Gitane D-500 - Chitara acustica

GITANE MACCAFERRI-STYLE JAZZ GUITAR - D-HOLE

Body style : Horizontal cutaway, Characteristic large “D” soundhole

Top : Solid spruce top

Back : Rosewood

Sides : Rosewood

Neck : Thin, comfortable, bound mahagony

Fingerboard : Ebony

Number of frets : 24

Finish : High-gloss finish with aging toner for vintage look

Unique features : Multiple ebony/maple purfling on all edges, Moustache bridge with movable center, Dovetail neck/body joint, Slotted headstock with rosewood overlay, Mother-of-pearl dot markers, Geared 14:1 ratio, gold-plated, slotted peghead tuning machines, Adjustable truss rod, Trapeze tailpiece

Fans of Gypsy-Jazz guitar as well as guitar aficionados of every stripe will applaud Saga's re-introduction of the classic Selmer-Maccaferri style jazz guitar...the NEW Gitane D-500! All measurements and characteristic features of this guitar were faithfully recreated to make this the highest quality and affordable guitar of this kind on the market today!

Selmer-type guitars were favourited by Django Reinhardt for a big part of his career and became a symbol of Jazz-Manush also called Gypsy Jazz (Gypsy Jazz, Jazz Manouche). Such guitars were made by Selmer from 1932 to 1952.



Early models had a D-shaped sound hole «grande bouche». This form has been specifically designed for the use of internal resonator to increase the volume of the instrument. Mario Maccaferri was the inventor of this guitar.



Selmer type guitars have a number of distinctive features that affect the sound.



An obvious feature that catches your eye is the irregular shape of the sound hole. The most common form of the hole is an oval. Its small size affects the guitar sound - it becomes more muted and slightly "nasal". However, the main influence on the sound is the design of the body. The lower deck is slightly convex, and the length of the strings is longer than in usual acoustic guitars.



These features are designed to provide the highest volume of the guitar even without micing or amplification. This is a very bright sounding instrument that is difficult to mistake with something else.

Among the traditional features that distinguish Selmer guitars from other acoustics is a non-standard string arrangement. Strings are attached not to the lower nut but to the tailpiece, and instead of the traditional ball in the end, the strings have a loop.



Historically the headstock has a narrower shape, not typical for an ordinary acoustic guitar. However, it doesn’t have any influence on the sound. This feature was developed during the creation of the very first Selmer guitar.



Interestingly, the lower nut of the guitar is movable and is located between the strings and the upper deck, same design as used in construction of violins.



Number of distinctive features of the Selmer guitar ensured its popularity with musicians playing in jazz-Manush/Gypsy jazz style.