Solid body guitar for a gipsy player?

sjl · June 2012

Hi pals.
I am thinking in buying a solid body electric for playing at night. I don't want to spend money in a silent guitar model and I think may be a solid body is a good idea.
The problem is that I don't know about a solid body guitar with a manouche guitar dimensions, not even the fretboard.

Do you know any possible model?

Thanks in advance.

marcelodamon · June 2012

If you don't mind spending a little bit of money, you could buy an AJL "silent guitar". It's a new type of guitar that Ari just built for one of his clients that wanted to practice at night with you. Here is the link:

http://www.ajl-guitars.com/ajlguitars/index.php?id=5

I would love to have one of these myself as I can't practice at night because of the volume of my guitar.

Marcelo Damon

sjl · June 2012

marcelodamon wrote:

If you don't mind spending a little bit of money, you could buy an AJL "silent guitar". It's a new type of guitar that Ari just built for one of his clients that wanted to practice at night with you. Here is the link:

http://www.ajl-guitars.com/ajlguitars/index.php?id=5

I would love to have one of these myself as I can't practice at night because of the volume of my guitar.

Marcelo Damon

Thank you very much Marcelo. But I suspect that this model will be more expensive than a silent yamaha.

Michael Bauer · June 2012

Why not buy a Cigano or a used Gitane (or even an Aria) and just cut a giant hole in the back to dissipate the sound? At least it feel would be right. I've tried the electric route, and they never sit right for proper right-hand technique. Besides, they all have 9th fret markers, which really mess me up now. Just a thought. Just leave enough of the back intact to keep the structure stable.

Archtop Eddy · June 2012

I use my Tele. Strat works too, and so would a Les Paul. Nothing Earth-shattering about this news, I'm sure. Bottomline: you can't expect it to sound or feel like your GJ guitar but unplugged, it will give you the silent factor. And you can always buy Squire and Epi copies for a couple hundred bucks or less.

Almost as silent--and a lot more fun!--is a 50's plastic Maccaferri with the sound holes covered with masking tape. This is more like a GJ guitar in sound in feel and has a cool funky factor going. I got mine years ago for $100, but "collectability" factor has raised the price in recent years.

Good luck on your hunt! AE

crookedpinky · June 2012

What about buying a basic gypsy guitar - e.g Stagg/SX/Skylark, Ozark or Richwood - stuff it with foam, rags or anything which fills up the body and stops as much acoustic production of sound then add a pickup ( you might need to cut the top a bit to fit say a cheap humbucker or single coil ).

That way you get a reasonably silent guitar with gypys dimensions which will let you practice gypsy techniques. I susoect that there are few solid bodies which will match neck widths, scale length and string action to let you do that.

Jazzaferri · June 2012

Im not clear on why an electric solid body. A es335 type will play loud enough to practice but close the door and unless wailing on chords wont disturb even a light sleeper.

Can still do the elecric thing if you want to play along. Maybe easier to find a longer length

Ian Rossiter · June 2012

Telecaster!!!

Steveareno · July 2012

Another Tele fan here. Super versatile, for all styles. Unplugged for silent practice, or even into a small amp with the volume way down...or headphones. Tuff as nails for banging around the house. GJ guitars sound awesome, but they are LOUD.
Swang on,

Pierrot · July 2012

335 types, unplugged, have just enough volume for quiet practice. Current Hofner verithins (or, as I like to call them, 335s done right) also have great wide (45mm), flat, slim necks, that are the closest thing to a Selmac neck you can get on a production electric. And they are not expensive (the Chinese made ones at least)...and it's a European company with some great traditions behind it.

http://www.hofner-guitars.com/electric- ... in-ct.html