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Post by nkforster on Mar 10, 2024 23:37:32 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Jan 11, 2024 2:38:28 GMT
After making many cylinder top guitar bouzouki, this last year I've had many orders for a Sobell style guitar bouzouki. The soundboards are much more in line with what I made with Stefan in the 90s and early 00s. The first one out the gate was for Seanie McGrath in Ireland with whom many of you will be familiar. Here it is in action: Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com
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Post by nkforster on Dec 3, 2023 0:42:21 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Jan 26, 2023 6:37:57 GMT
Some of you will know Tom made a video for me a few years ago when I first came up with "The Session King" tenor guitar. He's just made a short video featuring the newest member of the family - "The Tom Kimber" tenor guitar. It's the same size as the Session King, but has a Sobell style arched soundboard rather than a flat Session King top. The guitar also comes with many of the upgrades, bells and whistles I do. It's bonny. Anyway, here is Tom, and he plans to do a few more videos with the tenor soon. Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/tenor-guitar/tom-kimber-tenor-guitar/
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Post by nkforster on Aug 22, 2022 3:51:10 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Jul 2, 2022 23:23:11 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Apr 20, 2022 8:25:41 GMT
Just saw this, I'm down in Nerang, Gold Coast about an hour south of Brisbane. You're welcome to call 'round for a cuppa. It's lovely down here, not far from the sea or the mountains. Brisbane, is ok, but its the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast that are worth visiting. WelshRuss is right, Maleny is lovely, and easy to get to. If you're driving about, let me know, I can give you a list of places to eat and visit. Nigel
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Post by nkforster on Mar 31, 2022 3:08:37 GMT
For the last few years I've sold.a lot of Session King tenor guitars, so I thought it time to look once more at making a Session King 6 string. It's nice to be able to offer a more affordable handmade guitar, for those who want the sound, playability and craftsmanship without the high price tag. What I didn't want to do was just make a string version of the tenor - I prefer the crisper sound you get from a Sobell style arched soundboard, especially when you play in dropped tunings like DADGAD. So this is what I came up with - a small bodied, wide wasted design, with a Western red cedar Sobell style soundboard. The back and sides are Queensland maple - a lightweight wood which has much more in common with mahogany than maple. The neck is New Guinea rosewood, the fretboard is lovely old bog oak. I came up with a new variation on my bridge design for this guitar, the new bridge is a little stiffer than the old which allows me to lighten things up a little more under the bonnet (or hood if you're an American.) In keeping with the Session King style, the guitar is stripped down to the basics - simple black rocklite binding around the top, and simple black/white/black purfling lines to decorate. The rosette is cut from purfling lines and wenge. This body shape is the Model E, the soundboard is a Sobell style (SS) and the striped down Session King style (SK) makes this little guitar a Model E-SS-SK. I really enjoy making these simple guitars, and who better to demonstrate it than Ian Stephenson and Tom Fletcher? Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/acoustic-guitar/model-e/
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Post by nkforster on Mar 30, 2022 2:07:08 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Mar 25, 2022 11:35:45 GMT
Thanks for posting - interesting read. You may know him but Barry Kerr in Victoria has a fantastic supply of tonewoods and sells some. You might want to look him up. I have 3 of his guitars one of which is all Australian Tonewoods with fiddleback blackwood back & Sides, King William (Billy) pine top and a Queensland cedar neck (also has the horrendously rare and protected Huon Pine for binding) (once you've smelled Huon Pine you never forget it. Alovely aroma!) One of the guitars has a Gidgee fretboard which is unusual and wears well. Barry made guitars under the Brand "Woodtone" until he sold the company and started making under his own namd "B J Kerr". BTW I'm a born and (in)bred Tassie boy who's lived in London for 25 years Queensland red cedar is lovely stuff but not stiff enough for my guitar necks. And its a bit soft. Though I did make a very nice bass body from it for the sprayers' dad. I've a fair bit of it in the shed I'll use for solid bodies if anyone ever wants one. The top woods here - huon pine and King Billy pine and Silver Quondong don't interest me in the least. Not attractive, light or sonorous. I just don't see the appeal. And they're actually more expensive than European spruce. Gidgee is stunning but hard to get. Actually, there is some lovely red mallee burl I have to cut up for rosettes some time, but it really buggers your blades, so I keep putting it off. When I do I'll add it to the same blog post. Part of the issue here is many of the dealers are part timers, not professional and not all are that easy to deal with - but I work with three dealers who are excellent, two here in Queensland and one in Victoria.
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Post by nkforster on Mar 25, 2022 11:25:46 GMT
Good read, Have you tried Tasmanian ash? I have a great uke made by David Amunn from Victoria that’s all ash. I also have another uke withTassie Tiger Myrtle back and sides. Big storms tonight hope your okay on the Goldie and didn’t get effect by the floods? Russ Tassie ash isn't very stable. Tiger mrtyle is nice enough but far too expensive for what it is. I'd rather just get more blackwood. The rain was nuts a few weeks ago. We has over a foot of rain in an hour one afternoon.
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Post by nkforster on Mar 24, 2022 23:11:47 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Feb 14, 2022 8:13:20 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Feb 11, 2022 8:58:13 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Nov 24, 2021 22:47:28 GMT
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