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the blog 2006 - 2013 NK Forster Guitars

NK Forster Blog 2006 2013

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Guitar Maker Nigel Forster - the blog from 20016-2013, complete with every typo and spelling mistake!

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  • 1w w w. n k f o r s t e r g u i t a r s . c o m

    the blog 2006 - 2013

    NK Forster Guitars

  • 2w w w. n k f o r s t e r g u i t a r s . c o m

  • 3w w w. n k f o r s t e r g u i t a r s . c o m

  • 4w w w. n k f o r s t e r g u i t a r s . c o m

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    2006 nkforsterguitars 8

    Indian Rosewood Model C 9

    Arch Top Bouzouki 10

    Model C Cutaway 11

    Model E 12

    Purflings 13

    New Model F 14

    Model F 15

    Neck/Head Joint 16

    more Neck/Head joint 17

    yet more Neck/Head joint 18

    Model A 19

    Neck/Head Joint last part 20

    Model J Guitar 21

    Burgundy rosette, Indian Rio mix 22

    Indian/Riomix 23

    Indian/Rio mix model C complete 24

    New Model J 25

    Happy Customer picks up his Model A 26

    The English Heel 27

    2007 Model ES another new one! 29

    Indian/RiomixModelA 30

    MoreIndian/RiomixModelA 31

    MoreModelA 32

    ModelAcontinued 33

    ModelANearlythere 34

    ModelGadjustableneck 35

    SunburstModelC 36

    ModelAalldone 37

    Indian/Riomix12stringModelF 38

    ModelAgoestohernewhome 39

    Making a back. Part 1. 40

    Making a back part 2 41

    Rio sets 42

    InMemoriamKeithForster19432006 43

    More Rio sets 44

    Bending and joining sides 45

    Rosettes 47

    Another new Model no name yet though 48

    Fun in Cheltenham! 49

    12 string goes home 50

    Work in progress: Rio Model B 51

    Work in progress:Rio Model F 52

    ExperimentalModelC 53

    Richard selects some timber 55

    Russ picks up his Model F 56

    2008 Different Dalbergias 58

    Yellow Cows 59

    Indian Model C for Japan 60

    Goodbye Model J 61

    Just for Damien 62

    AnotherModelJ 63

    Fitting a bridge 64

    Another experiment 65

    Damian picks up his Camatillo Model B 66

    Work in progress: Howe Orme and Rio D 67

    Images for the new book 68

    How to order an instrument 69

    Work in progress 70

    Panamanian Rosewood 71

    Buying Spruce in Germany 72

    Bearclawanyone? 73

    Work in progress trial run for the 74

    Anniversary Model 74

    Panamanian Model C goes home 75

    Adjustable neck IndianModel C 76

    Panamanian Rosewood Model C 77

    Rio Model D 78

    New interview ! 79

    Latest images for the book 86

    Ullapool guitar festival 87

    Table of Contents

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    Work in progress new mandolin 88

    Model C in Panamanian Rosewood 89

    Panamanian Rosewood Model J 90

    Work in progress Model S 91

    work in progress guitar bouzouki 92

    2009 India trip 2009 94

    Model S pictures 95

    Guitar Bouzouki 96

    Maple Mandolin! 97

    Just for Duncan 98

    FAQ 99

    New style Bouzouki 101

    Work in progress a C and a S 102

    Mandolinetto 103

    Stripped down Model C 104

    Work in progress: redwood and 105

    cocobolo bouzouki 105

    Not all guitars are equal! 106

    Work in progress: guitar bouzouki 107

    2010 Thailand 2010 109

    Japan 2010 110

    intonation 111

    Japanese Bamboo Art 112

    RedwoodZoukwithnewdesigntailpiece 113

    Influences1Selmerguitar 114

    InfluencesIIHermannHauserI 116

    InfluencesIIIShakerfurniture 117

    InfluencesIVHoweOrmeGuitars 118

    Work in progress Cocobolo Model B 119

    InfluencesVStefanSobell 120

    Luthiers BBQ 25th July 121

    OnthebenchnewCelticMandolin 123

    Work in progress:

    cocobolo 10 string bouzouki 124In memoriam: Jennifer Forster 125

    1947-2009 125

    New A model Mandolin 127

    Nov3,2010 127

    THE BOOK! 128

    2011 2006ModelCcutaway 130

    Saddles! 131

    ThejourneyofanideaI 132

    AnideasjourneyII:amodernflattopguitar 133

    Anideasjourney:afinearchtopisborn 134

    AguitarbouzoukiforLisa 136

    AnideasjourneyVnewarchtopguitarCHARLIE 137

    AnideasjourneyIV:greatjazzguitarplaying 138

    Viewfromthehammock,Thailand2011 139

    AfinearchtopguitarOscar 140

    2012 A day at the Newark College guitar making course 142

    Imagesforanewguitarmakingbook? 143

    The guitar bouzouki that turned into a Les Paul 144

    Selmer Maccaferri inspired archtop... 146

    2013 India2013 148

    Winter2013,Thailand 149

    STOLEN GUITAR BOUZOUKI 151

    Another Howe Orme inspired guitar:

    Tom picks up his Model C Modern 152

    Whatsthebestvaluehandmadeacousticguitars? 153

    Exclusive! Richard Dawson, and his new album,

    The Glass Trunk 155

    Irish bouzouki? What about Isle of Man bouzouki?

    Interview with Adam Rhodes, Barrule. 160

    Theflattopguitarthatisntaflattop 164

    New interview with Guitar Connoisseur magazine 167

    Two new celtic bouzouki videos! 181

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    2006

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    nkforsterguitarsFeb 25, 2006

    Well, how exciting! I intend to use this space to post pictures of my latest work an online gallery. There will be pics and articles about construction and new timber as well. How clever.

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    Indian Rosewood Model CFeb 25, 2006

    This is my standard IndianModel CwithEuropean Spruce top and 1908 Cu-ban Mahogany neck.

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    Arch Top BouzoukiFeb 25, 2006

    Here is a nice 8 string arch top Irish bouzouki, that now lives in Scotland.

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    Model C CutawayMar 3, 2006

    This is a tastyModel Ccutaway inIndian rosewood and European spruce and 1908 Cuban mahogany. Nice eh?

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    Model EMar 3, 2006

    This is the latest addition to the range Model E. Made from plantation grown Mahogany and Rosewood. A great no frills guitar with a warm sweet voice.

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    PurflingsMar 12, 2006

    Purflings Click on the images to enlarge Some of my guitars like my Mod-el D (third picture) really suit traditional Herringbone. This one also has nice Maple binding.

    I really like using rope purfling like a half herringbone. Here are two exam-ples with dyed Birds Eye Maple. One green and one blue. The guitar with the blue veneers also has double Rosewood bindings. It looks great.

    At the top is my new Model F. It has very simple decoration, just blue Birds Eye with black edges. Minimal and lovely.

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    New Model FMay 10, 2006

    At last! This model is a Spruce and Rosewood version of Model E. Its great, loud, clear, and Im very happy with it.

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    Model FMay 10, 2006

    More pics of the Model F. Still cant get the hang of this camera. I can see a eivening class coming on. Just played the guitar again today, and it sounds so strong. I have changed the composition of the struts and the results are re-markable. The top is heavier than normal, which contradicts current theories, but the guitar is louder and clearer and richer than any other Ive made. So much for current thinking.

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    Neck/Head JointJun 8, 2006

    This complicated joint was inspired by my Grandfathers old Selmer guitar and by some fantastic old reclaimed Cuban Mahogany. The result is an ex-tremly strong solid joint, that is also very attractive. The form follows the function.

    WARNING!! This is not meant as instruction for a amatuer maker. These cut-ters can cause serious harm. You have been warned!

    The pics show the initial simple butt joint, which is then machined away to form a half round mortise. A matching half round ten-on is machined from more Cuban and shaped to fit the female half. More to come

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    more Neck/Head jointJun 13, 2006

    Complicated this the tenon is split to ensure a perfect fit, then glued in. After trimming, a slot is routed for the truss rod. Next wings are added to the head. More to come

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    yet more Neck/Head jointJun 19, 2006

    Nearly there the head veneers are now glued one, one at a time. The front one first then the head is ticknessed and the back ve-neer is glued on. After the glue dries, the fingerboard and head tem-plate are double taped on and the whole thing is routed to shape. Sorry the images are not in the correct order this program puts them in an order I cannot predict. But see if you can work it out for yourself eh? When youve done that, scroll down to the very bottom picture in the entire blog. Right to the bottom. This shows what this joint looks like when the neck is carved and sprayed. Rather nice.

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    Model AJun 25, 2006

    English Sycamore, European Spruce, Honduras Mahogany. Loud and bal-anced. You can buy one if you like.

