Django / Maccaferri Style Guitars

6

650junglist

New member
Anyone know of any other Django / Maccaferri style guitars besides the Gitanes that are in the same price range???? $500-700..

Thanks,
David
 
No, not in that price range, you'll have to pay a lot more.

Maccaferri for a short time in 1953-4 made a little plastic student guitar...pretty inovative at the time. They never really went to market for they had a habit of melting in direct sunlight. The Mandolin brothers came across a stash of them 20 years ago or so and I bought one for $200. It's cute. I use it for a high string and it's perfect in that application.
 
I'm also not clear on how accurate the Gitanes are. I am not sure if they have the resonator systems or not. Haven't been able to find that out.

The actions on the originals were quite high, and I understand that these are likewise, which throws a lot of modern players.
 
Yea, I've seen those plastic guitars on ebay. Looks pretty neat.

I guess I'm gonna go for a Gitane. They're the only ones in my price range. Now I have to deside on the D-hole or Oval-hole.

As far as the gitanes being accurate. They say they're direct replicas of the original Maccaferris.
 
i have played one of the D shape and i must say that the guitar had great tone! and the workmanship was awesome for its price. i did not see any flaws in the finish, and the wood was nice the binding was also good. the necks are built for long fingers (which i have) and the action was nice and low. i have also played the oval hole i do not think its as nice as the D the neck felt (hard to find words for it) kind of "boxy" and the tone was not as loud the action was good enough but i was not as happy with it so in my thoughts on it is go with the D they had better tone better feel and i think they look cooler. just my .02 cents
 
650junglist said:
As far as the gitanes being accurate. They say they're direct replicas of the original Maccaferris.
Click to expand...
I know they say that, but the pictures I've seen don't show the internal resonator and I've seen no mention of it. A unique feature like that seems to me would be noteworthy enough to mention in the ad copy.

The HC reviews of these are quite mixed, for what that's worth.
 
faderbug said:
there wasn't a resonator but a tone chamber inside the maccaferri guitars.
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The terminology seems to vary. In the Django biography, written by Vintage Guitar columnist Michael Dregni, the device was referred to as a resonator.
 
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