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Author	Topic: Giannini guitars?
Hambone Member Posts: 642 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Jan 2000	posted 12-08-2001 13:10 Anyone know anything about Giannini guitars? There's a left-handed one on eBay and I'm thinking about bidding on it. It's a 6-string made in 1974. IP: Logged
Leo Stepanek Member Posts: 700 From: Innsbruck, Austria Registered: Apr 2000	posted 12-10-2001 08:04 Brazilian ultra cheapo guitars with very nice, mostly veneered woods and really bad intonation. It's probably a nylon string, although they also made a few steel strings. If you want some advice from an old friend, I would say buy any guitar and chances are good you get a better guitar than a Giannini. IP: Logged
Hambone Member Posts: 642 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Jan 2000	posted 12-10-2001 08:27 Thanks, Leo. This is precisely the information I was seeking. I will pass on this instrument. IP: Logged
Leo Stepanek Member Posts: 700 From: Innsbruck, Austria Registered: Apr 2000	posted 12-10-2001 11:28 Hambone, you're welcome anytime. IP: Logged
Kin-Slayer unregistered	posted 02-27-2004 10:27 does that mean all of them are bad? i have one that was made 26 years ago, that my mom bought when she played. she payed $500 for it at the time. do you think that they are all bad? IP: Logged
Kin-Slayer unregistered	posted 02-27-2004 10:28 hmm, i just now noticed how long ago this post was made... probablly those guys are long gone. IP: Logged
Steven Marks Member Posts: 365 From: Greenwich Village, NY Registered: Jun 2003	posted 02-27-2004 13:13 I always thought their Craviolas were really interesting looking. There are a couple on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3706755915&category=10171 It also looks like Jay Turser is making 6 and 12 string copies as well: Cool shape. [This message has been edited by Steven Marks (edited February 27, 2004).] IP: Logged
Randy Fortune Member Posts: 217 From: Fresno, California, U.S.A. Registered: Nov 1999	posted 02-27-2004 17:03 I've had a Giannini shaped like the one above, but not electric, for 25+ years that I bought for only $120 in St. Thomas (Virgin Islands) and love it. It is beautiful, has great tone & action. I did have to have them bring it out from the back of the store because the few they had on display were not all that good. Leo, you probably have better info than I do, I guess I just got lucky! I also had the opportunity to buy a matching 12 string at the same time for the same price and have regreted not getting it ever since. It would have cut into my duty-free booze allowance, and at the time that was unfortunately my priority. Once I got home I realized my foolishness because I think I saved about $12 on booze that was gone in a couple of months. IP: Logged
Kin-Slayer unregistered	posted 02-27-2004 19:50 cool so that means not all of them are bad? that makes me feel better! IP: Logged
cmdrpiffle Member Posts: 269 From: santa cruz Kalifornia Registered: Dec 2002	posted 02-27-2004 20:54 Hey Kin-Slayer, Of course not ALL of them are bad. The original question and answer 3 years ago was to paraphrase: "Hey, theres this guitar on eBay that I obviously can't play before I buy, looks interesting, I don't know anything about them, does anyone have any general opinions about this brand (nice run-on sentence, yes?) 'cause I wanna know what someone on this forum may know, 'cause I know there are a lot of folks hanging out here that collectively know a LOT about guitars, and it's not burning a hole in my pocket or anything, I just wanna know. The reply was succintly 'broad', and said a lot. Kinda like saying to a friend, hey, my wife is looking for a new commuter car, does anyone know anything about Yugos? No doubt, somewhere, someone was quite pleased with their Serbo-Croatian chunk of automotive technology. Somewhere. I'm sure. Anyway, about the Jay Turser, looks kinda cool to say the least. I'll be the first to proudly say that one of the best sounding, if not the very best sounding wood acoustic guitar I own, is a 239.00 Jay Turser. No kidding. They are mass produced in Korea, cnc machined, but it has full fingerboard inlay, flamed maple sides and back, solid spruce top, flawless finish, sounds amazing with a capital ZING, and again set me back 239.00, including shipping. go figure IP: Logged
Mike the Bike New Member Posts: 1 From: Phoenix AZ Registered: Jul 2006	posted 07-28-2006 16:47 Gianninis are a very good value. I have a steel string Craviola from '75 I bought new. They play with great action, superb intonation. Criticism is that their spruce tops were laminated, they are no longer made that way. They have a sound like a cross between a small Martin and a lute. They were the acoustic guitar Jimmy Page played on Stairway to Heaven and he was a proponent of them back in the day. They hold their price very well so expect to pay $600 + for one used. The material (rosewood) is first class. They're not loud but sweet, a parlor sound and great for jazz and blues. They're killer for slide as the neck access is perfect. I've never considered selling mine. Ask a man who owns one before listening to the crack pots on this page. IP: Logged