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    Neck/Head Joint last partJun 28, 2006

    Well, that took a while eh? Here are some pics of the neck in different stages showing the holes being drilled for the machines, and the neck being carved round from square. This is when that lovely rosewood dart appears on the back of the neck. Both strong and bonny. This has become something of a trade mark on my guitars, owners love it, so they all have it now, even if the head is spliced in the conventional style. It really does add strength to the neck which can suffer breaks quite easily.

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    Model J GuitarJul 20, 2006

    This is the body of my new Model J a DADGAD specific guitar. The body is a full 17 1/2 wide to cope with those low notes, the scale length is to be 660mm, joining the body at the 12th fret to let that low D ring out without having to resort to extra heavy strings. The bracing is of my new type, but altered to cope with this extra wide body. The back and sides are Indian Rose-wood, the top is Italian Spruce, the binding is Columbian Rosewood, similar to Kingwood. Very pretty. Ill let you see it with the neck on next.

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    Burgundy rosette, Indian Rio mixAug 10, 2006

    Made for Mr D. Brown, a Scotsman in HongKong. I like it. shall tell you more soon.

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    Indian/Rio mixAug 15, 2006

    Rio sides and a back of Indian Rosewood with a central piece of Rio. A great compromise of sound, cost and stability. Dont ask me why the sides should contribute so much to the sound. But they do. Here are some pictures showing how I line the body the top linings are kerfed, but the back linings are made from a long strip of ultra light Pop-lar. See how I mask off the back? This saves a lot of cleaning up later. When complete, the interior of the body is sprayed to further aid stablity.

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    Indian/Rio mix model C completeAug 16, 2006

    Here is the finished article and what a beauty it is too! The sides are fancy fig-ured Rio, the back dark Indian wings with a central stip of dark Rio. The rosette has a lovely burgundy central band at the request of Mr Brown. Lucky chap. The sound really does lie between the two timbers, leaning heavily towards the Rio end of the scale with its deep dark bass and thick treble. But the mid has the punch you often find in good Indian. A delicious and complex sound.

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    New Model JSep 25, 2006

    This one was designed with DADGAD tuning in mind. Long 660mm scale, extra wide 17 1/2 lower bout to let that low D ring out. The saddle is intonated for DADGAD and to crown it off, Gotoh 510s the best tuners you can get. The soundboard is Italian Spruce, the back and sides Indian Rosewood. The su-per slim neck is flame 1908 vintage Cuban Mahogany. Fingerboard and bridge, best Ebony. The frets I use now are a Brass alloy. Much harder than Nickel-Silver. The sound is smooth, full and even, the bass came as a surprise I expected it to be full, but it also has great warmth and power. If you are a open tunings kind of player, this may well be the guitar for you. Get in touch.

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    Happy Customer picks up his Model ANov 19, 2006

    What a happy chap! Andy Young ordered his 13frets to the body Sycamore Model A shortly after we met at the London Guitar show in March this year. He and his partner Terri came up to Newcastle to pick it up. We had a nice time chatting and drinking tea, and playing. The three of them are all now back in Berkshire, and I imagine Terri hasnt seen much of Andy or the guitar since!

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    The English HeelDec 3, 2006

    Here are a few pics showing how I join the neck to the body. This is a wedged bridal joint, and as far as I know no one else uses this for guitar making. I call it the English heel.

    What I like about it is its remarkable strength and stability and that the neck extends into the body to around the 18th fret. On the downside, it is difficult to make, time consuming and pretty difficult to reverse. But then my guitars dont require neck resets.

    A mortise is cut into the body and a corresponding tenon cut into the neck. Great care needs to be taken to get your angles right, to ensure the neck points down the middle of the body and the correct distance above the soundboard. Tricky stuff. The golden rule is MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE.

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    2007

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    Model ES another new one!Jan 3, 2007

    Happy New Year! Hope you are all in good health. Starting the year with a plantation Mahogany and European Spruce model ES, build in the same mold as the E and F. You can read more about her on the wbsite if you click on the link. Sound samples on Myspace coming soon!

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    Indian/Rio mix Model AMar 13, 2007

    Here are a few shots of a little Indian/Rio mix Model A Im building for a nice feller from Liverpool called Ken. He and his partner drove up to Newcastle on a dark rainy day a few weeks back, and we had a nice time sorting out which model and which timbers to go for.

    The pictures show the Indian/Rio back in rough sawn form, the Rio sides already bent and joined and the channels in the soundboard ready for the rosette. Next is the rosette in place and the soundhole cut.

    The way I work is to prepare as many components as early as possible to al-low them to take whatever shape they naturally wish to. When they have sat around for a few weeks the parts are glued together. This way stress in not built into the instrument where it is not required. It takes more time, but the results are worth it.

    We will follow this little guitar through the whole process, including the con-clusion of my special neck joint the English heel.

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    More Indian/Rio mix Model AApr 2, 2007

    The components have been sitting around in the warmth for a few weeks so its time for the next part of the build the back is glued to the ribs, and the sides reinforced. The back and sides are sprayed to inhibit moisture. The soundboard is fitted and glued. The body is then routed to receive the bind-ings which I make from Rosewood and black and white veneer.

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    More Model AApr 16, 2007

    First image the bindings are shaped on the bending iron and are ready to be glued into the routed channel.

    Second and third cutting the purfling miters in the body. The purfling re-flects in the highly polished chisel back to show the correct angle to cut. Tricky this, if you get it wrong, its wrong for good. This is what Professor David Pye called the workmanship of risk.

    Lastly, here is the body after the masking tape has been removed. The bind-ings are scraped and sealed with glue to prevent the finish sinking into the purfling. After the glue dries, the surfaces are scraped again.

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    Model A continuedApr 19, 2007

    The bindings are sealed and scraped, and the neck is attached. Check out the previous posts on the English Heel to see how I do this. The last part of this job is securing the neck with tapered birch dowels, altogether four are glued and hammered into place. Rock solid.

    After this the truss rod is fitted and the fretboard is glued in place. This is a very important stage, not only does the ebony have to be glued on in the cor-rect place and manner with the correct amount of pressure, the humidity and temperature also have to be right to avoid problems later on. When dry, the neck is carved, the fingerboard is compound radiused, fretted and polished.

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    Model A Nearly thereApr 19, 2007

    Here you can see the neck after it has been carved. The job is done by hand with rasps, files chisels, scrapers and sandpaper. One of the Jobs I like best is carving the heel I try to do them all a little different from one another, a different profile or swell. My Grandfather Charlie Ferguson (who taught me how to play) told me you could always tell the quality of a guitar by how well the heel was carved, that it should be slender and elegant, and those words stuck with me.

    After this the body is scraped and sanded. The ebony bridge is made, the un-derneath shaped by hand to conform to the top of the guitar. The upper side is routed for the wide saddle, the pin holes drilled and the rest of the shaping is done by hand.

    The bridges position is marked on the soundboard and masked off with tape to be removed after the spayed finish has cured. This way the Ebony is glued directly to the Spruce.

    So the guitar is now off to Dave Wilsons at Haltwistle. We shall see her again in about a month.

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    Model G adjustable neckApr 22, 2007

    Another experimental model this is the prototype of my latest addition tho the range. The neck of this guitar is attached to the body on two pivot points and one bolt. The idea comes from Stauffer, the Austrian luthier who trained C.F. Matin, in the late 1800s. It will bring several new possibilities: The own-er will be able to set his/her own action, great if you play slide and standard style. And if I can get an appropriate case made you will be able to take the instrument apart and carry it as hand luggage on flights. Great eh?

    The body and neck are made from plantation grown timbers Mahogany and Rosewood. The struts are European Spruce.

    Rather than go through the who building process again, here are some of the highlights!

    The guitar is at the sprayers, and well see how successful the experiment is in a few weeks.

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    Sunburst Model CMay 3, 2007

    Here is a rather nice Sycamore Model C Sunburst. I was so pleased with the fantastic finishing job Dave Wilson did on this guitar, instead of tak-ing the pics myself, I got someone in who knows what they are doing. English Sycamore is similar to Maple, the timber is both stable and environ-mentally sound.

    As for the most important issue: the sound is really woody and warm, more so than any Rosewood guitar. Tonally it falls between the American Rock and Sugar Maples.

    There are some great clips of this guitar being played by a nice chap called Nick Pride on YouTube, and Ive some footage of Tony McManus and Cklive Carrol both playing it too, which Im still to upload.

    I have plenty of sets of this stuff for those who are interested. It really suits my work.

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    Model A all doneMay 20, 2007

    Well, that took a while! The Indian/Rio mix Model A is all done, and what a beauty. The sound is rich and smooth as I have come to expect from this combination of timbers. For a small guitar like this, I think this is probably better choice than going for full Rio. The Indian Rosewood adds a softness that might otherwise be missing.

