2014 Castelluccia Menilmontant

The Castelluccia family has constructed Gypsy guitars for three generations, making them the oldest continually running Gypsy guitar manufacturer in France. The shop was founded by Jean-Baptiste Castelluccia, an Italian immigrant who was one of many of the skilled Italian luthiers to arrive in Paris during the early 20th Century. The shop is now lead by Jean-Baptiste's grandson, who is also named Jean-Baptiste, and continues to build the unique Gypsy models of his grandfather as well as more conventional Selmer copies. With nearly a century of collective experience, the Castelluccia shop continues to build some of the best sounding and most affordable Gypsy guitars made in France. As the market for Castelluccias built in the 50s and 60s has heated up over the years, it's wonderful to have the option of buying a brand new Castelluccia at almost half the cost of what the vintage ones goes for.

The Menilmontant model is one of Castellucia's premiere Selmer copies. It features a high grade European spruce top, highly figured Indian rosewood back and sides, and a walnut neck. This instrument is fitted with a set of high quality three on a plate tuners and Castelluccia's own JC tailpiece. The high grade woods and hardware found on this instrument are rarely found on French made guitars under $3K, making this instrument an exceptional deal for someone looking for luxurious features at an affordable price.

Notable design features include gently rounded binding which adds additional comfort by not pressing into your body like more conventional binding does. Additionally, the bridge includes a replaceable ebony saddle, a feature rarely found on Selmer style bridges which are normally fashioned from one piece of solid wood. You can easily adjust the action the by simply swapping out the saddle piece for one of a different height.

If anyone knows what a Gypsy guitar should sound like, it's JB Castelluccia. Three generations of Gypsy guitar building experience goes into each guitar he makes. This guitar is a testament to that fact as the tone and projection of this instrument far exceed what one would expect in this price range. The tone is purely French, with a dry, clear, direct sound that allows your leads to sing and you chords to remain tight and compact. The beautiful mids this instrument produces are very evocative of Django's own Selmer 503, especially as heard on his mid 40s recordings. It's a purely traditional Gypsy guitar making it the perfect tool for the serious of student of Django.

This superb instrument is one of the rare opportunities to buy a French made Gypsy guitar from a notable luthier for under $3K. This beautiful, yet very practical instrument is a dream come true for the hardworking player who needs an exceptional instrument at an affordable price. We can all thank Jean-Baptiste for making these fabulous guitars available at good prices!

This is the CASH price...add 3% if you'd like to pay with a credit card. 4% for International orders.