04 Nov Handcrafted electric guitars
La Liuteria NERO, Laveno Mombello
From fish store to guitar store
A few months ago, you could still buy fish here. The small store belonged to one of the last fishermen on Lake Maggiore, but then it was closed and the little store stood empty. Suddenly, a few weeks ago, the place came to life. At first, everything was covered up and there was no hint of what was to come.
Then a few weeks later there was suddenly an unusual sign hanging above the store and a couple of guitars in the window. I had to take a look! The door was open and I took heart (I know how to hold a guitar and that I don’t know barré fingerings, so I’m a bit of a guitar greenhorn) and entered. Gianluca, the owner, gave me a friendly smile and I lost my shyness. Would he like to do an interview for my blog? Sure, so we arranged to meet the next day.
Only 55 and already 30 years in the music business
It all started about 30 years ago with a rehearsal room in Milan. Then Gianluca Oliveri opened a recording studio and eventually offered artists an all-round service and also took care of their instruments. “Some artists would stay for two or three weeks to prepare for a tour, for example. It was important that the instruments were always ready for use. About ten years ago, I was asked by a loyal customer if I could build a complete guitar. That was my first order. I’ve been building electric guitars ever since. To expand my knowledge, I then enrolled at a violin school in Milan for two years.”
Corona put an end to everything
Then came corona and from one moment to the next, Gianluca was left with nothing. “Two years without income, nobody survives that. So I had to look for another job and started soldering cables together for a company. Not a dream job, but better than nothing. Then corona was over and I was still soldering cables together.
New start on Lake Maggiore
“I woke up one morning and thought: I did something for 30 years that I enjoyed, that I was really good at. I want to go back to that. I need a fresh start!” And because Gianluca had already lived in the region for a while and had many acquaintances here, he decided to rent the fish store in Laveno-Mombello and start building and selling guitars again as a side business. There are plenty of potential customers for his treasures here too. And if you are from Milan and need a nice guitar, you know where to find Gianluca. For example, he has worked for Malika Ayane and the group PFM a guitar for Malika Ayane and the group PFM.
The right guitar for every sound
Gianluca’s guitars are “tailor-made”. “The most important thing is that I understand exactly what my customers want. It’s hard to describe sound, but my aim is to build the perfect guitar for every desired sound. So I ask a lot of questions. What style of music should it be, are there sound examples that my customer likes or are there other specifications? One of my customers is left-handed and plays guitar and bass at the same time. So without further ado (well, it wasn’t that short) I built him a double instrument for left-handers. I choose the wood and position the pickups according to the desired sound. To ensure that my guitars are “Made in Italy”, I source the pickups from a very renowned Italian manufacturer that is known for its top quality.”
Unique pieces made from 200-year-old teak wood
Gianluca’s specialty is unique pieces made from 200-year-old teak that he has imported from Bali. He only has a limited stock of suitable parts. His stock lasts for about 30 instruments. While stocks last, customers can choose their favorite combination from the colored pieces of wood. Such a unique piece comes with a matching case and certificate and costs from 4,000 euros.
The other two of his standard models are made from “Swamp Ash”, a particularly hard wood with great sound characteristics from the North American swamps. The neck is made of Birds Eye Maple, which is also often used for high-quality electric guitars because it has a very good ratio between hardness and weight. Many famous guitar brands work with this type of wood.
A handcrafted guitar made from these types of wood starts at 3,000 euros.
If you are interested in a guitar from Gianluca, it is best to contact him in advance by e-mail, as he currently has irregular opening hours.
Gianluca Oliveri
Mail: Octivider@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neroguitars/
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