cafe americain gypsy jazz guitar reviews

willis lee · #1 11-20-2011, 11:56 AM

say , i'm considering purchasing a cafe americain guitar ,[made in france] , manon model - petite bouche .
they look like a good bang for the buck , the seller is an experienced player , he is the US distributor ,and sells these new for about $450.00 [US] . he's been to the workshop / factory , and seems like he's selling something he would play . just curious if anyone has had experience with these . i have a bit of a collection of vintage guitars , and am currently playing gypsy jazz style on a 1938 Martin C-1 archtop .
also , does it take a bit of time to get used to a guitar with a 26 1/2 " scale after playing 24 3/4" - 25 1/2 " for many years ? and in what aspects of playing is it initially most noticeable ? i know that these are very subjective questions , but i'm most interested to hear what you experienced players have to say.
thank's much !

cosmic gumbo · #2 11-20-2011, 12:47 PM

26 1/2 scale will really get your fingers stretching in the lower positions, but higher up on the neck, it'll be a lot less crowded for grabbing chords or whatnot. That scale will also require considerably more tension on the strings and neck when tuned up, which will affect choice of string gauges.

AlohaJoe · #3 11-20-2011, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

26 1/2 scale will really get your fingers stretching in the lower positions, but higher up on the neck, it'll be a lot less crowded for grabbing chords or whatnot.

This is true, and you can get used to the 670mm scale fairly quickly. I got a 640mm D-hole style (see avatar) so switching back and forth to familiar scale lengths would be less confusing to my hand (also, I found the D-hole a little easier to hear when playing). The only drawback is that others sometimes refer to Django players as "a bunch of D-holes".

Good luck but be advised this genre is highly contagious.

willis lee · #4 11-20-2011, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

26 1/2 scale will really get your fingers stretching in the lower positions, but higher up on the neck, it'll be a lot less crowded for grabbing chords or whatnot. That scale will also require considerably more tension on the strings and neck when tuned up, which will affect choice of string gauges.

the guitar comes strung with standard gypsy jazz argentine strings for the longer scale . i am used to playing with fairly med- heavy strings on my acoustic instruments. 13-55 .i have the opportunity to try out the guitar locally. thank's .

willis lee · #5 11-20-2011, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlohaJoe

This is true, and you can get used to the 670mm scale fairly quickly. I got a 640mm D-hole style (see avatar) so switching back and forth to familiar scale lengths would be less confusing to my hand (also, I found the D-hole a little easier to hear when playing). The only drawback is that others sometimes refer to Django players as "a bunch of D-holes".

Good luck but be advised this genre is highly contagious.

that IS funny ! i guess i'm fairly fortunate [ or insane] in that i play 12 string acoustic guitar , mandolin , banjo and national resophonic guitars , so the switching of instruments with different scale lengths is not a problem , but certainly , 26 1/2 " is an inch longer than anything i have been accoustomed [sp.?]to playing. also , is that perhaps the reason i see a good portion of playing ,performed above say the 3rd fret ? not for master players of course , but the middle of the neck would be more comfortable i guess ? thank's .

Tele295 · #6 11-22-2011, 11:51 AM

I got used to the 670mm scale very quickly. I hardly notice the difference now. Gypsy guitars are fun but need a big fat pick like a Wegen to drive the top properly. Also consider a solid top Cigano GJ10 or 15, which can be found for less than $350 street price. Great little guitars, very dry and loud sound.

mr. beaumont · #7 11-22-2011, 12:05 PM

The only reviews I've ever seen of the cafe american gits are from those selling them...

Definitely consider cigano.

Takes a few hours of play to adjust. Then you'll probably really like it.

Put some argentine .11's on it and get a good pick.

willis lee · #8 11-25-2011, 12:49 PM

thank's much for the tips . i think the greatest challenge will be switching from currently using med-heavy strings with a thin pick on my flattops, or playing fingerstyle , to using ultra light strings with a thick pick .

mr. beaumont · #9 11-25-2011, 01:02 PM

The tension with the long scale will be similar...the strings will not feel like they are flapping around.

As for the pick, you'll get used to it quickly once you hear the sound it gives you. Don't skimp on the pick, get a wegen, dugain, or "moustache" pick (check the store at djangobooks.com)

Once you go fat, you never go back

willis lee · #10 12-05-2011, 08:09 PM

thanks for the insight ! i did purchase the instrument , it is a grand bouche style , it's a nice guitar and i am getting comfortable with it .
one thing i need resolved ,perhaps you could help me ...
the grooves for the strings on the rosewood bridge , are so shallow ,as to allow the strings to move out of the groove when played .and , the strings are not exactly equi-distant apart . i need to find out the accepted standard dimension for string width at the bridge , - E to E - outside measurement -and dimension between strings, inches or mm - for a gypsy jazz guitar with 670 mm / 26 1/2" scale length ;
nech width at nut = 1 11/16" - neck width at the 12 th fret = 2 3/16" .
basically it mostly the 1st and 6th strings that are problematic , and the instrument is quite playable , just need to create the proper string /bridge
setup . much appreciated if you can shed some light on this .