The Best Gypsy Jazz Guitar

Today we’re going to look at the top Gypsy Jazz guitars available right now and outline who they are most suitable for.

Gypsy jazz guitars have a distinct appearance, with extended necks, a large hollow body, and a considerably bulkier feel than more standard acoustic guitars. This design enables the production of the trademark sounds of Gypsy Jazz, often known as Jazz Manouche.

In this post, we’ll delve into the realm of jazz guitars, with a focus on this popular sub-genre. We’ll choose six of our favorite instruments and explain why we enjoy them, who we believe they’ll fit, and their advantages and disadvantages. We’ll next go through some of the most commonly asked questions concerning gypsy jazz guitars before concluding with our top picks.

I tested 6 products and found Gitane DG-300 to be the best gypsy jazz guitar.

This guitar is perfect for the genre!

Music is a huge part of my life. Through this time I’ve used a number of different guitars, so I understand the process you go through to choose a new instrument. My passion for the Spanish and gypsy guitar world has inspired me to write this article. 

The most appropriate gypsy jazz guitar for you depends on your style, skill level, budget, and taste.

There are a lot of gypsy jazz guitars on the market. The best one for you depends on the tone and feel you’re looking for. Some guitars in this style use nylon strings, others use steel, both have a different sound. To find the Gypsy jazz guitar models should assist players in their technique. 

Keep reading for our full review!

Otherwise, you might be interested in reading our list of the best guitars for beginners or the best headless guitars. 

Top 6 gypsy jazz guitars in our tests

• Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor
• Gitane DG-300 Professional Gypsy Jazz Guitar – Modèle John Jorgenson
• Cigano GJ-10 Petite Bouche Gypsy Jazz Guitar
• Eastman DM1 Gypsy Jazz Guitar Classic
• Gretsch Guitars Jim Dandy Flat Top
• Kadence Acoustica Series Acoustic Electric Guitar

Top gypsy jazz guitars Reviewed in Detail

1. Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor

The Luna Gypsy series features a high-quality, full parlor gypsy jazz guitar with a warm and inviting tone in three distinct profiles: the Parlor Standard, Parlor Pro, and the Parlor Special.

Featuring a beautiful flamed maple top and mahogany back and sides, the Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor Acoustic-Electric Guitar is a versatile model perfect for beginners, children, and more. 

The Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor is a low-cost, high-performance model for creating the gypsy jazz sound. This small guitar can fit in small spaces, making it ideal for traveling players or those working with a small studio. The Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor Acoustic is a great addition to any room of the house.

Product Specifications:

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Fretboard: Solid Mahogany
• Pickup Configuration: Optional Internal

Pros & Cons:

• Small size for portability and lightness. 
• Strong tone for size. 
• Unique appearance, nice wooden finish.
• Optional internal pickup for amplification. 

Verdict:

This is an ideal instrument for players who want a light, comfy model that doesn’t sacrifice tone or power. The Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor Acoustic is a take on the timeless acoustic design that delivers solid performance in any musical scenario at an affordable price. This is ideal if you’ve just started playing, or have small hands.

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2. Gitane DG-300 Professional Gypsy Jazz Guitar - Modèle John Jorgenson

The DG-300 is a gypsy jazz guitar from Gitane with a vintage sound at a new affordable price. This single-cutaway, burst-lap spruce-topped model features a laminated maple body in a sunburst finish and a traditional headstock with Art Deco styling.

This Gitane is a unique, modern, acoustic guitar that can be either used as the main soloist or as an accompaniment. The DG-300 has an almost full-scale body and the sound is one of the best on the market.

The Gitane DG-300 is a classic folk instrument from the Middle East. It was designed in 1935 by André Alain Marion and Jacques Favé, who came up with the idea of using a violin’s top as a resonator for the guitar. The sound is bright like a violin, but with a louder and more edgy tone and greater volume than its predecessor.

A lovely rosewood back and sides provide the warmth and depth you want in your acoustic guitar, a nice woody tone that never overpowers you. This is handcrafted in Gitane’s Lyon, France workshop with the finest components so you know it will be reliable while performing at its best.

Product Specifications:

• Body Material: Spruce and Rosewood. 
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Pickup Configuration: Optional pickup system.

