Django-Style Tenor Guitarists?

[Ed Goist]

What Django-Style tenor guitarists (past & present) should I be listening to?

[Ed Goist]

Not overly surprised there have been no responses here.
I've searched high and low for releases by Django-style tenor guitarists and have found nothing.
However, there are three builders who offer Selmer style tenors (Earnest Instruments, Fletcher Brock, & Shelley Park). I wonder whose playing the Selmer-style tenors built by these luthiers?

[mrmando]

Paul Lestock built a Selmer-style 5-string; Dave Stewart was playing it for a while with Ranger & the Re-Arrangers, but Dave couldn't afford to keep it so he gave it back to Paul.

You do know about Tenor Madness, yes?

http://hannaphil.com/musicvideo/

[delsbrother]

Selmer made a lot of tenor guitars during Django's heyday, but I doubt anyone was playing them "Django style" - including Django. Most have been converted to six strings. Nowadays I remember a couple of people posting youtube clips on this board, but they're certainly not common.

As far as makers, don't forget DJ Hodson (who built tenors as well as EFS guitars and Djangolins) and Dellarte. Those two makers probably made more Selmer-style four string guitars than anyone since Selmer. I'm certain Dellarte made more Selmer-style mandocellos than anyone!

[Charles E.]

Ed, while not a "Django" style guitarist Eddie Freeman had a Selmer model all his own.

http://www.paulvernonchester.com/Edd...manSpecial.htm

I have not been able to find any recordings so far.

[Ed Goist]

I asked this over on the Tenor Guitar Registry, and someone mentioned that many Django-style rhythm chords can not effectively be played on a 4-string tuned in fifths due to the inability to stack thirds the way one can on a 6-string.

So, they say, it's very difficult to get the Django thing going on a tenor. This said, however, they stressed that great jazz can still be played on a tenor, especially a Selmer-style tenor.

Charley, I too have been looking for recordings/clips from Freeman.

[delsbrother]

Search this forum and the TGR (and Djangobooks') for mention of tenors and EFS guitars. There has been a lot of discussion over the years. The EFS is different from "regular" tenors (even Chicago-tuned ones) in that they are longer scale and reentrant tuned, by design.

I have one of DJ Hodson's replicas, and the tuning is definitely strange sounding. I've heard of several EFS owners who have reverted to Chicago or Plectrum Banjo tunings. I haven't quite figured out what I want to do with mine, to be honest.. Ted Gottsegen probably knows more about playing in "true" EFS tuning than anyone, but he plays mostly six string now. Once you get into banjo/fifths tunings for guitar in jazz, you'll eventually start talking about Carl Kress, Dick McDonough, George Barnes, Tony Mottola, Van Eps, et. al. All banjo players switching to guitar. There's a LOT of great music there, though most of it is not exclusively in fifths tunings.

Another modern player (on six string, but with a banjo tuning) is Doug Mattocks (who was an original Rhythm Brother along with John Jorgenson and Raul Reynoso). Doug sounds very much like Django playing rhythm - but it's so weird watching him because six string players can't comprehend what he's doing by watching his fingers.

Oh, and another maker of Selmer-style tenors is Dupont.

[Rick Jones]

Ed - I've not played tenor guitar, but have played a fair amount of Django- and swing-style style rhythm on 'regular' guitar. In preparation for the 'Mandolin Camp for the Rest of Us', I have been busy the last couple weeks trying to port that knowledge over to mandolin in workable fashion. Not sure I've come across anything you don't already know, but I'll sure look forward to discussing it with you tomorrow in Bloomington!

There is a great band based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the rhythm player plays tenor guitar - and also doubles on Clarinet. They don't play much strict Gypsy-style music, but most of what they do is from that era, and the guitar player has a ton of Gypsy playing in his past. Think archtop guitar, tenor guitar/clarinet, jazz cello - and you've got The Royal Garden Trio. Great stuff.

