Dupont MD-50E

**Jehu** · 10-08-2014, 07:24 PM

UPDATE: This guitar turned out to be a fake. See post #23.

Well, I'm not exactly sure how this happened; I certainly haven't been spending my days out shopping for a gypsy guitar. But an outrageously good deal crossed my path and I just couldn't let it slip away.

So I find myself in the possession of a beautiful 2011 Dupont MD-50E. The guitar is practically flawless except for a very shallow finish ding on the headstock. The neck might be described as baseball-bat-esque, at least in comparison to what I normally play, but for whatever reason that just feels right on this guitar. I wasn't prepared for how loud and clear this puppy is!

The only problem is that I can't play manouche to save my life. I guess I'll have to work on that.

Dupont MD-50E-2014-10-09-11-38-55-jpg

**JSanta** · 10-08-2014, 07:31 PM

Welcome to the GJ club! I've been playing my Altamira quite a bit. There are some fantastic resources available over at Djangobooks.com. I've bought several books and they have helped a lot. Shoot me a PM if you want anymore info.

Duponts are widely regarded as some of the finest manouche guitars available, so you have a wonderful instrument there. Congrats!

**Jehu** · 10-08-2014, 10:53 PM

Cool, thanks JSanta. I've been lurking on the Djangobooks forums for a while now, and soaking up information. I've especially been digging into anything of Denis Chang's that I come across... dude seems to know what he's doing.

(OT, I sometimes get your forum name confused with another member that goes by 'yaclaus'. Associationist networks in action.)

**Keira Witherkay** · 10-09-2014, 12:45 AM

awesome buy.... i want one too

**ninjasan** · 10-09-2014, 01:54 AM

Wonderfull Maurice Dupont Guitar congratulations !

What Is the neck's scale ?

christophe

**Jehu** · 10-09-2014, 03:56 AM

The scale is 670mm (~26.4"), which will take some getting used to. As will that 10th fret position marker! Crazy French people.

**339 in june** · 10-09-2014, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by Jehu

. I wasn't prepared for how loud and clear this puppy is!

I know what you feel
It reminds a time when a friend of mine lend me his Di Mauro ! What a shock !

Congrats on your very, very nice purchase !

When I grow up, I'm gonna get me one, too !

**jaco** · 10-09-2014, 09:40 AM

I pick up my Altimira M10 this afternoon. The Dupont is beautiful. Congrats on a great guitar.

**D.G.** · 10-09-2014, 01:19 PM

:drool: That's a killer guitar you have there! A Dupont is what I want when I grow up

**Jabberwocky** · 10-09-2014, 01:36 PM

Congrats. Nice.

**mr. beaumont** · 10-09-2014, 02:04 PM

Yeah...that looks like a winner.

**Patrick2** · 10-09-2014, 02:08 PM

That's a gorgeous guitar. But, then again . . I usually do find myself loving of things out of Cognac, France . . . only in the past they've usually been in very decorative Baccarat crystal bottles. ;-) I love the matching black appointments, binding, rosette, tail piece insert . . . and how they contrast with that beautifully clear spruce top. The bridge is out of this world beautiful.

Congrats and Happy NGJG Day!!!!

**D.G.** · 10-09-2014, 02:13 PM

I've played that model, it's a winner. Loud enough to be heard in a busy jam session with a good trad tone that has lots of cut. I prefer the grande bouche to the petite bouche, so for me it'd be one of these (which I've also played):

2012 Dupont MDC50 - DjangoBooks.com

I have been recently thinking of getting a petite bouche Altamira and putting a Stimer type pickup on it solely for electric playing, but gotta get the cc balance down first

If you're just getting into gypsy (not that you can't play any style you want on that guitar) make sure you bookmark Django Reinhardt & Gypsy Jazz Books, CDs, Videos, Strings, Guitars, and More! - DjangoBooks.com

**Jehu** · 10-09-2014, 11:51 PM

That one looks and sounds pretty awesome, DG... I say just go for it. You don't really need a car anyway, do you?

I've always thought the D-hole would be more my style given all the thin, trebly-sounding clips of petit bouches I've heard. But I was actually surprised by how much body this one has, particularly on the low E and A strings.

The next challenge is sorting out a pick to use. Initial investigations suggest that if I want any of the usual gypsy picks (Wegen, etc.) I'll have to order one from afar. In the meantime I've been trying to use the blunt end of one of my standard 1.2mm picks.

**ninjasan** · 10-10-2014, 07:55 AM

Jay,

you have sheets of hard wood from your current project, and all the skill
to make boutique picks :-)
Does the guitar sound "wizth zhé french âccènté" ?

christophe

**mr. beaumont** · 10-10-2014, 08:17 AM

Moustache picks!

**JSanta** · 10-10-2014, 09:42 AM

Big fan of the Vladimir Muzic picks. I tried the Wegen and it just didn't have "that" sound to me. Gave the Vladiator a shot and I love it.

Vladimir Muzic Vladiator - DjangoBooks.com

**D.G.** · 10-10-2014, 03:12 PM

Do yourself a favor and get the Wegen Gypsy Standard. Even if you experiment with other picks, you'll always want one in your arsenal

**Jehu** · 10-11-2014, 12:14 AM

Thanks for the pick suggestions folks, I have some experimenting to do once I save up some money!

In the meantime, I thought I might take ninjasan's suggestion and roll my own. I tried to get the bevel in the Wegen ballpark based on photos. Both are 3.5mm; puriri on the left and some sort of South Pacific rosewood on the right.

Dupont MD-50E-2014-10-11-16-51-35-jpg

Question for those who have dabbled in the gypsy picking: I know the fundamentalists will say you have to abandon your previous picking style, but have others been successful in gypsy picking manouche but sticking with their normal approach (alternate or whatever the case may be) for straight-ahead jazz?

**D.G.** · 10-11-2014, 01:57 AM

The basis of gypsy picking technique is trying the get the absolute most acoustic volume you can out of the instrument. Pick further back than you're used to, somewhere between the back end of the sound hole and the bridge. Initially, stop using slurs and pick everything. Use rest strokes (down strokes) as often as possible. You can use alternate picking, but you won't get the same amount of volume, which is essential for the style.

**Jehu** · 10-11-2014, 04:19 PM

Yes, definitely a different technique than what I'm accustomed to -- the volume of the picking technique coupled with the volume of the guitar might make for some very grumpy neighbours for the first while!

I guess I'm wondering if it's possible to sort of treat gypsy and straight-ahead as different instruments. Can gypsy picking (when playing the style) co-exist with alternate picking (when not playing manouche)? Have others had success with that?

**D.G.** · 10-11-2014, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Jehu

I guess I'm wondering if it's possible to sort of treat gypsy and straight-ahead as different instruments. Can gypsy picking (when playing the style) co-exist with alternate picking (when not playing manouche)? Have others had success with that?

I'd say yes, especially if you're not too worried about stylistic exactness.

I'd also say that the first thing to get down is not gypsy picking, but gypsy rhythm. That's the real basis of the style.

**Jehu** · 10-14-2014, 09:50 PM

Well, this story has taken quite a turn of events, but long story short: It turns out the guitar is counterfeit, confirmed through correspondence with Maurice Dupont. I was tipped off by the non-Dupont tailpiece and the smaller-than-normal position markers.

Fortunately I did not pay anything close to what a real Dupont is worth, and was able to recoup an appropriate amount of money from the seller. I do not believe he had any ill intentions (another story unto itself that I won't get into).

So in the end I have an inexpensive, nice playing, sounding, and looking guitar -- but certainly not a Dupont.

Caveat emptor, carpe diem, etc.