Selmer #565

HCQ

Now I understand what the tone and feel of one these things are about.

http://www.larkstreetmusic.com/list/pict/1942Selmer.jpg

Bones

Do tell!

HCQ

By modern standards the action is pretty high at the 12th fret and higher registers. I know this is "correct" action. but I don't think having it this high carries any of the usual benefits most folks here woukd attribute to it being this.

Every note was tight but sweet. I play with a pretty strong picking hand to begin with but am not religiously into rest stroke picking. The only indication of its actual volume was indicated by an employee closing the door of the room I was auditioning this guitar in so other customers could hear themselves play electric guitars, if that gives you an idea. A player is absolutely in the vantage point to actually hear a guitar. But this one was good. A bit more dynamically wild, in a good way, compared to an Antione DiMauro round hole I tried recently. It was very nice to experience such a rare piece of guitar history.

Still to my ears, Favino type guitars seem more balanced.

I have been experimenting by differences in eq of different bridges made out of various rosewoods and ebony on my own Selmer and Favino copies. Selmer 565 showed me what Selmer did about the bridge's feet in which only a small portion of which actually mates to the guitar top. So I went home and tries to mimic it on my Favino style Dell Arte on the treble side of the bridge. It did boost the apparent volume and treble on the plain strings.

noodlenot

sorry for changing the subject of this thread, but i am very interested in experimenting with different bridges for my selmer (crappy copy). could you describe what´s the footprint of the bridge that´s actually touching the soundboard? and what are your conclusions regarding the different rosewoods and ebony? i have a nice piece of old growth brazilian rosewood that i intent to use for a bridge, i´m really curious to hear the difference to my indian rosewood bridge.

thanks in advance,
miguel.

Craig Bumgarner

Looks to be in very fine shape as these things go. Nice pictures, added to my collection. The ad on your website says it was in the Met's Guitar Heros exhibit, so I guess I saw it there and remember thinking what a great example it was, visually at least. Have you had a look under the hood? Is it a four or five brace top?

HCQ

I don't know if it was a 4 or 5 brace top.

The bridge feet had a small hump sculpted on the middle of the bridge foot that made actual contact with the top plate. About 1/3 of the total bridge foot's middle length made top plate contact. So outer and inner 1/3's was slightly elevated and not in contact with top plate.

noodlenot

thanks!