    If there is time, Ill get Ian Stephenson to record a sound sample for me.

    So, next step is for Ken to come up from Liverpool to collect her, or for me to pop her in the post. Pity to see such a nice guitar go.

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    Indian/Rio mix 12 string Model FMay 30, 2007

    Well this should be great! The feller who owns the Sycamore Model B pictures in my website came to me to build him a new 12 string to replace his Koa Taylor. Now John was under the impression like many people that 12 strings should be big, but this is the last thing they should be. How many 12 stings have you played that were difficult to play or distorted or just plain bad gui-tars? Plenty I bet.

    Flat top steel string guitars struggle to cope with the pull of 6 strings without serious deformation, 12 strings even more so. The answer is in design all the best 12 strings were smallish guitars -think of those pre war Stellas. The po-sition of the bridge relative to the soundhole and tail block is very important as is the clinching of the waist, the arching and thicknessing of thew sound-board.

    So John is a trusting feller, he told me what he wanted, we settled on the Mod-el F mold (about the size of a Martin 0-18) and Ive done my best to build him a guitar to last a lifetime and sound and play just how he likes. Like one of mine!

    The guitar comes back from Dave Wilson spray shop in about 3 weeks and Ill post some more images then.

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    Model A goes to her new homeJun 28, 2007

    The Model A featured in the last few posts on the blog was picked up today by her new owners. Ken and Caite came up from Liverpool and very pleased they seemed too. The little Model A sounds really great and I hope Ken spends many a happy hour picking away.

    Hopefully there will be plenty of sound samples of the guitar in the years to come as Ken is one of our best record producers, having engineered and pro-duced recordings by Coldplay, Gomez, Feeder, Badly Drawn Boy, and loads of others. Hes a nice feller too and puts up with me prattling on about what-ever comes into me head. What a gent. Both of them!

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    Making a back. Part 1.Jun 29, 2007

    When I began my apprenticeship this was the first job I was allowed to try (after being taught how to make a cup of tea the way the boss liked it.) Ive changed the method from how I was taught this way takes a little longer but there is less mess to clean up later on in the build and less moisture is intro-duced during the glue up.

    First the joined and thicknessed back is marked out for the struts. A Euro-pean Spruce cross grained strip is glued to reinforce the purfling joins. The strips are cut from over sized soundboards.

    The back struts are cut from blocks of seasoned quarter sawn Italian Spruce. They are shaped using a router and a jig. They are then thicknessed and sand-ed according to how stiff the wood is and which poistion on the back they take. Over the years I have learned how to find the correct balance between stiffness and flexibility. The back has to be stiff where I want it to be, and flex-ible where it needs to be.

    When dry the cross grained strips are sanded to a gentle curve using a shaped sanding block.

    Next: Gluing and shaping the struts. Taking humidity into account.

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    Making a back part 2Jun 30, 2007

    The next stage is to notch the cross grained Spruce reinforcement to take the Spruce struts. The struts are glued in place using a Go -Bar deck and a former. The former is shaped to match the curve of the struts. I mask off the back to prevent glue from squeezing out onto the Rosewood. The glue is left for about 15 mins to go a little rubbery before removing the squeeze out with an old chisel. By allowing it to go off a little it is easier to clean up without having to introduce more moisture by cleaning up with a damp rag.

    It is my belief that the lower the relative humidity (RH) the better when glu-ing struts to a top or back. Wood can stand expansion far better than con-traction so I usually glue up around the 25%-35% mark. This is far lower than most makers. 45% is considered the industry norm, but not in my shop. The heating is on all the time as is the dehumidifier. Luckily my workshop is bone dry and this part of the world rarely has spells of high humidity. But, when the RH reaches 40% or more, work grinds to a halt. To glue up after this point is asking for trouble in the future.

    Once the glue has had time to dry the struts are shaped with a sharp chisel and sanded smooth. The back is then put to one side for several weeks to allow it to take on whatever shape it wishes. When it is glued to the ribs, the ribs are cut and shaped to conform to the shape of the back. The back is NOT pulled to meet the shape of the ribs. This is the exact opposite to how most steel string guitars are made, and one of the contributing factors to my sound. This all adds time and complication to the building process, but then I feel the results are worth the extra effort and care.

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    Rio setsJul 9, 2007

    Here are are few Rio backs. First we have a couple of sets stamped Di Georgio this company is one of the oldest guitar makers in Brazil and were major importers of the timber in the 1960s. The quality of there timber varies, but these sets are some of the best Ive ever seen. The one marked out for a dread-nought is fantastic in every way looks, grain, and rings like a bell. It has wings to make up the width or a central dart could be used.

    Below these are a couple of slate Rio sets. The camera has bleached them out a little, but both sets are classic slate Rio flat, straight, perfectly quarter sawn and sound like a sheet of metal when tapped.

    Last is one of my many orange Rio sets. This stuff comes from the north of the country and is spectacular stuff. The mass of this stuff is slightly less than that of the dark slate and will make an excellent guitar.

    I shall post some more pictures of some Rio sets later in the week.

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    In Memoriam Keith Forster 1943 2006Jul 9, 2007

    It is a year tomorrow since my father passed away. He was a truly decent man and I miss him. Me dad looked after us and when me mam got ill he looked after her. We have much to thank him for. We were brought up in a house free from prejudice and me father never passed judgment on the things I did he allowed me to make my own decisions, my own mistakes and my own way in life. He preferred to teach by example rather than give advice.

    Me dad drove a bus when I was little, but had to give up work to look after our mam when her multiple sclerosis became advanced. He was interested in all sorts of things British Motorbikes, cars, and buses, and when we were at school he used to paint in his spare time. But his real love was music. He seemed to know pretty much everything about British and American music of the 50s and 60s. There were always records playing in our house. Always.

    Keith Forster died on 10th July 2006 from lung cancer. He was 62.

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    More Rio setsJul 11, 2007

    The top set is a Rio scantling this is some of the best timber I have, this stuff is remarkable in every way. Below is a set of excellent reclaimed Rio. It has a very clear strong tap tone. At the bottom is a set of Camatillo Rosewood a Mexican Dalbergia, better than Cocobolo. Lovely wood, and is my favourite of all the Rio alternatives.

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    Bending and joining sidesJul 26, 2007

    Many luthiers choose to bend sides in a machine nowadays, but I still prefer the traditional method a bending iron. This is one of the most enjoyable jobs in guitar making and is one of the few skills particular to my trade. I love the smell of the wood and it is pleasant to watch the guitar take shape.My re-sults are equal to bending by machine, and I get a feel for what the timber is capable of whilst Im working it it lets me know what sort of guitar it wants to be.

    The iron I use is one made by an English violin maker called David Stoddard. This is the best of all the irons available better shaped and more robust than the Ibex ones and less dangerous than the old Sydney Evans ones. You can see it is well coated with resin from working with good Rosewood. Its always a good sign when on the first bend that dozens of bubbles of thick resin pop out of the timber and crystallize. This happens with only the best wood. One tip though always sand the resin off the iron when working with paler woods like Sycamore or Mahogany.

    Next we see a Model B side which has been bent and placed in the mold. Im planning a short video to post on YouTube to show how I bend sides.

    The sides are trimmed to length using a picture framers guillotine and then joined to the blocks. In this case the neck block is American Black Walnut and the tailblock is Spruce. After years of experimenting with different woods for these roles my conclusion is it dont matter much! As long as the neckblock is rigid, stable and firm. Mahogany and Walnut are my favourites. For the tail-block it should be light and stable Basswood, Spruce and Mahogany are all suitable.

    The sides are glued to the blocks either in or out the mold. Some makes glue

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    them all together whilst in the mold this is usually to ensure that the neck-block is glued in at 90 to the center line. As long as your joints are cut accu-rately and the glue up correct, your blocks will point where they should.

    The next stage is cleaning up the sides, fitting the linings then the back.

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    RosettesAug 3, 2007

    Whilst admiring the work and skill of all the great inlay artists out there, when it comes to decoration,my motto is less is more. To me there is nothing more pleasing than good Spruce, Rosewood, Ebony and fine vintage Mahogany. These materials are sufficient luxury. Decoration only detracts from them. Whilst some would find this approach a little stifling, I enjoy working with such a limited palette. Rosettes of concentric black and white lines, a row or two of herringbone, crowsfoot or slant check purfling, with a splash of vibrant colour. The fun is introducing small variations from the instrument before. The customer receives a Rosette unique to their instrument and for a while, my artistic urges are satisfied.

    Here are a few recent rosettes. First up we have a small neat double rope and red rosette for a Model F. The white in the rope is Maple and really catches the light when the finish is applied. Stunning. I like to mix in dark colours as it reminds me of smart, dignified old Spanish rosettes of the 1920s and 30s.

