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2000 Moll Express 19 - "The Big Kahuna"

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SN# 102001

Body size at lower bout: 19", Body Depth: 3" Scale length: 25/1/2" Nut: 1 3/4"

Finish: Amber blonde finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.

Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain Sitka spruce top; full-depth handcarved solid AAA maple back and sides with Venetian cutaway; 3 piece tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; pearl headstock logo; deluxe 7-ply body neck and headstock binding; triple-bound f-holes; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hardware includes hand carved ebony tailpiece and finger rest, gold Schaller 16X1 tuners with ebony keys; compensated adjustable ebony bridge; floating Moll Kent Armstrong humbucker with thumbwheel column and tone controls, endpin jack.

Notes: The Stromberg Master 400 is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of acoustic archtop guitars. The largest production f-hole ever, only a handful of these behemoths were produced in the small Boston father-and-son shop, and good examples may be the most costly jazz guitars ever seen on the vintage market. While other classic guitar designs have been copied exhaustively, fans of the massive super jumbo sound have had to wait years for an original Stromberg to surface, then take out a second mortgage to foot the bill. Enter Bill Moll, of Springfield, Missouri.

A meticulous craftsman with an adventuresome streak, Moll has built innovative, high-performance instruments for a number of top performers, including the celebrated duo of John and Bucky Pizzarelli. The soundboard of a Moll guitar is 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 5-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. Finally, the D'Aquisto style catseye soundholes are designed to allow the X-braced top to perform at high efficiency, as well as providing a distinctive neo-traditional appearance.

This big box is constructed of splendid tiger flame maple throughout, with a finely graduated soundboard of astoundingly tight grain. The massive 19" body produces a deep, clear and even voice, with particularly resonant bass and lower mids. The neck profile is gently flattened across the back, just as comfy as can be, and the deep cutaway allows unimpeded access to the uppermost fingerboard. A floating Moll Kent Armstrong humbucker is controlled with discreet thumbwheel controls, and the tailpiece is Moll's signature "organ-pipe" design. Finally, the 12th fret is marked by a whimsical inlay of the loveliest largemouth bass that ever graced a slab of ebony.

This example is in superb 100% original condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and only some light scattered checking in the handsome deep amber blonde finish. Bill's guitars are built to order and rarely seen on the vintage market. Building this big beauty from scratch would cost a lot of it (scratch, that is): over $10,000 and a considerable wait. (Takes awhile to grow wood this big...) This remarkable instrument offers the opportunity to land the biggest fish in the pond, and bag a bargain in the process.

Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel 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 custom black plush hardshell case.

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