Michael and Tania Spalt have recently made the move to the Algarve with their family, where they deem it the “ideal mini version of California”, noting that what attracted them to the Algarve is its positive cosmopolitan nature and its sense of community.

Previously living in LA and Austria, they shared with Central Magazine that they have adapted well, with Michael and Tania turning their home into a guitar workshop haven which houses a treasure trove of trinkets. “It was always my dream to have a place where I have the space for the workshop at home.” Michael’s guitars are beautifully crafted and captivating, where you might think that they are simply true works of art but Michael affirmed that the guitars do in fact play and sound wonderful.

It was interesting to hear all about Michael’s career and where his love for guitar-making stemmed from. “I was heavily into film and music and then I went to school in San Francisco, I am originally from Vienna in Austria, so for a while, I didn't have a guitar and I didn't play. It was just about film and I attended the San Francisco Art Institute, so I did a lot of painting and photography. After that, I went back to Austria to do compulsory military service, working in an ambulance. I also continued to study art at the Academy for Applied Arts in Vienna.


“A friend of mine from my San Francisco days said he was making a movie and I should come and help him so I went back to LA and I ended up staying there for more than 25 years. I worked in the film industry, doing all sorts of things including special effects work and that is how I got into working with a lot of different materials such as metal, resin and wood. Towards the end, I was working in screenwriting where you are mostly working by yourself, and I found that I needed to do something with my hands as a balance, which is how I got into guitar making.”

Michael’s background in the arts field led him to develop the ‘resinTop’ line of guitars called Totemguitars, which are particularly striking as they perfectly balance functionality with aesthetics. Reliability and playability are fairly objective criteria, “and my experience with building, repairing and modifying numerous instruments has allowed me to achieve a high standard in this regard.“


The guitar certainly has iconic qualities which go well beyond its role as a simple musical instrument. More than any other instrument it has a distinctly visual impact. As a stage tool and identifier, it contributes to the image of the musician and his persona in a way that goes far beyond the purely tonal aspects of the music. The guitar has become a cultural signpost and the sheer variety of its myriad embodiments is a testament to the central role it plays in our imagination.

Tania went on to explain how they co-founded an association in Germany for small guitar companies and out of this came a guitar show in Berlin, which showcased 135 exhibitors from over 30 countries. “There we met Adriano Sergio, a Portuguese guitar builder, who we became friends with and he invited us to participate in The Guitar Barrel Project in Lisbon in 2018. Becoming part of that project ultimately led Michael to say to Tania, “I think we should move to Portugal?”.

For more information or to request a custom build, please visit https://www.spaltinstruments.com/ and https://www.michaelspalt.com

The Guitar Barrel Project

The project was a collaboration of six European luthiers who have each built a guitar using wood originally belonging to the Marquês de Pombal in the form of wine barrels. The creation of the collection of six guitars has been documented in a feature-length documentary, titled The Guitar Barrel Project, which can be watched here:
https://www.theguitarbarrelproject.com/the-documentary/


Adriano and German luthier Ulrich Teuffel purchased the wood together, and soon a small group formed, comprising some of the best and most celebrated guitar makers in Europe. Adriano (Ergon Guitars) and Ulrich (Teuffel Guitars) were joined by Michael and Tania Spalt (Spalt Instruments), Claudio and Claudia Pagelli (Pagelli Guitars), Andy Manson (Andy Manson Custom Guitars) and Nik Huber (Nik Huber Guitars).

The Villa Oeieras winery, partners in the project, have created a very special Carcavelos Wine, utilising two barrels fully reconstructed from the same wood. The collection was showcased to the public at Villa Oeiras / Palácio do Marquês de Pombal in Lisbon in May 2023 and subsequently during a special exhibition at Loulé Criativo. It is currently on display at The Quake Museum in Lisbon.

http://www.theguitarbarrelproject.com

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes