The new outstanding Gypsyjazz-Archtop-Guitars of the "Model Bertino"-series by Polak-Guitars are already special by it´s view and making. But what is so special about them?
It was in 2013 when i met with Alex Kashkin of Polak-Guitars (former ERG) in Augsburg for the first time. Due to some tipps by Bertino in the followings years ERG was able to improve their other guitar models.
Then in 2015 i received the request by Polak-Guitars Sergej to join them as Endorser. So i agreed, just under the condition that Polak-Guitars would build my own guitar-series which would be exclusively built for me regarding my advices and ideas.
They both (Eddie and Alex) agreed and i showed and explained Polak-Guitars my exact ideas on measures and form, features, form of head- and neck, tailpiece and tuners, colour and wood.
In collaboration we also created special bridges that project the sound perfektly to the strongly arched tops and thus generate a superb Sound.
Luthier Edward "Eddie" Polak created this new "Model Bertino"-series model in highest craft, manifesting my ideas and created an outstanding Gypsyjazz-Guitar with incredible sound.
Even in highest registers this guitar projects full and round - balanced to the highest level. Fullest round bass, projecting mids, crisp highs - this Instrument has everything that a good Gypsyguitar needs.
The "Model Bertino"-series in my own drafts have been Inspired by the famous Busato-Guitars.
Arched top Gypsyjazz-guitars do have a very long history. Starting back in 1930 an italian luthier named Barnabe Busato (BB) was working in the workshops of the famous Mr. Mario Macafferri, who created the famous Selmer guitars, known and played by Django Reinhardt.
In 1934 Barnabe Busato left the Selmer company and started his own workshops in Paris, building also gypsyjazz guitars inspired by Mario Macafferri, but creating his own ideas of gypsyjazz guitar models, changing many details of it.
The "Busato"-Guitars were named after their maker Bartolo Barnabe "Pablo" Busato (BB) and were one of the first acoustic Jazzguitars that have been copied or better to say were kind of "strongly inspired" by the famous Selmer-Guitars of Mario Macafferri.
For more infos on see Busato-history (click here)
Today original Busato-Guitars belong, directly besides the rare Selmer-/Maccaferri-Guitars, to the most expensive and sought after Gypsyjazz-Guitars worldwide due to their unique sound and making.
Because of their special making, Busato-Guitars have very special features that distinguish them a lot from usual Selmer guitars (and their later copies by other luthiers).
Here are some of the most important details of Busato Guitars:
• tops and backsides are mainly strongly arched and remind to beeing kind of prototypes of Archtop-Jazz-Guitars known today (image left: Busato 1942, image left below Model Bertino 2019).
• Busatos braces are usually pointy (triangle) or have a triangle shape with a flat arched top.
• like many vintage gypsy guitars, Busatos have a thick top of 125 thousand of an inch and are braced underneath with 3 top braces.
• the top instead is rather more arched than usually Gypsyguitars are regularely
• often their tops were made out of serveral pieces of wood (maybe due to lack of material in the war times)
• some headplates were slightly longer and smaller than the ones of other gypsyguitars
While the making of Busato guitars was a highly complex issue already in their time, many luthiers afterwhat didn´t adopt much of these special guitars, instead from Selmer guitars, as they were easier to build.
When in 2014 Bertino Rodmann met Alex Kashkin from Polak-Gypsyguitars (former ERG Guitars) they started discussing the possibility of rebuilding a gypsyjazz guitar that contains these special features of Busato guitars.
So the in collaboration with Bertino, Edward Polak the luthier of Polak-gypsyguitars designed and built these special gypsyjazz guitars named "Model Bertino" in different makings.
The "Model Bertino" combines the best out of the features of Busatos: arched tops glued and bent from three pieces of spruce, and backsides arched as well, hollow bridges for maximum sound, top selection of woods and top brass golden hardware.
These guitars are no exact copy, but the creation of a perfect new Gypsyjazz-Guitar with the "Best of" from old Busato-Guitars.
