ROAD
TEST
Morifone Quarzo Standard
Electric Guitar
By Dan Gillies
G
uitar enthusiasts love to debate
which guitar really is the “Holy Grail”
of rock and roll. The standard. The
ultimate icon of the electric guitar.
We most often find ourselves in Fender or
Gibson territory (with honourable mentions, of
course). The ’59 Gibson Les Paul makes the short
list, and most of us agree it is legendary not only
for its beauty, but for the players who made it
their axe of choice.
While most music historians agree that Les
Paul (the man) didn’t have much to do with the
original prototype other than lend it his name,
it’s understood that he paved the way for this
renowned model with his revolutionary designs
(i.e. “The Log”). In a similar way, Canada’s Mori-
fone Guitars is looking to claim a spot among
the greats with an innovative spirit reminiscent
of the one Les Paul gave to the guitar world
– fusing a traditional blueprint with modern
twists – as their Quarzo Standard is the ultimate
revision of a ’59 Les Paul Burst.
(Note: I was given the very first Morifone
Quarzo prototype for this review – a stunning
goldtop with all the “Les Paul-vibe” one can
crave. There were some differences between
this original and the Standard, but I will strive
to clarify them.)
The Quest Begins
When opening the cool blue custom case, the
Quarzo Standard goldtop screamed classic rock.
If you’re a Gibson aficionado like I am, this axe is
already close to home. The Quarzo boasts a ma-
hogany body and neck and a carved maple top
cut 3/4-in. thick – which can be figured or plain,
depending on your finishes. Because these gui-
tars are custom-built to order, you can ask for
either a solid body or a weight-relieved version.
This prototype was on the heavier side (9.4 lbs.),
but the average weight of a Quarzo Standard is
a little lighter than a Les Paul Standard (8.5 lbs.).
The belly contour adds a nice touch, as the
guitar “falls” into your lap more naturally while
still not feeling like a Strat (although there is a
subtle “horn” at the top of the guitar, which is
very hip!). Another modern improvement on a
Les Paul is the neck-to-headstock joint reinforce-
ment, done with inner maple splines, which
means no easy breaks!
The patented headstock, rightfully named
20 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
the Aileron, is an upward-winged design with
an ultra-light aluminum veneer and is probably
the most unique detail on the guitar. While fu-
turistic looking, it adds some practical improve-
ments to a vintage ’59 Burst, primarily in play-
ability, sustain, and easy string changes as the
tuners are never in contact with a flat surface.
For tuning stability, this Quarzo prototype was
loaded with Sperzel tuners though all Standards
use vintage-style 16:1 Schallers. All the hardware
is nickel, and you can choose between a Tune-
o-Matic or a wrap-around bridge with a light-
weight aluminum stoptail to resolve vibrations.
The neck is pure Gibson, with what Morifone
calls a “C-Shape Authentic ’59” (although you can
order a thinner “Slim Taper” ‘60s neck). We’re talk-
ing about a 12-in. radius, 22 frets, and a 24.75-in.
scale length, keeping us in familiar territory.
According to preference, Morifone offers
the choice between traditional medium-jumbo
frets with binding nibs or the narrower, semi-
hemispherical Finefrets, which make for smooth
playing. The inlays (which were mother of pearl
on this prototype and celluloid pearl on the
Standard) were especially cool, reaffirming the
headstock design from an aerial view as they
move down the ebony fingerboard in sequence.
Stairway to Heaven
Morifone Guitars uses Lollar pickups, and you
can choose which set you’d like in your gui-
tar (either P-90s or humbuckers). Mine was
equipped with Lollar Imperial pickups, and they
chimed with all the nuance you would expect
from a Les Paul Reissue. Jason Lollar knows how
to make pickups.
For clean tones, I ran the guitar directly into a
’65 Twin Reverb Reissue, which showcased that
classic humbucker response: silky-warm body,
balance, sustain, and touch sensitivity. Arpeg-
gios and sus chords with open strings sparkled
through the twin Jensen speakers. After several
Foo Fighters-inspired licks, I made a point of play-
ing lead lines totally clean on both pickups, as Les
Paul himself would have done. (After all, you don’t
know a lick until you can play it clean!)
As tone-packed as 6L6s are, I also played
direct through some EL84s and a single 10-
in. speaker, which gave way to a plethora of
British classic rock licks. Adding some dirt
on the bridge pickup – primarily a TS808
stacked with an analog delay – all my Zeppelin
licks came to life. Also, with the EL84s, I made
sure to play some Edge licks as he recorded with
his Gibson Explorer. It did get loud. This guitar
was meant for classic rock.
Putting the pickups through a full, modern
rig, I noticed the pristine note separation and
clean voicings with layers of effects. For tonal di-
versity, the Quarzo Standard is configured with
a three-way toggle switch, two volume knobs,
and a push-push tone pot for coil-splitting. To
cap it off, we’re looking at an Electrosocket jack
mount, 500k premium CTS pots, and 0,22 uF
foil/film capacitors. Morifone doesn’t compro-
mise on any detail.
Leap of Faith
If you’re in the market for a historic Les Paul
reissue, give Morifone Guitars a serious look.
With the Quarzo Standard, you get a luthier’s
craftsmanship, high-quality electronics and
hardware, customized choices, and a little bit
of innovation to make it uniquely Morifone.
They’re clearly just as passionate as we are in
the search for the Holy Grail and have brought
something new to the table. As a Canadian, and
a Gibson Guitars fan, it just makes sense to play
a Morifone.
Dan Gillies is a freelance musician, producer, music
director, clinician, and guitar instructor who makes
his home in Fort McMurray, AB. Check out his debut
record on iTunes and connect with Dan on social
media and at www.dangilliesmusic.com.