Crafting Timeless Guitars, Where Passion Meets Precision
Each one hand-voiced for your story – just six crafted per year.
From Software to Sawdust: The Journey to Crafting Sound
After decades solving complex problems as a software engineer, Rick Molloy followed a deeper calling back to music and craft. Based in the Pacific Northwest, he now builds heirloom‑grade guitars that marry engineering precision with a musician’s intuition. Guided by modern masters like Charles Fox, Robbie O’Brien and Trevor Gore, his instruments are shaped by both tradition and technology.
Tone First. Always.
Every guitar begins with tone as its guiding star. Rick voices each instrument by hand blending both ear and acoustic analysis to achieve rich sustain, balanced frequencies, and haunting overtones.
Playability is equally important: comfortable neck profiles, precise setups, and thoughtful ergonomics make each guitar feel like a natural extension of your hands.
Built slowly and intentionally from master‑grade woods with a blend of time‑honored joinery and modern precision, these instruments are heirlooms meant to last generations.
Rick favors understated design, clean lines and beautiful tonewoods take center stage ensuring that beauty follows sound and never the other way around.
Signature Models – Instruments of Distinction
Modified OM – A versatile mid‑sized guitar with balanced voice and orchestral depth. Its clear trebles, punchy mids, and round bass make it equally at home for fingerstyle, flatpicking, and songwriting.
L‑00 “Americana” – Inspired by vintage blues boxes, this small‑bodied guitar delivers a warm, focused midrange and surprising power. Perfect for blues, folk, and roots musicians seeking an intimate yet bold voice.
Super Jumbo – A reimagined big‑bodied instrument with cathedral‑like presence and clarity. Its booming bass and singing trebles offer huge dynamic range for strummers and accompanists.
Parlor – A modern high‑performance parlor guitar that’s travel‑friendly yet full of life. Bell‑like trebles, focused mids and a surprisingly rich low end make it ideal for writing sessions, home studios, and fireside songs.
Your Custom Guitar Journey
Every commission starts with a conversation. Rick listens to your musical influences, tonal preferences, and aesthetic ideas to craft a vision with you. Together, you’ll design the specifications from body shape and tonewoods to ergonomic features and finishes with transparent pricing and guidance at every step.
When your build slot arrives, Rick invites you into the workshop via regular updates, photos, and audio snippets so you can follow your instrument’s evolution. After meticulous construction, voicing and finishing, your guitar is setup to perfection and hand‑delivered or carefully shipped to you. The experience doesn’t end there: Rick provides a warranty and lifelong support, ensuring your instrument brings joy for generations.
Tone & Aesthetic
Rick’s instruments are known for their haunting resonance, even balance, and lush sustain. Each guitar is voiced to have piano like clarity in the bass, singing highs and rich, complex harmonics that invite emotional connection. This sonic mastery comes from a unique blend of scientific tuning and intuitive carving.
Visually, Molloy guitars are quietly stunning. Rick lets exquisite tonewoods speak and uses minimal ornamentation to enhance their natural beauty. Expect craftsmanship, elegant lines, and details like wood purflings, subtle rosettes and ergonomic bevels that serve both comfort and aesthetics. The result is an instrument that looks as refined as it sounds – timeless, understated, and uniquely yours.
Exclusivity & Availability
Rick builds only a handful of instruments each year – typically around six – to ensure every guitar receives his undivided attention. Commission slots are booked months in advance and don’t last long. If you’re dreaming of a custom guitar, now is the time to reach out, discuss your project, and secure your place on the bench.
Ready to Begin?
Whether you’re ready to begin or simply exploring the dream, Rick would love to hear from you.
. Schedule a free consultation and take the first step toward an instrument that will inspire you for a lifetime.