-
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 !
-
11-20-2011 01:56 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.
-
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".
Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
Good luck but be advised this genre is highly contagious.
-
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 . Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
-
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 . Originally Posted by AlohaJoe
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 .
-
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
-
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 .
-
cafe american guitars say they are from france.didnt say they are made in france.im pretty sure they are asian imports to france then sold to whoever wants them.kinda like if i sold a cigano and put "from america".I wouldnt be lying but i might be making you assume something..anyways im not sure if they are that great or not.considering theyr price range of 600-750ish i would get it as a cheapo beach guitar,id get a cigano (for ciganos i recomend the d hole model over the oval.same with arias)or gallato django model for that.if your looking for a pro guitar id invest like 300-400 more and get a good guitar that you know will be good like an altimera,or gallato angelo debarre model.altimera being around 900 and debarre being around 1000.could always get a gitane jorgenson model but personally i do not like the sound of them.if you want a cheaper handmade instrument though the best deals are the jwc model jazz with pliage(about 1900 altogether with shipping),an eimers wich are endorsd by stochelo rosenberg,boulou ferre,robin nolan.they are very good and for a used one you might get one around 2000.same with an mjs.alot of people really like mjs guitars now,they put out alot of volume and punch and have very good low ends for a gypsy guitar.the best deal for any gypsy jazz guitar would be a peter zwinakis guitar.they are very hard to come by.mostly because peter only sells them the djangobooks,he dosnt take commision,and they show up unexpectadly.djangobooks got two the other day and i think they are both gone already.the zwinakis have pretty much all the great features and craftsmanship along with the fantastic sound that are usually only found on the absolute flagship duponts like the brazilian vielle reserve model for 9000 and the hahl guitars that averge about 12000.and the ald guitars about 4800.they are usually 2800 bucs.id say worth every penny.also he sells his "shop worn" models through djangobooks for less under the title"gypsy mystery".i geuss if its not perfect he dosnt want his name on it.anyways back to the original discussion.id say pass on the cafe american
-
Hi there folks!
I bought a petite bouche Café Américain guitar three months ago. It's a gem. I love the guitar's sound! I own a Gitane D-500 too and I can't say it's better than the Café Américain in any way. Each instrument has its characteristics, but the quality level is good in both.
Before discussing whether a guitar is french made or chinese made, pick it up and play first! I really think it's ridiculous to judge an instrument primarily by its origin. It sure counts, but the sound and feel should be tested on every single guitar you play. I own some high end electric and nylon acoustic guitars and I can say that Café Americain is a reliable brand, at least from my experience with it.
I'm using Argentine strings 0.11. I get a fat and bright sound. It's good for soloing and accompanying too. I'm very happy with it. I've played over 10 gypsy jazz gigs with this guitar. Congrats to Café Américain!
Cheers!
-
says a guy who has one post only.... Originally Posted by eddierocksteady
..just sayin...
-
what's wrong with my post? What's wrong with posting once only? Originally Posted by earsoup
says a guy who has one post only......just sayin...
-
Just enjoy your new guitar and play it in good health. If it brings you joy and happiness, you are blessed.
As Mr. Beumont stated, it is an addictive pursuit and most likely as you grow into GJC you will find the instrument lacking in some ways compared to a Dupont or Shelly Park or a ______.
I personally find my Manouche Latcho Drom Djangology with a Big Tone P/U to serve my GJC needs at the moment. That is not to say that I would love to upgrade, however since I only use it once a month at a Basque social club gig,it does everything I need very well.
-
Right on! Time will tell when I'll need a different guitar! Keep jazzin'! Originally Posted by SierraTango
-
In gypsy guitars you usually get what you pay for. The high-end chinese guitars can be quite nice and get you about 80-90% of the way to a Dupont. It's that last % that's the killer
What you want is explosive acoustic volume and a pretty bright and cutting tone. A beautiful rounded tone will get lost in a jam session -- which is where you should cut your teeth in the style. When you got 5 guy smacking away at le pompe, you need every ounce of volume to cut through on solos.
-
Hi Willis Lee, Originally Posted by willis lee
Do you like your cafe americain guitar? Do you still own it and play it?
Thank you,
Joe
-
I have played all brands of Gypsy Jazz Guitars and there are some that are very bassey and are very much on the treble side and there are some that are just junk.
However the Cafe Americain Paris Manon (Oval Hole) is very close to the original Selmer. I think most brands are close to Selmer but like capacitors and germanium transistors people have a lot of theories.
This is a great guitar and I love playing it oh and for the nay sayers its very loud and I played it with 3 other guys playing background and the solo rang out like any other well made guitar.
The only thing I don't like is the position markers they are in the right places 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, and 17th frets but they are the micro dots like the 17th fret gets and that's just a me problem I could fix that and have it done right maybe when I go to France.
Anyway this is a great guitar and I might also get the new Eastman DM1 or DM2 to go along with this guitar.
Reply With Quote
UK Only. £4000 Gibson ES175 59 VOS
Today, 07:26 AM in For Sale