Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | From Acousticguitar.com:
Django Reinhardt....
played Selmer guitars throughout his recording career. Although he used very light silk-and-steel strings (probably .010 to .046), the thin, slightly arched tops on these guitars made them surprisingly loud and responsive. In the earliest days of the Quintet, Reinhardt played a 12-fret Modèle Jazz with a large D-shaped soundhole, sometimes called a grande bouche or big mouth. In 1934 Selmer redesigned the guitar, lengthening the neck to 14 frets, changing the soundhole to a smaller oval, and making some interior modifications. This is the style of guitar that Reinhardt made famous, and in 1939 Selmer renamed the Modèle Jazz the Modèle Django Reinhardt (see Great Acoustics, page XX). In 1940 he took delivery of a guitar with the serial number 503. This is the guitar he was to play until his death in 1953. This guitar is currently in the Musée Instrumental de Paris. Selmer stopped making guitars in 1952.
Many of the other guitarists, past and present, who play in this style have followed Reinhardt's example in their choice of instruments. Matelo, Sarane, and Baro Ferret played Selmers in the '30s and '40s. After Selmer stopped making guitars, a number of luthiers stepped in to fill the demand. Of these builders the most famous is Jacques Favino. In later years Matelo played one of his guitars, and today Favinos are almost as sought after as the original Selmers. Jacques Favino retired a number of years ago. Stochelo Rosenberg and Boulou and Elios Ferré all play Favinos, although Boulou also sometimes records with a Selmer.
These days, Babik Reinhardt almost always plays an electric archtop, favoring a Gibson ES-175. But when he plays acoustically, he plays an Ovation Adamas.
Bireli Lagrene plays an electric archtop or sometimes a Fender Stratocaster. When he plays acoustically, he currently uses a guitar by a young luthier from Cognac named Maurice Dupont. Dupont's guitars (available in the U.S. through Paul Hostetter, 2550 Smith Grade, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) are regarded by many players of jazz Manouche to be the most accurate replicas of the old Selmers.
John Jorgenson recorded his album After You've Gone using a 1941 Selmer. He currently plays a custom-made Dupont with a large D soundhole and a 14-fret neck. Paul Mehling of the Hot Club of San Francisco also plays a Dupont and has the distinction of being the first American to order one.
--Michael Simmons |
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
From Acousticguitar.com:
These days, Babik Reinhardt almost always plays an electric archtop, favoring a Gibson ES-175. But when he plays acoustically, he plays an Ovation Adamas.
Bireli Lagrene plays an electric archtop or sometimes a Fender Stratocaster. When he plays acoustically, he currently uses a guitar by a young luthier from Cognac named Maurice Dupont. Lagrene played an Adamas for many years |
Django lineage...