If you like to read more information on the models we offer, take a look and choose your model from here.
It was in 2013 when i met with Alex Kashkin of Polak-Guitars (former ERG) in Augsburg for the first time. Due to some tipps by Bertino in the followings years ERG was able to improve their other guitar models.Then in 2015 i received the request by Polak-Guitars Sergej to join them as Endorser. So i agreed, just under the condition that Polak-Guitars would build my own guitar-series which would be exclusively built for me regarding my advices and ideas.
They both (Eddie and Alex) agreed and i showed and explained Polak-Guitars my exact ideas on measures and form, features, form of head- and neck, tailpiece and tuners, colour and wood.
In collaboration we also created special bridges that project the sound perfektly to the strongly arched tops and thus generate a superb Sound.
Luthier Edward "Eddie" Polak created this new "Model Bertino"-series model in highest craft, manifesting my ideas and created an outstanding Gypsyjazz-Guitar with incredible sound.
Even in highest registers this guitar projects full and round - balanced to the highest level. Fullest round bass, projecting mids, crisp highs - this Instrument has everything that a good Gypsyguitar needs.
The "Model Bertino"-series in my own drafts have been Inspired by the famous Busato-Guitars.
Arched top Gypsyjazz-guitars do have a very long history. Starting back in 1930 an italian luthier named Barnabe Busato (BB) was working in the workshops of the famous Mr. Mario Macafferri, who created the famous Selmer guitars, known and played by Django Reinhardt.In 1934 Barnabe Busato left the Selmer company and started his own workshops in Paris, building also gypsyjazz guitars inspired by Mario Macafferri, but creating his own ideas of gypsyjazz guitar models, changing many details of it.
The "Busato"-Guitars were named after their maker Bartolo Barnabe "Pablo" Busato (BB) and were one of the first acoustic Jazzguitars that have been copied or better to say were kind of "strongly inspired" by the famous Selmer-Guitars of Mario Macafferri.
For more infos on see Busato-history (click here)
Today original Busato-Guitars belong, directly besides the rare Selmer-/Maccaferri-Guitars, to the most expensive and sought after Gypsyjazz-Guitars worldwide due to their unique sound and making.
Because of their special making, Busato-Guitars have very special features that distinguish them a lot from usual Selmer guitars (and their later copies by other luthiers).
Here are some of the most important details of Busato Guitars:
• tops and backsides are mainly strongly arched and remind to beeing kind of prototypes of Archtop-Jazz-Guitars known today (image left: Busato 1942, image left below Model Bertino 2019).
• Busatos braces are usually pointy (triangle) or have a triangle shape with a flat arched top.
• like many vintage gypsy guitars, Busatos have a thick top of 125 thousand of an inch and are braced underneath with 3 top braces.
• the top instead is rather more arched than usually Gypsyguitars are regularely
• often their tops were made out of serveral pieces of wood (maybe due to lack of material in the war times)
• some headplates were slightly longer and smaller than the ones of other gypsyguitars
While the making of Busato guitars was a highly complex issue already in their time, many luthiers afterwhat didn´t adopt much of these special guitars, instead from Selmer guitars, as they were easier to build.
When in 2014 Bertino Rodmann met Alex Kashkin from Polak-Gypsyguitars (former ERG Guitars) they started discussing the possibility of rebuilding a gypsyjazz guitar that contains these special features of Busato guitars.
So the in collaboration with Bertino, Edward Polak the luthier of Polak-gypsyguitars designed and built these special gypsyjazz guitars named "Model Bertino" in different makings.
The "Model Bertino" combines the best out of the features of Busatos: arched tops glued and bent from three pieces of spruce, and backsides arched as well, hollow bridges for maximum sound, top selection of woods and top brass golden hardware. These guitars are no exact copy, but the creation of a perfect new Gypsyjazz-Guitar with the "Best of" from old Busato-Guitars.
If you like to read more information on the models we offer, take a look and choose your model from here.
