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Maybe Moreno wants to stand apart by playing a guitar that looks like Batman would dig it. Or maybe it's just other-worldly perfect for him in every way. A lot of the top end designs look over-cooked to me. Some folks seem to like that sort of thing.
Some people pay 10 times that for a watch! And while we're at it, how can a Les Paul or a Tele be worth 6 figures? It's just the way it is.
I suspect that photo was lit to highlight the quilt. It's harshly side lit and most of the neck is overexposed. He should have better photography. There's several here who regularly post better.
In answer to the OP, nobody can answer since none of us seem to have played one. I can think of a couple of members that might've. Maybe they'll weigh in. It's a bit of a mine field though.
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09-19-2023 09:04 PM
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Looks like he solved his photography problem.
Originally Posted by marcwhy
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I do like that one. Still wish the F holes were a little less...idk. like that. Originally Posted by marcwhy
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Marchione makes some archtops that many of us would like in addition to his modern designs.
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Exactly. Not that I can’t play, but it would be like trying to buy myself into a league instead of playing into it. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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Plus at last an archtop/semi hollow where you can easily reach the inside to fix things if needed!
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JGF member Paul Kogut plays them:
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I had Steve build a traditional style archtop for me in 1998. I met him at the guitar show held at 5 Towns College in Dix Hills on Long Island (NY). I think it was 1996. The blue guitar (Chinery) collection was on full display. I imagine some of our forum members were there. There were many luthiers displaying their guitars, and most were incredibly beautiful, but acoustically not great. Except for Steve's, which sounded full, rich and resonant. It was not for sale, however, I recall it was ready to ship to a buyer in Japan. So I custom ordered one. It was $16,500, and I worked out a deal to trade two guitars and pay the rest in cash. His tiny shop was located in downtown Manhattan. Steve was a super nice guy and easy to work with. It was finished in 1998, I kept it until last year when I put it up for consignment at The North American Guitar. It sold for around $13k, and then this year turned up for sale (now sold) at Dream Guitars.
Here is a link to the Dream Guitar photos of my Marchione: 1998 Marchione 17" Archtop, Curly Maple/European Spruce - Dream Guitars I don't know for sure, but I believe Steve has built a total of four of this model. When it was at North American Guitar, Steve stopped in there (he had just delivered a few guitars to them for sale) and checked it out. He told them if he were to build one of these now, the price would be $30,000. Certainly makes a modern era L5, Johnny Smith, Citation, etc. look like a bargain by comparison, even at their current high prices.
Over time my preference grew heavily towards L5 style archtops and amplified tone, and I stopped playing the Marchione, so I sold it. I know this post doesn't really answer the OP's question, but I thought the forum might enjoy seeing the photos and hearing about a few obscure details.
Len
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I was at that show, playing in the Marchione booth! I handed that guitar over to a number of people over the course of the show , including George Benson, so I guess we've met. I've been playing Stephen's instruments for close to 30 years now, since Jim Hall introduced us in the early '90's. I'm happy to answer any questions folks might have. Check out John Storie, Will Brahm, Rez Abassi, Hiro Yamanaka and Hristo Vichev as well as the other folks mentioned earlier for examples of the instruments in use. Best wishes for everyone's music!
PK
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Regarding the initial statement about the wood choice for the neck, maybe it's an aesthetic thing. The builder really has an artful approach, and given that back plate, it can be that the intent was not to distract , but to focus on it, or balance it.
That's certainly not outside the range of possibilities.
It's a very beautiful piece of wood.
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Hah, well I suppose anythings possible, personally I'd have chosen a nice tight barber pole piece of maple for balance but who knows besides him. Someone mentioned quilted maple for the neck but from most guitars I've seen w quilted or birdseye doesn't typically translate well to necks from a visual point of view unless it's super intense and tight. I've rarely seen it on D'Angelicos and especially D'Aquistos, if ever. That could be because they didn't think it was stable enough for necks. Now that I think about it I can't recall seeing any late model D'Angelicos or D'Aquistos w anything other than quartersawn imported maple anywhere on a guitar, those guys really believed in the sonic qualities of that wood. Originally Posted by skykomishone
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I have a Marchione 15" archtop. It's stellar in every way. The playability is out of this world. The neck carve is incredible, soft V to a C. It is so responsive and a strong acoustic voice for its size. It's a killer guitar. The attention to detail is next level and Stephen is a super nice guy! Can't say enough good things about it.