    Next we have some crowsfoot. It has become hard to get reliable supplies of this stuff, and is now too brittle to be used on my cutaways. Very pretty though. And it looks nice here with the mix of blue, black and white.

    The last two are of a really nice delicate German purfling, it consists of the white lines and a gap. It goes really well with heavy black lines. On these two guitars I have bound the soundholes too.

    Rosettes are there to serve a purpose to seal the end grain around the sound-hole. The decoration should be simple, yet beautiful.

    A guitar that is not pleasant on the eye fails in one of its duties. It is my role as a luthier to reward every sense of those who care to take a closer look.

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    Another new Model no name yet thoughSep 5, 2007

    It has taken ages to get round to putting this little feller together. This is an ex-perimental guitar, the neck joint is based on the old Stauffer guitars of the late 1800s the neck is attached to the body with a bolt and rests on two pivots. The result is you can set your own action. Another useful feature is the access to the upper frets over the body is greatly improved. But the real bonus is the guitar is easy to take apart and put back together. Im having a case made so the body goes in one half, the neck in the other. Small enough to carry onto most aircraft as hand luggage this could prove to be a real help to many profession-al musicians. This is not a toy it is a serious, hand made, well designed guitar. Working with such a limited amount of space brings up some interesting problems because the guitar is normal 25.4 scale, the length of the head had to be reduced to fit in the box, this took me towards a Banjo shaped head, and Banjo tuners which also help get the guitar back in pitch quickly. Funny how things work out. A Rosewood and Spruce version is due back from Dave Wil-son soon, itll be sent off to the States to be recorded by Fishman for there Aura system. This guitar kitted out with a Fishman Aura could be what many of you regular air travelers are looking for! This guitar could do with a catchy name, so far its been Model G, but if any of you have any suggestions, drop me an email.

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    Fun in Cheltenham!Sep 10, 2007

    Here is me and the lads On the left is Gareth Pearson, from Wales who came down to entertain the crowds at the first Cheltenham Acoustic Gui-tar Show. He was brilliant infact he was so good even Ian Stephen-son who came down with me from Newcastle was awe struck! Ians the feller sitting down with his Rio Model B. Ian did a great job demon-strating for me on both days and he actually talks guitar even more flu-ently than me! Most people thought he was me and I was his friend! The organisers are talking about booking Ian to run a Celtic gui-tar masterclass at next years festival, and so they should- hes superb. The other picture is me playing(?) a nice lap steel made by A.J.Lucas hes a great feller who makes all kinds of wonderful instruments. Seem quite happy dont I ?

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    12 string goes homeSep 18, 2007

    John came around yesterday to pickup his 12 string Model F. What a guitar! The guitars has an Italian Sporuce top and Indian/Rio mix back and sides. The sides and the central strip of the back are Rio, the outer wings are Indian a great balance of warmth and depth. I really think this is the ideal size for a 12 string the smaller body and larg-er bridge mean the guitar will not self destruct like most larger ones do. Another happy customer!

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    Work in progress: Rio Model BOct 19, 2007

    Here is a lovely Indian Rosewood Model B which is nearly ready to go to her new home in New Jersey. Im so pleased with the way my work is developing both visually and acoustically. If anyone asked me what is the best combina-tion of features on a guitar this is the one I would probably come up with a 12 fret cutaway. The bridge is in the right spot as far away from the sound-hole as I can get it, the neck is shorter and stiffer, and the cutaway gives access to the upper frets. What do you recon? Fancy one yourself?

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    Work in progress:Rio Model FOct 19, 2007

    Here is the Rio/Italian Spruce adjustable neck guitar I told you about. What a guitar! This design really does work. The sound is as impressive as any of my conventional instruments. This feller is also fitted with a Fishman Aura Ellipse the best pickup on the market. What you get is a blend of the under-saddle pickup and the digitally recorded sound of the guitar. The results are great. Still waiting for the case to arrive. The guitar comes apart so you can carry the instrument onto a plane as hand luggage. This is a serious instru-ment for the travelling musician.

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    Experimental Model CNov 2, 2007

    Guitar construction is a fascinating puzzle which has continued to hold my interest for many years now. Instruments are required to sound wonderful, play beautifully, look stunning and survive many years under considerable strain under all manner of climatic conditions.

    Unlike the violin, the guitar is not designed to last. The design and method of construction of the violin allows it to be taken apart many times in its long life, repaired and reassembled. This is much more difficult with a guitar, with its bound edges and relatively thin and fragile top and back.

    The guitar strings are anchored in the middle of the top and so the trouble begins. The strings are constantly trying to pull the bridge from the top. The only resistance is formed by a few wooden struts. At the other end of the top, the neck and fingerboard act as a lever attempting to cave the soundboard in at the upper bout. So what do we do to prevent this? We cut a large hole be-tween the fretboard and the bridge, directly in line with the pull of the strings!

    There are many ways to tackle this design flaw, one of them is to experiment with the placement of the soundhole, moving it away from under the end of the fretboard. Structurally this is the last place it should be, once moved, thought should then be given to the placement of the bridge in relation to the end of the fingerboard and tailblock. My view is the closer to half way between these two points the better. This has a beneficial effect on the sound and stability. The balance sought is between tone, aesthetics, access to the upper frets, and the stability brought about by distancing the bridge from the soundhole.

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    An unexpected and pleasant side effect of putting the soundhole to one side is the emphasised bass the player experiences. Rather like a soundport.

    This experiment has proved to be a big success, this option is available to any of my customers at no extra charge.

    This guitar is for sale at http://www.dreamguitars.com

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    Richard selects some timberDec 5, 2007

    Model A owner Richard drove down from Fort William to select the timber for his next guitar an Indian and Spruce Model D. Its been ages since anyone or-dered a Model D which is a pity as the last one was superb. Anyway, Richard and I discussed the sound and feel he was after and then we picked out some backs and soundboards and went through them to find the ones we were happiest with. The soundboard is quite unusual it is Italian Spruce, very stiff and light but with a strong pronounced reed and quite a bit of bearclaw fig-ure. The top really rang when tapped and will make a great guitar. Normally I make these choices my self after discussion with the customer but it was nice that Richard could come down and be involved in the process. The guitar wont be ready until around the middle of Spring, when it is Ill post some pictures.

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    Russ picks up his Model FDec 17, 2007

    Russ and and his partner Lynn who live in Scotland came by to pick up Russs new Indian Rio Model F. Seems quite chuffed with it eh? Russ plays in dropped tuning CGCGCE low to high so I had to get my think-ing cap on to come up with the right combination of specifications to fit in with this and his wish for a smaller bodied instrument. So we came up with this 650mm scale guitar, specially intonated for his tuning, and I braced the top to respond to the low tension from a standard set of 13s. The guitar sings and we were both delighted with how she turned out. What a nice feller too.

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    2008

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    Different DalbergiasFeb 22, 2008

    Here are a couple of other Rosewoods to show you. the paler of the two is Panamanian Rosewood, which looks similar to coarse Indian but has a su-perb tap and ring. This stuff is also quite light, much more so than Cocobo-lo or Blackwood. More like Honduras Rosewood. Interesting stuff, and well worth considering if you cannot pay for Rio.

    The other one was sold to me in amongst a batch of old stock Brazilian Rose-wood some years ago. I dont know what it is it is just too heavy to be Rio, and too dark for Cocobolo, but it is most certainly a Dalbergia of some sort. (Dalbergia is the Latin name for the Rosewood family) It rings like a bell and resembles good dark old Rio, but it aint. Any suggestions?

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    Yellow CowsMar 2, 2008

    Here are a couple of me holiday snaps I promise there wont be any more. Woke up one morning to find every cow in the city of Mysore, in India was yellow. And in the evening they were all made to walk on hot coals. Appar-ently the dye is turmeric and is good for them and the hot coals sorts their hooves out. Bloody strange country

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    Indian Model C for JapanMar 5, 2008

    This is the first of (hopefully) many guitars to be sold for me in Japan by Dol-phin Music of Osaka. The good people there have ordered an Indian Model C and left the rest to me what perfect customers! So here you all are Ital-ian Spruce, Indian Rosewood, Sri Lankan Ebony and reclaimed 1908 vintage Cuban Mahogany. The guitar is a 12 fret Model C cutaway to give the best of both worlds the bridge in the sweet spot of the soundboard and access to the upper frets. Should be perfect for someone.

    Some of you may have noticed I have a new cover for my sofa!

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    Goodbye Model JMar 14, 2008

    The new non cutaway Model J who has featured in my recent YouTube clips was picked up today by her new owner. Jonathan drove up from the south of England this morning. The two of them seem to be getting on just fine. Hes a really nice chap and plays very nice fingerstyle in a low C tuning, which the guitar was set up especially for.