[Ed Goist]

Rick, thanks for the tip about The Royal Garden Trio! I look forward to researching them and hearing their stuff.
It was great meeting you this past weekend at Jim's Camp. Congratulations on the Selmer-style guitar and the guitar-bodied mandolin you built. They are both exceptional playing and sounding instruments.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to play them!

[mrmando]

Well, here's somebody who used to play a Selmer-style tenor professionally, although he doesn't say what kind of music he used it for:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Exquisite-De...item35bec12bc7

[JPL]

This is something I've been thinking about recently, as I'm on the brink of buying an old National tenor and I'm a big fan of la pompe. Seems like one of those things that COULD be done, but just HASN"T been done --- at least not conspicuously.

I believe the mandolinist from Harmonious Wail plays a bit of tenor guitar . . . certainly, the fact that he and a few other mandolin players have so successfully integrated that instrument into the Gypsy jazz tradition suggests that there's room for an alto-voiced, fifths-tuned guitar in the mix. Just based on the lower range, a tenor is potentially a better rhythm instrument in this context than a mandolin.

When I get this tenor, I'm going to be working with the Buddy Watcher Homespun tenor banjo video, but also the Gypsy Swing for Mandolin books/CDs. I'm sure I'll give the Eddie Freeman tuning a try at some point. Probably won't sound like Django, but it'll sound like something.

[delsbrother]

Seems like something that would make for an interesting workshop at Django in June.

[JPL]

I'll amend to note that Sims Delaney-Potthoff from Harmonious Wail is primarily a mandolinist, but he also plays archtop tenor guitar tuned GDAE.

[Earle Ford]

Hello again,
I think I hit the button too quickly before I finished my reply. Anyways, I am specifically trying to adapt the "Django" style of playing into my tenor. My mind naturally thinks in fifths and I have the most difficult time with improvising on a 6 string guitar. The fellas in my band both play Selmer style 6 string guitars while I prefer my 4 string tuned GDAE. I find that there is some truth in the statements I have read about how it is difficult to translate many of Django's riffs to the tenor because of the in-ability to stack thirds do to only 4 strings and the distance of frets your fingers must travel to do most arpeggiations. However with lots of patience and practice these things are possible. Min6 chord phrasings, Octave phrasings, Gypsy style down stroke picking, general accompaniment reminiscent of tenor banjo playing, 1 finger chromatic scale runs, and general Django style licks lend themselves well but the down stoke single chord arpeggiation into a single line riff is difficult do to only 4 strings. I've got a ruff recording of my group going through Minor Swing for the first time the other night at rehearsal that I'll try and attach. I'm no master but I'm slowly figuring out some of Django's riffs and combining them with my own style playing. Would love to meet more folks interested in Django Style Tenor Guitar playing.

Happy Pickin!
Earle

https://soundcloud.com/earle-of-82/m...town-rehearsal
https://soundcloud.com/earle-of-82/m...rles-rehearsal

[Earle Ford]

The Guitar is Dell' Arte Custom Grande Bouche Tenor made hand made by John Kinard. Spruce top and Bubble Maple back and sides. I should also note that another difficulty with adapting the tenor to Django's sound is the in-ability to find manouche strings that are the appropriate gauges I use. Those strings are as much a part of the Gypsy sound as the picking technique is. The best tone I've been able to achieve is by using phosphor bronze strings and the wound .20 gauge A string is totally necessary.

Thanks
Earle


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9Nh_mQTXOg

[delsbrother]

Ah, so you're playing it like a four string GOM. You might want to check out the late John McGann's stuff, he played a lot of GJ on a Sobell OM.

What scale is yours? Back when DJ Hodson was alive, he sent me on a secret spy mission to Buffalo Bros to scope out a Dellarte EFS. It wasn't the same scale as his, though I can't recall what it was.. In any case, it was a killer instrument, maple b/s. Yours looks a bit shorter, and gosh, what a grande bouche it is. That high Eb looks precarious!

[Verne Andru]

Listing is closed now, but one of these came up recently on Reverb. Wish I had the coin, it looks like a very nice piece.



https://reverb.com/item/5911488-dell...-nitro-lacquer