Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • EVH trance state
  • Antonoff on Please Please Please
  • “Mick looked peeved. The Beatles had upstaged him”
  • 95k+ free music samples

Recommended reading

PRS 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 McCarty Sunburst
Guitars PRS pays tribute to a legend of guitar design with the limited edition McCarty SC56
EVH Gear Wolfgang Van Halen Signature SA-126
Electric Guitars "Whatever magic is in the Van Halen ear canals has been imparted here too": EVH SA-126 Special review
Harley Benton HBJ-45E SBK
Guitars Harley Benton unveils dreadnought inspired by a classic workhorse – and it is crazy affordable
Cort Gold-A10 Cocobolo: this stunning high-end build from the South Korean company features Adirondack spruce on top, with the eye-popping cocobolo on the back and sides.
Guitars Cort’s Gold-A10 Cocobolo is a love-letter to an exotic acoustic guitar tone wood
Steve Stevens poses with his new Ciari signature guitar; a fold-away travel-friendly electric that comes in pink, black and white.
Artists Steve Stevens' new Ciari signature model is a fold-away electric guitar for musicians on the go
Gretsch Limited Edition Paisley Penguin [left] and Honey Dipper Resonator: the Penguin dresses the famous singlecut in gold sparkle with a Paisley Pattern graphic, while the 99 per cent aluminium Honey Dipper makes a welcome return to the lineup.
Guitars Gretsch just unveiled one of the most decorative Penguins you'll see – and a super-cool resonator
Margo Price with her signature Gibson J-45, which refinishes the classic workhorse dreadnought with a double pickguard, and has a slightly shallower body depth.
Guitars Country star Margo Price and Gibson team up for stunning double-guard signature J-45 acoustic
  1. Guitars

Wishlist: Michael Spalt 624 HB Custom

News
By Guitarist ( Guitarist ) published 9 March 2015

£3750 worth of beautifully conceived and crafted guitar

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Michael Spalt 624 HB Custom

Michael Spalt 624 HB Custom

Europe is teeming with great guitar makers and if you haven’t come across Michael Spalt then you really should.

Based in Vienna, and with a diverse background in art and film, Spalt has been making guitars professionally for some 15 years. He creates some pretty ‘out there’ sculptural designs from wood and metal, but all are fantastically crafted with an ever-present artistic eye guiding the lines. If you want vintage clones, look elsewhere.

This Custom 624 is one of Spalt’s more conventional designs, his take on the Les Paul – albeit with a flat front and Fender-like scale length. The top here is zebrawood and gives a striking appearance that’s contrasted by the sand-cast aluminium scratchplate. Don’t worry about the weight, though – not least due to its chambered back, the 624 weighs in just under 8lbs. Perfect.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Work of art that sounds the part

Work of art that sounds the part

It’s such a beautifully conceived and crafted piece – and certainly recalls the work of Tony Zemaitis – that we’re really not sure whether it should be in an art display or strapped on and plugged in.

If you choose the latter route you’ll be rewarded with a sonorous, sustaining single-cut voice played clean and throaty girth with the wick turned up. But there’s a semi-like lively snarl in there, too.

There’s certainly a beautiful, almost 3D-like clarity, no doubt helped by the wenge fingerboard and that exotic wood top. The Lollar Imperials split nicely, too; it’s a work of art that sounds the part.

Available in the UK from The North American Guitar: 0207 835 5597

www.spaltinstruments.com

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Switching

Switching

Switching is conventional with a three-way toggle, volume and tone, plus pull/push coil-splits for each pickup.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Bakelite

Bakelite

The Bakelite knobs are from a 1930s radio, apparently!

