Saga Cigano GJ-10 STUDENT GYPSY JAZZ GUITAR - PETITE BOUCHE STYLE JAZZ GUITAR

I purchased this guitar (along with the Boulder soft case from Michael) to take with me to Samois as a traveler guitar. This is because I don’t want to worry about breaking the bank if it were somehow to get refused as a carry-on or other unanticipated mishaps possible while traveling. It is a delight to look at and to play. It is easier to play than my hand-made model. This allows for more enjoyable playing time for longer durations, even if it’s not as sweet sounding as the hand-made. Still, the overall voice is very good with the right amount of highs, mids, lows and dryness for that desired selmer/manouche guitar sound. And it really is dry, which is hard to get on less expensive guitars. I also appreciate its clean, satin finish and beautiful grains in the expected woods. It really is a beautiful looking guitar. Keeping with the minimal pricing, no major set-up was needed and I get no buzzing in its current state. I improved the sound considerably to my liking as a rhythm player by loosening the trust rod a tiny bit and by raising the action two full millimeters. The only thing I would change is the neck profile. It’s along the lines of a flat profile, while I prefer the C profile, but that doesn’t stop its easy playability. For the price, this guitar is a gem. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get a nice sounding and good looking gypsy jazz guitar.

Submitted by: bohemewarbler on 05/27/2015 04:30:04 PM

Well I have had my Saga Cigano GJ-10 for several months now and I must say......HELL YES! I love this guitar. I haven't touched my other guitars since it has shown up. The tone is awesome. The playability is smooth and easy. I have just started learning Gypsy jazz in the last several months and this guitar makes me want to play non stop. The only con is the tuning. It tunes up easy but the upgrade here would have made this a super purchase. Definitely get the suggested upgrade. They did a great job. The case is really nice also. I would recommend this guitar to anyone. I even had a local hot shot player in my city play it and he was extremely impressed. He couldn't put it down. For the money this is a no brainer purchase. Good Luck.

Submitted by: Nostraramos on 05/09/2015 07:07:29 AM

We'll remand this guitar for a student! The neck seems to be fast... good sound! Make sure you have the up grade done.. 197.00 when ordering it! Remembering it's made in China. With that said... it works well and EZ on your fingers to play. 1" 3/4 neck helps if you have big fingers. Michael is very helpful with any questions!!

Submitted by: Galen on 11/05/2013 08:29:37 AM

This was the first guitar I ordered online and thus I was a little nervous about what I would be getting. Looking around the internet, this guitar gets very mixed reviews. It's so cheap though that I could afford to get some of the optional set up work done on it, and boy am I glad I did! The guitar arrived in perfect shape and plays wonderfully. It has that signature Selmer sound and projects much better than my Martin D-16. I was also very impressed with how quickly it shipped. Based on the estimated time for set-up and shipping, I wasn't sure it would arrive by Christmas. However, I was happy to see that it arrived well ahead of that estimated time frame. A great purchase, no regrets!

Submitted by: hanear21 on 01/06/2013 08:49:56 AM

As my first GJ guitar, I really had no idea what to expect after playing a nice Martin Auditorium for the last ten years. Michael answered all my questions thoroughly and promptly, suggesting the set up special, as well as popular choices for picks and strings. All I can say is that several hours after receiving it, I could not be more happy! This is a beautiful little guitar! The set-up and bridge/action work was extremely well done, and I could just not be more pleased in any regard!I also opted for the brown superior case, and it as well is a thing to behold. The whole room smelled like fresh spruce! Thanks everyone at Djangobooks..next will be the CJ-15!!

