As a result of the continuing art guitar conversation (which I’m really digging, by the way), I have had some correspondence with Mark Behme.
Mark is going in a different direction than the other artists we have been looking at. He is incorporating sculpture along with primo components.
Here is the “Corvina”…
“Corvina” A crow-theme 6-string with Seymour Duncan P-90s, concentric pots for volume and tone. Schaller locking tuners and a Schaller roller bridge. Body is swamp ash with a bolt-on maple/ebony neck. Feather details burned in and aniline-dyed and oiled. Headstock is carved as a crow wing. Painted eyes and fully carved back.
Here we have “Dicey Clown”…
“Dicey Clown” A baritone length clown-theme guitar with through-the-body green-glass eyes that transmit the back light through to the front for a “flashing” effect. Body is hard ash and painted with enamels. Maple through-the-body neck with ebony fretboard and peghead carved as a clown hat with an eight-ball top. Multicolored Steinberger tuners finish the hat. Hot-wound Carvin humbuckers are painted into the teeth of the mouth and mounted from behind to make a very clean look (see back detail photos). The piece also has a Wilkinson tremolo, mini-switch for coil-tap, two tones controls (0.05 cap and Black Ice gain tone). Dice knobs complete the look.
I’m real sure that is the first baritone art guitar we’ve seen. You see what I mean about primo components? Every one of Mark’s guitars are highly unique down to the the parts. Not only is there a ton of sculpting work going on with each piece, they are customized as far as pickups, tuners etc..So, it’s obvious that Mark’s knowledge extends to guitar specific, deep geeking stuff. And, as I look at more and more art guitars I think that type of knowledge is essential.
Find out more about Mark Behme at his website and, view more of his guitars at Neptune Gallery.
These guitars aren’t doin’ it for me, although I appreciate the time in them, as opposed to some graffiti stunt.
What I really dig is Behme’s paintings over at the neptune site. In fact, one painting is named after an old favorite tune with a timeless killer guitar track.
Remember this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8epOsbk418
Now go find the painting. He captures it!
BTW– that tune took me back to the El Charrito Cafe in Mesa, AZ in the 70′s. That place had already been in biz 50 years in those days. They had linoleum table tops, Coors on tap, Miller long necks, an old juke box and salsa that would sweat thru the styrofoam take out containers. The menudo had extra tripe too! I still recall sittin’ in there reveling in the cold beer & hot salsa while it was 115 outside. Lookin’ at the door and thinkin’ “just one more”.
A trip down there in ’84 revealed a brand new US Bank where the El Charrito once stood.
Main Street & Country Club
Mesa, Arizona
Holy Ground folks!
Hey… Ken Moss and Glenn Kowalski of 7 Door Sedan play two of Mark Behme’s Art Guitars at Gallery Neptune.
See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89C4fEuEGgo
Ken is playing “The Other Woman” and Glenn is playing “The Other Woman”.
Thanks for looking… Mark Behme