Dupont Maurice Romane Deluxe 2003

The Dupont Maurice Romane Deluxe is a rare and genuinely special gypsy jazz guitar. Built by master luthier Maurice Dupont, this instrument was made for Romane himself, the celebrated French guitarist who has done so much to carry Django Reinhardt's legacy forward. Having belonged to one of the most influential gypsy jazz players of his generation, it is far more than just a guitar. It is a unique piece of history.

Maurice Dupont is widely regarded as one of the finest builders of Selmer style guitars in the world, and the Romane Deluxe sits right at the top of that tradition. The guitar is built around a spruce top with Selmer oval-hole style bracing, paired with a flamed maple body and a flamed maple neck. The ebony fingerboard carries pearl block inlays, while flamed maple binding, abalone purfling and a matching rosette add a level of refinement worthy of a top-tier instrument. A floating ebony bridge, Schaller Gold tuners and a comfortable D profile neck complete a guitar that is built to the highest standard.

What immediately sets this Deluxe apart is its finish. Instead of the natural or sunburst tones so common in the genre, it wears a deep blue gloss over beautifully flamed maple. It is a bold and unusual choice that gives the guitar a striking, unmistakable character while showing off the figure of the wood.

For amplified use, the guitar is fitted with a dual pickup system that is as versatile as it is unusual. It carries both a Benedetti pickup and a Big Tone pickup, each with its own separate input and its own dedicated volume control. This gives you fully independent control over each pickup, so you can blend or switch between them exactly as you like. Combined with the powerful projection and dry, cutting punch that define the gypsy jazz voice, it makes for an instrument that is equally at home acoustically or on stage.

This 2003 Dupont is in very good condition and presents clean overall. It shows a hairline crack in the lacquer on the top, along with playwear in the form of scratches and dents, including some deeper pick scratches on the top. It comes supplied in a hardshell case with Romane documentation and a TFOA Passport.

This guitar has been carefully inspected for condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.