Richwood guitars (Chinese)

Jangle_Jamie

Just to mention again, the middle guitar in the original picture is basically a Gitane 255. Underneath all that lacquer is a decent guitar. Frets will be level but rough. There'll be a huge hump under the tailpiece which needs to be cut off and sanded smooth. I've bought two and they've both been good. Packaging is brilliant - very impact-resistant polystyrene case. The last one I bought was on special and under £120 so I didn't even have to pay any import fees. I'll pop some photos up sometime.

pdg

If you can find a used cheapie in the U.S. (if you're in the U.S.), and you can try it and it happens to play well -- or if you can buy a used one online from a seller in the U.S., with free shipping and returns allowed -- then it might make sense.

A used one might have had time to warp, etc., if it was going to do so. And free shipping means you'd only be out the return shipping costs in the U.S., if it's no good (or would require too much work).

Joonas

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/122684#Comment_122684

Jamie, are these two guitars different things? They come up both when I search Aliexpress for "Richwood gypsy guitar" or something similar.

How do you spot the Gitane 255?

I can see the rosette is different. And now that I look closer I start to figure if the guitar on the left might not have the trussroad adjustment at the headstock. Or does it only seem so?

Edit: OK, now I saw that the guitar on the left does not have a spot on the third fret.

Jangle_Jamie

Yes they are different. In my opinion, the one on the left (basically a Gitane 255) is far superior to the one on the right.

Buco

If you can get the one on the left (DG255 as Jamie said) for Richwood money, that's a no-brainer. Unless the neck is seriously deformed, that guitar is worth putting some extra money in it, or work if you can do it yourself, and be a really nice instrument. They sell for over 1000. It's hard to find a used one under 700.

Joonas

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/122690#Comment_122690

For a moment I got my hopes up but it says that model is sold out. It's a bit confusing because the big advertising picture is of that guitar but under the price there are three options and the first option is actually the D-hole guitar and when I choose the middle option, which is that Gitane 255, then it says it's sold out.

Here's the link: Spruce Wood Acoustic Guitar | Acoustic Guitar 6 Strings | Rosewood Acoustic Guitar - Guitar - Aliexpress

Buco

Yes, this site is weird, once you click add to cart, then you have to choose the model. They'll probably come up soon.

Jangle_Jamie

Ah yes, I see that. That'll be partly my fault for buying two! I sold one last year, having refinished the top, polished the frets, removed the hump and changed the tailpiece. I'm not sure what I'll do with my latest one. I've already removed the hump!

Joonas

@Jangle_Jamie Why is it necessary to remove that hump though?

ChrisMartin

There are some Gitane 255s coming out of China that I believe are just seconds that are going out the back door, not sold through Saga distribution. I have had a couple too. So many of these guitars are now being made in the same factories it is hard to tell them apart but it at least proves there is some attempt at quality control; as long you accept they are seconds and may have a fault. And to back that up, these do have that little hump under the tailpiece that seems to only apply to Gitanes as far as I have seen. So yes, they obviously did get out there somehow. I got both of mine second hand so I don't know how they got into Australia but I have not seen any labelled as Gitane on AliExpress even if that model mentioned does look the same.