2010 Selmer Petite Bouche Guitar #943 (Replica Prototype)

Elliot

Michael Horowitz wrote:

Hi All,

Please, no more guessing games about the luthier of the Selmer replica. He would really like to remain anonymous, so please respect that. He would like to avoid getting inundated with requests to make more of these replicas. These are two special guitars and there won't be any more.

-Michael

If he won't make any more, then there's nothing to discuss!

crookedpinky

I didn't think that people were indulging in a guessing game about the luthier - apart from one message.It seemed to me that people were just discussing the examples of "vintaged" or "aged" guitars from the range currently offered.

It does seem strange that Selmer aren't taking advantage of the market in the way that CSL are by introducing a model that they became famous for.

See you all in Samois 2010

frater

You're right; in fact from my point of view there's very little to guess about in this case :each luthier leaves his fingerprints on the instrument he builds. Some have huge fingerprints!

andmer

dennis wrote:

there are tons of pics and videos of that guitar on youtube

here's a finished pic

hmm, I've only ever seen your old mich mich 503 on youtube. looks fantastic btw.

klaatu

Looks even better in person. I sat right next to Andrew Lawrence at a jam at Django in June last summer, and he was playing Denis' AJL. Just a wonderful dry, crisp sound coming from it. Wish I could afford one.

GregLewis

What a beautiful guitar. Question - in the headstock picture, it looks like the strings are really buried in the nut. Is that the way the originals were?

Greg

MichaelHorowitz

GregLewis wrote:

What a beautiful guitar. Question - in the headstock picture, it looks like the strings are really buried in the nut. Is that the way the originals were?

Greg

Not sure what you mean...regardless, I have a photo of the replica headstock right next to Selmer #863 so you can see what the original looks like.

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GregLewis

Well, I've read that in most instances, the grooves in the nut should be 1/2 the diameter of the string, especially on the lower strings. In the picture, the grooves in the nut appear to be twice the string diameter. Just curious.

Greg

Bob Holo

Ah... OK, there's the rub. On a GJ guitar, that's not a nut - it's a string guide.

The difference is that the string path terminates at the zero fret just in front of that... all that 'nut-looking' thing does is make sure the string spacing is correct at the zero fret. The reason for the half-diameter rule of thumb is just generally to not bind the string at the terminus because when the bridge or nut (if the guitar has a nut as many do) binds the string it can dampen it significantly, can lead to truly strange ancillary sounds, and can even lead to string breakage. However, a lot of builders cut their nut and bridge slots fairly deep... but if you look carefully the slots are fairly wide with a tapered bottom so the string still rests on the bridge/nut and is not 'grabbed' by it.

As for the string guide... its design is much less critical than a nut because it's really not in the actively vibrating part of the string path. So, the only real concerns with it are to make sure that the string path you cut in it drops low enough so that the string has a sufficient break-angle (downforce) to make the string contact the zero fret solidly... and also to make sure that the string doesn't bind in the channels of the string guide which could make tuning a pain in the backside...and of course to get the spacing right. However, the string guide doesn't have to be as high as Selmer spec... and in fact I find it a little uncomfortable for some (admittedly rare) chords like 1st position Fmin7 and such... but that's how the originals were - up there like that - and his goal was to build the guitar to spec.

crookedpinky

Arrggghhhh......just beaten to an answer by the mighty Bob Holo....who gave a much fuller answer.


Hi there, just some thoughts on nuts on Selmacs.....or any guitar with a zero fret

Don't forget that in this case the nut isn't acting like a nut on other guitars due to the presence of the zero fret. Effectively it's operating as a spacing and anchor point to stop lateral string movement - as the zero fret can't act in that way. Nuts usually play a part in setting a guiars action and intonation but here again the zero fret fulfills that function.