Thoughts on Duponts

mcgroup53

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

manoucheguitars

Hi Dave, I've played a lot of manufactuers guitars... all kinds over the years and my personal experience is that it varies from guitar to guitar... the guitar stars can be lined up just right on about any of them. I've played a couple old Selmers that sounded dreadful. That's probably why Django eventually settled on one that actually sounded okay. I really doubt if Django were recording today he'd be playing a Selmer... I'd bet he'd be playing a very high quality, f hole archtop of some kind. I agree with Marc at Hot Club Pacific... more and more Gypsy jazzers are picking up (if they're not they should be) old Gibsons and various archtop clones.

Robert

gitpicker

Hey man, glad you got to that store and found those guitars! Still hot there eh? I really enjoyed playing that VR that is in there. It really is the "top" of what's being made today. Whatever you choose, if you can afford it, go for it man! There are so many options today it's really unbelievable. Play em' all and enjoy the variety that is available to us. It's a great time to be interested in these instruments!
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

Korat

My (subjective) impression is the quality of handmade instruments varies a lot. Before settling for a factory made I tried various handmade guitars (in direct comparison, they were in the same shop). The only handmade guitar that passed the first try did not perform when tried it in the open air. Mind you, we were there with 2, one played while the other listened.
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.