Works of art / Eco-Musical instruments that combine Art and Music to stimulate creativity
Luka Zotti is the creator and creator of unique musical instruments that combine art and lute manufacturing , multifunction instruments, handmade, hybrid and custom that incorporates guitar with other electronic musical instruments (keyboards, pad / percussion and various MIDI controller) in addition built-inside multi-effects and different sound generators (analog and digital).
These tools made with passion they offer a rare opportunity, take advantage of innovation and high craftsmanship with a new sound exploration, the analog sound of electric guitar with electronic sounds generated with integrated midi controllers and expander; an opening to new expressive possibilities and an approach that stimulates the imagination playing multiple instruments simultaneously.
The concept of creation is that of a work of art therefore no two instruments are exactly the same. Only the best quality materials and components are used, natural materials (real bark, real tree leaves…), finishings with natural oils, painting and artistic techniques.
Luka decided to create these tools to meet his own needs and turn your vision into reality.
These instruments have appeared in several music and art magazines such as the Virginia Tech Studio Collective, the official journal of design of Virginia (USA), Musical Instruments (one of the leading Italian newspapers for the sector), The Print, The Day, Classic Rock Lifestyle, Sounds and Instruments, ArtNews, to name a few.
Select here which instrument/work of art you want to know better to visit the relevant tab:
- Tree Pad Key Guitar
- Ocean Breath (ocean breath)
- Golden Clouds (Hybrid guitar)
- Autumn leaves
- Key Guitar
- Fretless handpainted guitar
- Guitar and bass (all in one)
- Strato-Custom guitar
Tree Pad Key Guitar (multi function guitar-sculpture 2011)
An innovative musical instrument that incorporates guitar, keyboards, pad / percussion, multi-effects and other sound generators.
Design, project and creation: Luka Zotti 2011
“..a unique guitar that stimulates the imagination and a tool with interesting and original solutions dedicated to musicians and multi-instrumentalists "(Musical Instruments specialized magazine on musical instruments, internal reportage and cover's magazine, June 2014)
“The Tree Pad Key Guitar is a unique tool for those who make experimental music. It is a creative guitar that stimulates the imagination. It should be recognized the daring and the result obtained: more than good.”(Musical Instruments, June 2014)
“The whole guitar is made with natural materials. The body is not painted mahogany. Body ornaments are a real tree bark and true leaves, fixed with an acrylic varnish, water-based. Electronics aside we might call it a eco-guitar”.
(Musical Instruments, June 2014)
“In addition to the electric sound we have the USB output, thanks to which pad and keyboard can drive external virtual instruments: a very interesting musical” (Musical Instruments, June 2014)
From the year 2011, year of the creation of this instruments, unique for originality and artistry, it was reviewed in many musical journals including one of the most important italian specialized magazines “Musical Instruments” (cover + with a big reportage of the instrument.), also on Yahoo, The Print, The Day, Classic Rock Lifestyle, Sounds and Instruments, ArtNews, to name a few.
The Tree Pad Key Guitar is part of a series of musical intruments designed, handmade and hand-painted by Luka Zotti. Each piece is individual and unique, just like an artwork, a sculpture, a painting…it was designed and made with ecological materials and quality components to turn your vision into reality.
The Tree Pad Key Guitar It is designed to be used lying, like slide guitar and center sound with keyboard and sound expanders in the classic horizontal position.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2011)
Body: mahogany solid body (not painted, treated with natural oils)
Neck: mahogany (restored and recovered from a '70s guitar)
Keyboard: rosewood
Mask: covered in real tree leaves
Tuning machines: auto-locking Gotoh
Pick ups: single coil Fender vintage ‘75, Humbucker DiMarzio vintage ‘78
Bridge: permanent, independent saddles with passing through strings (Telecaster style )
MIDI controller: Akai LPK 25, Akai LPD 8
Multi Effects: Alesis Air Fx (infrared)
Sound generators: two music-boxes (with piezo pickup selector and push / pull dedicated for the on / off )
Outputs: jack (guitar), usb (keyboard and MIDI controller), sustain (to control the keyboard sustain through pedal), power jack multieffects.
Finishes: Acrylic water for ornaments, Body unpainted (treated with natural oils)
Weight: 4,5 kg
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Video of the construction of the instrument (year 2010-2011)
Live looping with Tree Pad Key Guitar – video demo (2015)
Video live demo #1 (February 2012)
Video demo – “all together jammin’ on the Tree Pad Key Guitar” (2014)
The “Tree Pad Key Guitar” in Forgotten Dream official video (2014)
Playing simultaneously on the Tree Pad Key Guitar (2014)
Video live demo #2 (year 2013)
Other similar hybrid musical instruments
Photo Tree Pad Key Guitar bymarcocoppola.it
Ocean Breath (multi function guitar-sculpture 2023)
A musical instrument that is inspired by the sea and includes keyboard guitar and percussion pads.
Design, project and creation: Luka Zotti 2023
Ocean Breath (ocean breath) it is part of a series of instruments designed and handmade by Luka Zotti. Each piece is individual and unique, just like an artwork, a sculpture, a painting…it was designed and made with natural materials such as unpainted wood (treated with natural oils), sand and shells for finishing.
This instrument is made of linden wood painted with the colors of the sea, revealing the natural grain of the wood and is finished with sand and real shells.
