Fasan (German Guitar)

[Geetahunta]

Hey there people.

I’ve finally had this guitar fixed up - I think it’s a German guitar from the '50s. Fasan is its brand.

Ive had it since 2014 but only got it strung up today!

Any one have any interesting knowledge about such guitars?

Thanks,
Matt

[Woody Sound]

Calling on Hammer...

[rsclosson]

I love the look. Sort of like an Archtop/Selmer Maccaferri love child.

[Polytune]

Schlaggitarren.de – Hersteller
Hi together, here you'll find informations about German Archtop Guitars.
Greetings from Bavaria
Stefan

[bluenote61]

FASAN was the trademark of the luthier FrAnz SANdner. He built guitars from beginning of the fifties until late sixties beside other stringed instruments like violins.
He was born 1903 in a village populated mostly by people of german ethnic in the todays Czech Republic. After WW2 he came to Germany like other displaced persons after the ethnical cleansing by the czech government in 1946.
Same as other well known german guitar luthiers, e.g. Hoyer, Glassl or Fred Wilfer, the founder of Framus.

Your guitar is a bit different to other FASAN guitars due to the additional round soundhole in the center. You can find this additional soundhole on other german archtops but I haven't seen it on FASAN.
Usually FASAN guitars have a laminated top. Yours as well?

[xavierbarcelo]

I’ve got a very nice FASAN, all solid. I’ve seen a few of them around, even some here at JGF. I think it’s one of my best sounding guitars. Anyway, some pictures:






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[Hammertone]

Schlaggitarren.de – Hersteller
Hi together, here you'll find informations about German Archtop Guitars.
Greetings from Bavaria. Stefan

Hi Stefan! Good to see you here. Yes, the Schlaggitarren site is a great resource - I highly recommend it.

As far as Fasan goes, they are typical of several West German builders - they built plenty of cheap-o laminated archtops, mid-line solid pressed-top archops, and a small number of wonderful carved archtops. As a designer, I have always had an issue with the hideously ugly Fasan F-holes, but good guitars are good guitars, no matter how ugly they are.

Regarding the guitar posted by Geetahunta, welcome to the forum! I'd recommend replacing the American-style tailpiece with a superior, German-built, vintage ABM tailpiece, a couple of models of which are easily found on ebay. Not that anyone gives a shit, but American-style tailpieces on German archtops are cognitively dissonant to me.

Replace it with either one of these more appropriate, period-correct, nickel-plated, excellent ABM tailpieces:

Vintage 6 string archtop guitar tailpiece for Harmony, Gibson and others NOS | eBay

Vintage archtop guitar tailpiece 6 string nickle for Harmony or Gibson NOS | eBay

[Geetahunta]

Good suggestion.
thanks @hammertone.

[Geetahunta]

just a question - with your experience do you think that this Fasan would be a cheap-o laminate (I think it’s solid top but looks like a laminate body) or a midline solid pressed top archop? I’m sure it’s not a wonderfully carved arch top.
I am totally new to archtops- this is my only one in a family of flatties…

thanks very much.

Hi Stefan! Good to see you here. Yes, the Schlaggitarren site is a great resource - I highly recommend it.

As far as Fasan goes, they are typical of several West German builders - they built plenty of cheap-o laminated archtops, mid-line solid pressed-top archops, and a small number of wonderful carved archtops. As a designer, I have always had an issue with the hideously ugly Fasan F-holes, but good guitars are good guitars, no matter how ugly they are.

Regarding the guitar posted by Geetahunta, welcome to the forum! I'd recommend replacing the American-style tailpiece with a superior, German-built, vintage ABM tailpiece, a couple of models of which are easily found on ebay. Not that anyone gives a shit, but American-style tailpieces on German archtops are cognitively dissonant to me.

Replace it with either one of these more appropriate, period-correct, nickel-plated, excellent ABM tailpieces:

Vintage 6 string archtop guitar tailpiece for Harmony, Gibson and others NOS | eBay

Vintage archtop guitar tailpiece 6 string nickle for Harmony or Gibson NOS | eBay

[supersoul]

From the legendary "Vintage German Archtops" thread, some round-holed Fasans as well as some info:

Vintage German Archtops

Also:
1050s Fasan Archtop acoustic possible electrification

There is a lot of information out there, but it's scattered around. Fun to research, though

[Hammertone]

Solid top w/laminated back is typical of the era for a nice guitar with a reasonable amount of icing on it. Your pictures do not provide enough clues to show the extent of any recarve or other details. Post more pix!

You could check the underside of the top plate with a mirror and a light for clues. If the guitar sounds great, solid top w/laminated back is probably the case. If you ever do a neck reset, it will be easy enough to see. Don't forget that there are only a few dozen people in the world who care about this. Feel free to become obsessed with it. Or not.