Hey Eddy, what guitar do you play?

pinkgary

Hi, do you remember me? We had a left-handed bonding moment over Moseley park in 2003. I've been practising my chops quite a bit since then, that was quite an eye-opener that festival. I've decided I'm now good enough to warrant buying a Selmer type guitar, and the only one I've played was yours, and i really liked it. So i wanted to know who made your guitar (or the one i played at L'Esprit Manouche 2003 anyway, if you have more than one!)

So i spent a while looking for you on the Django Swingpage , but thought you were Canadian, so describing you as such, no-one had any ideas who you were, but when I found this photo and posted it, i got directed here. Unfortunately a bit late as i found a lefty Dupont MD100 on-line that i bought (which i pick up tomorrow, SOOO looking forward to that ), so it's a bit less relevant, but if i don't like this Dupont, or more likely when i can afford to upgrade, i'd still like to know about that guitar.

And thanks for that jam, it started a Django-sounding snowball in my head that is still getting bigger & bigger!

Archtop Eddy

Well Pinkgary, it's great to hear from you. looks like you went to some trouble to find me. I'm touched. :roll: Seriously though, I'm glad you got heavy into Gypsy Jazz -- Moseley Park and the first Manouche festival there was a very, very special time. It's good to know that it was a poignant time in your life as well.

The guitar I was playing is a 1999 Shelley Park (No. 26) with a Macasar Ebony back and sides. I have a Favino, a Gerome and I've had a Busato, but the guitar I keep coming back to is the Park. I play it at gigs now. I can't thank Shelley enough for making me this companion that has shared my Gypsy Jazz adventures with me for the past nine years.

With that said, the Dupont you're getting sounds like it will be a great guitar. Hopefully, someday we can swap guitars again at another Gypsy Jazz festival.

Meanwhile, here's a picture that only a lefty can fully appreciated from 2002 Samois. It was taken by our late great friend Mary Honcoop. Yep, and those are all LEFTY Wegen picks too!

pinkgary

Man that's a lot of Lefties!! Wegen picks too, that's another thing you introduced me to. I think i sought one out the week after that festival. It has helped sooo much.

One day i will be able to afford a Park guitar, but for now the Dupont will have to do. It's got a great tone, but i'm reserveing judgement 'till i've had it set up properly. That, it definitely needs. And then maybe i can then earn enough money with it to justify buying a Shelly Park.

Something I'm gonna do either this year or next is get to Samois, it just seems like the place to go. Do you go every year? Is it as much fun as i'm led to believe? With photos like that, you just have to say yes, i guess! So, hopefully we can swap guitars and jam at some point in the future, and hopefully i won't remind you so much of Duane Allman by then too (not that that is actually too bad a thing. I spent 10 years trying to sound like Duane Allman, but when you're trying to sound like Django!!! Hmmm).

Take care, Man