Stephen Marchione Semi Hollow Premium ’59

This new Semi–Hollow Body from Stephen Marchione was created with professionalism in mind above all else.

The idea to construct such an instrument was born one evening when Stephen encountered Mike Moreno, a renowned New York based jazz musician, at a private concert. Stephen watched on as Mike played with his standard semi-hollow body guitar. Clearly impressed with Mike’s virtuosic jazz chops, Stephen nonetheless felt that Moreno was robbed of sound quality by the instrument he was playing.

After the show, Stephen talked with Moreno and proposed building a semi-hollow body electric guitar with his carefully developed 15" Mark Whitfield Archtop guitar as the base design. Moreno agreed, and months later he and Stephen were both thrilled with the result. The tone and sustain dealt out by this guitar is truly astonishing.

Simply put, this guitar is, indeed, astonishing. A masterful creation from the hands of the great luthier Stephen Marchione. It really is an instrument whose sound and playability are far beyond any narrative description. This is a guitar that needs to be experienced in person. And better yet, played. Imagine having one of the world’s finest archtop builders distill all his knowledge and finest materials into an amazingly player-friendly platform.

Consider what you’ll experience: the elegance of its geometry, its ergonomic feel, the astounding touch sensitivity of its tone, the beyond-compare fit and finish and remarkable workmanship.

Stephen collected a limited quantity of old growth Michigan Eastern maple tops, the same kind used on ’59 LP Bursts. I asked Mr Marchione to pick out the most special pieces, ones the are beautifully figured with great tap tone and of course mineral streaks. Add to the wood recipe an old growth one piece Honduran mahogany body and this guitar just comes alive, visually and sonically. Its vintage amber nitro finish just adds to this guitar's presence, making it almost irresistible to pick up and play. The Honduran mahogany neck is carved with a perfect '59 soft V profile that sits comfortably in your hand. The fingerboard is made with a select piece of Madagascar rosewood and has some of the finest fret work you'll ever see.

Sonically it has so much to offer, being able to cross genres effortlessly. It's very resonant and would elegantly find an inspired musical voice within a jazz or fusion setting (check out Mike Moreno), or cross over and extend itself into serious 335 rock or blues territory.

I sense that there were certainly some genius particles floating in the atmosphere when Stephen designed and built this beauty.

Years ago, Stephen had the opportunity to play a semi hollow electric that James D'Aquisto built for me. It was a ground breaking instrument that definitely had an effect on Stephen. After spending some time with the D’Aquisto, Marchione looked over to me and said that one day he would create a guitar that would inspire me the way my D'aquisto did. Well, all I can say is that that day has come. This very elite custom guitar is an inspiration. I'm pretty sure that the master himself, D'aquisto, would have given Stephen a tip of his hat.

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 MARCHIONE GUITARS
At one time in his life, Stephen Marchione spent six hours a day playing the guitar. Now he makes them—in fact, since beginning his career as a guitar maker in 1989, Stephen has created more than three-hundred guitars for some of the best guitar players in the world. The journey from high-school jazz devotee to “the finest young guitar maker working today,” according to Chamber Music America, was a rich and complicated one. After establishing his own brand and working for several years in New York, Stephen Marchione moved to Houston, Texas, where he builds his entire family of guitars, but Marchione has also studied privately since 1994 with Manhattan-based violin maker Guy Rabut. "I try to build one violin a year to keep my chops up" Says Marchione. He feels that building classical guitars and violins broadens his understanding of top thicknessing, tap tuning, and surface preparation. On the other hand, building electric guitars has taught him the importance of the fretboard in a player's appreciation of a guitar. Marchione is considered one of a very few leading-edge pioneers in the design of guitars that combine elements of both jazz and classical construction. This well-rounded approach contributes to the magic one finds in a Marchione instrument, a magic that is at once very broad yet truly individual.