Russ I wondered if you were interested in seeing this http://www.rondomusic.com/djg1.html
It is SX and is a Korean made copy but my experience with Rondo Music is that their Korean copies are very good value. I have bought a few guitars from them in the past and have been very happy with them. It may be more liked you had hoped from that other Selmer copy you tried.

Thanks, Nigel. Just ordered it. Per my email, I recently bought a Cordoba "D" model ("D" stands for shape of the sound hole) with a pre-amp and piezo.

We'll check these things out. Can't believe the price...over $500.00 less than I paid for the one I just got.

Know you have been strong on them for a while.

Thanks for the info. I'll let you know what I think. A very common problem with this design is buzzing strings. Almost every one I've seen has this problem, because there's no way to raise the bridge. It's a problem with $1000.00 plus "axes" of this design.

Hope this one is OK. My new one is right on the edge. Very heavy strings help, but don't fix the problem.

Thanks again,


Russ

Thanks for the link Nigel. I'm still looking for a good copy of an original selmer... Most of them suck big time.

Russ, I'm very interested in your opinion!
Let me know what you think of it!

Greetings,
Fred

Forgot to mention.
You might think of using pick's cut out of Ivory (mammuth ivory)
I bought a couple of those years ago and they give much more dynamic to the sound.



[This message has been edited by freddynl (edited 06-12-2008).]

Hey Fred...the guitar is to be delivered next Tuesday. The Cordoba line is from Spain, with some Chinese production. I bought a Guitaron from them...pretty good. But, the Selmer copy has problems, and the Saga I had was a disaster. I'll let you know...can't imagine
a $200.00 instrument being much but have my fingers crossed.

Good to hear from you...


Russ

Rondomusic will let you return guitars if there are any problems. They are good about that. I hope it works out good. As you say you can't expect miracles for $200 but hopefully it is still a nice playable instrument.

[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 06-13-2008).]

I have one of the Saga guitars. Indeed I have trouble with string buzz, but I have put a tapered shim under the bridge, because mostly it is just the low strings that buzz. so it's thickest under the E string, and tapers to a bit thinner under the A string. In order for the strings not to buzz the action does need to be higher than I'd like, but it is a reasonable guitar for $400. I haven't tried any of their $1000 guitars that Jorgensen endorses.

I'm playing with a group here in Nashville called the Gypsy Hombres. Playing guitar and accordion. The other guitarist is using a Saga; so for contrast, I'm playing my Eastman archtop. Creates a nice, if somewhat nontraditional, mix of textures.

Rory, I'm having a shim made for the Cordoba copy of a Selmer "D" I just got. Like your Saga, the lower strings buzz and the only fix will be to raise the bridge. It's strange...this one has a preamp, and there's no pre-amp model in their catalog.

I'll use this on some of my restaurant gigs.
Sorry you'll be out of town this week-end. would have enjoyed a visit at NAMM sessions or after hours.


Be well, and thanks in advance for helping with my little charity project.


Russ