A closer look at Django's Selmer 503 !

Elliot

Super Mario Maccaferri wrote:

... , and he was pretty sure that he could get Django's DNA by doing an analysis, all over the guitar...

So for the price of a Selmer you could clone him.

frater

Not to spoil the C.S.I. atmosphere, but I would remind you that the guitar wasn't taken from the bare hands of Django when he died! Probably the instrument was played many times before it was consigned. So beware not to clone Babik or worse Mandino Reinhardt: he's s still around and may not agree!

Super Mario Maccaferri

what would Mandino have to do with this guitar ? He's not from the same family.

Babik of course, and I believe also a lot of Naguine as she was the one who gave the relic to the museum...

frater

You're right of course: I was remembering that letter written some years ago to protest because the guitar had been confined in the basement of the museum. I thought to remember it was Mandino's but probably it was Naguine's. Anyway you did a a fantastic job, bravo! Django would be happy(and Gil Grissom too! )

thickpick

Amazing video, SMM! Here's a question for anyone who wants to answer. Here's a paragraph from Dregni's Django biography (page 268 of the hardcover):

Following the funeral services, Nanguine amassed Django's last possessions -- his meager wardrobe of clothes, the collection of fishing rods and tackle of which he was so proud, his tape recorder with which he had recorded animal sounds for Babik, a batch of last homemade tapes of compositions and new music recorded in Samois [sic], and his famous Selmer guitar. She piled Django's possessions in a pyre, struck a match, and burned them.

Django's guitar went up in flames.

How can this be? Is Dregni wrong? Because it couldn't have been 503 that burned since it's still around. Is the guitar Nanguine burned a different Selmer? Or not a Selmer at all?

I've often wondered this, and any thoughts would be appreciated.

bokchoy

I've always wondered the same thing about that guitar.
I'm guessing that it was another Selmer of Django's that was burned.

WColsher

I have the greatest respect for the job Michael Dregni did on his Django books, but I think he was a bit let down by his editors.

The story of Django's funeral pyre is a good example of a spot where it could have been made more clear that Dregni is reporting a 2nd hand (at least) story regarding an event that happened half a century ago. Dregni himself was certainly well aware that 503 had survived intact at the time he was writing - as I recall, there's a photo of Babik playing it in the book.

If someone has a copy handy, I'd guess the source of the story can be found in the Notes section at the back of the book.

Teddy Dupont

Although I think Dregni produced a good biography of Django, there are many instances in the book where his claims are very questionable. He often makes categoric statements that are, in reality, merely assumptions or supposition about events and people from long ago, some of which he obtained from very second hand sources. I accept that this makes for better reading but it undermines the book's credibilty and breeds misinformation.

I doubt that anything of real value was burnt on Django's funeral fire, least of all his Selmer. There is also a photograph of Joseph Reinhardt laying what is claimed to be Django's guitar on his coffin before it was buried and that guitar is certainly not a Selmer or any guitar that Django was ever photographed with. All the indications are that Django only had one Selmer when he died.

Shawn

Being that a few of the stories are dubious second hand sources from Django's 13th cousins twice removed by marraige...it does make one wonder what can be trusted. Although I love Dregni's book (heck, I'm reading it right now for the zillionth time), I'm sure some of the information has been expounded upon so many times that the true story has been lost to history.

Either way, I'm going to guess that the guitar they reference being burnt was merely a "symbolic" guitar...probably some cheap guitar picked up to symbolize Django's love for the instrument and to honor his ability. If I remember correctly there are at least 3 confirmed guitars that Django owned that are still around today: 503, 704, and Les Paul's Selmer...not to mention the other numerous ones he probably played with at various times. Also, from what I understand there are very few Selmer's that are unaccounted for, so which one would they have burnt if most are still around today? It just wouldn't make any sense to burn an actual Selmer being that only a few were really confirmed as being played by Django.

However, having said this, I don't know Gypsy communal traditions well enough to say if they would have burnt such an item.

Archtop Eddy

WColsher wrote:

The story of Django's funeral pyre is a good example of a spot where it could have been made more clear that Dregni is reporting a 2nd hand (at least) story regarding an event that happened half a century ago...
If someone has a copy handy, I'd guess the source of the story can be found in the Notes section at the back of the book.

In the Notes section (page 303), broken down by chapters and pages, it states : (Page) 268 She piled Django's possessions in a pyre: Mme. Ipsaïenne interview in Spautz, Django Reinhardt, 134.

AE