LAG - Swing SL100

The LAG Swing SL100 takes its place in the family of small-mouth gypsy guitars with a conviction that is rare for its position. The solid red cedar top sets the overall mood: warmth in the midrange, a clean attack, and that slight wood grain that gives each pump chord a texture that's instantly recognisable. The mahogany back and sides reinforce this signature - mahogany densifies the lower midrange, rounding out the harmonics without extinguishing them, and giving cohesion to the whole spectrum.

The mahogany neck, finished in satin, doesn't hold your hand. It's effortless to walk around, from the first positions to the high frets made accessible by the cutaway. The Black Brankowood fingerboard - a dense, stable, visually sober material - rests on a 350 mm radius that keeps the string taut across its entire width. The 21 frets cover enough territory for the most adventurous solos, and the two-way trussrod ensures that the geometry of the neck stays the same, whatever the season.

The 43mm nut width is a luthier's decision, not a catalogue detail. It opens up the space between the strings for the wide fingerings characteristic of the Manouche style, without excluding guitarists used to narrower saddles. The bone nut - a hard material with maximum transmissibility - works in tandem with the rosewood bridge to anchor the sound in something solid and well-defined. The metal tailpiece completes the sustain chain, and the open-work headstock is a visual sign that the instrument belongs to the tradition.

The oil-bath tuning machines hold the tuning with a regularity that makes all the difference in sessions or rehearsals - no drifting between two pieces, no untimely readjustments. The Argentina 1510MF 11/46 steel strings are fitted as standard: calibrated for the tension and dynamic response expected in gypsy playing, they provide a solid starting point before any customisation. Side markings on the fingerboard allow you to find your way around instantly in concert, without having to look up the neck.

The SL100 comes out of the box with its padded semi-rigid gigbag - a dedicated case that protects without weighing you down, designed for the comings and goings of rehearsal cellars, Sunday night gigs and impromptu sessions.