This guitar was generously donated to our non-profit charitable organization, the GSI Foundation. Guitar sales through the GSI Foundation raise money to directly benefit music education in public schools. Feel free to contact us for more information.
Giannini was founded in São Paulo, Brazil in 1900 by Italian immigrant Tranquillo Giannini, and over the decades became one of South America's most recognized builders of classical guitars. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the company produced some of its finest instruments, benefiting from excellent tonewoods and traditional Spanish-inspired construction. This 1972 AW-80 is an excellent example from that period, featuring a solid spruce top paired with beautifully figured CSA rosewood back and sides. The CSA rosewood used on this guitar is particularly striking, displaying dramatic grain patterns that are rarely seen on production instruments today. Like the Contreras "doble tapa" models, this guitar features a second back (in this case made of what appears to be cherry wood) glued to the inside back - this system adds a bit of power to the sound by stiffening the back and forcing more of the vibration to the soundboard. It also colors the tone that emanates from the box to produce a quicker, less metallic response, especially in the trebles.
Internally, the guitar is built with a symmetrical 8-fan bracing pattern—four braces on the treble side and four on the bass side, notably without a brace running beneath the center seam of the soundboard. This lightweight, balanced design contributes to an open, responsive character with excellent sustain and a pleasing warmth. The sound is rich and mature, offering a clear, singing treble register supported by a rounded, woody bass response. It has the kind of seasoned voice that players often associate with well-preserved Brazilian-made instruments from this era.
Visually, the guitar has aged beautifully. The spruce top has developed a warm golden patina that pairs elegantly with the richly figured CSA rosewood, while the colorful mosaic rosette and engraved original tuning machines reflect the tasteful styling of Giannini's higher-grade models. The overall workmanship is clean and traditional, and the instrument has retained an appealing vintage character throughout.
The guitar remains in excellent overall condition for its age. There is one lightly repaired crack in the top, reinforced internally with a single cleat, and the repair is stable and unobtrusive. Aside from normal cosmetic signs of use expected on a guitar of this vintage, it is otherwise in fine structural condition and plays comfortably with excellent setup. A wonderful opportunity to own a well-preserved Giannini from one of the company's most desirable periods, offering aged tone, attractive aesthetics, and great value.
