The fairs or showcases are an ideal playground for discovering new instruments!
First of this new chronicles series, a bass of French manufacture, with sensual and dynamic curves, a quality sound at a very reasonable price for an instrument made by a luthier.
This bass is beautiful as it’s uncluttered, with a familiar line inspired by the mythical brands as Fodera, MTD, Fender, Gibson … His name: the “Noir“. This “Noir” combines the passion of a bassist musician with his experience as a bass dealer. Jean-Michel Noir has designed an ideal instrument that gathers four essential ingredients: sensuality, efficiency, accessibility and know-how.
Deliberately inspired by a woman’s body, her aestheticism and touch strengthen the carnal relationship of the musician with his instrument.
Technically, it’s a French instrument manufactured “American style”: a simple and ergonomic design, no frills, an instrument that sounds. The Seymour Duncan NYC pickups make the sound of the best US jazzmen, the woods are French for their acoustic qualities and the assembly is manual, making it a bass worthy of the best luthiers in the world.
For its manufacture, Tom Marceau, renowned Breton luthier, uses his know-how as a craftsman on the details that make all the difference: fitting shapes, fineness of sanding and varnishing, hooping, making the nut, planning the key. The dynamic and sensual line, purified, makes it possible to obtain an instrument simpler to realize; the cutting of the woods, facilitated, is thus carried out with digital machines to optimize the cost price. Each instrument is then assembled by Jean-Michel Noir: the body and the handle, the mics, the electronics, the easel and then the final setting.
Original course of this new instrument creator!
After a career leading to a CEO position, Jean-Michel Noir decided to change his life radically. With his passion for music and especially bass guitar, he opened Bass Club Paris, the only showroom in France dedicated to bass where he exhibited and offered for sale the most beautiful basses in the world created by Best French, American, Japanese, Polish and German luthiers.
In daily contact with these exceptional instruments, he wants to understand the subtle alchemy that makes the sound of an instrument, and visits the greatest luthiers to analyze their way of working, even going so far as to make several instruments under their direction.
Based on his experience, Jean-Michel identifies the expectations of customers and analyzes what is available on the market. In his opinion, a proposal is missing: an instrument accessible to all without compromising on the quality of sound and “lutherie”.
Gathers the crazy idea of making the instrument of which he dreams. A few months later, a first prototype meeting all its demands came into being … a test which is concretized by the launch last spring of instruments of quality luthier accessible.
A first in the musical world.
At a time when digital takes over the “real” instruments, the “Noir” is a new way to view music with pleasure and passion.
Show-room (by appointment): Jean-Michel Noir jmnoir@bassclubparis.com
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