About the Instrument

   Art Nouveau (ca. 1895 - 1915) had a unique iteration in Austria known as "The Vienna Secession". A group of artist, architects and designers set out to define Vienna's version of Ars Nouveau that had recently enchanted the world with its' flowing organic forms. Gustav Klimt, Otto Wagner, Egon Schiele, Koloman Moser and others put their unique stamp on the movement. My guitar is a tribute to their creative genius, and I have tried to capture their spirit in my Master Model 2000. 

   The multi-piece scalloped back and sides are ebony and the soundboard is torrefied bearclaw Sitka spruce. The mahogany for the neck has been salvaged from a Victorian mansion's parlor.   The heel carving is patterned after the trees imprinted on the outside of the Vienna Secession building designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich.  The tree with the gold leaf in the headstock reflects the gold floral ball on the top of Olbrech's building. The inlay is boxwood, ebony, bloodwood, dyed maple and gold leaf.  The elegant fräulein on the bottom of the guitar is from a drawing by Egon Schiele.  All around the border of the top is a chip carving in a Vienna Woods pattern that sparkles as the light changes.

   The string length is 25" and the nut width is 1 3/4"  It is fit with Schertler 18:1 tuners in matte silver with ebony buttons. The ebony Nouveau bridge has a bloodwood inlay and is a string-through design with individual bone saddle posts.  The nut is bone and has been scalloped between the strings, and there is a players sound port to enhance the players experience. 

   The tone is, simply, bigger than life.  It is rich and full because of the large air chamber, and yet well defined because of the hard, thin ebony body.  The torrefied top adds an instant age and sustain to the tone.  One of the best things about the design of the back is that the side gets thinner where your arm rests on the lower bout (only 3") so it does not feel like a large guitar.  The lower bout is 15 1/2" wide, and the maximum depth is 5" at the end block.