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Post by nkforster on Mar 5, 2017 19:31:57 GMT
On a bit of a roll here at NK Forster HQ. Lots of stuff to go out the door over the next few weeks including a batch of these little fellers: If I can get the lads in England to make a video for us I shall, but getting musicians out of bed before noon is no easy task... nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/mandolin/
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Post by nkforster on Mar 4, 2017 14:24:03 GMT
I think you'll find that's just a bit smarter than mine, Nigel. Positively deluxe!
Yet a lot less complicated! Though I have to say - I like the clamped on guides when sanding braces and ribs, I never thought if that. Well done. n
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Post by nkforster on Mar 4, 2017 12:30:50 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Feb 28, 2017 3:36:42 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Feb 20, 2017 19:36:03 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Feb 19, 2017 21:07:23 GMT
Ingenious idea regarding the sound hole pickup Nigel. I've noticed several guitarists now use electronics to add bass lines to their acoustic guitar parts. At Purbeck festival for instance both Sean Lakeman and Alistair Roberts were doing it. I believe the guitarist in Daimh does it as well- I remember reading he uses a soundhole magnetic pickup that is somehow only wired to pick up the bottom strings, which he then sends through an octaver. Lovely Zouk Nigel- I am undecided whether I prefer a zouk to be flat top or arch top (or indeed like Rob Rowles Gazouki you built him). What are the advantages and disadvantages of all three? Or is it just a case of different sounds? I met Neil Davey of Dalla the other day, and I was sat right opposite him at a pub gig in Bath, and his Sobell arch top sounded absolutely divine. One lest question, what is the deal with the fairly chunky looking endgraff on this instrument? Overall, loving the look of this flat top Nigel. Robbie Flat/arch/cylinder... Well, the best of the lot for tone and volume is cylinder with a fixed bridge. Next comes the flat top with a fixed bridge. The carved archtop comes last to my ears. We made loads of carved tops when I worked for Stefan. They were the "bread and butter" of the business through the 80's and most of the 90s. We only made a few flat top bouzoukis. And they were to my ears, far better than the archtops. The main advantage of archtops were - it's much easier to sell people things they wanted, and they wanted archtops so that's what we made. The archtop can be a fine instrument. I know, I've made loads, redwood makes the best one. But it's a sound which is best enjoyed in isolation. They barley cope in a modern noisy session. Some people like that sound best though, so it's horses for courses. I prefer volume, projection and power. What you often get with a archtop is resonance and sparkle. If you want volume, projection and power you need a fixed bridge usually. End graft? You can only make instruments with the wood you have, and that's how long the board of maple was. The back panel is a jet black engineered wood a bit like rocklite, it looks very smart - the binding is made of the same stuff ad the black, white and blue maple purfling go all around. n www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/irish-bouzouki-celtic-mandolin/
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Post by nkforster on Feb 18, 2017 19:33:46 GMT
I've been away the first few weeks of this year. Getting bendy in India and seeing how much curry I could eat in Sri Lanka (quite a lot as it happens...). But I've been back to the bench this last week. And there was a pile of boxes from the sprayers waiting for me on me return. The first one out the traps was this beauty. It's been years since I made a flat top Irish bouzouki. I hope it won't be that long till I make the next one. Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/irish-bouzouki-celtic-mandolin/
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Post by nkforster on Feb 7, 2017 15:45:48 GMT
It's taken a while but I've managed to talk Tom F. into making a DADGAD fingerstyle tutorial video. It's going to be a "premium" lesson - ie, it'll be for sale, not for nowt. He'll be making it at Ian Stephenson's place so the quality should be spot on. The idea is to make it like a 1 to 1 lesson - like the old Homespun stuff. He's an astounding player. My favourite fingerstyle player out there just now. You forget he's playing fingerstyle guitar - you just listen to the music. And that's rare. Thing is, what would you like to learn? It could be just one tune, in depth, or a lesson on right hand technique, or on fancy tricks. Actually - the best question to ask would be - What are you struggling with that Tom could help you with? If you're not familiar with Tom and his playing, here are a few reminders. Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com
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Post by nkforster on Jan 11, 2017 16:20:43 GMT
You've an uncanny ability to make life complicated Rob! I made my first HO top former with a parallel hump (like yours) but I did it on the tablesaw or the router (I forget which) from a sheet of thick mdf. It was very easy. Then I quickly sanded out any ridges from the machining. If this one doesn't work out, give that a try. All the best everyone! Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com/steel-string-guitar/
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Post by nkforster on Nov 25, 2016 18:22:03 GMT
Lovely indeed! To what is the tenor tuned, nkforster ? (I was going to ask 'how is it tuned?' but knew that some smartarse would respond 'turn the knobs on the headstock' so rephrased... GDAD Leo. n
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Post by nkforster on Nov 23, 2016 17:09:30 GMT
You know that guitar with the pickguard Ian Stephenson did a video with last week? It sold the next day. Anyway, Tom Fletcher was briefly back in the NE (he's on tour with Frank Vignola) so on Tuesday I asked if he had time to pop to Ian's to record with the same guitar. Be nice to hear it with fingers rather than a pick. He didn't have long, so he did one take. Here it is: Canny eh? Nigel www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/handmade-acoustic-guitar-model-c/
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Post by nkforster on Nov 22, 2016 18:57:55 GMT
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Post by nkforster on Nov 21, 2016 19:51:32 GMT
Yep, it's a pain in the bum. In Germany at least I can register my stock of rosewood and bubinga with the local CITES office. Every state has one. Then, what I've got is "legal" as long as I get it all done before 2 Jan 2017. I rang Kew Gardens who deal with these things in the UK and they passed me on to a CITES officer who told me that in the UK you can't register anything as there is no office to register with (great system.) instead you have to apply for a permit for instrument that contains rosewood or bubinga you wish to export outside the EU. Which will mean every guitar you want to export outside the UK in a couple of years time. Each permit costs £59 and takes several weeks to be given. It can only be used once and is not transferrable. It's not clear to me wether your customer also needs to buy an import licence at their end. To speak to the UK CITES people, click HERE. and they will direct you to the forms which are HERE. It's a pain for sure, but there isn't anything we can do about it. Other than comply, change to other timbers or find a new job. n
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Post by nkforster on Nov 18, 2016 17:09:24 GMT
Have you's listened to it with headphones? Tell you what, I wouldn't mind one of them meself. Wish I could afford one...
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Post by nkforster on Nov 17, 2016 9:57:26 GMT
Ian recorded my Model C-HO last night - what a great player, sound engineer, and now video maker.
n
<img src="//images.proboards.com/f/bbcode/video-preview.png" video="<iframe width="560" height="315" src=" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>" alt="Video Preview">
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