2007 Shelley Park Elan 14-Fret Gypsy-Jazz D-Hole Guitar

I've been lucky enough to have a few Shelley Park gypsy-jazz guitars pass through the doors of the shop. They're always a treat and each time I've been duly impressed by her builds. My friend Greg played this one in his family gypsy-jazz outfit for about a decade, as I recall, and also on side-jobs and other adventures. He takes care of his instruments and even though he bought this one used at the time, he's kept it in fantastic condition through all those gigs and recording sessions.

As gypsy-jazz guitars go, the Park-style instruments seem to generally offer "a bit more" than the standard hot-to-trot, cut-and-snap, Selmer-Maccaferri tone. This one's got that percussive, saucy attack when you dig into it, for sure, but it also has more depth, warmth, and "wideness" of palette as well. It makes a great jazz guitar in general and I could easily see someone foregoing the use of a carved-top archtop in favor of this instrument for the same situation one might bring a carved-top to. It's also woody and breathy enough to play folk-style cowboy chords on and not have anyone bat an eye about it, too.

Greg installed a K&K pickup under the hood and it has a good, even sound to it plugged-in. Acoustically, though, is definitely where it's at. This can cut and stomp on other guitars in a group with the best of them, if desired, or hang back and saturate the rhythm section if not -- all the while sitting nicely in a mix. I wish I could play well enough in the style in the demo to show off the instrument at its best, but if you hunt Greg's outfit They Might By Gypsies up online, you'll hear this guitar played beautifully right away.

Repairs included: a fret level/dress and setup.

Weight: 4 lbs 4 oz

Scale length: 25 1/8"

Nut width: 1 11/6"

Neck shape: slim-medium D/C

Board radius: 16"

Body width: 15 5/8"

Body depth: 4"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid rosewood

Bracing type: ladder

Bridge: ebony

Fretboard: ebony

Neck wood: mahogany(?)

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 48w-11 or close to it, silverplated copper basses

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-jumbo

Condition notes: it's very clean with just a hair of playwear here and there but -- really -- it looks like it could have popped off a music store shelf as a little "shopworn." It's been taken care-of. The only bits that really show its age are the hardware (which has oxidized a bit) and that the finish has subtle weather-checking here and there throughout.

It comes with: its original case, missing a handle, though I will put some sort of handle on it before it ships.