Special Offer: In response to the economic climate the owner of this wonderful series of guitars is offering a limited time 40% reduction to offer players a chance to own these very special limited edition guitars.
Just off a showing at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. The Nouveau Series is a special project developed by author and musician Paul Schmidt and luthier Michael Spalt. A series of electric guitars that transcend the six string and blend it seemlessly with true art. The series was inspired by Art Nouveau and these instruments are at once art and the most serious of musical tools. Michael Spalt and Paul Schmidt spent several years developing the idea, finding artwork and artifacts, sketching, collaborating and finally building these exquisite gems.
The pieces are based on the Klein acoustic shape with inclusions of art nouveau artifacts, natural woods, bone and the finest hardware. Not only are these instruments stunning visual works of art, but they are ergonomic masterpieces as well. The bodies feel immediately familiar and the solid Rosewood necks, with there flat sheen, feel played for 50 years. The BoneTop pickups are extraordinary – Gorgeous hand crafted Bone bobbins died in a variety of colors with Alnico magnets for the Bridge and Ceramic for the Neck. They voice is stellar, clear and loud with other-worldly sustain. Each instrument also has it’s own custom case that continues the guitars individual statement as well as a signed copy of the book ‘The Nouveau Series’ by Paul Schmidt.
‘Tiffany Scarab’
This Tiffany instrument centers around one of Tiffany’s scarabs. The beetle was an often-seen motif in Nouveau – partially for its ties with antiquity, and as a symbol of industriousness.” This instrument has the iridescent blue/green/black scarab framed by an original brace made by Steve Klein in the early part of his acoustic experiments, and another artifact from Klein’s early work at the lower portion of the body. The movement in the sensuously dramatic figure of the Redwood burl simultaneously mirrors and contrasts with the Loetz glass in the upper bout, and carries on the theme of industriousness. Fingerboard decorations inspired by Klein’s artifacts are fashioned from pearl, and carry the movement of the body designs upward. The textures of the scarab, wood and glass all compliment one another as the exuberantly red pickups bring sparks of depth and richness that are not unlike the essence of the colour of the scarab. The bridge is fashioned from Amazon Rosewood, the knobs are from a 1930s radio, and the Catalin selector switch is rounded like the scarab’s back.”
Click here to read about the Nouveau Series on builder Michael Spalt’s website.
Click Here to view the book ‘The Nouveau Series’ by Paul Schmidt.
Click Here to view photos from the Museum Showing at the Museum of Making Music.