Django Reinhardt's Sound
Two working fingers, an acoustic archtop, and the birth of European jazz guitar.
Bright, percussive acoustic attack with enormous volume and swing
The rig
The gear associated with the sound. Each item opens a live Reverb search — vintage examples where they exist, modern equivalents where they don't.
Guitars
- Selmer-Maccaferri Modèle JazzFind on Reverb
- Various acoustic archtopsFind on Reverb
Amps
- Occasional early electric amplification in the late 1940sFind on Reverb
Effects
- NoneFind on Reverb
Other
- Heavy gauge strings and a thick plectrum for volume in an unamplified bandFind on Reverb
Why it sounds like that
Minor Swing
Pure acoustic Selmer projection — the volume and cut come entirely from technique and instrument design.
Nuages
Softer, more lyrical attack showing how much dynamic control he had without amplification.
Similar sounds
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