Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocky Raccoon
Hi, thanks for this informative post. I don't know much about constructing guitar either and it's been tough to find some information on these older Giannini models. I have also heard that the older models are of better quality.
Mine still had some old nylon strings on it, and even with those tunes significantly lower than standard pitch, the sound is still nice.
I guess they used rosewood, but maybe the top is spruce as it is much lighter in color.
I'd be interested to see what they say. If you get a reply from them, please keep me posted!!
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No reply yet, but under better light, the top does indeed look like spruce.
According to this site:
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?1846630-Brazilian-Rosewood-How-do-you-identify
rosewood has prominent "pores" which my guitar certainly does. It was made in 1965 so importing Brazilian rosewood the states was still legal then. Another site says that Brazilian rosewood has a "hairy" feel to it and mine has that as well.
I hope it is made of Brazilian rosewood, that would add to it's "cool" factor. Seems a lot lighter in color than the pics I've come across on the internet, but that just may be because it's sanded down to raw wood.
Here's one of Elvis' 900s:
http://www.elvis.net/guitars/giannini70.html
It says it's made of rosewood, but who knows if that is correct. It also doesn't explain how they determined the model number so it's possible they got that wrong.
It looks exactly like my guitar, though, except mine doesn't have that white line running down the back (sanded off?), the neck looks like a different color from the back and sides, and my sound hole is inscribed with inner and outer circles, with the inner going to the last fret like that guitar, but an outer one that goes to the second to last fret.
It's going to be a beaut when I'm done giving it a nice Tung oil finish.
I already know it sounds pretty darn good, but I don't have another decent classical to compare it with.