Just wondered what the DB.com community thinks, in general, about Duponts. I had played a few several years ago, and came away less than inspired. Of course, I was less familiar overall with GJ guitars/playing then, so perhaps my impressions were colored by that. But on the whole, the 2-3 guitars I played were not enormously impressive.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the Ochanomizu guitar district in Tokyo, where one shop had 3 Duponts, a standard oval hole, d-hole and one of Maurice's fantastic, top-of-the-line Reserve models. Despite having pretty dead strings, these guitars were very impressive, with a deep bottom end I simply don't hear in any of the various Gitanes, Manouches, or even my own Dell'Arte Manouche, or the Shelley Park and Dunn guitars I've played. There was just a richness in the tone that I haven't heard except in the Selmers I've played.
I just wondered if people more familiar with the Duponts than I have noticed a significant improvement in the guitars lately; did I just find a couple of really great ones in Tokyo; have they always been this good and I just failed to appreciate it ... ?
At this point, I am seriously thinking of buying an oval-hole instead of buying a vintage Gypsy guitar.
Yours in Django,
Dave McCarty
www.hotclubofnaptown.com
Comments
Robert
Peace!
Doug
PS: If you travel to China as well, drop me a PM and we'll jam. The music stores here really suck in comparison though but I have some nice guitars of my own here
Live life and play music like it's your last day on earth. One day you'll be right- Russel Malone
One guitar was built by a very famous luthier. My 'partner in crime', who knows these guitars well was sure I would settle for that one prior to entering the shop. He was disappointed by the sound of the instrument and called it 'probably one of the worst the guy ever made'. Factory made may not be the top, but at least the quality is more or less consistent.
By the way, the same guy tried various original Selmers and he always states that in some cases you have to be 'very forgiving'. He was not always impressed to put it mildly.