WHICH GUITAR SHOULD I CHOOSE?

🎸 Learn gypsy jazz guitar with Joscho Stephan!
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0:00 Introduction
0:32 D-Hole Guitar
1:29 O-Hole Guitar
2:38 Which one is better?
3:17 End Screen

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[GodfreyGuitar]

One important difference is that it’s a lot harder to get your pick out if you drop it in an O hole guitar. :)

[clartypaths]

Joscho, listening to you play over the years has helped lift me from a state of depression, and I just wanted to say thank you :)

[Fitzliputzli]

Think the o-whole is louder because it sacrifices low frequencies. So, back in the day, when amplification was a problem the o-hole was the soloist's first choice. But to my ears the d-hole sounds warmer and more ballanced. If your style goes a little beyond an exact Django replication I'd recomment the d-hole (wich, btw, still sounds a whole lot like Django ...)

[tiemanschnitzel]

This guy is definitely a major talent, one of the best out there.
I never appreciated any form of jazz til now I'm thinking on getting a gypsy guitar

[garyschneider]

In my OPINION… The D hole guitar has a flatter sound with more string 'brass' (or buzz) and a much fuller (pronounced) 'bass' end, and the and O hole has a rounder sound on each string (closer to that of a nylon string classical guitar) with less buzz and bass.

Because of its fuller and more distributed sound, the D hole is typically used more often for 'rhythm' guitar work (the buzz or brightness helps to promote the comping rhythm and the bass helps to create a fuller alternating bass & chord accompaniment). While the O hole may have less of a fuller range, it has a much more focused 'top end' sound, which can be better suited for a lot of 'lead' guitar work -- which would have been an important feature in night clubs well before amplification of the guitar was even possible.

Having said that though, I prefer to hear two guitarists each use a different guitar and then freely trade the lead and rhythm parts back and forth with one another to really showcase the complete range of sounds that these two guitar formats can accomplish with this style of music.

As a guitarist, you may find that you have or develop a preference that’s based on either a sound that you experience when you play the guitar (what YOU hear from mainly the guitar's body) or from what your audience hears (from their perspective of the sound hole). There's no right or wrong answer here... it is very much a personal bias of which sound you're trying to hear for yourself or present to the listener.

Having played both, I still 'personally' prefer the D hole for the fuller range of sound.... but that's just my own bias. I suggest that you try out both for yourself to find out which one works best for you. Then buy one and never look back, because there is simply nothing like playing either one of these guitars (even for other styles of music, such as jazz, bluegrass, Dixieland, country & western, folk, etc.).

[blessedspaghetti]

i love the way the oval hole style sounds for rhythm playing. it has a bit more of a "ka-chunk" to it in my opinion

[chasehaggard]

Hey from Milwaukee Wisconsin!
My Gypsy Jazz teacher Scott told me the D Hole design was also to accommodate a internal resonator back in the day which blew my mind! Can’t imagine how heavy that was.

[butthemeatwasbad]

Could you do a side-by-side playing the exact same examples? It'd be great to hear the tonal differences in range between them.

[jimajello]

Joscho, sharing your swing & jazz guitar style has inspired me to advance. I have known Lew London for many years. He plays very much in the same idiom. This is a style that takes alot of proficiency to master. Henceforth a treasure to hear. Now I can say I have two very inspirational mentors. You & Lew London. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Jim Silk

[stevedouglas]

Great information! I've always wondered about the difference between these two guitars. Thank you Joscho for taking the time to do this video!

[valleybrook]

I like both guitars. I prefer when you play these acoustic qypsy guitars before the electric guitars you sometimes play. Your type of playing and musicality really shines on the gypsy guitars!

[zygotegarden]

It was so interesting to hear you play the two different styles, D hole and oval, back to back. I feel now I understand a little bit more about why people might prefer one style over another. Once I learn a bit more and get more experience, I hope to try them out myself someday and see which I like best. Thank you.

[durich]

Oscar Aleman said there was nothing like his Selmer D hole model, unique guitar

[Matt]

I just discovered Joscho’s new album the other day, excellent and beautiful work as always! So glad to see you networking on here for all of us to gain insight on someone who truly understands music :)

[RockStarOscarStern]

The D hole is called Guitare à grand bouche, & the Oval hole is called Guitare à petite bouche.

[ElmoresGuitarsInc]

My favourite channel...I just wish I could harness the controlled aggression in the attack. I don't usually use a pick so I have to relearn. Fun though 🙂

[gutierrezmartinezjosedavid]

Joscho!! Saludos desde México! MX,

Sin duda alguna eres una gran influencia e ídolo!

[sierenzer]

Die Gitarre mit dem ovalen Loch hat zwar eine ungewöhnlich lange Mensur, dafür einen schmalen Hals, was wichtiger für mich ist. Deshalb komme ich mit der Gitarre mit dem ovalen Loch besser zurecht. Ich kenne Kollegen und Kolleginnen mit grösseren Händen, die die Gitarre mit dem D-Loch vorziehen. Aus ergonomischen Gründen.
Wir alle verwenden 11er Argentine-Saiten (Stahl, nicht Nylon).
Dass der Punkt beim 10. statt beim 9. Bund ist, nehme ich als Herausforderung etwas flexibler zu werden.

[jonascarrillo]

As a non gypsy jazz player, I prefer the O shape because it´s the sound of the voodoo vince soundtrack. :)

[lukewilliamsactual]

One of my students bought a D hole that had a position marker on the 10th fret instead on the 9th. I couldn't play it. It completely messed me up!