    The Model J is by far the hardest guitar in the range to make the 17 1/2 low-er bout is really wider than a flat top guitar should be so getting the balance of thicknessing and bracing right is more difficult. The guitar must sing, allow a soft feel and live a long life. The wider body makes these factors more difficult to control. But if I say so myself, the results were great.

    I just wish Id had the guitar for a little longer to take some images for me website.

    Must paint over that hole in me wall too.

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    Just for DamienMar 20, 2008

    Especially for a chap in Glasgow who has been waiting patiently for his Ca-matillo Model B. The guitar went off to Dave Wilsons yesterday to be sprayed. This is a really fine looking guitar Camatillo Rosewood with European Spruce, a bound soundport and some pretty fancy binding if I say so meself. The guitar also features my new bridge, which is larger but lighter than the old one, the idea being to spread the load without adding weight. Hope he likes it!

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    Another Model JMar 28, 2008

    You wait for ages and two come along at the same time this is another top of the range Rio Model J, a cutaway this time, destined for a chap who already owns a rather lovely Rio Model C. The guitar is about to have the bridge fitted and in a day or so will be strung up and left under tension for about 7 weeks. At that stage I will set the guitar up so it plays as good as it looks. The top is Caucasian Spruce from Eastern Europe very stiff, and it needs to be for this wide guitar the Model J is 17 1/2 across. Shes a big lass!

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    Fitting a bridgeApr 15, 2008

    This is how I do it the bridge with the saddle slot routed but no holes is clamped in place on to the soundboard and on top of some plastic tape which is then cut lightly around the bridge with a sharp knife. The bridge at this point has been fitted to the curve of the soundboard. The reason for the tape is to mask the spruce so lacquer does not get in between the spruce/ebony join.

    When the guitar returns from the sprayers the bridge is clamped in place (two 1.5mm drills are used to locate the bridge, the holes being drilled at the ends of the saddle slot.) Then the lacquer is cut around the bridge using a new sharp blade. The bridge is taken away and the finish and tape is removed using chisels and thinners. The area is left to dry and then the fit of the bridge is checked once more. When it is ready the bridge is glued on with Titebond, clamped and left over night.

    Next Ill show yo how I drill the holes for the strings.

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    Another experimentApr 25, 2008

    About 10 years ago I tried a very unsuual and excellent guitar whilst in Lon-don, the guitar was an Howe-Orme, built in the 1890s and was one of the first guitars made with steel strings in mind. So when I was recently reminded of the guitar in a conversation, I decided to build one to see what it was like.

    Now most of you will be familiar with the adjustable neck guitar I have de-veloped, well, it was sitting around the house, not doing much so this week I cut the top off, and attached a new one, in European Spruce, based on this Howe-Orme idea. The top photo is a Howe-Orme, the rest are the Forster, see just how arched the top is?

    The guitar goes to Dave Wilsons to be sprayed next week and should be back in around a month.

    if theis experiment goes well Ill build a full size Rosewood version, perhaps a Model C Ive been considering building a ladder braced guitar for some time the idea is to make a guitar perfect for noisy sessions something that will be loud and strong. Ladder braced guitars are often this Selmer guitars for example.

    The plan is to exhibit at this years acoustic guitar show at the Barbican in Lon-don this September, and the guitar will hopefully be ready for then.

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    Damian picks up his Camatillo Model BMay 12, 2008

    Damian had waited patiently for his Model B in Camatillo Rosewood and Eu-ropean Spruce, and seemed quite taken aback when he finally got his hands oner. Hes been playing a Martin for so long I think he got quite a shock at how responsive his new guitar is. He has a very good technique he plays in a rather classical style but now he is faced with a much broader palette of colour with which to paint. The pair of them are back in Glasgow now, and I would imagine Mrs Lynch wont have seen much of either of them!

    Anyway, here are some pictures so you can see the guitar for yourself. It has my new bridge which has a much larger footprint than my old one, yet the bridge is much shallower and lighter, apart from the area that supports the saddle which is normal height.

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    Work in progress: Howe Orme and Rio DMay 15, 2008

    Two instruments have just come back from Dave Wilsons: a handsome looking Indian/Italian Model D and the Howe-Orme inspired, re-topped Mahogany adjustable neck guitar. Wow, what a mouthful.

    The Howe-Orme one is not a direct copy, but it was certainly my inspiration (Think Ill call it Howe-Ormish) The barrel domed top looks wonderful, Ill get it strung up soon and record a sound sample or two. The pictures show me gluing the bridge this took a long time to fit I can tell you. Once on the body I took a chisel to it and a little plane to get the weight down. If I had tried to fit a bridge this thin it would have never stayed still and the temptation to pull it down would have been there. No, my bridges fit perfectly, without stress and without pulling.

    Ive just glued the bridge on the Model D too, the soundboard is a real stun-ner there is a bit of light Bearclaw figure in the top, and the Indian is a won-derful dark set, and looks nice against the lighter Rosewood binding.

    This is the first Model D for some time and thats a pity as my Dreadnaughts are so different from the traditional type, much more balanced and clear. Anyway, Ill ask Ian Stephenson to record it for me in a few weeks so you can all hear it.

    Cant wait to hear them both.

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    Images for the new bookMay 19, 2008

    Here are a few images taken by Dave Best of the Hexham Photographic so-ciety. Dave is taking the photographs for the book Ive been putting together about guitar making.

    Now there are lots of How to make a guitar books out there already so this one is more in depth about the design, direction and motivation behind my work. There should be plenty in there for other makers to argue about (oh how they love to fall out!) And thanks to Mr Best, there will be some stunning images, and not just the usual shots we see time and time again.

    The book will be ready when it is ready I was hoping for this year some time but who knows we have a decent selection of images already but Dave and I want this book to be stunning a bit like me guitars!

    Dave is also taking new photographs of the guitars for my website the work has a different look from a couple of years ago so its time they were all updat-ed. Coming soon.

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    How to order an instrumentMay 26, 2008

    Here is how it all works, I send you a price list and you decide what you would like. We discuss options and you place an order

    You send a non returnable deposit of 500, when it clears, you go in the order book and your price is fixed.

    When the instrument is ready I contact you, you send the balance and when it clears, I send you the instrument or you can come and pick it up if you like.

    Simple as that.

    You get a limited lifetime warranty from me, which covers my workmanship until Im too old or frail to be able to cover it. And Im 37, and in good nick! As I often say The guarantee is for a lifetime mine or yours, whoever goes first! If you sell the guitar or give it away the warrant expires.

    If asked to carry out any repairs, under warranty or not, any transport costs to and from me are your responsibility. On occasion when the job is a minor one and the distances large, I will pay for your local repair man to do the work as long as we are both convinced of the standard of his work. That worker has to guarantee their own work.

    There you all are, terms and conditions, all quite standard really, my intention is to be fair to customers and I expect them to be fair with me.

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    Work in progressJul 14, 2008

    Here are a couple of guitars that should be due back from the sprayers any day now. The cutaway is a trial run for my anniversary Model, an Indian and rio mix guitar, 14 frets to the body with an Italian Spruce top. The lower bout has rather large hips which I like, so I made a wider version, similar dimensions to my Model C. That one is in Indian and Italian. The first of the two is an order, the second will be for sale.

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    Panamanian RosewoodJul 24, 2008

    Many timbers are touted as Brazilian Rosewood substitutes that simply are not. This stuff comes closer in sound than any other timber I have come across. It is a true Dalbergias sp, is very light, and rings like a bell. The one ad-vantage it has over Brazilian is it seems more stable. It is a very even and crisp wood to work with and I am a big fan. It can look rather unusual as much of the stocks are reclaimed and can feature all manner of odd marks as a quick glance will reveal, but there is nothing wrong with a bit of character is there?

    If you goto the news page of my website you will see how the colour is en-hanced when sprayed.

    www.nkforsterguitars.com

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    Buying Spruce in GermanyAug 10, 2008

    Have just got back from spending all my money on yet more timber. This time I visited Germany, Austria and Slovakia in search of the perfect soundboard and I found them! I ended up spending more than double the amount I set out to as the stuff I came across was too good to pass over. I ended up buying around 180 soundboards enough to last me a good few years.

    Anyway, here I am at Gleissners yard at Erlangen, a couple of hours north of Munich where I bought many fantastic Bearclaw European Spruce tops. The picture of Stefan Gleissner tickles me I think he was a little worried that he was being too generous!

    He runs the family business now that his father is in semi retirement. Mr Gleissner senior is in good health but at nearly 72 has decided finally to take things a little easier. This is a superb yard for Spruce and Maple I also picked up some excellent sets of old Indian Rosewood there too, as well as wedges for arch top guitar and Cittern. Stefan tells me around 50% of the wood here is German, the rest is French, Austrian and Swiss all of it Alpine.

