Description

Selmer Bouche Ronde (Roundhole) #442 from 1938, in exquisite original and preserved condition.

Here is a very rare variation of the Selmer steel-string jazz guitar, built during what is commonly referred to as the transition period - that is, the production era that took place between Mario Maccaferri's departure in 1934 and the establishment of the definitive form of the Jazz model with fourteen frets clear of the body and a small oval soundhole, which appeared between 1936 and the early 1940s.

During this period, the workers operating out of the small corner of Selmer's Mantes-la-Ville factory dedicated to guitar building gradually abandoned the concepts established by Maccaferri at the beginning of the decade: they renounced the orignal construction of guitars with a large D-hole and internal resonator, this element proving to be more cumbersome and problematic than anything else for any intervention requiring access to the inside of the guitars (repairing cracks or breaks, regluing internal parts, etc.); they also cast aside all models except the 6-string Orchestra / Jazz model, while at the time of Selmer-Maccaferri there were nearly ten distinct styles which included tenor, classical or Hawaiian guitars. All of these models, aside from some rare exceptions, were not to see the light of day after 1935. As a result, there remained a whole stock of parts intended for the construction of the now repudiated models that the workers would put to good use to assemble the steel-string Jazz models which were now the most in demand on the French market - this explains the jumbled production of instruments incorporating twelve-fret necks, classical-style headstocks, D-hole, small oval or round soundholes, with or without a cutaway... we can note the progressive refinement of these construction characteristics, following the requests of musicians including high-profile Selmer players like Django Reinhardt, leading up at the end of the 1930s to the ultimate form with a small oval mouth and a fourteen-fret neck, which would be used until the definitive suspension of Selmer guitar production around 1951.

The Bouche Ronde model presented here is very interesting in several respects: it is eminently representative of the transition period previously described, since it has a twelve-fret neck with an Orchestra-type headstock, as well as a cutaway soundboard with a round soundhole (the rosette has concentric rings alternating light and dark wood, only the central band is blue) - it can be hypothesized that this top was initially intended for a Espagnol model (whose dimensions are identical to those found on this guitar), before being adapted for steel strings with the addition of parallel bracing, a tailpiece and floating bridge as well as a cutaway. Alternatively, the instrument could have been built to order for a musician wanting this particular combination of characteristics. An other note, this particular guitar's manufacturing date is given in Selmer's factory ledgers as October 28, 1938, which seems relatively late to be considered as truly from the transitional period. However, #442 is part of a short run of guitars with identical characteristics numbered between 440 and 450, which rather supports the first theory of repurposing unused parts from the defunct models of the Maccaferri era.

The instrument remains to this day in very beautiful original and preserved condition, with all its main parts: spruce top; veneered rosewood back and sides; ebony fingerboard, bridge and moustache. The guitar also has its tuners and tailpiece stamped with the Henri Selmer et Cie brand, as well as its original French polish finish.

Appraised, prepared and set up in our workshop, this extremely rare Selmer is fully optimised for playing.

Sold in a modern fitted hardshell case. Accompanied by its certificate of authenticity by Jérôme Casanova.


INTERNATIONAL BUYERS


We offer shipping on of all our instruments across the globe, professionally packed and insured in full. With the experience of dozens of guitars sold outside of the European Union every year, we are well aware of the headaches that may occur in dealing with customs and border controls, but being perfectly acquainted with these processes and handling the paperwork they require, we can offer our international clients trouble-free acquisitions. Feel free to get in touch with any questions regarding the import of one of our instruments into your country.


GUARANTEES & CERTIFICATES OF AUTHENTICITY


  • As luthiers first and foremost, we ensure every single instrument that comes through our shop receives any necessary work to ensure irreproachable playability. Our most basic setup systematically includes a full fret levelling and polishing job, adjustment of action and intonation at the nut and bridge, and when applicable cleaning and adjustment of electronics. Other common jobs include refrets, crafting new bone nuts and saddles, neck resets, as well as much more complex restoration tasks - under the supervision of Jerome Casanova, who benefits from over 30 years experience in building and restoring high-end guitars from all styles and eras - from baroque and romantic period instruments to Spanish and American guitars, through French jazz guitars and specifically Selmers. As such, you can be assured that every job is conducted with the greatest care to preserve all of the original elements and historical integrity of the rare and vintage instruments we work on prior to sale.

  • All of our most high-end guitars are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity produced by Jérôme Casanova, which ensures the conformity of all the elements that make up the instrument. This legally binding document acts as an identity document for the guitar it accompanies, and constitutes a serious guarantee within a collection or in the case of a resale since it authenticates and certifies the originality of the instrument, which greatly influences the perpetuation of its market value. As a recognised expert in the field of plucked string instruments, Jérôme Casanova provides appraisal services for private collectors around the world, public institutions such as the Crédit Municipal de Paris and auction houses such as Vichy Enchères, Drouot Enchères, and others. The certificates of authenticity delivered in such contexts are an added source of trust and transparency and bring significant assurance to any transaction or collection.

Galerie Casanova

Galerie Casanova

1938
Selmer
Very Good
Hard
$21,000
Galerie Casanova
Jérôme Casanova
+33142333893
Paris,
12:13 PM
Wednesday to Saturday 2PM to 6PM (UTC+1)

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Professional packing and shipping worldwide, all shipments are fully insured. Instruments are only shipped after we receive payment in full. All items ship via LaPoste - Colissimo, please enquire for alternate shipping methods (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.)

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