From the collection of Tony Walker (stalwart of the Gypsy Jazz community and creator of JWC Guitars) we have this absolutely gorgeous, awe inspiring, all original, 1932 Selmer Maccaferri guitar in excellent condition with its rare, original case..!

Tony bought this guitar in 2009 from a lady in York, who’s father had owned it for at least the previous 40 years in South Wales. It’s likely this guitar has lived its entire life in the UK, with the order details showing that it was originally delivered to Selmer London in May 1932.

This guitar is one of the first hundred, and one of the first ten guitars with a registered serial number made by Selmer and overseen by Mario Maccaferri. 

In 1932, Henri Selmer collaborated with Italian guitarists and luthier Mario Maccaferri to design acoustic guitars that could hold their own in a band situation, similar to what Gibson had achieved in 1922 with the L5. The result was the Jazz/Orchestre form with its angular design, distinctive “Grande Bouche’ sound hole and blend of arch top and classical guitar design features.

In addition, Maccaferri designed a resonator that sat inside the sound hole to better project the sound, a feature that was later dropped following the pair's separation in 1934. It’s very rare to see an original run Selmer with the Resonator still intact, but in this guitar its still present and adds a really nice dimension to the sound. See the attached picture from the Selmer book that explains the construction and workings of the resonator.

The tailpiece is in really nice condition and is the angled version seen on only the very earliest guitars. The rosewood ‘moustache’ position markers and floating bridge are in great shape.

The rosewood back and sides too are free of any damage. The back has a few marks and scratches as you’d expect from an 80+ year old instrument. The Walnut neck still has its glossy sheen with some lacquer wear here and there. The Ebony fretboard is fantastic, and a recent re-fret means this will be a great player for years to come. The stained rosewood veneer on the headstock is engraved with the stylish Selmer logo, the tuners being the sealed oil-bath variety designed by Mario Maccaferri.

The guitar comes with its original hardshell case, which in itself is a work of art and I think you would struggle to find a finer one.

This guitar has a wonderful tone which is well balanced across all strings, great for any number of musical scenarios and it plays well with good intonation. It comes alive when played in the Manouche style, 

These are extremely rare particularly with all the original parts and without any repairs, which is the case with any Selmer of the same period. A unique piece and dare we say it, probably the finest example around right now, anywhere…