maccaferris on a budget

Jeff Moore

Whatever kind of music you intended on the jazzmaster, it likely wasn't gypsy jazz.

If you think a gypsy jazz guitar is going to feel different from your guitar, your right, and a little more slack that 12's, but whether you get a long scale and put 11's on there or the other extreme, get a short scale and put 10's on it, the size of the difference between all of these is not so great. There's a difference yes.

As you move into this music and these guitars, you will likely find that your whole frame of reference of what a guitar should feel like and sound like will morph. And not just once. It may be worth considering not thinking to much about how this or that guitar will feel if only because any gypsy guitar will feel different and will of course sound a lot different.

Also, though there's a advantage to learning this music on a "gypsy" guitar, its just music and a guitar is a guitar. You could conceivably and practically learn the music on any guitar whatsoever. For me, the curiosity of what I would sound like with a "gypsy" guitar was coupled with the fact that I also had enough cash to "make a mistake" or two. This HAD NOT been true for the previous 40 years, and even to imagine that I would drop $1300 to a luthier built guitar from Britain made by a guy I'd never meet would not have been thinkable when I was 35 or 25 or 15.

From your posts, I get the impression that you might be taking what feels like a big leap. I think none of us should jump farther than is safe until and unless you have food and can pay the rent or whatever
I'm just tripping here, and I'm usually more wrong than right guessing how you may be set up, but I spent 18 years learning a lot of music on a solid plywood fender acoustic. I had a ball with it, and even sometimes made my money playing it. I know I can learn most of what I want to learn on anything with a neck and 6 strings.
I wouldn't worry to much about how this or that gypsy guitar and gypsy strings will feel. Django changed the world with 10's on a short scale with a very wide neck.
Just love what your doing and the guitar will take care of itself eventually. And if you dive into buying a gypsy guitar, I bet you'll really enjoy it regardless of which choice you make.

The choices offered all over this thread represent much experience and that's the value of this site. All of the axes mentioned in here will take you to a good place. Don't let choosing a guitar become a make or break decision. It simply isn't, because you already have a players guitar, and unless your already playing this stuff for a while, you'll have some practicing to do and enjoy before you really have to jump to a new guitar.

If you do jump into buying, jump with a smile!
I've bought many "gypsy" guitars, and I don't think I'll ever make "the final" correct decision, but rather will just happily remain on a long and winding path. A path about music much more than about the guitar I'm playing.
If you give Birelli your jazzmaster to play, he will astonish you with the sound it makes, not because he practiced on great gypsy guitars, but simply because he practiced so much.
Jeff

Michael Bauer

Don't worry about "only" having a Jazzmaster; I learned to play Minor Swing on a Les Paul before I even knew anyone made gypsy jazz guitars. You'll adapt quickly enough.

You've had lots of advice here, but I'll add one more thing to my previous recommendation that you start with a Cigano d-hole: no matter what guitar you start with, only move to a better one when you can really hear the difference. Not everyone can...or gets the oportunity to. In some places, the best gypsy guitar anyone has ever heard is a Gitane. Nothing wrong with that; it's just a result of the rarity of these guitars.

If you start out with a Saga (Gitane or Cigano), and you come across a Manouche (to my mind the next level up) or a Dupont or a Holo or a Shopis or a Park (all even better), and you can't hear the difference, don't spend the money yet. A Saga is a great starter guitar, and in the hands of a great player can sound pretty good. There are alot of semi-pro and pro players out there who gig with Sagas, so they can be your first and last stop. More's the better, because you'll have just saved yourself a wad a cash!

In the meantime, set some money aside, bit by bit, because the day may come when you can hear the difference, and then suddenly a Saga might not sound too gypsy to you any more. That's when you are going to want the cash for a better guitar. I know guys who can hear the difference but can't afford to move up, and they are often frustrated. In a perfect world, every player should think his guitar is the best one out there. So take Jeff's advice and don't overspend to start, but build up a war chest as fast as you can so you can move up when your ear tells you it's time. And if it never does, you'll have enough money saved for a trip to Samois!

Whatever you choose to start with, good luck. You're in for a fun ride, and you will find gypsy jazzers to be the nicest, most sharing people you wil ever meet. And finally, get the proper pick for this music (just as important as the guitar). Nothing on earth is sadder and more pathetic sounding than a gypsy jazz guitar being played with a Fender medium pick...

MarioPercinic

Speaking of affordable maccaferri guitars, what I can say is that it seams like Richwood decided to increase the quality of their guitars, because the products which are able to get today really sound good, and the instruments are very playable for the money. Nothing seams wrong, the frets are fine, bridge is ok, the guitars have surprising reverb which is tipical for gj instruments, and they produce very nice volume acoustically. Even the action is very well set, at least it was on the guitar which I found. As I bought it thru Thomann, I don't know if they are setting up the guitars more so that they come very playable but for 200€ I got surprisingly nice guitar which does sound as gj instrument which I could not say for the older Richwoods. Even if you search for newer clips on youtube from the last 2 years it is possible to hear that the guitars sound totaly different and better than the same guitars that were produced 10 years ago.

billyshakes

Can't believe the Cigano was selling for $330, even if it was 10 years ago. That D-hole is now 3x the price. Even their lower range guitars are still ~twice that price.