Pros & Cons:

• Deep, woody tone with hints of brightness.
• Loud projection with steel strings.
• Highly stable tuning despite vintage-style tuning heads. 
• Cutaway for upper fret access. 

Verdict:

This is a professional gypsy jazz guitar. Gitane is a premier maker of steel-string acoustic instruments, which has an unmatched reputation for craftsmanship. In 1961, they established a manufacturing plant in their hometown of Seville, Spain, and some of the first instruments were made on the premises. All Gitane instruments are made with passion and commitment to excellence, ensuring that each model has a unique style and appearance.

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3. Cigano GJ-10 Petite Bouche Gypsy Jazz Guitar

The GJ-10 is Cigano’s premium guitar, and it’s no secret that it punches above its weight in both tone and value. Whether you play lead or rhythm guitar, this model is ready to rock your world.

Cigano GJ-10 is a modern tool that takes your tone to the next level. The mahogany body and neck create a powerful sound while the rustic, unfinished look is the perfect complement to all types of music. 

The Cigano Gypsy Jazz is the perfect choice for an aspiring gypsy jazz player. The satin finish and solid spruce top give this instrument a deep, rich sound that’s perfect for gypsy jazz. You’ll love the unique concert cutaway body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and die-cast tuning keys.

The GJ-10 ships with the GJ-7 pickup installed, but if you want a different style of pickup you can install any other compatible models. 

This Cigano is unlike any other gypsy jazz guitar. The slimmer shape and fast action are designed to give you a more modern, robust feel while the mahogany body provides a rich sound with excellent projection.

Not only is this attractive, but it also offers fantastic playability. The top of the body has an arching shape that makes it easy to hold and play with. In addition, the neck joint is more flexible than others, making playing easier and less tiring. With the design of this instrument, you will be able to enjoy playing for hours at a time without straining your hands or wrists.

Product Specifications:

• Body Material: Sitka
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Pickup Configuration: Internal GJ-7 Acoustic Pickup.

Pros & Cons:

• One of the nicest sounding guitars on this list. 
• Includes pickup for amplification.
• Cutaway for upper fret access. 

Verdict:

The Cigano GJ-10 is a unique guitar with an elegant design, and is perfectly capable of imitating the sound of a jazz guitar. It features super tonewoods, a compensated mustache bridge, and a brass tailpiece that is traditional to the genre.

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4. Eastman DM1 Gypsy Jazz Guitar Classic

The Eastman DM1 Gypsy Jazz is a six-string acoustic guitar that’s known for its distinctive tone, thanks to its solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and maple neck.

This Gypsy Jazz guitar sets a new standard of excellence in musical expression. Featuring the warmth and versatility of rosewood back and sides with bone nut, maple neck, and spruce top, this Gypsy Jazz is the perfect instrument for the widest range of musical styles

This guitar is designed with the flexibility of jazz and the expressive ease of the blues. This is best used by a guitarist who is looking for a unique tone that can be applied to all musical styles. Also features a unique small mouth-shaped soundhole.

The Eastman DM1 Gypsy Jazz guitar is the perfect instrument for the player who wants to create a personal tone. With its comfortable, contoured neck and brass-reinforced tuners, it’s a joy to play. In addition to the standard finish, you can get this in a variety of colors and with various types of wood including spruce and mahogany.

Product Specifications:

• Body Material: Spruce and Maple.
• Fretboard: Rosewood.
• Pickup Configuration: Optional.

Pros & Cons:

• Attractive, rich tone.
• Dark wooden finish.
• Traditional style bridge for an authentic jazz tone. 
• Super comfortable fretboard.

Verdict:

Eastman has been building professional-quality instruments for over a century and this is top-notch. It features the finest selection of tonewoods and is accented with an ebony fingerboard and bridge. The Grover tuners ensure that you’ll never have to worry about tuning issues, either. It’s comfortable to play, too – very easy on the hands. This is a pro-grade instrument that is ideal for gypsy jazz players.

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5. Gretsch Guitars Jim Dandy Flat Top

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Gretsch”? For many people, it’s the iconic guitars made by the company, but did you know that Gretsch also creates a full line of acoustic instruments? From guitars to violins, violas, and cellos to ukuleles, mandolins, and banjos – they have it all! 

