Stephen Marchione Semi-Hollow, 2017

This 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.

PREOWNED CONDITION; Near mint, kept in a perfectly humidified and smoke free environment. Extremely fine condition.

What an amazing guitar! The exquisite wood selection, the impeccable craftsmanship, the wonderfully balanced tone, the sheer power of its simple but impressive esthetic... it's all here in what Stephen Marchione considers one of his "personal favorite builds." Built with Marchione's finest woods—a spectacular eastern maple top that would be the envy of any burst aficionado, a one piece figured old growth Honduran mahogany back, an old growth Brazilian fingerboard - this guitar just oozes fine lutherie goodness.

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.

Simply put, this guitar is, indeed, astonishing. 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.

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.