RE: Further OT: Selmer Clones (was RE: Joscho Stephan)

[Warren Sirota <wsirota@wsdesigns.com>]

Thanks for the info, David. My purchases are constrained now, but I often
debate in my head the merits of selling my vintage archtop and using the
proceeds for a non-vintage archtop plus... Well, who knows? One or two 
other
guitars, to be sure.

Best wishes,
Warren Sirota


> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Rolling [mailto:david_rolling@sympatico.ca] 
> Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 5:06 PM
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> Subject: RE: Further OT: Selmer Clones (was RE: Joscho Stephan)
> 
> 
> Hey Warren,
> 
> I'm up in Canada, so I had to buy online, and I started with 
> a Gitane (Saga) 
> 250M, which is the long scale (27") "lead" guitar w/small 
> oval hole. Cost me 
> around $600 US from Elderly's.. VERY brash loud guitar. fast 
> attack, quick 
> decay.. definitely in the ballpark soundwise- but you gotta 
> use those light 
> silver coated 'manouche' style strings, and the guitar was shipping 
> w/generic bronzes. Guys like Bireli Lagrene can use a 25 cent 
> dunlop pick, 
> but I also NEED a fat (2-3mm!!) gypsyjazz pick.. I like 
> Wegens (at 15 bucks 
> a pop! I've only got one!!).
> 
> The big problem w/the 250M was the neck profile - skinnier 
> than an electric 
> 'shredder', I just couldn't get used to it, so I traded up for a John 
> Jorgenson signature Gitane (DG300) which cost around a grand. 
> Warmer tone 
> (rosewood & spruce as opposed to maple) BUT BEST OF ALL, a 
> real chunky 
> selmeroid neck- highly recommended.
> 
> Michael Horowitz @djangobooks.com has started selling a whole 
> slew of GJ 
> guitars, and this one's almost $200 cheaper than I paid - 
> plus he's got a 
> guy who'll do a setup, so the guitar'll be good to go right 
> out the box 
> (I've had to do some work on more than one Korean made guitar).
> 
> I've bought some books, DVDs & CDs from Michael, and I 
> wouldn't hesitate to 
> buy a guitar from him. If I ever decide to get really serious 
> about this 
> style, I'd probably get something a bit more upscale 
> (Deii'Arte, maybe?) 
> from Michael, but the DG300 is actually a pretty fine guitar.. Angelo 
> DeBarre was playing one last time I saw him, and it sounded 
> just as good as 
> any Dupont, Favino, etc.. and Joscho himself was playing a 
> Hofner!?! if 
> memory serves, but cats like him can make anything sound good..
> 
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> david
> 
> >From: Warren Sirota <wsirota@wsdesigns.com>
> >Reply-To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> >To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> >Subject: Further OT: Selmer Clones (was RE: Joscho Stephan)
> >Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 11:44:42 -0400
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: David Rolling [mailto:david_rolling@sympatico.ca]
> >  any of them could pull off 1 1/10 of what this guy does.
> > >
> > > I'm a long-time looper myself, but as a guitarist as 
> well, Django's 
> > > always been an inspiration to me. I recently got a Chinese-made 
> > > Selmer clone (something else the snobs turn their noses up at - 
> > > everybody knows you've
> > > got to have a $2500 guitar to play Django) but if I sat in a
> > > room practicing
> > > for 100 years, I'd still be unable to play like Joscho..
> > >
> >
> >
> >Me neither... But what kind of guitar did you get, what'd 
> you pay for 
> >it, how do you like it? (if you don't mind...)
> 
>