Anyone heard of a 'La Manouche' brand of Gypsy Jazz guitars?

fourowls

Chris Martin wrote: »

fourowls wrote: »

Chris Martin wrote: »

fourowls wrote: »

Chris Martin wrote: »

Ask if his name is (or was) Miro. Or maybe, as in my case, he was using his daughter to sell it for him. Is it still for sale? We should at least alert the Australian GJ facebook group, there are a few folks from the Brisbane area on there.

Ok I didn't realize that there some Brisbane people here! I suspect that they would sniff a fake a mile away too! I am not part of the FB GJ group..I will look into it..

You may as well have a look at this link;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ozmanouche/
a lively bunch of Australian GJ players, some from up your way. I have shared this post on there too as a warning to others.

You're a man of action Chris!! Thanks kindly and I have requested to join the FB group too! Hey by the way, when you started out in GJ, did you do any formal training, or take online courses? I am wondering about a proper full course on arpeggios (along with my private song repertoire and practice..). I am eyeing off some stuff from Denis Chang, or from Yaakov Hoter (Gypsy and Jazz.com)

Well my circumstance is unusual and probably not typical but I would not call myself a GJ player yet! Just a beginner. I was of the generation that grew up in the '60s with Beatles, Stones and Hendrix. The '70s started with the Grateful Dead and then I started working back through time exploring country and blues, and learning the basic Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and B.B.King styles, but my Dad liked classical and jazz so I guess I was lucky to have it all. Living in London at the time he introduced me to a French radio station - France Inter - which played a fantastic mix of everything so by the time I discovered Django in the late '70s I was ready for it. I was also able to see a few of the top European players when they played in England; Boulou and Elios Ferre, Romane and Fapy Lafertin several times and others like Babik Reinhardt in France where I used to spend a lot of time too. I then came to Australia in 2003 (my wife is Australian). The only tuition specific to GJ I have used was (still is) an online course by Robin Nolan, which is ok and accessible for beginners but hardly going to make me the next Stochelo. I have no disciplined practice routine and circumstances at home now dictate I can't get out much so I never play with others. Consequently I mainly try to work out solo arrangements from books like 'The Ultimate Django's Book' and Michael's 'Unaccompanied Django' and listening to my ridiculously over-the-top record and CD collection. Good luck in your learning curve, I guess there is no fixed route (and probably just as well) so all I can say is "Go for it!"

Hi Chris!
Interesting life and musical path you have followed! Yes you're right, there is no set path unless you are born into a gypsy culture or grow up with it! I have ditched the idea of online courses due to advice from Robin Nolan and others on this FB site, but also my own sense of wanting to make the music mine! I will most likely play at home unaccompanied too and I will check out the Ultimate Django's Book (where did you get it) and the 'Unaccompanied Django' also as aides and for ideas. For now I am just going to learn a good dozen quintessential GJ songs, chord changes, melodies, related arpeggios that they are drawing from, take notes and just enjoy the process! I get bored with just following a course or other's interpretation 100% as music is part of us therefore we have to discover it!
I note that the GT add for the 'La Manouche' guitar is back up!!!