Product: Giannini CRA12S
Price Paid: traded used
Submitted
06/04/1999
at
11:07pm
by
Joe Bethancourt
Features
:
7
Giannini guitars were some of the nicest of the 1960's. I've been hunting for one of their "craviola" body 12-strings for some time, and finally Frank Gasparic consented to trade me his. It's lovely.
The body shape looks like it's been exposed to too much radiation, but it's very comfortable to play, and has that slightly "jangly" 60's 12-string sound.
Brazilian rosewood back and sides (since it was made there, after all) solid spruce top, diamond MOP inlay in the fingerboard and the funny looking moustache/Noah's Ark bridge, not to mention the wierd body shape, make it quite distinctive on stage.
Rating? Well, giving the maple-bodied Guild F-412s of the 1970s as a 10, I'd rate these about a 7.
Sound
:
7
GOOD sound. Jangly like the 60s 12s, but loud with fingerpicks.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
The workmanship is superlative, as in every other Gianinni I have seen. This one even has the added bonus of no cracks in the soundboard from the radical climate change from South America to North America.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
This guitar has already help up very well since 1970 as a road instrument for Frank Gasparic, and I intend to use it for the same purpose.
Overall Rating
:
7
I've been playing professionally since 1964, and have owned a mess of 12 strings. This is a good, reliable instrument indeed.
See my web page at http://www.locksley.com/joeb/
