Saga DG-100

Bought this used. This is a Selmer Gypsy Jazz styled guitar from around the late 1980's. Japanese made, rumored to be from the K. Yairi factory, but not confirmed. It has a laminated mahogany back and sides and a laminated spruce top, bound body, slotted mahogany headstock, flat 1 7/8" mahogany neck, at the nut, with adjustable truss rod, mustache bridge with movable middle section for intonation and a Selmer imitation trapeze tailpiece with wood insert. Cremona finish and Saga on the headstock in a Selmer looking emblem. Small oval, "petite bouche", sound hole.

You get what you pay for and this one was meant as less expensive guitar in the Selmer style with laminated body materials, so that's not a fault. Because of this I would give it a 6, but one thing about these guitars stands out as a mitigating feature worth A LOT!! They are meant to be played with light gauge, as in electric type gauge strings! The light ladder bracing and big bridge accomadate light strings and let you get EASY, butter like action on these, if you want it, and still get great sound. (And this design was from the 1930's? We're talking fast, smooth, light action that really rings and makes playing acoustic as easy on the old hands and muscles as playing electric!) This is a VERY over looked feature that more acoustic manufacturers should use, because it makes a HUGE difference in playing acoustic guitar!

I don't play gypsy jazz music, (though I love to hear it). My heart is in Blues/Rock/Folk, which at first seemed out of place on this guitar. But after playing it at the store I just really had fun with this guitar and figured you can play anything on a good instrument, and this is that. I switched out the regular acoustic strings that came on it for the requisite silver coated copper strings traditional for these guitars and that made a HUGE difference in the sound. (It also seems to really make a difference where you pick the guitar. There is definately a sweet spot that brings out the Django tone, which on this guitar is just behind the sound hole closer to the bridge. I usually play more over the soundhole, but that just doesn't sound right on this guitar.) The tone is, well, bright and penetrating and loud. It cuts through very well. At first it seemed too bright to me, but the more I played it the more I liked it. I put on a Django CD as a reference and it is that kind of tone. (Though of course my playing is no where close to the master!) Anyway, it doesn't sound like a typical Dreadnaught from the Martin mold, or any X-braced box I've ever strummed. So, if you want a mellow traditional sound from your guitar, this aint it. If you like things more spicy, you will love the flavors you get here. The laminated spruce top holds it back from a better sound, but again, it was meant to be this way so that's not a fault, just a realistic appraisal. Still, it sounds pretty dang good and I have to give it a 7.

I remember when Japanese guitars were cheap, at least the ones that made it to the USA stores. That has changed of course and the guitars from Japan are some of the best made out there. (And Korea and China are gaining fast!) The materials on this are budget minded, but the construction is very good. There is an ever so slight twist to the neck towards the treble side, but not enough to degrade the playability of the guitar. I got out my Christmas lights and small mirror and lowered both into the guitar to take a look around and was very pleased with the craftmanship. Clean, tight and well made.

Again, the best thing going for these guitars in my mind, (not being a gypsy player), is that you can get a great sound out of a light action acoustic guitar. So the action scores a 10 for this category.

I bought this as a "knockabout" guitar for travel and to lean against the wall at home for easy access. With kids, dogs, cats and you name it passing it every day I wanted a guitar that I didn't have to worry about. Hence the desirability of the laminated construction and lower cost. It seems very durable, though I understand most of these style of guitars are more delicate.

Bought it used so this category doesn't count. I did e-mail Saga several times to see if I could get more info on this guitar and they did respond with what info they had. I suspect they would back up their new guitars.

Again, I bought this as more of a beater guitar that I could play whenever/wherever and not worry about, but it's more than that. I've really gotten to enjoy this guitar very much and it has done the best thing a guitar can do, made me want to pick it up and play more and expand my music ability. I've had old Martins, Gibsons, Guilds and more and all of them were nice guitars with their sound, but none of them appealed to me in the same way this acoustic does. It is just SO FUN to play and the tone really pleases me. Since most people consider these for "Django Syle" Gypsy Jazz playing I think they get overlooked as just a good acoustic instrument for many styles. The ability to get a good sound with an electric type action is worth a lot to me, (and I think many other players if they only knew!)