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Not a Marchione, but my Westville neck carve has the same soft V to a C, and is indeed incredible to play. Originally Posted by CharlesC
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Mark Campellone says flamed maple and quilt don’t mix.
He says it’s like a polka dot shirt with a striped tie.
He uses birdseye maple neck with quilt bodies.
To each his own
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Len, that is a beautiful guitar. I'm sure it made good company all of those years.
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Thanks Sky, yes it did. I used it mostly when I was taking chord melody arranging lessons with Howard Morgen. I'm sure some of you have heard of him. As time passed I gravitated toward the L5 style guitars, and eventually it sat in its case for years. I'm glad it has a new home.
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+1 on the PG Originally Posted by marcwhy
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They certainly are damn cool. But I don't like the giant earlobe cutaway on the acoustic.
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Batman would play a guitar with those shaped holes. Haha!
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No issue with his builds themselves.They look to be a modern take visually at least on a well respected guitar type. And like many other fine builders out there Campellone,Buscarino,Comins,etc. they are probably fine sounding instruments.
My problem is with the self bravado without pedigree behind it. Setting your prices that high to begin with invites scrutiny and questioning of this luthiers instruments for sure.
Vintage markets aren’t a fair comparison since it really has to with collectors more than actual players.
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For over twenty years I was involved, both as student and teacher, with a lutherie program at a college (uni for our European friends). About twenty-five students a year completed the program, so I probably saw near 500 people train to do this professionally.
Not one was able to make a living building guitars. NOT ONE.
Did they lack skill? Training? Work ethic? Dedication? Were the guitars lacking? I can assure everyone that the answer to all of that is “no”. Some were extremely gifted craftsmen making the finest guitars I’ve ever played (and I’ve played a lot of guitars).
A mechanical Rolex start at €6,000 (and can make it into six figures) and are accurate +/- 5 seconds a day. Imagine a dedicated young Swiss watch maker hoping to break into the market. His watches are styled similarly to a Rolex, use even better materials, and are accurate +/-3 seconds a day. Except, instead of saying Rolex, his watches say Müller or Meier. How many people do you think will buy his watch over a Rolex?
No one buys a Rolex because of their accuracy. They buy it because it says Rolex. The same is true for guitars. Marchione managed somehow to get his name to have similar meaning as Rolex or Piaget. He charges what he does because he can. The market is tiny and very difficult to access. He has managed
That’s not to say his guitars aren’t top notch. It’s just that what he charges has nothing to do with the observable qualities of the guitar.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Without proper marketing, the best products languish until they are relegated into obscurity. Bob and Cindy Benedetto marketed their guitars well by getting them into the hands of top jazz guitarists and advertising in the right places. It seems likely that Steve Marchione was good at marketing as well. But marketing only goes so far. A product needs to be reasonably good if consumers will buy it over a long time period. Listening to John Storie play his Marchione informs me that a Marchione is a stellar jazz guitar choice, albeit, one that is too rich for my blood. YMMV Originally Posted by rlrhett
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I'm happy for these builders actually selling their wares for these high prices ...
I'm not happy that I can't afford them ... LOL
I would think that Gibson is looking at these guys and their years long waiting lists and wondering how they can join the fun ... maybe limited production runs and more attention to quality ... who knows?
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I'd love to play one of his traditional styled archtops someday. Like I'd love to play others as well.
And when discussing various examples, as illustrated in this discussion, it's somewhat like talking about art, or reading some critic's speculation, where you can't separate the creator's state of mind from the creation itself.
The difference is that archtops are functional art. From my standpoint, what is most important is how it sounds and plays, and endures use and value. I appreciate a beautiful guitar, but if it doesn't sound or play like I want, no matter who built or played it, then forget it. And, we all know, beautiful is subjective. That's why there is variety. We don't want (or can afford) the same things. But I can still be curious. I'm really glad that we have choices like this.
It's interesting to have threads about luthiers and their guitars.
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Here is a quick clip of my 15" recorded on my phone. I am plugged into a Henriksen with just a little volume on it. It's a pretty incredible sound for a 15" archtop IMO.
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