Getting a manouche guitar.

[The Jan]

I don't know (and kind of doubt) that this is the right forum for this, but I've recently discovered string swing. Django, the Rosenbergs, Stephane etc are amazing, and the style intrigues me heavily!

In a nutshell, I've started to learn a few songs, and I need a different acoustic. I'm playing a cheap Asian nylon string flamenco-type miniature guitar atm, and the nylon strings are way hard to play arpeggios and string swing- type runs on. They're so bendy and soft compared to a steel strung one!

So in any case, I want to get a kind of jazz manouche guitar that's stereotypical for this style. You know, the big ones with a miniature hole and a 14 fret easy-access neck. I can't seem to figure out what to google for though!

I heard about a series of SX manouche guitars that were shipped from somewhere in Asia, at the amazing price of about $200! And apparently, the quality of the guitar is outstanding, especially compared to the price tag.

HOWEVER, I can't seem to find these guitars anywhere. So I need help in finding a website with good manouche-type guitars. The only things I found, were pricey Selmers for about $1500 a piece.


Help please?


Also, string swing seems based simply on the regular diatonic major/minor scales, diminished and maybe some phrygian dominant/ionian #5 hints here and there. Chord-wise, the style seems to be pretty simple, with regular minor/major triads, sixths, sevenths and ninths. Am I missing anything theory-wise? I'm kind of anal about knowing what I'm doing :P

[walternewton]

For gear advice take a look at this forum.

[JonR]

Also, string swing seems based simply on the regular diatonic major/minor scales, diminished and maybe some phrygian dominant/ionian #5 hints here and there. Chord-wise, the style seems to be pretty simple, with regular minor/major triads, sixths, sevenths and ninths. Am I missing anything theory-wise?

IMO, nope, I think you've got everything there. 6ths are definitely important on both majors and minors. Just listen and copy. I learned to play this stuff around 35 years ago, with no theory knowledge to speak of, just 2 or 3 Django LPs (and a short history of folk, blues and jugband playing). Its hard to be good, of course, but not hard to play it reasonably well - as long as you can swing!