Ocean Breath incorporates electric guitar sounds (3 pick-ups, 5 configurations), acoustic guitar (piezo LR Baggs), keyboard, pad e controller MIDI
Outputs: jack 1 (electric guitar), jack 2 (only acoustic guitar or the mixed sounds of electric and acoustic), mini usb (master keyboard/controller, pad)
Golden Clouds (multifunction guitar 2017)
A hybrid musical instrument that incorporates semi-hollow guitar, MIDI keyboard and sound generators (analog and digital)
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2017)
“Golden Clouds” It is part of a series of designed multi-function tools, handmade / customized and hand-painted by Luka Zotti. This instrument was created by modifying a pre-existing semi-acoustic guitar to transform it into a multi-function instrument, also integrating an iPhone inside the body as a sound generator for the keyboards, the finishes were created with the artistic technique of gold leaf.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2017)
Body : maple semi-hollowbody (custom Gibson style 335)
Neck: maple
Keyboard: rosewood
Pick ups: 2 humbacker (from a Gibson Les Paul 1986)
Bridge: ., Tune-o-matic
MIDI controller: Akai LPK 25
Sound generators: iPhone (connected to MIDI master keyboard) and analog music-box (with piezo pick up and on / off switch dedicated)
Finishes: gold leaf
Outputs: jack (guitar), mini jack (internal sound generator) and usb (master keyboard/controller)
It’ It is possible to use the integrated sounds of the iPhone SE or connect the master keyboard to any external sound expander via the appropriate switch of the mini USB output.
Autumn leaves (multifunction guitar 2020)
A creation, designed and made entirely by hand by Luka
A hybrid musical instrument that incorporates electric guitar and MIDI master keyboard
“Autumn leaves” it is part of a series of musical instruments designed, handmade and hand-painted by Luka Zotti.
Each piece is individual and unique, just like an artwork, a sculpture, a painting…was designed and manufactured using eco-friendly materials such as unpainted wood (treated with oils), tree leaves for finishing.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2020)
Solid Body: Maple (not painted, treated with natural oils)
Maple neck (not painted, treated with natural oils) rosewood fingerboard
Mask in real tree leaves
Tuning machines: vintage tele
Pick ups: Godin humbucker neck, al ponte Fender Telecaster ’90
Bridge: Fender, fixed at 3 saddles with passing strings
MIDI controller: iRig mini (con knob volume e transpose)
Outputs: jack with safety lock (guitar) and usb (master keyboard/controller)
Key Guitar (multifunction guitar 2014)
A creation, designed and handmade by Luka
A hybrid musical instrument that incorporates electric guitar and MIDI master keyboard
The “Key Guitar” it is part of a series of musical instruments designed, handmade / customized and hand-painted by Luka Zotti.
Each piece is individual and unique, just like an artwork, a sculpture, a painting…”Key Guitar” was designed and built as multi-function travel guitar, compact and ideal for travel even by plane. It has an unpainted body and handle but treated with oils.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2014)
Solid Body: Maple (not painted, treated with natural oils)
Neck: birdseye maple
Tuning machines: auto-locking Gotoh
Pick ups: neck DiMarzio Telecaster style, bridge Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck (vintage Made in USA)
Bridge: permanent, independent saddles with passing through strings (Telecaster style )
MIDI controller: Akai LPK 25
Outputs: jack with safety lock (guitar) and usb (master keyboard/controller)
Exposure to Guitar fair & Beyond Milan (2014)
Live looping with Key Guitar – video demo (2015)
Other similar custom hybrid musical instruments
Chitarra Fretless Handpainted
Electric guitar “Fretless” handpainted
Design and creation Luka Zotti (2009) This guitar is part of a series of musical instruments designed, handmade and hand-painted by Luka Zotti. A work of art fusion of visual art and music.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2009)
Neck: maple
Keyboard: rosewood
Pick ups: two humbucker PAF
Bridge: fixed
Outputs: jack
Exposure in the exhibitions of musical instruments and artistic events
GUITAR & BASS – ALL IN ONE
A musical instruments with 2 two guitar-bass strings and 4 guitar strings, half neck fretless, handpainted
Design and creation Luka Zotti (2010)
The “Guitar & Bass Universe” it is part of a series of musical instruments designed, handmade and hand-painted by Luka Zotti. This work of art was created by modifying a pre-existing guitar to transform it into your own vision and hand painted inspired by the cosmos.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2010)
Neck: maple
Keyboard: rosewood
keys: frets Fender vintage (first 12 keys, then fretless up to 22 °)
Tuning machines: Gotoh
Pick ups: two single coil Suhr V60 (vintage style handmade)
Bridge: stratocaster
Sound generators: analog music-box with piezo pick up dedicated (on / off switch in the fifth position of the switch)
Outputs: jack (guitar and bass together)
Exposure in the exhibitions of musical instruments and artistic events
STRATO-CUSTOM GUITAR
Simil Stratocaster custom guitar, with custom handmade and hand-painted pickguard
Design and creation Luka Zotti (2009)
The "Strato-Custom" is part of a series of instruments designed, handmade / customized and hand-painted by Luka Zotti.
Each piece is individual and unique, just like an artwork, a sculpture, a painting…This work of art was created by modifying a pre-existing guitar to transform it into your own vision and hand painted inspired by abstract art.
Features:
Design and creation: Luka Zotti (2009)
Body: alder painted color between blue and green (petrol blue)
Neck: maple
Tuning machines: auto-locking Gotoh
Pick ups: Fender
Bridge: locking Kahler (USA ’90)
Custom mask made and hand painted (abstract style)
Special features: on / off button for guitar tremolo effect (Tom Morello & Johnny Greenwood style)
Outputs: jack (guitar)
