Marchione 20th Anniv Classical, 2010, NEW PRICE

NEW PRICE, ORIGINALLY $12,950

Stephen Marchione's words
"For my classical guitars, I use my original design based on historic models that I feel are successful, utilizing standard dimensions that musicians are comfortable with and understand. I've taken these parameters and crafted a historically rooted yet modern and satisfying instrument.

"This beautiful classical guitar is constructed face down, with hot hide glue, and on an engineered Solera in the traditional Spanish method. I only use hot hide glue in construction, and I hand plane all surfaces prior to glue-up. My classical guitars are French polished, and the setup will astound you.

"My classical design combines the ease of playability and tonal accuracy of a Gilbert guitar, the warmth and richness of tone of a Fleta, and the power and projection of a Rodriguez Jr. guitar from the 1970s.

"After all, the musician is the one who creates their art with the guitar that I make. I want your experience to be as seamless and expressive as possible and feel as if the guitar is part of you. For me, this is a powerful and seductive musical instrument that inspires creativity and a desire to sing with the guitar."

Just when I thought I had reveled in the full range of exceptional Marchione builds, here I am with a fine example of his most traditional instrument, the Marchione 20th Anniversary Classical. Crafted in 2010, it has matured like a fine wine, which has deepened its soulfulness. The artistry is superb, of course; it's a Marchione - and the playability is equally sublime. What quickly drew my attention is the wide dynamic range crafted within this guitar. Positioning your right hand close to the fingerboard brings out sweet, warm musical passages while drawing your hand back towards the bridge draws out the brighter high end and its explosive dynamics. It's a joy to have such tonal range at your fingertips.

As you may have surmised, the craftsmanship of the instrument is just stunning. The delicate stainless steel fretwork, the Alhambra-inspired tiled rosette, the lovely ivory fittings, and the warm French polish finish are done by Stephen to meet his demanding creative and esthetic standards. From Bach to Bossa, this is the perfect musical tool, where form meets function. In short, a fine concert guitar that's a joy to experience.

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.