Gitane D-500

[John A.]

Don't call me Birelli yet, but I just picked this up:



It's got a little fret buzz so I need to get that taken care of before posting any recordings, but it's a really fun little guitar. Buzz aside, the playability is ridiculous, body size is perfect, and it sounds great. I don't actually anticipate picking up any Gypsy jazz, but will be using this as an all around acoustic (put my Gibson flattop on consignment at the shop where I bought this). It's a really neither-fish-nor-fowl guitar. This has a 25.5" scale (short for a Gypsy), which is very comfortable, and a 1 7/8" fretboard, which I thought might be tough to manage based on my prior experience with classical necks, but so far it's fine. Now I just need my flattop to sell (for my next guitar move ...). Nope, no GAS here. Keep movin' nothing to see here ... [apologies for the sideways picture. I still haven't figured that out.]

John

[neatomic]

nothin like a grande bouche in the bed!! haha

congrats and enjoy

argentine strings?



cheers

[John A.]

nothin like a grande bouche in the bed!! haha

congrats and enjoy

argentine strings?


cheers

Hey, watch it, this is a family channel! And yes, argentine strings. Thanks.

John

[Max405]

Nice going John.
I think one of these days, I’d like to expand my repertoire and learn to play one of these properly.
It looks like a fun instrument. I hope you have fun with it.
Joe D

[Greco]

Congrats! Amazing looking guitar.

I have never seen one of these in any store and would like very much to try one just once for the experience.

My neck was getting sore looking at the rotated pic...

[John A.]

I've spent the last few days learning about some of the quirks of this kind of guitar - they're very sensitive to humidity and temperature changes, and apparently bridges typically need to be shimmed at this time of year. I tried a couple of shim thicknesses, tweaked the relief, and I've got it dialed in now. I'm also trying ProPlec picks (thicker than my usual Fender heavy, but not ready to go full Gypsy yet), and am really enjoying the tone.

Hopefully this gives a little bit of the idea.

John

[mr. beaumont]

I think it sounds great. Nice playing too.

A "short scale" D hole (and an inexpensive one as well) has become my go to acoustic as well. I like it better than a much more expensive Taylor I owned...so like you...sold the expensive guitar.

[John A.]

I think it sounds great. Nice playing too.

A "short scale" D hole (and an inexpensive one as well) has become my go to acoustic as well. I like it better than a much more expensive Taylor I owned...so like you...sold the expensive guitar.

What can I say, Jeff? You're an influencer. First the Godin, now this. My strat is getting nervous ...

John

[mr. beaumont]

What can I say, Jeff? You're an influencer. First the Godin, now this. My strat is getting nervous ...

John

I've always enjoyed helping folks around here spend their money.


Seriously though, the D hole Gypsy guitar, when you hear the balance and force of those trebles (but still a sweet low end unlike the petit bouche models which are all in your face--but perfect for their application too, mind you) you wonder why a jazz player would play anything else as an acoustic guitar. And they sound good fingerstyle!

I also love how compact they feel on my lap due to the neck join--like a classical.

[John A.]

I've always enjoyed helping folks around here spend their money.


Seriously though, the D hole Gypsy guitar, when you hear the balance and force of those trebles (but still a sweet low end unlike the petit bouche models which are all in your face--but perfect for their application too, mind you) you wonder why a jazz player would play anything else as an acoustic guitar. And they sound good fingerstyle!

I also love how compact they feel on my lap due to the neck join--like a classical.

I agree completely. The form factor is better than any other acoustic I've tried (and I've tried pretty much every style of flattop and archtop). It's comfortable standing or sitting. The tone works really well. I have/had (not sure what tense to use for something sitting in a shop on consignment) a very good flattop, but basically never played it anymore because it was much too big and clunky for me. Now I have an acoustic guitar I can actually play. I had been looking around for quite a while, thinking an acoustic archtop was the answer, but nothing in a price range I can touch wroks (I guess in theory the Loars do, but the two I tried in person sucked). The one drawback is amplification. I have a good soundhole pickup that will just clear the fretboard extension, and I'm working in a McGyver solution. If that fails, Krivo is probably the answer.

