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2000 Moll John Pizzarelli 7 String

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SN# 2000701

Body size at lower bout: 17", Body Depth: 3" Scale length: 25 1/2 " Nut: 2 1/8"

Finish: Amber blonde finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.

Materials: Bbookmatched fine grain spruce top; full-depth laminate AAA maple back and sides; 3 piece tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; pearl headstock logo; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hardware includes hand carved ebony finger rest, tailpiece and compensated adjustable ebony bridge; gold Schaller 16X1 tuners; floating Kent Armstrong humbucker with volume control, endpin jack.

Notes: Since Bill Moll started making archtops over a quarter century ago, the field has seen a proliferation of independent builders. While most contemporary archtops sound decent enough through an amp, very few can cut the mustard unplugged. Happily, this is not a problem at Moll's workshop in Springfield, Missouri. Guitars like his John Pizzarelli 7 String are built from the ground up as acoustic guitars first and foremost, and sound absolutely superb under amplification as well.

Moll guitars are popular among a number of top performers, and after playing one, it's not hard to see why. The tops are supported with extremely narrow and deeply scalloped braces of very low mass, designed to minimize interference with the vibration of the soundboard. The backs are zone-graduated to optimize acoustic response. The truss rod in the 3-ply neck is reinforced with bars of nickel plated, cold rolled steel, both to strengthen the neck, and to resist the dissipation of tone and volume away from the soundbox. The result is a instrument of notable projection and clarity, a true acoustic archtop for the 21st century.

A rare Moll 7 String, this guitar is the very first example of the model ever built, and is labeled #1 of 50. Built for famed guitarist and publisher Bill Bay (son of Mel) the guitar has a highly flamed, full depth 17" all-laminate body, in superb condition, with all original hardware and finish. Smooth low action over comfy gentle D neck profile, with smoothly amplified tone, and superior feedback resistance. This guitar is ultra-light and responsive, weighing in at barely over 6lb., happily lightweight for a 7 string box. The floating Kent Armstrong Handmade humbucking pickup, is rich and faithful to the acoustic voice, and the guitar has smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup, with a comfy, slightly flattened D profile neck. Apart from some scattered checking in the deep amber finish, the instrument shows few signs of play altogether.

Moll now builds only a handful of presentation quality custom instruments to special order only, and precious few of them, making his standard models unavailable altogether. One only: call now.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge flatwound strings (.013-.080). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Original Moll deluxe black molded fiberglass hardshell flight case.

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