eat Orn Of Pranea a fram ariGuttar Builds D ng the ‘30s, the transition to mode gainin futuristic world, little seemed untou ™ times was sealed tuning machine, and, predating its appearance momentum. In an increasin mobile an America, the cutaway upper body bout, Guitarists h hed by the twentieth concerns and the Seln guitars offered the broad century phenomena mplification, recording, and broad- compreh msive response to their needs casting. The universal impulse to recast an nline Two periods mark Selmer's guitar history. The fir, ‘ing was reflected in the innovative rhythms of Ja twas the beginning of an extraordinary period of 1933, und tar development not only in the United States but in Europe The second period commences after Macca as well. In those heady times, the guitar's very conception 8 departure in 1934, and is marked b keeping pace. With the growing pop: vent of Selmer’s b ments were gaining groun eclipsing gut guitars. However. most early od extends until 1952 string @ uitars diffe ittle from gut-string descen: tar production. T e first-period guitars are referrec dents in ai ual form, the primary variations accaferri” and the second-peri being in the tuning machines, top bracing, y as “Selmer” guitars and the use of t d by numerous international migrations were also Many Italian luthiers set Django Retnharat tled in France during the ‘30s, bring. jan Selmers from 1933 ing with them their inst making savoir faire and off nga of unequalled expressiveness Because fresh and potent influence on French musical brilliance and romantic charisma anecdotes of Django and his guitars abound. ig included low many Selmers did Django own? ted by Numerous musicians clai that Djai ry his guitar. but no one can say with certainty pop f the example. Although Maccaferri developed th ingo’s immense pub Selmer probably avery controver ve 4 few guitars. It would be safe to say that he many lasting innovations including the forced neck, the probably gave several at he was search: By Frencois Charle in collaboration with Paul Hostetter see aa aerial tla is suit in 1940 when he received modele Jaz "$03, Though it can be Ith of pho ot is hole Selmer, i! was cer’ 'y the ore he played ex: sively for the rest of his ife. And though Django preferred the later oval-hole, his brother Joseph ways played rhytam on the earlier D-hola. To this day, the D-hole is perceived as being prefer able for Jazz remains the mos! favored instrumert ing in the style Django developed over 60 years aco. A scant number of nals were e's, less than 1,000 Selmers were made between 1932 and 195: Of these, barely half re: have beer rom the very beginning cf the Selmer guitar atelier, six basic models were offered. 52 SELMER Ss Shaped like other Span thes was a classical guitar in the uaditional ch sty! thar other Selmer models. 7 ced top was flat. TI noustache” bridge ext sions were ebony. A metal tailpiece ted esther ball- or looy~end strings, and a radiused ebony der the high E me. Offered in off somewhat, The unusual two: this mode! Piece saddle allowed compensa: Hon for intonation The the lap with a steel bar, the board was flat and a Ivi#le wi nut G2mm). The bridge top was nor body compensated. The raised nut often internal resonator —_ extended beyond the treble edge of the e modele Co fingerboard so e playing bar, lao a gut-string mn shiding over the first string, eculé rot touch the edge of the fingerboard. On soundhole was 9em (3 ¥/2") in diameter. The d mot have an Spanish-styie gui- tars, tts body shared the same string holder. The ada tional tuning peg was placed on either side weadsioc ‘The models Concer Hawaienne, and Jazz irom 1932-33 were always originally far els discussed below In ral, this model had a cutaway 1 the upper bout and a large D- shaped soundhole measuring Tom x Sem (23/4 x6 /8"). The bridge waa Macea‘erri's f the standard classical ndge: ade for tied gut strings, but a bit longer thar the one on the Espagnol. Its corners ‘were squared off. The saddle was compensated and in two pieces gerboard was ‘lat and a lit- er than the Espagnol, few Selmer Rarp guitars that w ade also shared the des.gri “Concert” because they were strung with gut, However, they had a Lightly shorter (62cm or 3/8") scale lengi modele Jazz. The Jazz model is the best-known Selmer are less pre: cise. A sort of guitar. ‘t was offered only with onator was acutaway at the ISth fret and, fp aisc op in this early period, with a D- shaped soundhoie (known as soundholeA rare transitioned ovaloke modohe j lato 1034. Note the wide 12frot mock ‘was sometimes rourd as on the Espag nol. though the guitar was made for stee! strings. Often made for designation also included tenor g: tars, known as the guitare 4 cordes Grand Modeéle, built on the regular 6 string guitar body. The scale length was 4om and the headstock resembled the classical headatock. Th neck. Because many of them necks changed to make them 6-s few examples of any of the ts modele variations surv: Le modeie Tenor 4 cordes This baby" Imer's cutaway body had the same form as the 6-string modela but was ‘The scale S4em The D-hole mea sured 5 Sum x 13cm (2-3/16" x 5-1/8"), The ody was +éem long by Hom 17-5/16" 33/16) across the lower bout, The tat piece was identical except that the two ter string-holding studs were left 1, The neck joined the bady at the ‘twelfth fret and was 3om (1-3/76") wide atthe mut and 4om (1-9/6") at the body Jom. The body always contained an internal resonator During 1934, after Maccaferri left Selmer, the first models with the smal! bouche ovale or petite rosace appeared, A few rare transitional models splay oval soundhole and the earlier 12 fret neck Very soon thereafter, allo! these models disappeared from the ing, replaced by the new nodele Jazz Until Sel 1e trademaris, Two primar} ‘cation mari are found on Selmer gui- fars-an engraving on the headstock and a paper label inside the body, The ers were sta: the headstock. Above this logo, on thi earliest headstocks, the name of Mark Maccafern and the patent number (fo: the internal resonatoz) were als engraved. This detail was eliminated ai Soon as Maccaferri's association with Selmer ended. A p engraving device scribed the logo which was then gilded and varnished A paper label was glued to the bach side the body. In the non-resonat ‘Orchestre" medels. the label was rec tangular, not cut cut to shape, and was glued directly to the guitar's back In Tesonator, the label was cut out around the ouline of the printing and glued to the visible part of e reso (On these paper labels was this inecrip- on: " Fabrigquee en France sous la direc: ton technique de M. /Maccaferr! Seimer 5 Cie Paris” 7. to R) Small tenor, modele Concer, T-tring Haweatenne.