    Its good fun selecting tops but you have to be quick about it after a couple of hours it becomes like counting sheep and your judgment starts to go ac-cording to Stefan, if there was an Olympic event of timber selection, Id be in with a good chance of a medal!

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    Bearclaw anyone?Aug 13, 2008

    One of the boxes from my wood buying trip has just arrived and this was the first top in the pile. Not bad eh? Most of the tops have some figure, and quite a few are like this one. I have to say in 20 years of making guitars Ive never come across stuff like it.

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    Work in progress trial run for the

    Anniversary ModelAug 18, 2008

    This guitar is an Indian/Rio mix version of my Anniversary Model. The top is some very striking Italian Spruce with strong reed gathered in the centre. The guitar is based around my Model B, but shortened to make 14 frets to the body and the hips are rounder like the new version of the Model C I am working on. Anyway this guitar will be off to her new home soon. Im sure the new owner will be very happy with the guitar. I am.

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    Panamanian Model C goes homeAug 19, 2008

    I made this guitar with the intention of sticking it on the Available now page of the website, but it never got that far. John was the first person to play her and the sensible chap bought her!

    This is superb timber and combined with the Model C shape, the bass is su-perb, and the trebles are full the guitar sounds like it is strung with heavy strings when it aint.

    Anyway, here is new owner, John with a look of concentration on his face as he plays Norwegian wood!

    So it is always worth getting in touch to see what instruments I have around. You might be lucky!

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    Adjustable neck IndianModel CSep 19, 2008

    This is a rather smart Indian Rosewood/Italian Spruce Model C complete with side sound port and an adjustable neck. I wish more folk would order adjustable necks I like the sparkle it adds to the sound as well as allowing the player to set their own action with the turn of an Allen key. Sound sam-ples of both these guitars coming soon.

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    Panamanian Rosewood Model CSep 19, 2008

    Here is a long scale (660mm) Panamanian Rosewood Model C designed with a low C tuning in mind. The guitar will be tuned CGCGCD low to high. Pret-ty eh? And sounds great too. The guitar will be off to its new home in a few weeks.

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    Rio Model DSep 26, 2008

    I first started this guitar some time in 2005, not long after I started up in busi-ness for myself I didnt have many orders and I thought a Brazilian Rose-wood Model D would be interesting. As it was, orders quickly came in and I just didnt get round to putting it together. Anyway I found the parts a few months ago and decided to get it finished Id just completed a superb Indian Model D and was itching to try out a Rio one.

    Many of my ideas about soundboard construction had moved on since mak-ing the top so my first job was to remove the old struts, re-thickness it and start afresh. The rosette and purfling are herringbone and the body binding is solid Ebony. The back and ribs are very nice Rio which varies from dark to soft brown with almost black lines. As usual the slim neck is the best 1908 Cuban Mahogany. The soundboard is old German Spruce.

    The guitar is strung up and the sound is magnificent my Model D is NOT a Martin copy you can flatpick on it, but basically this is a Dreadnought shaped fingerstyle guitar the dimensions are the same as my old Model B, just the waist is brought out and the result is a softer, fuller bass without com-promising the treble.

    I just love this guitar and I think anyone who tries her will feel the same. The guitar will be on display and up for sale at the Ullapool guitar Festival in mid October.

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    New interview !Oct 4, 2008

    Terence Tan from http://www.guitarbench.com interviewed me recently, here is a copy of it.

    Nigel Forster | 2008 | Luthier Interview |

    Nigel Forster is best known for being Stefan Sobells apprentice from 1987-1990 and from 1992-2003 but hes recently gone solo and was been steadily building with his own distinct style and sensibilities. Ive always known Nigel to focus on quality and sound and his candor is refreshing in todays market! I was very lucky to catch up with Nigel recently to see how things were com-ing along.

    TT Nigel, thanks for catching up. apprenticing with Stefan must have been a wonderful experience, could you share with us what it was like?

    NF Yes it was, I cannot think of any other maker I would have rather learnt from.

    When I started for Stefan in January 88, Stefan had a good reputation but his work did not command anything like the amount his work does today (a Model 1 guitar was 800!) and from the start the atmosphere was one of hard work. I started at 7.30 and finished at 5.30, five days a week. Stefan was often there before me and always there for a few hours after. And he was there on weekends too. He worked 14 hour days, seven days a week for years.

    My first duties were cleaning up, making tea and then I went on to sharpening tools and making backs. Next was bending sides and making necks. For the first couple of years most of my duties were based around making the bod-ies and doing the rough work for the necks and tops. And making the tea of course.

    As far as machines we had an Inca bandsaw, an inaccurate planer thickness-er and a router we used for about 2 or three jobs and that was it. No table saw, no pillar drill, no extraction, nothing. It was a very primitive workshop by modern standards. Most of the work was done by hand.

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    This is before guitar making was the big amateur business it is now so we were pretty isolated as far as building methods went. Stefan was self taught and so developed many interesting and sometimes odd ways of making, and it was many years before I knew any different which was good.

    It was Stefan who developed the method of joining tops and backs on a sheet of chipboard using bent nails for pressure I have a video of me doing this on my YouTube site and people seem to find it hilarious but this is how I have done it for 20 years, and it works for me.

    As I said, the instruments were not expensive, and the work was done by hand, so the idea was Get it ready, and get it out Doing things right the first time was very important, as having to redo things could mean the difference between making money on an instrument or not, so it is a good way to learn. The current crop of luthiers and their apprentices do not work this way so much of guitar making has been reduced to wood machining now, and my belief is that something of the human touch has been lost. A balance between working efficiently and quietly should be sought. But at the same time I un-derstand that most customers neither know nor care about this.

    As the years went by the instruments got better, the waiting list grew, prices rose and we got all modern Stefan bought dust extraction, a belt linisher and eventually I bought my own table saw my favourite machine for mak-ing. We made a Go-bar deck! By the time I left it was a pretty swish workshop.

    We had our own rooms with the machine shop in the middle, and in the last few years I had a pretty free hand to get on with things, to work on the design and develop my own ways of the building process. As long as the standard improved, Stefan was happy to let me experiment.

    T- Innovations like your 3 piece, mixed rosewood backs?

    NF No, I cant claim that, In 2003, Stefan and I built a guitar for a chap called Maurice Condie which was a mix of Cocobolo and Rio, and it came out sounding much more like Rio (another term for Brazilian Rosewood) than Cocobolo. A couple of years later I had a customer who didnt have the money for Rio and was also concerned about its stability but still wanted a Rio sound, so I thought I would try mixing Rio with Indian, the results were great, and I have made many since it is my commonest timber upgrade and rightly so.

    No, most of the experimentation I did was technical stuff, to make the instru-ments more consistent, to eliminate building mistakes that often occurred early in the build that had to be compensated for later.

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    I also spent a lot of time thinking and working on the neck/body joint and the neck/head joint, both of which I have covered in my blog. And then there was the most important part the soundboard. Early Sobells were just too stiff, they were heavily arched, heavily braced and every intersection of braces was linked.

    Some came out sounding good, but they often lacked bass and felt too stiff. So we spent a lot of time experimenting and discussing the top, changing it to allow it to resist the pull of the strings and still sing.

    But it got to the point where it was time for me to leave, I had too many ideas I wanted to try, and Stefan and I had spent too much time together. We attempt-ed to set up a partnership where I would gradually take over the business but it didnt work out. Time to go! Which actually was the best possible thing for both of us Being in business for myself is great Im doing the best work of my life just now, the sound of my guitars and Bouzouki still has that clarity and separation, but with a much fuller and rounder bass, the work is going well and whilst the aesthetic is still very simple, my guitars have a certain look about them which sets them apart from much of what is being made.

    Some of the changes, like the binding and purfling are give the artist in me a chance to breathe, but others like the body shapes and the new bridge are plain old examples of form following function.

    Part of my nature is I get bored easily making the same guitar over and over would drive me mad, experimentation is the thing which has held my inter-est in guitar making for all these years and continues to do so. You can think about design all you like but the only way to find out is to build.

    TT- When you say, great results with the rio and indian, do you mean mostly sounds like rio? With these do you have indian rosewood sides too?

    NF Yes, sounds much more like Rio than Indian. The sides are Rio, the back is a narrow central strip of Rio (around 2-3) and outer wings of Indian. I have no explanation why the sides should have such a profound effect, but they clearly do.

    TT- You mentioned that youve made a lot of discoveries since the first inter-view

    NF The short answer is Im not telling! It is common for makers, amateurs in particular to share what they know or at least what they think they know, but this can lead to lots of people making similar guitars. The reason why

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    people want my work and are prepared to pay the price I ask is that my work is not like that of most other makers.

