DJANGO- and a Tele?

[DMace]

No, there's no evidence, that I'm aware of, that Django ever played a Tele. But as a huge fan I couldn't help but think while listening to his playing that the reason his style didn't translate effectively to electric was because he was playing the wrong electric. The bends, trills, cascading runs and attack that he employed would have been perfectly suited to a Tele, much as it was suited to an acoustic. He had no business on an archtop. Anyone else on TDPRI a fan?

[fakeocaster]

As far as I remember there are clips of Gary Potter playing gypsy jazz on a tele on you tube

[Telemarkman]

Big fan here!

And I have no doubt that a Telecaster would be appropriate.

[Ben Harmless]

Tele. Natch. With maybe a P90 in the neck. All the characteristics we associate with Telecasters would have helped his music to shine.

...Of course it wouldn't have been long before Gibson released a Django signature LP or something.

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by Ben Harmless

...Of course it wouldn't have been long before Gibson released a Django signature LP or something.

Mebbe Flying V?

[jefrs]

Er, true his first attempts on an electric weren't up to his usual standard but it didn't take him long to figure them out. His last recordings were on electrics and were quite spectacular. Django is perhaps unique in that throughout his career he developed maybe some four different and innovative playing styles.

[weemikey]

I can see what you're saying about the Tele characteristics that work with gypsy jazz! Of course, that could be countered with "Django would sound good on anything", which is true as well.

[Groovey Records]

This works for me

[jjh37854]

Originally Posted by Groovey Records

This works for me

simply the best

Jorgenson does a great job on this tune as well on his Franco-American Swing album

[DMace]

Originally Posted by jjh37854

simply the best

My thoughts exactly.

[Mark Davis]

Django died May 16 1953 so he might have played a Tele sometime late in his life.

[BigDaddyLH]

I was just looking at the Wikipedia entry on Django. He was in America briefly after WWII. The last recording session they mention is 1948, back in Europe and he retired in 1951 in France. Can't imagine there were many Broadcasters or Teles in post war France!

[FSJazzGuy]

I can definitely see a parallel between a Selmer Macafferi (sp?) type acoustic and a Tele, especially one on the bridge pickup. If you've ever heard a gypsy jazz guitar live, you'll notice that they are a bit on the bright side to cut through the band. I've yet to hear a recording of Django that captures that brightness but I figure it had to be there, or he wouldn't have been heard at all, let alone featured.

[ErnestT]

I think a Tele would have worked well for Django. I have read that he could not bond with archtop electrics, calling them "cheap tin pots". Evidently, he eventually fitted a pickup to one of his Macafferi's and was able to get that "jazz tone" from it. I wonder if the reason was his strong pick attack. His playing style was known to wear guitars out. Evidently, he played really hard, and I have heard that a lot of aggressive players have trouble with archtops with floating bridges. That big wide footprint bridge on the Macaferri probably was not as prone to move around. A Tele might have been a nice fit tone wise and toughness wise.

[Tele295]

Jimmy Bryant stated that he was just trying to play like Django.

Being a Djangomoley myself, I don't find it easier or better to play gypsy jazz on a Tele rather than a Selmac. There's something about those instruments. It's not like an archtop or a flattop. They really have their own thing going. Gotta use a stupidly thick pick, too (Wegen 3.5mm or bigger)

[Groovey Records]

Howard Alden playing in Sweet and Low Down
acted by Sean Penn

[jefrs]

Originally Posted by FSJazzGuy

I can definitely see a parallel between a Selmer Macafferi (sp?) type acoustic and a Tele, especially one on the bridge pickup. If you've ever heard a gypsy jazz guitar live, you'll notice that they are a bit on the bright side to cut through the band. I've yet to hear a recording of Django that captures that brightness but I figure it had to be there, or he wouldn't have been heard at all, let alone featured.

Selmer-Maccaferri are bright and I gather that Django strung them with 10-46 Argentines, very light for a jazzbox.

Django's last recording session, the 'Blue Star' album (arguably his finest recording) took place on 10 March 1953 with Maurice Vander (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums). Django probably played a Gibson ES300, he was certainly photographed with one in 1953.

In the early hours of Saturday 15th May 1953, having played the Club Saint-Germain, Django caught the early train to Avon and then walked some five kilometres across the fields to Samois-sur-Seine. He stopped at the local cafe and was drinking coffee on the terrace when he collapsed, and died later that day.

[Tele295]

Originally Posted by jefrs

Django's last recording session, the 'Blue Star' album (arguably his finest recording) took place on 10 March 1953 with Maurice Vander (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Jean-Louis Viale (drums). Django probably played a Gibson ES300, he was certainly photographed with one in 1953.

Why do you think it's the Gibson rather than the Selmer with the Stimer pickup?

[jefrs]

Let's see...

Django had a Gibson ES300 in 1953, a single P90(?) no-cutaway archtop with which he was photographed (but it's worth noting that Django parted company with guitars quicker than most people get through shoes).

The Selmer being a large and rather loud acoustic, was not well suited to amplification. By 1953 Diango had use of well adjusted amplifiers.

Django's playing style had changed (a more 'American' feel) as he mastered the electric guitar. Do listen to the Blue Star album, there is no doubt that he had truly mastered the electric guitar.

His last recordings sound quite different tonally, with long sustained notes apparent. The Selmer requires tremelo picking.

Other than the March 1953 'Blue Star' (Nuages, Manoir de mes Reves, esp.) there was one further recording session in April 1953 for Musicdisc with vibraphonist Fats Sadi (and after which session Django left for a short tour of Switzerland).