The Petite Bouche Voice — Focused, Fast, and Built for the Jazz Stage
The Gitane DG-255 Professional Gypsy Jazz Guitar is a faithful Selmer-Maccaferri-style instrument built around the small oval soundhole — the Petite Bouche design that became the defining voice of post-war Gypsy Jazz. Where the earlier Grande Bouche D-hole produces a warmer, more open tone, the DG-255's oval soundhole delivers a tighter, more focused projection with a quick attack and percussive snap that cuts through a live ensemble. This is the sound of the rhythm guitar in full flight: punchy, articulate, and unmistakably Gypsy Jazz.
The top is solid spruce, paired with Santos rosewood back and sides — a combination that produces the bright, forward-projecting tone the style demands. A slim mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard gives you a fast, comfortable playing surface built for the rapid chord work and single-note runs at the heart of the idiom. The neck joins the body at the 12th fret in true Selmer tradition, delivering the characteristic balance and upper-register access that players in this style rely on.
Traditional appointments complete the picture: an ebony compensated mustache bridge for accurate intonation across the neck, a traditional brass tailpiece that anchors the strings in classic Gypsy Jazz fashion, and gold-plated tuners for smooth, stable tuning. The DG-255 ships ready to play and includes a padded ProTour gig bag with Gitane logo to protect your investment on the road.
El Cajon Guitars & Music is an authorized Gitane dealer. We're a working guitar shop with real expertise — not a drop-shipper. Whether you're stepping into Gypsy Jazz for the first time or adding a serious Petite Bouche to your collection, we're here before and after the sale. Shop with confidence at ECGMusic.com.