2001 Mesrobian Standard Soloist

Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends

archtop.com

2001 Mesrobian Standard Soloist

Price and Status: For pricing and hold status of this instrument, please check here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold. To be notified of examples of this or any other model in the future, please email your specific requests to info@archtop.com.

Dated: 3 February 2001

Finish: natural blonde finish, nitrocellulose type

Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 11/16" Body Depth: 3 1/4"

Materials: Solid handcarved bookmatched parallel braced.European spruce top; solid handcarved bookmatched figured AAA European flame maple back, sides; flamed Eastern rock maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; multi-bound body and f-holes.

Hardware: Adjustable compensated ebony bridge; solid handcarved ebony tailpiece; gold Schaller M6 16X1 tuners with ebony keys; ebony pickguard; Armstrong floating humbucking pickup; volume and tone controls

Notes: A woodworker since age seven and a guitarist since his teens, luthier Carl Mesrobian trained in fine furniture and cabinetmaking until he returned to his first love: the archtop guitar. From his workshop in Salem, MA Carl builds hand crafted instruments with a flair for design and eye for detail.

The Standard Soloist combines modern influences with traditional principles. The 17" Venetian cutaway body with carved ebony hardware is solidly in the Benedetto school, but the parallel (tone bar) braciing harks back to the classic era of Gibson and Epiphone big band guitars. This example is built with the fast 24 3/4" scale, hard to find on a big jazz box these days. And the highly figured all European tonewoods are an upmarket touch rarely seen in a player's price range.

The neck has a classic gentle D profile, neither too skinny, nor overly full, and the headstock has one of the more pleasing contours we've seen of late. High medium jumbo frets give the player plenty of headroom, and the voice is warm and focused, with shades of the 60's L-5. The Armstrong pickup is an ideal accompaniment; smooth, faithful and quiet as they come. This example is in splendid condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and only a few lacquer dings away from brand new. The Mesrobian Soloist is currently listing at $4750 with a six to twelve month wait. This guitar is freshly set up and ready to go at a substantial savings.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze roundwound strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" 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 plush hardshell case.

Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends