Tranquillo Giannini
Southern Cross Stratocaster was a guitar realized between 1992 and 1995 in the Brazilian factory Giannini, to which Fender in 1990 gave the possibility to produce instruments with its own brand under its supervision. Giannini was a company founded in 1900 in Salto, Sao Paulo, by an Italian luthier, Tranquillo Giannini, who decided to build acoustic instruments in Brazil, a country he really loved; it is still active today and has passed from father to sons.
The agreement between the two companies was stipulated in 1990; Carlos Assale, founder of Dolphin guitars and hired in 1991 by Giorgio Giannini as Giannini/Fender project manager, visited the factories in Corona and in Ensenada several times with Roberto Giannini in order to study in depth Fender’s construction techniques. While the necks of the Brazilian guitars were immediately approved by Smith and Schultz, the bodies required many attempts.
In the '90s Giannini produced in total around 5000 instruments (guitars and basses) under Fender license. Giannini Stratocaster, known as Southern Cross Stratocaster, was characterized by a cedar body and a pau marfim neck. The finishes were Metallic Red, Blue Sunburst (Moonburst) and Black.
A Fender silver '70s style logo with the decal “MADE IN BRAZIL” and the Southern Cross logo with the five stars Cruzeiro do Sul above the letter “n” stood out on the ball of the headstock (although at the beginning the logo was that of the "Squier Series"). The pickup came from the Korean factory Cor-Tek, while the potentiometers were the American CTS. However, it seems that about thirty Southern Cross with American hardware and electronics have been produced, due to a delay in the consignment of the Korean components.
In 1995 the agreement was terminated because of the unfavorable economic conditions linked to the exchange rate between the USD and the BRL, although according to some mischievous observers the cause of the break was the fluctuating quality of the Brazilian instruments.
The agreement between the two companies was stipulated in 1990; Carlos Assale, founder of Dolphin guitars and hired in 1991 by Giorgio Giannini as Giannini/Fender project manager, visited the factories in Corona and in Ensenada several times with Roberto Giannini in order to study in depth Fender’s construction techniques. While the necks of the Brazilian guitars were immediately approved by Smith and Schultz, the bodies required many attempts.
In the '90s Giannini produced in total around 5000 instruments (guitars and basses) under Fender license. Giannini Stratocaster, known as Southern Cross Stratocaster, was characterized by a cedar body and a pau marfim neck. The finishes were Metallic Red, Blue Sunburst (Moonburst) and Black.
A Fender silver '70s style logo with the decal “MADE IN BRAZIL” and the Southern Cross logo with the five stars Cruzeiro do Sul above the letter “n” stood out on the ball of the headstock (although at the beginning the logo was that of the "Squier Series"). The pickup came from the Korean factory Cor-Tek, while the potentiometers were the American CTS. However, it seems that about thirty Southern Cross with American hardware and electronics have been produced, due to a delay in the consignment of the Korean components.
In 1995 the agreement was terminated because of the unfavorable economic conditions linked to the exchange rate between the USD and the BRL, although according to some mischievous observers the cause of the break was the fluctuating quality of the Brazilian instruments.
Antonio Calvosa
Southern Cross Stratocaster headstock
Early Southern Cross Stratocaster headstock with "Squier Series" decal
Back of the Southern Cross headstock
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The Southern Cross Stratocaster
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