Paris Swing GG42 D hole guitar - is it any good?

michaelN

I’ve come across a 2nd hand Paris Swing GG42 D hole guitar recently - is it any good?

I'm a beginner in Gypsy Jazz guitar playing although I’ve been playing Jazz guitar for more than a decade on an arch top and nylon string guitars.

so I’m looking for my first Gypsy Jazz student guitar on a budget to see whether this Jazz sub genre is for me, as I’ve started jamming with an guitarist who plays on a Gypsy jazz guitar..

I’ve read and seen Michael’s review but still have a few questions.

Are the back and side wood solid? And the top?

how awkward is the neck?

sound in general? Or is it a not so good Chinese copy?

what low budget modifications are recommended?

Or simply whether to go for it or not, your first hand reviews are appreciated.

jonpowl

I had a Paris Swing oval hole for a year or so and I liked it better than my Gitane DG255, as far as the way it sounded. It had a somewhat authentic sound, but lacked loudness. The Gitane was built a bit better but had a lot of annoying overtones. I like my Cigano GJ10 better than both of them and in fact, still have it while the others are long gone. I would recommend the low end Altamiras such as the Model M, M01, and even the M01F Cedar which I own and love. Most Altamiras could be used on a gig. There is a lot of discussion about all of these models on the Forum such as:

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/11601/opinion-wanted-on-paris-swing/p1

ChrisMartin

This question comes up very often; well not necessarily about that specific guitar, but the variables are the same if you'll forgive that oxymoron.

There are many budget models out there, usually from Chinese factories, and many of them are from the same factories just the labels have changed, so whether you prefer Gitane, Altamira, Cigano, Gallato, Paris Swing and all the rest is not really the point.

This question is usually asked by someone new to the genre and there are two ways to approach that.

One is to buy a budget model to get started, the less invested, the less you can lose if it doesn't work. The other option, hard to justify though, is to buy the 'best' available as somehow that will bring out the best in the player (and who decides what is the 'best' anyway).

Most on here will fall somewhere between and try to persuade you that for a few hundred dollars more you could get an Eastman, a Stringphonic, or whatever is the fashionable label this year.

I guess you are asking about the Paris Swing because you have been offered one at a good price? Ok, give it a go, as long as it is structurally sound, neck frets etc, as it is the other subtle changes that will determine how well you get on and these changes are necessary for any guitarist to get the most out of any guitar.

I am talking about picking technique, where and at what angle you hit the strings, how hard you attack, bridge height, string gauges; all of these things will affect your playing more than the name on the headstock. If and when you get on top of all of that, you may justify trading up to a so called 'professional' instrument, although even then bear in mind there is a lot of label snobbery among guitar players and the most expensive may still not be the best.

So good luck, and try to ignore those that come back on here with their well-meaning but misguided attempts to win you over to one particular brand.

The best way to find out is try them all, but as that is not usually possible trust your own judgement.

I'll go and put my tin hat on now before the shots are fired.

billyshakes

..but the variables are the same if you'll forgive that oxymoron.

This was the quote of the day for me. Incredible self-awareness of your writing. I could see myself writing that sentence honestly, but not realizing the oxymoron in it!

I think this question is relevant for a beginner who can't try out the <Insert particular beginner model here> first. They come to this forum to get some advice from those who have come before them so as not to repeat a bad mistake. If you are able to play this guitar in person, do so. If it feels good to you or sounds ok to you, go for it. Neck awkwardness is very subjective--one's perfect C shape is another's baseball bat. As Chris said above, you won't have invested a ton of money so if you decide after a while that Django's music was just a passing fad for you and you are done with it, you can part with the guitar and/or trade for your next fancy.

If you stick around and keep playing, at some point you'll be exposed to other factory-made guitars, luthier guitars, vintage guitars, etc. Then you might start to hear the limitations in your own beginner instrument. When it comes to that, you'll probably know more what you want and what speaks to your particular ears. Until then, as long as the action isn't impossibly high, the instrument shouldn't be too much of a barrier to your learning progress. In fact, learning to coax a good tone out of it may actually make you better if you can get to that point.

The other side of the coin, if you have scads of dough lying around (sounds like you don't since you say you are on a budget), is that you just go for a ~$5k luthier guitar right away. It might have a nicer sound and so may also help cover some of your early mistakes. They also tend to hold their value pretty well such that if you do part with them, you might not be out any money.

My 2 pennies would be, if you think the deal is reasonable and you can play the guitar, do it. If you can't play it, it may be buyer beware, but still don't see much downside.