Stephen Marchione Maple OMC, 2018

Stephen Marchione is a luthier in the truest sense of the word. What I mean by that is that he makes exceptional stringed instruments across the spectrum - archtops, solid body electrics, semi hollow electrics, flamenco and classical guitars, steel strings, and violins.

That's why I am really thrilled to have one of his stunning acoustics in the shop, the Marchione OMC. Stephen says that it's the synthesis of more than 25 years of professional guitar making, and it is. But I think there's more to it than that. He both deeply understands the traditions of guitar making, and has the skill and insight from his across-the-spectrum experience to add innovation if the instrument will be better for it.

As an example, his OMC is built in the Spanish tradition, with the sides let into the neck. What that means to the player, is that the string action is flawless for the length of the fret board, rather than having the board sink into the body as it nears the sound hole. Stephen Marchione has been thinking about this design for ten years. And applying everything in his arsenal to make an exceptional instrument.

The design is artful - understated, elegant, perfectly imagined and executed. Just look at how the curve of the treble bout continues so gracefully into the cutaway. And let's not forget to mention that it's all hide glue construction.

The materials are exceptional. Stephen mills his own backs and sides, rather than purchasing blanks from an outside supplier. So he's able to maximize the tonal quality and the aesthetic of the Adirondack bear claw spruce top and the old growth torrified flamed maple back and sides.

This OMC is a wonderful sounding guitar, rich and spacious, clear and open with that woody midrange awareness that is characteristic of a fine maple guitar. In my experience some of the finest maple acoustics are built by luthiers who also excel in building fine archtop guitars; Kim Walker, John Monteleone, Bill Collings to name a few. They understand that musical wood deeply and draw out its exceptional quality. Simply put, Stephen knows his maple and builds outstanding balanced guitars with it.

One of the qualities that Marchione brings to the table is his laser-like focus on a guitar's playability. His years of providing fine guitars to some of the world's most discriminating musicians has honed his ability to make a guitar that is a joy to play. Low action, fine fret work, impeccable setup; that is all in Stephens wheelhouse. To top it off, this OMC is fitted with a soundboard pickup specially designed by Eric Corpus at Dimarzio, one of the finest pickups I have heard.

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.