Hi all,
I've got a couple of guitars too many right now; since I tend to only play one at a time, I'm putting this one up for sale.
This was my main guitar for several years--I performed weekly with it from 2005 to early 2008--and it never let me down. The tuning and intonation have always been stable, it's light as a feather, and it's got that dry, crunchy voice so characteristic of Gypsy Jazz. I'm primarily a rhythm guitarist, and the Minor Swing really shines in that role; if you'd like to hear it in action you can visit our
website to sample some tracks I recorded with it.
As far as specs go, Alain at Dell'Arte tells me that it was the 864th guitar produced in the US Dell'Arte shop, that it was finished in September of 2003, and that it is Sitka spruce with Honduran Mahogany back and sides with a satin finish. They stopped making this guitar a couple of years ago to focus on their new imported models.
One important note for anyone interested in the instrument concerns the satin finish: it's beautiful but delicate, and over the years it's developed a lot of checking--basically, hairline cracks in the finish (not the wood). I was concerned at first, but luthiers tell me it's fairly common and nothing structural. Still, if you're concerned about the look of a guitar, you should know that this one has those cosmetic flaws. I assume it could be refinished if one wanted. Other than that I've been good to it, and it's lived in its case. I've tried to capture the checking in some of the photos below but it never seems to show up quite right in pictures; it shows up best in the first three photos.
Currently the Minor Swing is
selling on Alain's site for $1950 (retail $2999) with a gigbag and no pickup. Mine is going for $1400, and comes with a hardshell case and an installed Bigtone pickup (usually an extra $300 or so), which adds up to about $1000 in savings. Depending on the buyer, there could be some extra surprises included...
Shipping & insurance are paid by buyer; amount depends on distance, and I'll ship to the continental US only. Feel free to write with any questions!
best,
Jack.
Comments
I'd have to say maybe. A local guy is interested and picked up the guitar a few days ago to try it out for a bit. I'll let you know what he decides once I hear back from him...
How's the trio doing?
best,
Jack.