Submitted by: Spider on 06/07/2012 05:39:05 PM

i bought the cigano gj10 and was not surprised at the beauty and quality of this instrument, as it has been well documented on this site,so id like to say a few words about the service i recieved, firstly all my emails where answered within hours, when i did make my purchase (which delivered to england) even with the cost of shipping was still much cheaper than buying here, so i was able to treat myself to a superior deluxe case as well, happy days!! whith the tracking number icould see it was on a plane to europe whithin days absolutely amazing. django books must be the world leader for gypsy jazz guitars and products and the level of friendly service/correspondence even when (regretably) i keeped messing up my order was amazing .a big thanx to michael et al,for delivering to my door in perfect condition this high quality instrument.look forward to doing more buisness whith you guys cheers daz mango

Submitted by: mango on 04/19/2012 07:31:34 PM

Pros: Expert Product Knowledge, Great Quality!

I am really pleased with my recent purchase of the Saga Cigano GJ-10 for my daughter from Djangobooks! Michael even contacted me by phone to help answer my questions! I would recommend this guitar for anyone who wants to get the gypsy sound for a reasonable price!!

Submitted by: stevenyoung1 on 02/20/2012 12:55:34 PM

Considering the value of the guitar it sounds very good with the right brand of strings.It is also comfortable to play on it and boost your speed. It gets in tune without problems till now. It looks nice too. It is an encouraging instrument to learn and play gypsy jazz.

Submitted by: sdecuadro on 02/06/2012 10:38:41 AM

I only have one problem with this guitar, and it is that they label it a "student" guitar when it plays like some of the best out there. I have played gypsy jazz guitars before, some of which were ridiculously expensive, and this one matches up with tone and play. It is a very basic model, but holds up very well. For the price, this is an amazing guitar!

Submitted by: cagavazza on 12/06/2011 06:38:40 PM

Pros: It's fixable. Lightweight., nice case

Cons: High action, very lightweight, poor tuners

When I received this guitar, I was not happy. The bridge was out of place to the rear, the action was well above 4mm, it sounded like paper, and the tuners were junk. I gave Michael a hard time about it, which I will apologize for publically. Since, I have lowered the bridge considerably , making sure it contoured to the top perfectly, put on new strings, played the heck out of it day after day, replaced the tuners and it's starting to come into it's own. Not bad for the cheapest of the lot, even though with the add ons, it was not cheap. Very nice case as well. I almost want to add about a pound and a half of weight to it to make it feel more substantial, though. Coming from a world of Pro Takamine, Martin, and Guild guitars, this instrument took some adaptation of my style in order to find it's playability spot. I also had to adapt to the different spacing of the fret markers. It's finally playable. Again, apologies to Michael for my initial rants.He didn't make the guitar. Once I dove into it and found it was fixable, it only took my time and labor to make it work.

Submitted by: randyinitaly on 07/02/2011 02:47:26 AM

Although this is my first Gypsy style guitar and I don't have a huge frame of reference, I looked into the Cigano before purchasing and found that it's often reported to be a better value for the money than some of the more expensive Gitanes. I got the full Gypsy setup which really brings out quite a nice tone, a little bit wetter to my ear than some other gypsy guitars, but for the money I am quite pleased.

Submitted by: Richard on 04/23/2011 03:45:38 AM

This guitar is a surprisingly great instrument. I've played a few different Gypsy Jazz guitars, including a DG-255, DG-310 Lulo Reinhardt, and DG-320 John Jorgenson. Tone and playability wise, the GJ-10 could easily hang with them. That is impressive considering the Gitanes are usually double the price! I believe the reason the Cigano GJ-10 compares so well with more expensive guitars is because all of the money goes toward the design, construction, and functionality of the guitar. Saga kept costs down by using simple yet functional tuners, tailpiece, and finishing details. My GJ-10 came set up very decently right out of the box. The bridge seems to be fairly well made, with good intonation and the string height is at about 3mm above the 12th fret, which is just about right for this style of music. The fret work is more than adequate and there are no dead spots on the neck. It sounds awesome! I am very impressed with how great this guitar sounds. It has that signature gypsy jazz tone and plenty of volume and presence. Overall, it's a no-nonsense guitar that plays and sounds great. I plan on playing this guitar for many years to come until I have enough money and playing ability to warrant purchasing an expensive hand made gypsy guitar.

Submitted by: Ultraspontane on 01/09/2011 05:40:10 PM