Moffa Dark Lorraine

Nico Moffa is a true master. He comes from an old-world master craftsman background, working in a country with perhaps the richest tradition of stringed instrument making in the world. In his dedication to getting the utmost from his creations, he makes his own pickups, and mixes his own finishes to both optimize the beauty of the instrument, while not smothering the tone of the guitar. Yet that dedication to craftsmanship and tradition doesn’t mean he gives up anything to modern playability and innovation.

I don’t think you’d need any more proof than this splendid Dark Lorraine. It’s an ideal half-way model, poised perfectly between acoustic and electric. You get to enjoy a typical acoustic vibe (trust me, it’s delightful to play unplugged) and, at the same time, get all the versatility of an electric. In other words, archtop goodness from Moffa’s Arch Lorraine model (read more on it’s own page here to get a sense of what I mean) meets a versatile, player-friendly semi hollow.

From the moment you pick this guitar up, you’ll know this is completely hand made by a builder with a singular point of view (and the means to achieve it) about the heights a semi hollow guitar can reach. What helps Nico achieve this (aside from the finish and pickups mentioned above) is his selection of woods. In this case, Brazilian rosewood back and sides.

The sound is unique (he’s not copying anything), alive and oozing with character. 

Nico is very conscious of the player and how he or she interacts with the guitar. The Dark Lorraine, is extremely comfortable and ergonomic. I just love the neck. It’s a perfectly carved, medium elliptical C. It’s just super player friendly.

Speaking of players, Kurt Rosenwinkle and Wolfgang Muthspiel are among the pros who use Moffa’s guitars.

I just love this guitar. It’s stunning to look at. As usual, Nico’s workmanship is nonpareil. It has a seductive and unique design. (Check out that incredible violin-style ‘binding.’) And it’s simply a pleasure to play (and hear) plugged or unplugged.

The Dark Lorraine is Nico’s most popular and highly sought after model, for all of the reasons I’ve listed before. It’s definitely a guitar I’d want to keep.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT MOFFA GUITARS
Nico Moffa's guitars were first noticed when Kurt Rosenwinkel started playing them. Nico comes (in the craftsmanship sense) from the long tradition of Italian violin and cello making. His aim is to give guitars the nobility of those instruments - in their pure acoustic sound, and in their aesthetics as well. He favors minimal elegance - no fretboard dots, no inlays (whether mother of pearl or plastic), and you can see the elegance radiating from the instrument. It’s simply a beautiful object. But beyond that, Nico’s finishes are recipes based on those used for violins, cellos, etc., as he believes that is the best means of allowing the wood to resonate at its best. Further, the colors are natural and obtained from vegetable extracts, which allows for great nuance. Beyond that, the color and the finish are a complete entity - there’s no “paint” involved. Those finishes, in Nico’s opinion, give the instrument a warmth that is more typical of the way instruments used to be made. A pre-industrial look, as it were. The guitars themselves, while crafted following traditional means are anything but that in use.