The Gretsch G5310 Jim Dandy Electric is the perfect instrument to make sitting in your living room sound just like an acoustic gig. It’s a modern take on the original “Dandy” guitar with a gloss finish, rosewood fretboard, and dot inlays.

This Gretsch, the Gretsch Jim Dandy, is a beautiful instrument. The white purfling and rosette on the fretboard are both rare features that make this one instrument more desirable than any other. 

It combines the authentic vintage Gretsch sound with a modern feel. With its carved top, bound soundhole, and white purfling and rosette, this has a rich look that will make your sound shine.It also includes a built-in pickup for amplification and recording.

The Gretsch Jim Dandy is the perfect example of the brand’s iconography, with a vintage sunburst finish, a comfortable body shape and scale length, and a set of premium components. This is a smaller, ¾ sized gypsy jazz guitar, so it’s ideal for traveling. These retro-style instruments are perfect for playing gypsy jazz and similar styles of music. 

Product Specifications:

• Body Material: Agathis
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Pickup Configuration: Built-in Pickup

Pros & Cons:

• Smaller sizer, easy for transportation.
• Includes built-in pickup for amplification and recording.
• Retro look and sound, faithful to vintage guitars. 

Verdict:

The Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor-size guitar offers the classic Gretsch tone with a retro, stylish look. With a modernized body and a familiar, vintage sound, it’s built with the specs that players have wanted for generations. The inclusion of a pickup makes it even stronger for busking and gigging.

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6. Kadence Acoustica Series Acoustic Electric Guitar

These affordable acoustic-electric guitars are made of premium materials with a range of features to ensure you get the tone and playability you deserve.

If you’re looking for a great guitar, look no further than the Kadence Acoustica series. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned pro, this line of guitars offers you the perfect instrument for playing your favorite songs in styles including rock, metal, country, blues, and pop.

The Kadence Acoustica Series is a gypsy jazz guitar that offers the highest tone and feels. It’s beautifully designed and built to last. Designed with adjustable action, it’s a well-built guitar that can be adjusted to your liking. With a few tools, you can even customize it to your preferred specifications.

Strings create the personality of a guitar, so it’s important to pay attention to them and make sure they last as long as possible. The strings that come with this instrument are bronze, which creates a fantastic, bright tone. 

When it comes to matching the perfect tone to your playing, you can’t beat a Kadence guitar. The patented design makes tuning easy and accurate, and this acoustic-electric has a built-in preamp for enhanced sound. With acoustic-electric sounds at your fingertips, you’ll be ready to hit the stage in no time.

Product Specifications:

• Body Material: Ash and Basswood
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Pickup Configuration: Built-in pickup

Pros & Cons:

• Affordable
• Includes pickup, which is surprising in this price range
• Well-designed guitar, cool natural finish
• Relatively average tone

Verdict:

The Kadence Acoustica Series is a collection of acoustic instruments that are beautifully crafted and provide a rich sound. Each instrument provides a unique experience that will inspire the musician in you. This is a very affordable instrument that fits in the budget category. These guitars are a great starting point for those looking to start playing this style of music.

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What is a Gypsy Jazz Guitar?

Gypsy Jazz guitars are acoustic instruments that were created in the late 1920s and 1930s. They are most commonly associated with jazz music, but can also be found in folk, blues, and country music.

The gypsy jazz guitar bridge is usually made of metal and the strings are at a higher tension than those of an acoustic guitar. They often also feature a smaller soundhole called a “Small Mouth”.

Gypsy jazz guitars are acoustic stringed instruments that are played with a distinctive percussive technique. The strings of these guitars are not plucked to play the melody, but rather they are strummed to create rhythmic accompaniment

FAQ’s

Conclusion

Overall, I thought the top gypsy jazz guitar was the Gitane DG-300.

The Gitane DG-300 is a classic guitar with the perfect combination of looks and sound. The slightly arched spruce top is a perfect complement to the beautifully hand-carved spruce Honduran rosewood back and sides. With a warm, rich, and complex sound, this guitar is perfect for country, blues, or fingerstyle players.

Check out the Gitane DG-300 today!
Still, looking for a great guitar? Check out our guide of the best guitars for women.