    By ignoring what you may read or be told and thinking for yourself it is possi-ble to come up with new ideas and a different sound. a better sound. Sound is a by product of design one maker I know with an excellent scientific back-ground describes sound as an energy loss to the guitar.

    If you consider the architecture of the guitar and the nature and direction of the forces that act on it, and design accordingly you make a guitar that is un-conventional to many but that sounds clearer and fuller than much of what is on offer. This may sound all wrong surely sound should come first it still does, but I approach creating a wonderful sound from a different angle one of creating a logical construction which will liberate the sound from the ma-terials.

    So the discoveries I have made in recent years about the soundboard what it is I want and how I go about getting it shall remain secret. But basically it is about soundboard shape and thickness.

    TT Most folks would like to know a little about the thought and the process behind your guitars

    NF Ok, Ill tell you about a minor discovery and how it came about.

    When I worked for Sobell, we built very dry the fire was always on and the dehumidifier was always running. One of the results of this was the backs used to deform when they left the workshop in an odd manner the back would swell except at the waist where the short back strut was. You would get a sort of rollercoaster effect. Didnt look nice.

    So to counter this I suggested slanting the waist bar to lengthen it and made it shallower, the idea being to make it more flexible, that way the back would swell uniformly. A little bit more work but it worked. I asked What reason shall I tell customers, and Stefan laughing said The sound, always the sound! But we never really bothered to think any reason up if anyone asked, Id change the subject.

    I still do this on my guitar as I too have the fire on and the dehumidifier run-ning all the time, Then a year or two ago I decided to lighten the third back strut too, to make the whole thing more flexible. The result was one of the things I have been working towards for some time more bass. So now if any-one asks about the slanted back strut I can honestly say The sound, always

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    the sound!!

    This is a good example of how I work I follow my intuition, which is in-formed by the work I have done before, I try to honestly observe what I have done and I dont waste too much time thinking about clever theories. Guitar making is a practical subject not just a theoretical one.

    To some extent the sound my guitars make is a by-product of the thought I give to the structure. So I work on the architecture and see what comes out.

    TT Apart from the usual construction discoveries, what new models are you working on Nigel?

    NF Well, Ive just finished the trial run for my Anniversary model (pictures on the blog) And I am very pleased with it. The guitar is roughly OM sized- a 14 fret cutaway version of the Model B. It is a new shape with rather fuller hips and a higher waist than my Model B and has my new larger, lighter bridge.

    The top is Italian Spruce and back and sides are Indian/Rio mix. The sides are best dark Rio and the back has a central panel of Rio and outer wings of Indi-an. The colour of the sound is much closer to Rio than Indian so it just shows you what a contribution the sides make.

    Many of the current theoretical models of how guitars work rely on the sides not being part of the equation the theories go into great detail about how the top and back work, but introducing the sides into the equation compli-cates things beyond most folks understanding.

    So if you follow this line of thinking it makes sense to laminate sides or stiffen them with large linings like the walls of a snare drum. -it physically takes the sides out of the reckoning. However just because an idea makes sense, it does not mean it is right.

    You can produce a decent guitar this way but it is not the only way. I cannot give you any reason why the sides should contribute so much but I have made many of these Indian/Rio mix guitars now and it happens every time the guitar sounds much more like Rio than Indian.

    The next step is to build the Anniversary Model, and other than upgrade the timbers to Rio back and sides and my 1930s German Spruce, Ill pretty much do everything the same. Only problem is it looks unlikely Ill be able to get the guitar done this year as Im pretty booked up, so it will have to be my 21st Anniversary Model rather than my 20th.

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    TT I heard you were building from Panamanian Rosewood its pretty new on the scene- how does that compare to Braz or indian?

    NF Apparently Panamanian Rosewood is the same as Cocobolo, but believe me this wood is not like Cocobolo. Visually it is nice but fairly broad grained and the colour varies from yellow to pink. When sprayed it goes a deeper, richer shade of whatever it started off as.

    The main difference from all the other Rio substitutes is it is light very light and compares with the best Rio. It rings like Rio when tapped but works a little like Cocobolo but not as crumbly. When you chisel Cocobolo, it behaves in a rather odd manner and lumps can fall of even with the sharpest tools. Panamanian does not do this but it is more awkward than Indian.

    Basically in a blind test, if you handed me a good set of Rio and a good set of Panamanian, the only way I would be able to tell them apart is the smell it smells more like Camatillo the weight, tap ring and stiffness are very similar. When you build with it the sound is very rich and full, and adds a fullness to the bass, more so than the other Rio substitutes but still, not a s much a s Rio.

    As far as I am concerned there is a pecking order for back and sides tone-woods, with Rio at the top, Rio/Indian mix next, then Panamanian, Camatil-lo, and then Honduras and Cocobolo together. But it is always worth remem-bering that there is nothing wrong with a good set of Indian, and it is more stable than all the others a significant advantage if ever there was one.

    TT- How about your pick of the topwoods? I know Stefan usually only uses Euro, maybe adirondack?

    NF I have become rather obsessed with getting good Spruce in the last few years and I have LOTS! For most of my guitars I use Italian Spruce, For Mandolins and Citterns I have a huge stock of very nice light Czech Spruce. though I have recently bought a lot of Swiss and German stuff for Citterns too.

    For my more expensive guitars there is some very fine grained German and Swiss, no better sounding than the Italian but it really looks the part, and I recently bought a lot of good Bearclaw Spruce too from a German dealer, but my special stuff is German Spruce which was felled in the 1930s. Rather good as you can imagine.

    I do have some Adirondack Spruce for guitars and Mandolin but have never had time to use it yet. Though I have made a couple of guitars with very fine

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    grained Caucasian Spruce (Picea Orientalis) which is very interesting stuff. It cuts like cheese yet is really rather stiff, and very light.

    TT Could you give us a run down of your current line up and wait times??

    NF Waiting time is around 8 months. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Apart from the orders which are all guitars Im working on a new model of arch top mandolin, and a new design for my Citterns and Bouzouki. I hope to have them ready by Christmas.

    So just now I am building 4 bodies I make four at a time up to the binding stage then separate them and do one at a time until they are finished. On my bench just now is a Panamanian Rosewood Model J, a cutaway Panamanian Rosewood Model C and two Indian Rosewood Model Cs. The Model C is by far my most popular Model.

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    Latest images for the bookOct 6, 2008

    Here are a few shots of a recent Model C for you all, taken by Dave Best of the Hexham Photographic Society. We have amassed about a hundred shots so far for the book so it shouldnt be too long now!

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    Ullapool guitar festivalOct 14, 2008

    Well, what a lovely part of the world! Id never been that far north in Scot-land before what a stunning place. The festival was really great the music in the after hours club especially. Ive recorded a bit of stuff for the YouTube site but my camera seems to not want to transfer things to my com-puter just now, so it may be a while before I get to share them with you. Anyway, here are a few pics to give you an idea of what you missed!

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    Work in progress new mandolinOct 16, 2008

    Ive been working on this design for some time a mandolin designed with Celtic music in mind. This model should have the woodiness of a good Amer-ican mandolin with the sparkle and clarity of a British one.

    Anyway, here is the first one before it goes off to the sprayers. The top is Czech Spruce and the back and sides are American Rock Maple. As usual the neck is 1908 Cuban Mahogany. Pretty eh?

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    Model C in Panamanian RosewoodDec 8, 2008

    I am glad folk are ordering this stuff, I love it. Here is a recently finished Mod-el C in European Spruce and Panamanian Rosewood. The guitar is a 12 fret cutaway with a soundport what a sensible chap the new owner is. Id be hard pressed to spec a better guitar myself

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    Panamanian Rosewood Model JDec 8, 2008

    This fine looking specimen will be for sale very soon. Panamanian Rosewood, Italian Spruce, !908 Cuban Mahogany and Sri Lankan Ebony. The scale is 660mm and the guitar is intonated especially for DADGAD. Comes with a rather smart white Calton case. Wonderful, if I say so myself.

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    Work in progress Model SDec 16, 2008

    This is the prototype for my new no frills model the Model S. My answer to the credit crunch. Basically it is a stripped down Anniversary model, to keep the price down without compromising the quality of materials, the con-struction, the sound or the playability. The final version should be available in the new year. Quite handsome eh?

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    work in progress guitar bouzoukiDec 17, 2008

    This is a 16 fret Camatillo Rosewood 8 string guitar bouzouki. The body is based on the Model S and has the shoulders brought in to make a 16 fret neck/body join. The guitar is ready for the sprayers you see how I mask the top off where the bridge goes?

    The top has been made in a similar style to a Howe-Orme guitar except it is X braced notice the barrel shaped curve down the middle of the top? This de-sign lends itself to making very loud instruments perfect for a noisy session.

    The zouk should be ready in the new year.

