Which guitar for 1000 ?

Wieger

Hello,

this is my first post here.
i am a musician from Holland and play for many years now, in metal bands, rock bands, jazz bands, and since two years in a GJ band. i love the sound of the great guitars built by Dutch luthiers here, like Gerrit van Bergeijck, Eimers, and many others. A friend of mine has a Anasatacia or something which also sounds like heaven.

It is a shame that i am a poor musician and that i do not have 3000 euros to buy a beautiful gipsy guitar. Currently i am playing a Woodland gipsy guitar but is hasn't got the sound and volume of a professional instrument. i have tested some Saga Gitanes but i think the sound is unpersonal, with lack of punchy high and lot of tone but way too little rhythmical sounds.

Does anybody here has a great suggestion of a good guitar?
i here a lot that Cigano makes nice guitars for little money and that they are better sounding than the Gitanes? can people here confirm that?
It is a possibility to buy something like that and than wait until i have enough money too buy a nice handbuilt one.

And i also heard about a Juan Salvador, Spanish handbuilt GJ guitar which is about that price. maybe any experiences with that one?
I hope someone can give me good advice.
excuse me for the bad English

Greetings
Wieger

Wieger

is there by the way a chance to get endorsed by any gj guitar brand?

waldenjazz

Hello, your English is fine. I know what you mean about the Saga's, I tried nearly all of them and didn't like any that I tried. I'd stay away from the low end stuff like Cigano, you probably won't be happy with it. I suggest you save up your money for awhile and pick up a used Shelly Park, Manouche or Dell Arte. Better still, save a little more and get a Dupont if you want to play for keeps. If you watch there are a lot of good deals on used guitars out there... and there are a lot of nice guitars to choose from. It's worth saving for in my opinion! Good luck with your search.

constantine

The Gitane Tuxedo DG330 is highly regarded and has gypsy tone, I also love the new Wrembel model especially for its tone and looks, though it is not very loud. A Patenotte 256 or 258 May also be good options.

Joli Gadjo

Wieger,
Constantine is right, you should check the Patenottes. If when you say 1000 you think Euros, then they should be in this range.
There are some on this website : www.palmguitars.nl
It looks like they're in Amsterdam, I bet it's very close to you.
Good luck !

jmaszle

The Wrembel model Saga is Horrible when played acoustic imho, but of course doesn't sound too bad with a Stimer. When you are as good as Wrembel you can play anything and pretty much sound good. The Jorgenson isn't half bad if you can find a good one. I have played a bunch and one out of 8 was superb, the rest just ok, with one real clunker. This is probably true for many guitars in this price range. Dorado has one now and it is the same as the rest. Sounds pretty damn good when he is playing it (and amplified), though a helluva lot less good when I pick it up! Save up and/or go into debt and buy a superb guitar like a Dupont or a Park or Rodrigo Shopis. You'll keep it forever and they will get better and better. Chinese guitars are pretty much alike... the Manouche, Saga, etc, no matter how much they talk them up or put famous names on them. It's 98.9% hype.
A really good luthier guitar is the way to go. Otherwise just get the best sounding (Chinois) one you can find... but play as many as you can 'till you find one that sounds good and eventually it won't matter as much as the music you are playing on it. Sort of like that story about stone soup... or the History of Chiapanequan Cinema!

Wieger

thanks for the reply's !
friday i will go to palmguitars and check their guitars out,

and i will also go and check out some ones second hand stochelo rosenberg signature eimers, which i hope i can get my hands on for < 1500, and his alves de puga, w/bigtone, and maybe buy it for 1000 euros.

i also have a chance to buy a 2nd hand ger boonstra for 1500 euro;s, this is a very special guitar: the sides and back are made of carbon. only 3 were made. sounds quite interesting !

a gerrit van bergeijck, five years old, new, for 1750

and last but not least a thijs v.d. harst has a beautiful selmer copy, from 1999, for sale for 1500 euro's, with some reparations in the top.

i will check it all out and see what my heart tells me ( in harmony with my mind & wallet )

advice is welcome !
thanks

Wieger

allright this is the one i bought!

a really awesome guitar made by ger boonstra. built in 2001. made out of brazilian pallisander. [/img]

Elliot

jmaszle wrote:

Chinese guitars are pretty much alike... the Manouche, Saga, etc, no matter how much they talk them up or put famous names on them. It's 98.9% hype.

Gee, I must be one of the lucky ones to have gotten a Manouche made in Korea...and so IOW, the great sound I've been getting out of it is all due to my playing ability!!! Wow! :roll:

waldenjazz

Hi Elliot, you'd think this stuff would end at some point and everyone would just get along... as you know all the Manouche guitars are made in Korea and are largely hand made by very competent builders, that said I do think there is a lot of hype out there on all sides, but the reviews of Manouche by the novice players say it all. And it's probably true that you're getting to be a better player my friend! I one bought a black Fender Catalina because Johny Cash played one... and a Fender Redondo because the Strawbs showed up with one at a concert... and a Malibu because Ray Davies played one... I still couldn't sing like those guys so I sold the guitars and kept playing the old Humingbird. It worked just as well given my limitations at the time. These pro gypsy players can make just about anything sound good... I do wish I would have kept my Malibu (1968) and you should hang on to your Manouche... it will be a collectors guitar some day.

Bob Holo

Congratulations on the new guitar Weiger - it's a beauty! There is a great gypsy jazz scene in Holland, you'll get plenty of opportunities to play it.