oud Member Posts: 473 From: canada Registered: Mar 2004	posted 07-28-2006 18:46 I tried one out a few years ago,ergonamically this thing is a masterpeice,it snugs up to your body and sits rock solid on your lap(jeez this sounds pornographic,but I digress...)seriously your playing literally improves due to it's design,try one you'll love it. IP: Logged
DiegoMoon Member Posts: 225 From: New Jersey Registered: Feb 2006	posted 07-28-2006 19:02 One of the nicest classical guitars I ever owned was a 73 Giannini. Carved headstock, solid spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. Huge body, it fit perfectly into a dreadnaught case. I sold it because I bought a Martin. The Martin is long gone, I'd love to have the Giannini back. Cost me all of $100.00 used years ago. IP: Logged
numnetz New Member Posts: 1 From: Phoenix, AZ USA Registered: Jan 2007	posted 01-31-2007 11:44 hello all. I'm new to this board and am happy to find info on this particular instrument. I just purchased a 12 string craviola made by Giannini for Westbury guitars back in the late 70's. I found it at an old odds and ends store in Bisbee AZ and paid $600 for it. It had obviously been sitting in the case for some time as the strings were pretty shot, but tuning it up as best I could produced a honey tone that made my ears pretty happy and the action was amazing for a 12 string (I also own a 30 year old Takamine 12). It needs a little work on the bridge but overall it is in very nice condition with great workmanship evident. Added bonus- it came with a DeArmond 210 sound hole pickup wired in! Glad to see some more contributions on this underrated instrument. I'm pretty happy with this find. IP: Logged
mjd1pa Member Posts: 5 From: Registered: Jun 2007	posted 06-27-2007 12:59 Just an observation - I notice that the Giannini firm has ISO 9001 certification, so my guess would be that the company and its products are probably far from "ultra cheapo" or "really bad" or analogous to Yugos (which certainly WERE really bad-ultra cheapo). So I would tend to respect the opinions of the folks who own and/or have played one, who say they find these to be pretty nice. Especially for the money. I would be interested in hearing from others who have experience with these instruments. I don't have one but you never know... can't rule out one more guitar someday! IP: Logged
Paul Hostetter Member Posts: 284 From: Santa Cruz, California Registered: Apr 2004	posted 06-27-2007 14:00 quote: I notice that the Giannini firm has ISO 9001 certification, so my guess would be that the company and its products are probably far from "ultra cheapo" or "really bad" or analogous to Yugos (which certainly WERE really bad-ultra cheapo). I would never guess at the quality of a product based on an ISO 9001 rating, I'd judge by their products. I have worked on quite a number of Gianninis over the years and they are interesting trash, save for a few trade show items and a high-end line that hardly represents their largely laminated production. Fairly analogous to Kay/Airline, they are what they are. IP: Logged
Mark C Member Posts: 273 From: Registered: Feb 2004	posted 06-28-2007 13:48 We had two of these in our house when I was a kid. One from about 1969, the other from '74 or '75. Both were very good student instruments. Intonation was fine on each, they both had a nice sound. IP: Logged
mjd1pa Member Posts: 5 From: Registered: Jun 2007	posted 06-29-2007 11:36 Interesting. BTW, there is a review of one of the bottom-level Gianninis, which happens to be a 7-string, here http://www.guitarsessions.com/jul06/gear.asp The review is kind of consistent with the mixed messages so far in this thread: in short, not great, but interesting and probably OK for the money (under $300) for the particular guitar reviewed. On the Brazilian acoustic guitar forum, Giannini (along with DiGiorgio) seems to be a very commonly recommended and popular entry-level maker. And pretty much like N. Americans, people in that forum say that for those who can afford to spend $1,000-$2,000 or more, you've got other ways to go. Anyhow, the company really offers a full-range line. Without spending a lot of time on the website (http://www.giannini.com.br/home.asp), I did quickly tally up what they have in nylon string guitars. I chose those because nylon/classical is a bigger deal, natch, for Latin America than North America. Giannini's range of quality and prices appears not very different from other large factory-built lines. Giannini offers 27 nylon-string models. Eight of the 27 have laminated tops and several of those are acoustic-electric, so again, not so different from what you'd see with most large mfrs (including Martin, in this respect). The rest of the line is either solid tops or all solid. Six of the 27 are pretty high-end, lutherie-type instruments. Like many makers, Giannini has numerous players and endorsers -- for whatever that is worth -- including Pat Metheney's backup guitarist. And Jeff Linsky isn't an endorser, but he plays a Giannini Craviola sometimes (although it's not his main instrument); if you have heard his music he is pretty terrific. So some serious musicians do appear to like them. IP: Logged
Paul Hostetter Member Posts: 284 From: Santa Cruz, California Registered: Apr 2004	posted 06-29-2007 12:27 Someone, I forget who, is making a gourmet version of the Craviola, with real wood and good craftsmanship. -- ph Paul Hostetter, luthier Santa Cruz, California www.lutherie.net IP: Logged

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