John

[mr. beaumont]

I agree completely. The form factor is better than any other acoustic I've tried (and I've tried pretty much every style of flattop and archtop). It's comfortable standing or sitting. The tone works really well. I have/had (not sure what tense to use for something sitting in a shop on consignment) a very good flattop, but basically never played it anymore because it was much too big and clunky for me. Now I have an acoustic guitar I can actually play. I had been looking around for quite a while, thinking an acoustic archtop was the answer, but nothing in a price range I can touch wroks (I guess in theory the Loars do, but the two I tried in person sucked). The one drawback is amplification. I have a good soundhole pickup that will just clear the fretboard extension, and I'm working in a McGyver solution. If that fails, Krivo is probably the answer.

John

Yeah, amplification is an imperfect solution, almost always, with these guitars.

I noticed yours had strap buttons? Interesting. I've actually never played one of these standing! Can you post pics of where they are installed?

Re: amplification-- I use the Krivo, but once you turn it up, it's a much more "electric guitar" sound. Which is fine, but for me, a lot of the charm is the feeling of playing unplugged. I don't really WANT to be a "gypsy jazz" player, I like other styles of jazz waaaay too much. But I find these guitars, while the looks pigeon hole you, the sound does not.

[John A.]

Yeah, amplification is an imperfect solution, almost always, with these guitars.

I noticed yours had strap buttons? Interesting. I've actually never played one of these standing! Can you post pics of where they are installed?

Re: amplification-- I use the Krivo, but once you turn it up, it's a much more "electric guitar" sound. Which is fine, but for me, a lot of the charm is the feeling of playing unplugged. I don't really WANT to be a "gypsy jazz" player, I like other styles of jazz waaaay too much. But I find these guitars, while the looks pigeon hole you, the sound does not.

I had strap buttons installed when I bought it, one through the center hole in the tailpiece, the other on the bass side of the neck heel (similar to a Taylor); I can post pictures from home later. It balances very well. I'm still thinking of this as an unplugged instrument, but if I can work out amplification (magnetic pup makes the most sense with a guitar amp IMO) I might use it for couple of tunes on my duo gig. I'm definitely not thinking of going all in on playing Gypsy style. On the duo gig, I play my Godin and my partner plays a 335, and it would be nice to switch it up a little (he also has a classical that I've been nooding him to try).

John

[Doug B]

Does anyone know of a good mic or pickup for gypsy jazz guitars?

Thanks

Doug

[John A.]

Does anyone know of a good mic or pickup for gypsy jazz guitars?

Thanks

Doug

Check out this site:

Pickups - DjangoBooks.com

John

[Doug B]

Thanks, John.

Doug

[John A.]

Yeah, amplification is an imperfect solution, almost always, with these guitars.

I noticed yours had strap buttons? Interesting. I've actually never played one of these standing! Can you post pics of where they are installed?

Re: amplification-- I use the Krivo, but once you turn it up, it's a much more "electric guitar" sound. Which is fine, but for me, a lot of the charm is the feeling of playing unplugged. I don't really WANT to be a "gypsy jazz" player, I like other styles of jazz waaaay too much. But I find these guitars, while the looks pigeon hole you, the sound does not.

Following up on this, I did a quick video that shows the location of the strap buttons and my first attempt at amplification.

I have a Fishman Rare Earth humbucker designed to fit in a flattop soundhole. It fits exactly between the grande bouche's fretboard extension and the rear of the bouche, but does not reach far enough to clamp to the top.

I made little extenders out of tongue depresser sized craft sticks. This required gluing them together in stepped layers to reach the sides and position the pickup approximately flush with the top. It stays in place with blue tack putty.

This is played through a Roland MicroCube. The pickup is pretty low output and I couldn't get much level out it using the acoustic amp model, so I switched to the "British Combo" model just to get a sound. Not bad, in a Django 1953 kind of way. Through a louder and cleaner amp it will probably sound more natural (the Rare Earth is relatively "acoustic" sounding pickup for a magnetic pickup through a PA or acoustic amp). If I get a chance, I'll do a better demo through my other amps.

So, it looks like I could actually take this axe out of the house if the occasion arises.

John