DjangoGuitars.com, Laguna Beach CA

I've had 2 fairly expensive (for me) gypsy jazz guitars, and not been satisfied with either. One was more playable, but didn't sound great. The other had a great sound, but was hard to play.

I met Tommy at DjangoFest Northwest (DFNW), where I was signed up for a workshop with him. It turned out that this year's fest was sparsely attended by musicians, due to the pandemic and its secondary effects. So I was the lone student in the workshop, and I benefitted *HUGELY* from it.

I had brought the guitar that was easier to play but didn't have a great sound. Tommy assessed it and absolutely transformed it with hours of his donated time, on a day when he had a public performance scheduled for the afternoon! The only charge, beyond the nominal workshop fee, was for a new bridge that was necessary to transform the sound. He did a complete fret leveling, crowning, and polishing (involving layer after layer of painstaking work with ever-finer abrasives), really, I think because he took pity on me, but also to demonstrate what a great setup can do for these guitars. And that he did - my guitar plays like a dream, easier than I could have ever hoped for. And it sounds better at the same time. And *I* sound better. So I am grateful, and that's why I'm writing this.

OK, long story, but my point is this - I've brought this guitar in to other competent guitar technicians, but none have been able to do more than make marginal improvements, if any. Tommy Davy knows what it takes to get sound and playability out of a gypsy guitar, and he has a process tor doing it all. Check him out if you have a need!

Without any question, if you need expert guidance, top notch service, and gear at an affordable price, Djangoguitars is the place to call. I recently had a tailpiece snap in half on my Dupont Nomade, along with some other issues. Luckily, a friend told me about Djangoguitars and Tommy Davy. At first I was a little hesitant because I’m located in NY and Djangoguitars is in CA (and I really didn’t want to have to ship my guitar through the mail). However, not only did Tommy call me back within the hour of my desperate call, but he literally walked me through each and every step - from choosing the right replacement parts through proper installation. I’ve got to say, my guitar never played or sounded better - and everything was done remotely! Djangoguitars and Tommy Davy are outstanding.

Top notch service! I couldn't be happier with my experience with Django Guitars. My new Altamira showed up in perfect condition and had been set up by Tommy beautifully. It plays and sounds just as amazing as I could have hoped for. I am new to GJ and Tommy was very helpful in answering all my questions and offered great advice in helping to make my decision. He even called me when my guitar showed up to help make sure I completed the set up correctly. That is customer service! Thank you for everything Tommy.

Cheers,

Tommy is a well know "guitar-whisperer" in the US Jazz Manouche community. Tommy did a re-fretting on my Hahl guitar. He researched what fretting metal Hahl used and matched it perfectly. His craftsmanship is excellent. Turnaround time was good. The guitar came back as good as new. He is ethical in his billing and generous with his time to discuss details of the work.

The experience I had when purchasing my new Geronimo Mateos jazz guitar from DjangoGuitars was unprecedented. DjangoGuitars and owner Thomas took time with me via both text and phone to answer all my questions, and then some. The education factor here was huge for me regarding the instruments that had caught my eye; more importantly, he wanted me to know the guitar I was going to buy before it arrived at my door.

Tommy Davy (the owner of the store) is the most knowledgeable guitar tech and historian I've ever met and a great musician himself. You can't go wrong at this store!

I have been getting to know Tommy at DG for a few years now and have been impressed with his knowledge and dedication to the study of these unique guitars.

Tommy always sends excellent products in a timely manner and is happy to discuss any topic or questions with a genuine desire to help each musician achieve what they are searching for.

I recently brought a guitar to Tommy for set-up work and he was able to diagnose problems I've been having with several guitars in the matter of 2 minutes! I had taken my other guitar to multiples luthiers and guitar techs and they weren't able to fix a problem I was having with a creaky string, Tommy fixed the problem in the matter of minutes. He has an eye for the guitars and is simply a great go to for anything related to this genre. I highly recommend Django Guitar store!

Tommy also fitted my axe out with a custom bridge that not only enhanced the sound and feel of my guitar, but also gave it a nice vintage look.

The kid has skills, and a bright future.

I had a fantastic experience buying a guitar from Django Guitars. I'd recommend buying here wholeheartedly and if I want to buy another guitar in the future, this will be the first and foremost place I'd turn to.

