playing this guitar, I think anyone would agree that Castelluccia was also capable of building guitars on par with his more famous contemporaries.

This instrument features Selmer like dimensions: 675mm scale, a 16" body, and 3 13/16" deep. Castelluccia's ultra lightweight three brace design weighs in at only 3.5 lbs, among the lightest guitars I've ever had in the shop. The back and sides are Cuban mahogany, the top is spruce, and the neck is mahogany.

The condition of this instrument is very good! There are no serious cracks or major modifications. This instrument was recently professionally setup, including new frets and saddle. It's an easy player, with comfortable 3mm action.

As is often the case with Castelluccias from this era, there is a Paul Beuscher label. Beuscher frequently commissioned guitars from Jacques Castellucia.

This instrument has a powerful voice, producing the sort of volume few guitars can match. It's the ultimate campfire guitar as single note lines will cut through just about anything. If you need an amp free solution for busking or jamming, this is it! See attached video of Gonzalo Bergara jamming in a crowded room with this very guitar at DjangoFest. The tone is full of the old world character and mojo that only decades of smokey French bar gigs can yield.

This model was made famous by Dorado Schmitt who played a similar Castelluccia in the Bireli Lagrene's Live Jazz a Vienne  DVD.

This is the CASH price...add 3% if you'd like to pay with a credit card. 4% for International orders.