Selmac XXL?

Frank Wekenmann

Are there any Selmac guitars that are larger than a Favino? The reason I am asking is because I am very tall (almost 2 meters) and I feel that my right arm is not sufficiently supported by the lower bout of a Selmer. I now have a Favino-style guitar by Jürgen Volkert (great guitar!) and though this works much better for me I thought that I could use even a bigger guitar (like a L-5 size). Any comments?

Klezmorim

Vielen Grüßen!

Modern builders of Selmac (and others) copies try to follow the original measurements very closely. If a Favino seems to be a better fit and if you can afford it (maybe sell the Favino?), you may wish to approach a luthier and ask for a custom-built instrument.

I know AJL likes to "experiment" and he might be willing to take on the project (http://www.ajl-guitars.com)

lmntry

I'm not sure exactly what youre looking for ?

here's a comparison:

Favino:.... 16 3/4" wide, 4" deep. , 675mm scale. (26.57 inches)

Gibson L-5:....17" Wide, 3 3/8" Deep. , 25 1/2" Scale (647.69 mm)



Looks pretty close to me except the scale of the oval hole.


The super 400 is the 18" rig from Gibson.



David

Frank Wekenmann

Klezmorim,

vielen Dank!
The thing is that I would like to know if such a guitar already exists. My experience with flattop and archtop guitars is that they tend to lose some "snap" when the body gets too big (I always prefered a L-5 to an Super 400 or a J 45 too a SJ 200 for that reason) and "snap" seems to be an essential quality in Selmac guitars. I just don't have the money to be a guinea pig in such an experiment (and I just own a Favino-copy, not the real thing).

David,

you are right that on paper these guitars don't seem to differ too much, but when I played my L-5, my right arm always felt better supported. Maybe it was the rounder size of the lower bout compared to a Favino, so my arm came more from "behind" and not from the top, if that makes sense.

Frank

knappelli

Frank,
there are several devices for classical guitar players who rest the guitar on their right thigh, from cushions to supports that can be attached to the guitar (Wolf-Stütze). I use these a lot when I play classical guitar, for me they work quite well. I never use them for Gyps Jazz, though. I think I saw a video somewhere with Angelo Debarre using a traditional footrest on stage.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Martin
BTW: Where in Germany are you located?

Frank Wekenmann

Hi Martin,

thanks for the tip with the Wolf Stütze. I will have a look at it.

On the other hand I think for me an arm-rest might be better because my problem is that my right hand is coming too low in relation to the strings when my arm is supported at the elbow by the lower-bout of the guitar. So to get in a good "picking-position" right behind the soundhole I either have to twist my wrist too much (or else my hand picks over the soundhole or even over the fretboard) or rest my forearm on the guitar which pinches some nerves and tends to inhibit mobility. I tried putting a cushion under my arm which was a big improvement for my playing position, however it was quite unpractical because it kept moving around under my arm and it looked pretty stupid. I think I have seen Gretsch guitars with arm-rests. Do you know if they exist for acoustic guitars?

Regards,
Frank

P.S. I am from Tübingen

Klezmorim

Frank,

Here are three possibilities for an acoustic guitar arm-rest:

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/jopejuar.html

http://www.musiikkitoteemi.fi/?p=productMore&iProduct=20

http://www.rasgueo-rest.com/

There are more designs out there, but this will give you some ideas.

-'k'

Frank Wekenmann

Thanks for the links! That is what I am looking for!