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#76
02-22-2018, 09:37 AM
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… 
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#78
02-22-2018, 11:33 AM
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(But I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for that day!)
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#80
02-26-2018, 10:49 PM
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Nice, can't wait!!!
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#81
02-28-2018, 05:49 PM
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Aside from helping break it in, he also noticed some subtle playability issues in the guitar’s set up that can be remedied by adjusting thd string spacing in the nut and some fret dressing in order for it to be up to John’s high standards. This will only require another day or so. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I have a vacation planned next week, so I need John to hold off the delivery until mid-March when I return...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#82
03-05-2018, 11:47 AM
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Short Video (Thanks John!)
John was kind enough to record a short video of my Rhapsody.
It was made with a single microphone (Asian AKG clone) into his Mackie mixer into his Canon T4i SLR. The audio interface on the Canon is not very capable at handling string dynamics and occasionally you’ll hear some over modulation on some strings as a result. But overall, you can really hear the sweet voice of the guitar. I can hear that it has balance across the strings and its voice remains true and strong even in the upper registers when playing arpeggios. You also get a good sense of the strength of the fundamentals, overtones and sustain. This presentation is a useful demo in that it combines some short clips of arpeggiated chords, single note lines, plectrum style as well as some fingerstyle. I also like that it is not awash with post-processed effects.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#83
03-05-2018, 01:55 PM
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Sounds like a good guitar to me, similar to the sound that Andy Powers is getting in his new Taylors.
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Classical guitars, flat top steel string A few banjos and mandolins Accrued over 59 years of playing
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#84
03-05-2018, 02:57 PM
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Sounds great Bob! Could you expound on what affect you think the carve back is playing as apposed to a regular back??? I ask as I guess I did not expect such a wonderful sound, not sure what I was expecting, but that just sounds like an amazing luthier built guitar!
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PS. I love guitars!
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#85
03-05-2018, 03:29 PM
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. I think the recent Taylor “v-class bracing” videos demoing playing a guitar in the upper registers of the fingerboard like John is doing in this video stating try that on another guitar was frankly a bit over the top. It is true that many guitars can sound “plinky” when played there, but a good luthier made instrument like this can do it.Quote:
. Let me wait to answer regarding this guitar once it arrives Tom. But remember, I also have a nylon string from John and another carved back steel string from Bruce, so I had every confidence that I would like the end result. John has been building guitars for nearly 40-years Tom. While archtops have been his primary focus for the last 25-years, John has made many steel string flat tops and nylon string guitars as well.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#86
03-05-2018, 09:46 PM
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Loving the sound so far... having built two carved-back guitars myself I think there are some appreciable differences as opposed to a domed back. There is also an advantage in box tuning in that the recurve area can be worked after the box is built to increase bass response.
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#87
03-05-2018, 11:05 PM
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In the early 1980s after leaving his two year apprenticeship with Bob Benedetto, John started an electric guitar company called Nova Guitars which he ran for over five years before selling it to a Japanese company. He invented and patented a novel neck joint for bolt on electric solid body guitars that increased the strength of the neck joint while allowing one shape the heel for better upper fingerboard access it like a through neck design. After Nova, John started Buscarino Guitars and turned his focus towards jazz guitars now over 25-years ago. He still makes a solid body electric guitar models using this style of joint today that he calls a “Mira”. https://buscarino.com/the-mira 
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#88
03-10-2018, 12:18 PM
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Incoming
Unfortunately, the Nor’easter put the cabosh on my ski trip plans (lots of tree damage, car damage and power outage for 1-1/2 days), but my Rhapsody is still targeted for delivery on this Wednesday. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on it...
This commissioning journey began >20 months ago...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 03-12-2018 at 01:32 PM. Reason: Added an image
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#89
03-14-2018, 12:20 PM
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Buscarino Rhapsody: Initial Impressions
After a 20-month wait, my Rhapsody arrived today from John Buscarino. Since I am working from home today and was able to sign for it and open the box/case because it is fairly temperate today (in the 40s F or 7 C) so I had no finish worries with the nitro finish checking.
The guitar is simply stunning in terms of its fit and finish. It is difficult to capture the subtlety of the gradient in a sunburst finish or the depth and beauty of real green abalone purflings in images, but trust me this is simply as good as it gets. This guitar is a relatively heavy guitar by flat top standards (5lb. 3 oz.) due to the carved East Indian Rosewood back (~2x thicker in the center), three-piece neck with Birdseye Sugar Maple center (~+20% denser than Honduran Mahogany) and the oversized archtop style peg head. For example, my Sexauer 16” SJ guitar is 3lb. 15 oz. in comparison. The guitar is NOT neck heavy at all and sits beautifully when playing it. John set the instrument up to play like butter and the intonation seems perfect for my left hand. The guitar has somewhat taller/wider frets than my other acoustic flat tops that all have 0.043” x 0.080” frets with the 0.047” x 0.104” wire. The string spacing is also a bit narrower at 2.188” where my other flat top guitars have wider string spacing in the 2.25” to 2.312” range. So the Rhapsody really feels a bit more like an archtop when playing it. I was able to play it for about 30 minutes during lunch since I am technically “working” today. The guitar responds with a fast attack, is projective and is wonderfully balanced in volume across the strings. The E and A strings produce a warm, crisp, articulate bass and string-to-string clarity. The trebles are strong and have a signature rosewood sound with sustain and overtones supporting their voice with the fundamentals remain distinct in the mix. The guitar also stays true to its voice through all registers of the fretboard, whether you play a chord on the 3rd fret or 15th fret which is always impressive (as heard in the video John made). Due to the relatively low damping of the carved rosewood back, it definitely plays an active role in shaping the sound by interacting with the top and is not merely acting as a reflector. When you press the back against your tummy, the sound changes just like a traditional dished, ladder braced flat top back. John carved the back thin enough in the recurve to interact with the top and play an active role in the guitar’s voice. So in short, my initial impressions are of pure delight...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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