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    2009

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    India trip 2009Feb 2, 2009

    One of the benefits of being self employed is I get on very well with the boss. And this year I let my self start off with a holiday. I did go and see some timber dealers but I was not very impressed with the quality of the Rosewood being offered so bought nothing. In India, the forests are not being managed well and they are competing to cut down younger and younger trees. Then to get the width they are cutting off the quarter, so the quality drops even further. A poor state of affairs. Luckily for you lot I have good stocks of old Indian, which should last for quite a few years to come.

    Anyway, I spent most of the time practicing Yoga in Mysore, south India, I met some great people and had a very nice time indeed. India is a truly fasci-nating place and one you get over the shock of the sheer level of chaos of the place you can begin to enjoy it. I love it. And if you like old British cars and motorbikes, you will too. Many people still drive modern Indian versions of the old Morris Oxford (its called an Ambassador over there) and Royal En-field Bullets are still made there also, as well as the Hillman Minx. Great. Ill see if I can get one of my pals over there to email me a picture of them.

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    Model S picturesFeb 10, 2009

    Dave Best the chap who is taking the pictures for my book has just sent me this image of the new Model S prototype I featured at the back and of last year. Ill be adding the guitar to the range soon and will be happy to take orders. Ive decided also to build my Citterns and Bouzouki in a Model S style from now on. Then if you want to upgrade the spec you can.

    The Model S is a stripped down version of the Anniversary Model. The new Model S is perhaps one of the highest speced no frills guitars around. The brief I set myself was to Create a more affordable instrument that does not compromise sound or playability. The Model S boasts Indian Rosewood back and ribs, an Italian Spruce top, vintage 1908 Cuban Mahogany neck and Ebony fretboard and bridge.

    Stripping away the decoration allows me to lighten the interior linings which makes for a much lighter and responsive instrument, the bracing has been modified a little but basically this is the racing version of my standard workmy only fear is that some may no longer order my more expensive models!

    Price of the standard Model S is 2200.

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    Guitar BouzoukiMar 30, 2009

    Here is a brand spanking new Camatillo Rosewood and Italian Spruce 8 string Bouzar.

    The instrument has a 16 fret to the body join and is made in the simple Model S style to keep the price down. The fancy Camatillo really adds some depth to the bottom end. Also the X braced top is formed with a pronounced arch down the centre, inspired by last years Howe-Orme model.

    Ian Stephenson says hell do a sound sample soon, so I shall let you all know when I have posted it on the MySpace site.

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    Maple Mandolin!May 27, 2009

    Well Ive been promising to make another mandolin for ages and here it is. American Rock Maple and Czech Spruce with a 1908 Cuban Mahogany neck.

    The idea was to create an instrument with the woodiness in the bass of an American Mandolin but with the sparkling treble of an English one, and I must say it has all worked out rather well. This little feller is also rather pleas-ing to the eye as well as to the ear. The edge of this mandolin is like that of a violin which looks very smart, as does the oval soundhole.

    Better pictures and a sound sample coming soonish.

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    Just for DuncanJun 3, 2009

    Ive been promising Duncan some pictures so here they are. This is the top and back of a Rio Model C. This is pretty much as good as Rio gets a superb old DiGeorgio set of 1960s Rio to compliment the super fine grained Euro-pean Spruce top Ive picked out for him.

    Duncans top and back have been sitting round for a good few weeks now and it is their turn next to be put together. Ill take a few more pics as the project moves along.

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    FAQJun 28, 2009

    I cant find your price list, where is it?

    I usually publish my prices once a year, in January on my blog. The prices can go up in the meantime, so if you wish to know current prices, email me via the website and Ill send you it. What happens if I dont like the instrument?

    Well, it hasnt happened yet. I make sure I am happy before I sent it out and that has been good enough for everyone so far. But if you really find you can-not get along with your new instrument I will offer to build you another.

    Where can I play one?

    My work is sold in the US by Dream Guitars near Asheville NC, and by Dol-phin Music in Osaka, Japan. Other than that you are welcome to come and see me, or if you let me know where you are I may be able to put you in touch with a customer nearby. My work can be found all over the world!

    I cant find your address on the site either. Whats going on?

    I dont have my address on cos Ive got work to do and I dont want to be dis-turbed! I am based in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north east of England. The workshop is pretty easy to get to, not far from the A1 motorway, or the train station, and we have an airport too.

    Can I call in then?

    Yes, but I do ask that you email or call first. I am always happy to talk if you are seriously considering buying my work, but please understand that when you call by, work stops, so if you could come early afternoon it would be great then I can eat my lunch whilst you play.

    How long is your waiting list, Ive heard it is a couple of years?

    No, it seems to vary between 6-12 months.

    Do you do repairs?

    Not if I can help it. I dont enjoy doing them.

    How many instruments do you make in a year?

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    I make around fifteen instruments a year. Sometimes less, sometimes more. The new Model S style instruments are a little quicker to make so depending on orders the number may go up a little.

    Do you have stock instruments?

    I always try to build an instrument for stock in between every few orders so those who wish to buy and cannot wait can get something, though I never build what someone is already waiting for. The stock work is either sent to Dream Guitars, Dolphin Music or appears on my Available now page. Though it is always worth calling as sometimes instruments get sold before they get to my website or my dealers, its just a question of calling at the right time.

    Would you like an apprentice?

    No, sorry, though I do hope to bring out a DVD in the future showing my way of working which apparently is a little unconventional. Anyway, Im far too grumpy.

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    New style BouzoukiAug 30, 2009

    Ive restyled the range of Bouzouki family instruments in a similar manner to my Model S guitars. The back and sides are un bound, and the top is bound with black wood and has simple red black and white purfling. The head ve-neer is plain black. This all makes for a very smart and slightly cheaper instru-ment. It also means that you can upgrade to suit your taste and budget.

    This is one of a pair of recent instruments Ive made in this style. This feller is for Dream guitars in North Carolina. It has a few simple upgrades Rose-wood head veneers front and back and delicate slant check purfling.

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    Work in progress a C and a SOct 10, 2009

    Here are a pair I am on with at the moment the one getting its fretboard glued on is a 660mm long scale Model S which is being built especially for C tunings. The other is a Model C, made in the simplified Model S style and with a Howe Orme arched top a style that Ive been working on for a couple of years now. Both guitars are in Indian Rosewood and have Italian Spruce tops. Should be off to the sprayers in a week or so.

    And yes, that is a pair of Ukes hanging up on the wall, and yes, they will be for sale when I get round to stringing them up, and no, I dont want to make any more!

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    MandolinettoNov 20, 2009

    I made this little feller for the Healdsburg show in August. I was unable to go for family reasons and the instrument has been on my living room wall ever since.

    The top is one piece Italian Spruce made with a pronounced arch and X braced. The back is one piece Indian Rosewood. The neck is my usual superb 1908 vintage Cuban Mahogany.

    Ive been experimenting a lot with bridges of late, and initially this Mando-linetto had a Ebony bridge with a bone saddle but it sounded a little harsh to me. I changed to solid Ebony and the sound leaped out as if released from a cage! The treble thickened and the volume increased. Ive been experiment-ing with Bouzouki bridges too and am beginning to reach some conclusions about what works best. Ill write it all up some time.

    Ill record or video the little chap soon so you can hear for yourself the result of the experiment. In the meantime enjoy the pictures.

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    Stripped down Model CDec 17, 2009

    This is a new one a stripped down Model C, made in the Model S style but with a few upgrades Model C head with Rosewood veneers front and back, Gotoh 510 tuners and a thick Ebony heel cap. All sensible stuff. But the main difference is the top some of you will be familiar with my experiments over the last few years with the old Howe Orme design, well this is the first time Ive used it on a Model C and IT WORKS A TREAT!

    This is not just a rehash of that old design it is combined with my ideas about bracing and construction, so it still sounds like one of mine, just a little different. This new design also seems to make for a loud instrument. Any way here are the pictures, if you go to my website and follow the links you can see Ian Stephenson playing this beauty on YouTube. Enjoy!

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    Work in progress: redwood and cocobolo bouzoukiDec 18, 2009

    Here is a bouzouki Ive been on with lately, its Cocobolo and flame figured Redwood. It should be off to the sprayers in the new year and ready for sale early summer.

    Its one of a few instruments intended for this coming years Montreal Guitar show, Im not sure if everything is going to be ready in time. Ill know at the start of January.

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    Not all guitars are equal!Dec 30, 2009

    Just to prove you get what you pay for, here is a picture of one of my top of the range guitars, it has the best of everything, the best Spruce and the best Rio, the best Mahogany and the best Ebony. The customer asked for my old style bridge, and so that is what he got. One of these will set you back around 7500. Stunning. If I say so myself!

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    Work in progress: guitar bouzoukiDec 30, 2009

    Here