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Bigsby

Bigsby

A Bigsby B-5 not only provides its classic shimmer and tonality but fits the aesthetic perfectly, too.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Tuners

Tuners

With Gotoh vintage-style locking tuners, bone nut and ABR tune-o-matic-style bridge, intonation and tuning stability are both excellent.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Neck

Neck

The set neck, with a deep tenon, is perfectly in (Gibson) style, although the scale length is Fender-like at 25.5 inches. Old stock Honduran mahogany is used for both the back and neck wood.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Guitarist
Guitarist
Social Links Navigation

Guitarist is the longest established UK guitar magazine, offering gear reviews, artist interviews, techniques lessons and loads more, in print, on tablet and on smartphones Digital: http://bit.ly/GuitaristiOS If you love guitars, you'll love Guitarist. Find us in print, on Newsstand for iPad, iPhone and other digital readers

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
PRS 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 McCarty Sunburst
PRS pays tribute to a legend of guitar design with the limited edition McCarty SC56
EVH Gear Wolfgang Van Halen Signature SA-126
"Whatever magic is in the Van Halen ear canals has been imparted here too": EVH SA-126 Special review
Harley Benton HBJ-45E SBK
Harley Benton unveils dreadnought inspired by a classic workhorse – and it is crazy affordable
Cort Gold-A10 Cocobolo: this stunning high-end build from the South Korean company features Adirondack spruce on top, with the eye-popping cocobolo on the back and sides.
Cort’s Gold-A10 Cocobolo is a love-letter to an exotic acoustic guitar tone wood
Steve Stevens poses with his new Ciari signature guitar; a fold-away travel-friendly electric that comes in pink, black and white.
Steve Stevens' new Ciari signature model is a fold-away electric guitar for musicians on the go
Gretsch Limited Edition Paisley Penguin [left] and Honey Dipper Resonator: the Penguin dresses the famous singlecut in gold sparkle with a Paisley Pattern graphic, while the 99 per cent aluminium Honey Dipper makes a welcome return to the lineup.
Gretsch just unveiled one of the most decorative Penguins you'll see – and a super-cool resonator
Latest in Guitars
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: My pick of Father's Day deals for musicians include $400 off the Polyend Play+, $200 off a Martin acoustic and so much more
Gretsch Broadkaster Jr LX Center Block with Bigsby
Gretsch’s unveils new MIJ high-end semi-hollows with redesigned bodies and Pro Twin Six humbuckers
Jackson X and JS Series Surfcasters: the long-awaited offset electric guitar is now being offered in white, satin black and metallic black, and and at the entry-level JS price point and the mid-priced X Series.
“A bold new take on a classic metal machine”: Having ridden the wave of popular demand, Jackson’s Surfcaster offset has landed – and it’s built for speed
Line 6 Helix Stadium XL: The new flagship amp modeller and multi-effects unit is a dramatic expansion of the Helix framework with a suite of state-of-the-art features
Line 6 debuts all-new AI tech as it supercharges its amp modelling platform with the Helix Stadium
Orangewood Del Sol: the new offset is the brand's first ever electric guitar and it was designed in collaboration with Josh Forest of TreeTone Guitars.
Orangewood teams up with TreeTone for its first-ever electric – a baritone offset semi, priced $695
Kirk Hammett of Metallica wears a studded denim jacket as he plays live with his Mummy ESP signature guitar
“Guitars should be played”: Kirk Hammett has been anonymously selling his guitars online
Latest in News
Home studio
You don't need to be a music theory expert to make electronic music, but it helps - here's our guide to the basics
Ed Sheeran, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix
How Ed Sheeran generated royalties for Bob Dylan by borrowing from Jimi Hendrix
Richie Hawtin
“All my equipment kind of glowed and then shut down”: The weather event that shaped a Richie Hawtin classic
Apple's new Automix
Sack The DJ: Apple launches its new feature that can mix tracks using AI
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: My pick of Father's Day deals for musicians include $400 off the Polyend Play+, $200 off a Martin acoustic and so much more
pmt
"It’s been a tough few years": UK gear retailer PMT closes its doors, makes 96 staff redundant and sells £2.4m of stock to Gear4Music

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...