My new Ivanovski Busato

Joonas · September 3

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/122780#Comment_122780

Also keep in mind to try out different picks. The material, the shape, the thickness of the pick, all of this affects the tone. For me, finding the right pick is a compromise between tone and feel. Tone as in what sound the pick produces and feel as in how comfortable I feel playing with the particular pick.

VicBulbon · September 3

Thanks all for the kind words. Now is to wait and see whether it opens up as times go on or not. Risto said that Cedar will sound like an old guitar right away, but for traditions sake, I had this one made of spruce. And yes, Joonas, I think different picks do sound a little different. The one in that clip was a Dava, maybe about 2mm. I think 2mm is the sweet spot for me, or else the lows get muffled. Hell, I think everything gets muffled with super thick picks, but maybe I have to try more. I only have the 5mm Dunlop which might be a little excessive. What gypsy guitar do you play? You don't only have the Taylor do you?

Joonas · September 3

@VicBulbon No, I only have the Taylor. It's a traditional folk/western/dreadnought style guitar, doesn't even have a cutaway. But I like it very much. Here's how it sounds (link): Premier rendez-vous

I also have an Ibanez hollowbody electric and another solidbody electric. And now I'm hesitant if I should buy the cheap Richwood gypsy guitar from Thomann, which is the maximum I could afford at the moment, or I should spend the money at some books like the Christiaan van Hemert system book that has been praised here on the forum. I'm currently leaning towards the guitar but I haven't decided yet. I've got quite a lot of material to learn already. I could go a long way if I could memorize every lick I've written down somewhere.

Buco · September 3

Oh it'll get better as the time goes by. The more you play it, especially the louder you play it, it'll give back and sound even better.

@Joonas get a guitar and use Anki app to record and practice your licks.

VicBulbon · September 4

Joonas, you sound great. Yea, you should get a GJ guitar, or at least an acoustic archtop, but these days the availability of good acoustic archtops that actually resonate is probably even less than gypsy jazz guitars.

Bucco, I assume your Ivanovski doesn't have a trust rod too? Do most gypsy guitar luthiers today make their guitars with one? Have you had any issue with the weather messing with the neck too much? Also another random note, do most guitars in this style, Selmer, Busato Favino etc all have this soft cutaway? Are there any gj guitars with full body at the 12th fret, for example?

littlemark · September 4

There are some selmer style guitars without cut aways. They are less desirable sure to the limited get access. They are primarily used for rhythm and not as desirable. I think Shelley Park has made someb as well as original sellers.

Buco · September 4

Mine does not have a truss rod. I had issues in the beginning with action going high. Eventually I sent it back to Risto and he replaced the fretboard, which he said was the problem. He did the work for free. No problem since then. As far as I know, nobody I know that has his guitar had ever any issues. Does yours not have it? He told me that recently he started using a truss rod just because people expect the guitar to have one.

Majority of these guitar have an identical or nearly identical cutaway, regardless of the maker and the model. Risto actually made some without cutaway which he thought improved bass response.

VicBulbon · September 4

I gotta check again, but I think I remember him asking me about it, telling me that its better for tone without, or maybe it's considerably lighter or something, so I decided against it. Oh, maybe it might be because I decided for a thicker old school neck, so he said that in that case, a trust rod wouldn't be as needed to help with stability.

I would imagine a non cutaway would help a bit, but then there's the trade off about note access.

Buco · September 4

There are luthiers out there who say truss rod is not necessary. Especially if the neck is beefy like in a lot of guitars in this style. But cutout is nice.