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.
‘Lautrec Chocolat’
“A second Lautrec-themed work is also an original page from ‘Le Rire’ (3/28/1896) – the very rare print entitled ‘Chocolat dansant dans un bar’. Chocolat was a famous-to-the-scene clown of African descent who, along with Lautrec, frequented the Irish and American Bar famous in Parisian nightlife for its unpretentious smoky atmosphere and hard-drinking clientele. This unique scene features not only Chocolat, but the barman Randolphe who actually worked the bar, and Lautrec himself in the front of the audience. A unique work of art that captures the mood and character of the moment, and the times. The positioning of the lithograph in the body of the instrument along with Chocolat’s dancing pose give rise to the manneristic treatment of the Maple burl and Myrtle burl wood shapes that comprise the top.
The lithograph is affixed at an angle reminiscent of Chocolat’s dancing body, and the cutaway portion of the lithograph is set back on the opposite side with the arc following the exact shape of the treble side of the instrument’s body – not unlike Chocolat’s pose. Note the top cutout portion of the lithograph taking its cue from the positioning of his hand, and how the golden glass over gold-leaf picks up the small yellow tones of the print. Also note how the sketch-like quality of the glass’ pattern is as the style of the medium. The little primordial wood form is reminiscent of the roast hen on the table, and with mindful observation one notices how form gives rise to form throughout the instrument’s entire design. The colours are eclectic, numerous, and subtle – cream, black, yellow, light blue, tangerine, pink, pink blue, dark brown, and milk. A dramatically figured Macassar Ebony bridge and 1930s radio knobs complete the instrument’s cohesiveness.”
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.