Django and string gauge

[Lee W]

I've been trying to read up on this in the group and elsewhere. I
remember a bloke in my local guitar shop saying Django used heavy
strings, but it seems most people now advise for example the Nuages
string - extremely light strings. Why is this? Are these strings worth
putting on a small-bodied normal steel string guitar (with perhaps a
raised action)?

[Mouser9999]

My understanding is that Django used light gauge strings with very high action
(if you watch the one really good video of Django, you will see his action is
so high you can practically drive a truck under the strings.)

Putting Nuages or Argentines on a small body flat-top probably won't take you
very far towards getting Django's tone-- that has more to do with the unusual
construction of his Selmer guitar (and his talent, of course) than his strings.
But you can certainly play gypsy style on any guitar.

Post by Lee W
I've been trying to read up on this in the group and elsewhere. I
remember a bloke in my local guitar shop saying Django used heavy
strings, but it seems most people now advise for example the Nuages
string - extremely light strings. Why is this? Are these strings worth
putting on a small-bodied normal steel string guitar (with perhaps a
raised action)?

[David Kilpatrick]

Post by Mouser9999
My understanding is that Django used light gauge strings with very high action
(if you watch the one really good video of Django, you will see his action is
so high you can practically drive a truck under the strings.)
Putting Nuages or Argentines on a small body flat-top probably won't take you
very far towards getting Django's tone-- that has more to do with the unusual
construction of his Selmer guitar (and his talent, of course) than his strings.
But you can certainly play gypsy style on any guitar.

Beware - some early films may show him with nylon strings, especially if
it's pre-electric era. The first Selmer Macaferri models were intended
for nylon not steel and apparently that's how he started. The steel came
later.

David

[Mouser9999]

While I am certain that Django played a gut-strung guitar at some point in his
career, he played steel strings through virtually all of the period which he is
renowned. While Maccaferri did design gut-strung guitars for Selmer, both the
early Selmer-Maccaferri Modele Jazz (grande bouche) and the later Selmer Modele
Jazz (petit bouche) were designed for steel strings, and Django played them
strung that way.

As far as early films go, there is precious little film of Django. A good
overview of Django on film is at:

http://www.about-django.com/news/videos/videos.php

Watch the closeups of Django during the poker game scene. It's really pretty
fascinating.

You can get these clips on a wonderful DVD collection called Stephane Grapelli:
A Life in Jazz. Highly recommended.

http://www.musiconearth.co.uk/jazz_music_dvd/django_reinhardt.htm

Post by David Kilpatrick
Beware - some early films may show him with nylon strings, especially if
it's pre-electric era. The first Selmer Macaferri models were intended
for nylon not steel and apparently that's how he started. The steel came
later.
David

[JOHNPEARSE]

Actually he started out on a six-string Gibson banjo using light-steel Bergfee
strings. When he switched to a Mac he used low-tension Argentines right from
the start. The only time he played (held!) a nylon-string Mac was when Selmer
asked him to hold one for catalogue pictures.
John Pearse.

[s***@gmail.com]

One thing to remember..way back then. Guitar strings were heavy...

Light gauge strings came i think in late 60s...