Who makes handmade gypsy guitars?

jon sky · December 2011

Hi to all at Django books forum
Im John Skibinsky Ilive in Keswick Ont. Canada.There as A novis I was fixing and repairing guitars
M y dad was into country.He gave me my first guitar @ the age of 5,1963.After the novelty wore off I promptly used it as a hoby horse,it caved in.
My dad was mad and swore I'd not have another.That Was The Beginning.I Fixed it all up.With the help from a 9 guart berry basket,the handle and sides resembled the wood on the top,the basket must have been spruse.Fast forward to 1999.
I met Micheal Collins @ a church were he was renting space to build his selmers.I was building an Explore Bass copy ,a local music store hoocked us up as I was trying to buy binding. I Became his shop assistant.After I finished my apprentisship with Collins Guitars.While in his employ,with me at the bench,Micheal's hands were free to persure some R&D.It was at this tim that he wrote his book "How to Build a Maccafferi Selmer" Sold at luthier supply outlets.I own a 1957 Gibson J45.We mapped it out and i now have plans . We met Jessy Barksdale of "Jeff healy's Jass Wizzards" Who owns an origional selmer "Oval".We had the extreme pleasure mapping it out and applying that knowlage to Micheal's guitars.
With the economic down turn saddly Micheal went back to Texas witn his canadian wife and two great kidds...we miss him.Leaving his shop and "Jiggs" to me so Ive been hard at work.Building Macciffarri Selmer Repoductions.ALL BY HAND.In keswick....Ps any one playing a a 1961 "Favino
repoduction,Flamed maple spruse top (SUNBURST)Verry"RARE".Purchased in New Haven Con. @ Hot Strings .Love to hear what you think I do warrenty it for life

denk8 · December 2011

Hi,
About a year ago i was visiting the 12th fret in Toronto and was trying out several gypsy guitars, including a Collins oval hole and a 12 fret D hole with the name Sky on the headstock.
Hands down it was the best sounding and loudest gypsy guitar in the shop.I told the owner if it was a 14 fret i would have bought it. It didn't last long in the shop and someone now has a fantastic gypsy guitar.

jon sky · December 2011

Hi denk8
the guitar you made went to a good home
the thing that gives our guitars that volume is im sure in the design of the correct arch (forgive my spelling) or" Pliage" ? in combination with the bridge and proper placing of the bracing under it
jOn sKy

jon sky · December 2011

correction
the guitar I made went to a good home
Id like to add also if the origional construction is executed
volume and tone will be automatic.
jOn sKy

denk8 · December 2011

Are you making the top with a forced arch? It sems now the trend is to have that prominant heat bent pliage similar to the Selmers.

jon sky · December 2011

yes denk8
my calling is vintage repro ductions.Plans are like bibles many inturpretations.So im verry much sticking to the guitars I get my hands on .With the tricks and mapping skills I gained from the briliants of Micheal Collins I trust what I see and know ...Much to my knowlage Maccafferri did not carve the top.Maybe wnen I set time aside for R&D ill give it a go.
There are some builders like Shelly Park .Making solid wood Maccafferri copys.The originals were of a lamanet construction.Three layers Outer = rose wood Center = a cross grain of poplar
Inner = Mahogany and solid Mahogany liners.Not sure if the heat degrades the cellular integrety of the spruce or not.The Maccafferri is a compound-arched instrument.That is achieved by first bending both book matched sides of the top separatly.Then after joining.The top is is braced.The bracing giving shape to the top.And finally the sculpted sides finnish off the propper arch.Just picture a pyramid smoothed nonhared lines.
jOn sKy

jon sky · December 2011

heres something you dont see alot of.
I wanted to see how this style of guitar looked with a sunburst.
jOn sKy

jon sky · January 2012

Stringswinger wrote:

Are not all Selmer guitar copies hand made? I think the distinction that Jon is going for is small luthier vs. big shop/factory.

The distinction can be blurry. I believe that Shelly Park makes her guitars completely by herself. Maurice Dupont has many employees making guitars. I know that there were several employees at the Dell Arte shop in San Diego.

I'd bet Gitanes are as "handmade" as a Manouche. I doubt that there is enough demand for these guitars to build machines to make many of the components, as say there is for Strats and SG's.

BTW, Bernie Lehman and Lawrence Nyberg are missing from Jon's list. And then there is Draleon. Like I said, the distintion can be blurry, in more ways than one.

Cheers,

Marc

http://www.hotclubpacific.com