Song Rig

Mediterranean Sundance

Al Di Meola · Elegant Gypsy · 1977

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The duet with Paco de Lucía that became the most celebrated acoustic guitar duet recording in history — Di Meola uses a classical nylon-string guitar to match de Lucía's flamenco technique, creating a dialogue between Italian-American jazz fusion and Spanish flamenco. The nylon string tone is warm, dark, and impossibly fast.

Signal Chain

1Ovation Custom Legend acoustic (nylon string)
2No amplification — recorded acoustically

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume0

Bass5

Mid7

Treble7

Acoustic nylon string — the warmth of nylon strings contrasts with the cypress-brightness of de Lucía's flamenco guitar, creating a tonal dialogue between the two instruments that mirrors their musical dialogue.

Technique

How to Play It

Classical fingerpicking at jazz-fusion speed — Di Meola adapts his electric guitar alternate picking speed to a classical acoustic instrument, using a flat-pick on nylon strings rather than classical fingerstyle. The resulting attack is harder and more percussive than traditional flamenco.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Nylon-string classical guitar (Ovation Celebrity or Ramirez) → acoustic close-miked → Di Meola actually uses a pick on the nylon strings, unusual for classical playing. This produces a sharper attack than finger-only playing.

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