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Post by nkforster on Feb 25, 2015 16:56:53 GMT
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 26, 2015 8:10:29 GMT
That does sound wonderful Nigel.
My favourite - has to be my new Adrian Lucas. 4 months and yet maturing nicely!
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Wild Violet
Artist / Performer
Posts: 3,562
My main instrument is: Symonds OM-14
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Post by Wild Violet on Feb 26, 2015 8:41:30 GMT
My favourite guitar is my Gibson J50. It was my first guitar and has been my constant companion for 35 years. It doesn't play as well or sound as good as the Martin, but it always feels like home:
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Post by earwighoney on Feb 26, 2015 10:53:58 GMT
Superb guitar Nigel, is it ladder braced?
It sounds really interesting. More precise with more midrange separation than a Rosewood Martin of sorts if that makes sense. A real shame guitars made by Larson/Howe Orme didn't become as influential in 20th Century guitar making. I'd love to play a cylinder topped, laminated braced guitar of yours one day! (if you make one!)
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Post by scorpiodog on Feb 26, 2015 12:09:44 GMT
Lovely. Just lovely. Everything. I had to share the video on facebook.
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Post by nkforster on Feb 26, 2015 18:01:55 GMT
Superb guitar Nigel, is it ladder braced? It sounds really interesting. More precise with more midrange separation than a Rosewood Martin of sorts if that makes sense. A real shame guitars made by Larson/Howe Orme didn't become as influential in 20th Century guitar making. I'd love to play a cylinder topped, laminated braced guitar of yours one day! (if you make one!) Yes, it's ladder braced. Despite the unconventional structure it is a very American sounding guitar and I have to say it's better than any vintage Martin i've played, and over the years I've played a few. What you might not tell from the video is it's a very loud guitar. Very loud. It's interesting that Larsons and Howe Ormes never really made it, but laws of marketing apply to guitars just as much as any other product out there. You don't need the best product to be successful, you need good marketing. Gibson and Martin made decent guitars and had very good marketing. Howe Orme produced outstanding guitars but had almost no marketing... And aye, I have made one, and I featured it in this post: www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/howe-orme-replica-new-ebook/I've lent it to Johnny Dickinson, he loves it. n
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Post by earwighoney on Feb 26, 2015 18:34:56 GMT
Yes, it's ladder braced. Despite the unconventional structure it is a very American sounding guitar and I have to say it's better than any vintage Martin i've played, and over the years I've played a few. What you might not tell from the video is it's a very loud guitar. Very loud. It's interesting that Larsons and Howe Ormes never really made it, but laws of marketing apply to guitars just as much as any other product out there. You don't need the best product to be successful, you need good marketing. Gibson and Martin made decent guitars and had very good marketing. Howe Orme produced outstanding guitars but had almost no marketing... And aye, I have made one, and I featured it in this post: www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/howe-orme-replica-new-ebook/I've lent it to Johnny Dickinson, he loves it. n I saw that link for your repro, looks like a great guitar. I think it's a real shame again ladder braced guitars (aside from Selmer type guitars) after the early part of the 20th Century or so diminished in popularity; I think they have a characteristic midrange clarity that differentiates from their X-braced counterparts (an assumption based upon my ears right or wrong) It's going off topic but nonetheless I'll ramble on. In addition to the reasons you mentioned I think the lack of success for Larson and Howe Orme type guitars in contemporary times in contrast to Martin designs is I imagine LB/HO's are really tricky to replicate. I read something by John Thomas (editor of the Fretboard Journal) he'd come across some excellent LB repro's but never really one as excellent as the originals (unlike Martins). Another issue for the lack of success for LB/HO is people are often a little suspicious of things which are different to what they expect. The other about the HO, aside from being loud it seems a really responsive guitar that reacts to the lightest of touches. A question about your guitars Nigel, have you ever done a comparison of two fairly similar guitars one with standard X bracing, the other with laminated X bracing?
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Post by nkforster on Feb 26, 2015 18:50:01 GMT
Yes, it's ladder braced. Despite the unconventional structure it is a very American sounding guitar and I have to say it's better than any vintage Martin i've played, and over the years I've played a few. What you might not tell from the video is it's a very loud guitar. Very loud. It's interesting that Larsons and Howe Ormes never really made it, but laws of marketing apply to guitars just as much as any other product out there. You don't need the best product to be successful, you need good marketing. Gibson and Martin made decent guitars and had very good marketing. Howe Orme produced outstanding guitars but had almost no marketing... And aye, I have made one, and I featured it in this post: www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/howe-orme-replica-new-ebook/I've lent it to Johnny Dickinson, he loves it. n I saw that link for your repro, looks like a great guitar. I think it's a real shame again ladder braced guitars (aside from Selmer type guitars) after the early part of the 20th Century or so diminished in popularity; I think they have a characteristic midrange clarity that differentiates from their X-braced counterparts (an assumption based upon my ears right or wrong) It's going off topic but nonetheless I'll ramble on. In addition to the reasons you mentioned I think the lack of success for Larson and Howe Orme type guitars in contemporary times in contrast to Martin designs is I imagine LB/HO's are really tricky to replicate. I read something by John Thomas (editor of the Fretboard Journal) he'd come across some excellent LB repro's but never really one as excellent as the originals (unlike Martins). Another issue for the lack of success for LB/HO is people are often a little suspicious of things which are different to what they expect. The other about the HO, aside from being loud it seems a really responsive guitar that reacts to the lightest of touches. A question about your guitars Nigel, have you ever done a comparison of two fairly similar guitars one with standard X bracing, the other with laminated X bracing? I did make a lot of guitars with laminated braces (like the Larson guitars) and I really liked them, they had a "roughness" to the sound which is pleasing. I've made loads of laminated and plain spruce braced Models S's and C's. I prefer the laminated ones but who knows? But this year I've changed how I brace significantly and that type of lamination is no longer appropriate. Another thing mind - the Howe Orme design is probably the easiest guitar I've ever made, as well as being one of the nicest sounding, that's why I made the process into an ebook (one day it'll be ready...) the design and the process is so simple and logical, it would be a great first guitar for a lot of budding luthiers. I'd love it if they were more popular but what can you do? Write a book, that's what... n
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Post by nkforster on Mar 1, 2015 17:51:44 GMT
Seth has been busy getting some video finished from last year. Here is Sunderland singer "This little Bird" playing my Howe Orme. Enjoy.
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Post by marcus on Mar 2, 2015 6:20:47 GMT
My, "This little Bird" sure has a sweet voice... what a wonderful tune. Thanks for posting the video.
Nigel how did you find your replica compared to your original Howe Orme?
Cheers, marcus
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Post by nkforster on Mar 2, 2015 22:21:38 GMT
My, "This little Bird" sure has a sweet voice... what a wonderful tune. Thanks for posting the video. Nigel how did you find your replica compared to your original Howe Orme? Cheers, marcus Aye, she's great. Replica vs original? Same-same but different. There are very obvious tonal similarities, the original is richer in the bottom end but you'd expect that, it's Brazilian rosewood and Adirondack, and it's over 100 years old. Mind the replica is coarser which I really like. I was really tempted to make a Brazilian one but I'd struggle to sell it - despite these being great guitars they aren't even on the radar for 99.99% of players. Shame mind...
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Andy P
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Post by Andy P on Mar 3, 2015 11:18:52 GMT
Seth has been busy getting some video finished from last year. Here is Sunderland singer "This little Bird" playing my Howe Orme. Enjoy. Utterly fabulous - singer and guitar.
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