MotorAve BelAire & BelAire 150

The MotorAve BelAire is a completely hand-crafted, semi-hollow electric guitar. Semi-hollow, in this case, means there’s a mahogany block running through the center of the body. This block ‘couples’ the top & back, making it behave less like a hollow guitar and more like a solid one. This means feedback is more controllable at high volumes, and lack of sustain is not an issue. The wings on either side of the centerblock, however, are hollow, which allows the guitar to retain some of the resonance associated with fully hollow instruments.

The body is 16” across the lower bout, which is the same as an ES 335, but a wider waist makes the guitar look larger than it actually feels. The average weight of a BelAire is 8.5 lbs.

This combination of semi-hollow construction, large size and the use of quality solid woods (rather than laminate) is what gives the BelAire its distinctive voice. Direct mounted pickups contribute to this, and lessens the ‘filtering’ effect of spring mounted, suspended pickups - which are often sub-mounted to plastic rings. The BelAire has a BIG sound, with lots of low end and plenty of bite. Not everyone wants such a big sound, but for those who do the BelAire absolutely delivers!

For players looking for a more compact footprint, we also offer the BelAire 150* at the exact same price point.

Contact us for more details on either version.

2026 Pricing changes:

After 22+ years of making the BelAire, I have decided to make most options standard. Customers can now choose their tailpiece, pickguard, and inlays at no additional upcharge.

$7250 Standard includes:

  • Body wood- mahogany (usually African)

  • Neck wood- quartersawn genuine mahogany

  • Fingerboard- your choice of rosewood or ebony

  • Inlays- your choice of dots (clay or aluminum), gold pearl blocks, or parallelograms (single or split)

  • Binding- white single ply throughout

  • Tailpiece- your choice of Bigsby B7, String-Thru, or trapeze

  • Bridge- Tonepros AVR2 tune-o-matic

  • Pickguard- your choice of aluminum or plastic

  • Knobs- reflector caps come standard

  • Pickups- your choice of TV Jones Classics or Wolfetone Humbuckers. (other brands always considered)

  • Tuners- Grover Imperials

  • TKL 335-Style hardshell case

Electronics- multiple configurations are available. Pickup switch can be placed on the upper or lower bout.

Standard Finishes: Sunburst, Blacktop, Natural, or Cherry,

Metallic finishes: Aged Pelham Blue, Moss Green, Midnight Blue, Gold, or Metallic black. (most colors can be on the top only with natural back & sides, or all over)

MORE SPECS:

  • Book matched mahogany back

  • Scarf-jointed, quartersawn mahogany neck

  • Carbon fiber reinforcement rails

  • Hot hide glue construction

  • 24.625” scale length, 22 frets

  • Tapered, straight mortise neck joint

  • Medium fretwire .100” wide and .050” tall

  • “Painted in” bone nut

  • 12” radius fingerboard

  • Width at nut is 1.68”, 2.19” at end of fingerboard


Non-Standard Options:

  • Multi-ply bindings- $100 and up depending on configuration

  • Engraving- price varies depending on coverage & design, but generally starts around $400

  • Gold plating- Price varies depending on the number of pieces being plated and market fluctuation.

  • Custom colors- I mix all my own colors, so a custom color often takes a bit of time to get right. I add $150 to any approved custom color just to cover lacquer waste & time spent formulating the color

  • Calton flight case  $1500