THE JOHN PIZZARELLI and other models: All archtop guitars are finished in nitrocellulose, and are available in a variety of colors. All are X-braced, (with parallel option available), and feature a stainless steel truss rod for maximum performance. Standard scale lengths are 25 1/2” or 24 5/8” for six and seven string guitars, and 34” for basses, but he can produce the fret coordinates, via computer, for any scale length you desire. Standard nut width is 1 3/4”, or an optional 1 11/16” for the smaller hand. Seven string nut is 2 1/16”. Fingerboards have 22 frets, unless otherwise specified, 24 frets on basses.
Bill Moll’s Amazing Individual Flight Cases: Bill’s newly designed, in-house built, fiberglass flight cases are in production now, and have become the standard case for all of his Custom instruments including the John Pizzarelli model, beginning with orders taken as of the first of January 2000. These new flight cases are built with double reinforced fiberglass shells, #70 density interior foam, and 6 ATA approved TwistLoc latches for added security. all exterior metal fittings are finished using a gun-metal blackening process for resistance to wear and the elements, including the mountings for the genuine leather handle, and the case’s shoulder strap D-rings. (shoulder strap not included). Now you can buy one for your other guitars. The 16” to 17” case is $695.00 plus shipping.The 18” to 19” case is $725.00 plus shipping. Not cheap, but they look as protective as Fort Knox.
83-9832 Bill Moll (new) John Pizzarelli Model 7-String archtop acoustic, #2001710,with its special Bill-Moll-made fiberglass flight case. Before we get into the guitar let’s talk about the case. The story as we heard it is that this talented Springfield, Missouri based builder went to a producer of flight-certified instrument cases and asked if a case could be made with his special modifications. He was told, well, we can do it but in order to do it you’d have to front a $5,000 fee for the mold. The maker said “Five thousand dollars!? For $5,000 I can make my own mold.” And he has done just that. This case looks like it could survive a bomb blast. It measures 45” long and 20” wide at lower bout, has 6 of the heaviest grade military spec turnkey closures, 9 large rubber bumpers, a 1” thick inner foam lining covered by burgundy velour, two back pack strap attachments a glossy black outer covering and an airtight double rubber refrigerator gasket. The inside of the case, which has a “Moll Custom Instruments” logo impressed into its lid, has padding in every conceivable place – the guitar is nearly immobilized and floating on foam. Now the guitar: This is the ostensibly 17” wide 7-string model of guitar that John Pizzarelli, himself, plays, to wonderful effect -- the sound of this 25.4” scale guitar is instantly identifiable as his recognizable sound. The top the peghead is stair step, art deco, with four steps on either side with a large plateau at the top (the view is incredible). This head plate is bound at least 9 times with tiny white-black-white purfling lines, having grained ivoroid outermost, triple bound on the edges. Across the top of the head plate is the W. E. Moll logo and below that John Pizzarelli’s facsimile signature. The neck is 2 1/16th” at the nut and triple bound on the ebony board with triple binding on the side. Below the fingerboard is a black, ebony, “W. E. Moll” floating humbucking pickup. This is attached to a abbreviated tortoise shell celluloid finger rest, itself is bound in 7 ply of black-white with an ebony volume knob. Bridge is a two piece adjustable ebony carved and contoured whose wheels are black chromed. A hinged ebony tailpiece is beautifully designed with a brass plate on the inside, invisible from the outside, through which the strings thread (for easy string changing) and there is a strap/jack pin at bottom. The interior paper label is signed by John P., and tells us: “The first year of production - 2000. John Pizzarelli Model 7 string, Number 2001 710.” A second interior label is a certificate of authenticity which is, as well,hand signed by the famous artist with the admonishment – “You got the best . . . now practice!” It continues, “This instrument is Number 22 of the first 50.” The serial number repeats. This guitar carries Schaller brand gold plated tuners with ebony buttons, and a five-ply neck, flame maple trisected with thin stripes of ebony. The top is flawlessly veneered close-grained spruce (on the surface) and the back, sides and neck are flamed maple. Said back has no apparent braces, since laminated wood needs none, but the sides have small maple supports the top is scalloped tone bar braced. Sound holes are “S-shaped,” large and wide and triple bound, which makes it easy to read all the labels. This guitar, finished in a translucent amber-orange, is a masterpiece in every possible way, from its proprietary headstock, pickguard and tailpiece design to its innovative professional quality flight case. You could not ask for a finer instrument for this unthinkably modest price: The 7-string guitar is only $4,250. A 6-string version of the John Pizzarelli Model guitar is available for $4,000.
83-8729 Bill Moll (new) Custom 7-string archtop guitar, Nylon Instrument Prototype, #000001-1, with hard shell case. This guitar is a complete departure from the norm. Mr. Moll has created a fanciful non-cutaway 7-string carved top, carved back instrument which has features that nearly defy description. The arched top, heavily bear-clawed and toned with a light amber stain, does not have traditional soundholes. Instead it has an eastern motif of open carvings into the top, similar to lute style but more simple, elegant and mystical. The neck is three ply, mahogany and ebony, with a diamond carving behind the nut and a wide, ebony capped neck heel. The headstock is like nothing we’ve seen on a guitar, neo-Mayan-southwestern motif, faced with a burled walnut overlay which matches the burled walnut tailpiece cross-piece and the burled walnut hinged tailpiece section over the bottom. The bridge is a carved ebony, very high one-piece non-adjustable, with a bone insert and, apparently, an internal transducer which leads to a taipin/jack at the bottom side. The nut is 2” and the scale length is 25.5”. If you would like to own a truly unique fretted instrument, made by a luthier whose reputation for excellence and elegance is widely known, and if you are adventurous enough to want to expand your music into the seven-string medium, then this guitar will perform with style, panache and an unequalled tonal range. HUGE PRICE REDUCTION. This guitar WAS $10,310. It is now on sale for $7,733 or at our cash discount price $7,500.