Being new to Gypsy Jazz, I didn't really know what to look for - Tommy the owner spent hours with me in his workshop and let me try all sorts of guitars, from the most affordable to the very expensive vintage ones. It really helped me to find one that was right for me. Tommy even played some of them for me so I could listen to how they sound like "on the other side", being played by someone who can play this style really well. He is also extremely knowledgeable about guitar making, and was at all times willing to explain differences in how these guitars are designed and what details to consider. All his advice was neutral and honest, sincerely trying to find what'll best work for me. Since he is an expert guitar technician, he will also setup the guitar perfectly for you and can do work like installing a pickup system on the spot.

I just received the laminated Indian Rosewood sides and back and am incredibly happy with the quality. Initially I was reluctant to build with laminates because of stories I have heard about the poor quality however this is the second set I have ordered and both have been of the highest quality. The Indian Rosewood grain on the back is vertical and free of all defects. The grain on sides are book matched and line up perfectly at the tail block. The middle ply on the first set was Poplar and on the second set is Mahogany. I have taken weight measurements of both and the mahogany core did not add any additional weight. The third ply that is seen on the inside of the guitar is Sapele and is such nice quality that I am wondering if I could ask to use it as the exterior for the next guitar. The stiffness in the longitudinal is noticeably stiffer with rosewood on the bottom than when the the Sapele is on the bottom which makes for a very stiff and reflective back and allows for lighter bracing.

Django Guitar's service matches the quality of the products they sell. They are fast to respond to questions, package all of the parts in manner that they can't be damaged and are highly knowledgeable about all that they sell. I have bought bridges, tuning machines and tail pieces as well and have been very happy with all of the products.

If you want to build a Selmer style guitar in the traditional manner, I would highly recommend using the back and sides from Django Guitars.

Ron La France
La France Luthiers

I purchased one of the most affordable guitars that Django Guitars carries. What struck me as truly remarkable was that the owner Tommy treated me no differently than someone buying one of his most expensive guitars. The level of attention and care was outstanding and on top of that he is also an extremely friendly and honest person. While discussing the different guitars I could afford there were several instances in which he could have suggested a more expensive model still within my budget but instead he encouraged me to go for a less expensive model because it better matched the sound that I described I was looking for. That is very admirable in my opinion and unfortunately very rare to find these days. I learned throughout the years that buying a guitar online can be difficult and disappointing so I think it is important to find someone you can trust and that has your best interest in mind. Tommy is definitely that someone, I couldn't recommend Django Guitars enough for this and many other reasons. Lastly the shipping was fast and the guitar was safely packed. I asked Tommy to set up the guitar prior to shipping and I would recommend anyone to purchase a set-up along with the guitar because it arrived regulated to perfection. I truly couldn't be happier with the experience and that is why I spent the last hour doing my best to leave a half decent review! Hopefully it can be helpful to someone else looking to find a good store. All the best to all of you out there and to Django Guitars!

I needed my heavily played 2009 Tremblay D-hole serviced for a few big things including neck reset, fret replacement, and an action setup (with a new bridge). Despite the long-distance (I live in Portland OR), Tommy not only spent the time to properly diagnose the issues using video chat, texts, and other available tools but also he contacted the original luthier (Martin Tremblay) to jointly address the issues. All the circumstances worked right, and he even brought the guitar to Montreal with him where Martin lives. In the end, Tommy managed the project working with Martin. Tommy is very knowledgeable and passionate about preserving his clients’ guitars. But more importantly, he is rea$onable, honest and transparent, and an excellent communicator. I’m happy to say the guitar came back in excellent shape! The guitar is practically brand new with vintage sound! Our gypsy jazz community is lucky to have DjangoGuitars. Thank you, Tommy!

Tommy Davy at DjangoGuitars not only fit me with a great guitar but enriched the whole experience with his communication and customer service. As a first time buyer I was blown away by the time he invested answering my questions I have great sounding TDB and Django Guitars has a customer for life. Thanks Tommy

Tommy Davy from DjangoGuitars has some of the best customer service skills I’ve have ever witnessed. He answered my questions over phone and email and was so knowledgeable about how to improve the sound of my guitar. He wasn’t trying to sell me anything, but was genuinely wanting to help. He modified the bridge which helped the resonance of my guitar substantially. My next gypsy jazz guitar purchase will definitely be from DjangoGuitars!