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Fair enough... and a sincere apology for my zealotry...
Will
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
Unlike the typical modern steel string (e.g., Martin D-18 etc etc), the typical GJ guitar has these very obvious, very tone-affecting differences:
Floating Bridge (and, a tailpiece that doesn’t touch the guitar top)
Argentine-like low tension strings
Low-low action (often, not always)
Super-fat picks, mostly downward strokes on heads and runs)
Plywood sides
Zero fret
…
(I get that there’s many other differences too, which can/might/do contribute to some significant degree).
I would agree with everything except “low action“
Quite the opposite
Also, the ladder bracing of the top -- a very significant difference.
Speaking of tone and construction: I'm looking to upgrade both aspects from my Manouche Latcho Drom D-Hole by Dell Arte. I have nothing around me (FL) and picked this up on Reverb (CA). I'm 6'1" so i'm thinking a Favino size would be comfortable (the Latcho neck size & shape are great). Did I read correctly that their Jimmy Rosenberg & Angelo DeBarre models are China made but have a noticeably more European sound? Or would I be better off considering a new Castellucia/Mateos/JWC? I started playing this music (GJ) when Covid struck and wiped out my gigs. ...been playing nothing else ever since and am totally immersed. ...hope to meet you all and jam at next years Django NW.
Here’s a vote for… CASTELLUCIA!!!!!
I’ll sell you my blonde F-hole, but sorry, you will have to wait until after I die…
Will
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
More pronounced top arch (or pliage) and back arch.
Plus 1 on the floating bridge and tailpiece, Argies.
Also some additional influencers:
plywood/laminate ->back, and sides (typically)
bent, not kerf-cut sides-to-plates linings (typically)
walnut or walnut sandwich neck (stiff but different than mahogany or hard maple which pretty much every US axe has)
Scale length (is not typically Martin/Fender)
The tailpiece material + break-over angle of the strings behind the bridge + the after-length (string length between bridge and tailpiece). Seek out a professional cello luthier if you want voodoo details on this one, they have centuries of intensive study on this fascinating important “niche” area.