NK Forster Guitars the blog 2006 - 2013 www.nkforsterguitars.com 1 www.nkforsterguitars.com 2 www.nkforsterguitars.com 3 www.nkforsterguitars.com 4 Table of Contents In Memoriam Keith Forster 1943 – 2006 43 2006 More Rio sets 44 nkforsterguitars 8 Bending and joining sides 45 Indian Rosewood Model C 9 Rosettes 47 Arch Top Bouzouki 10 Another new Model – no name yet though 48 Model C Cutaway 11 Fun in Cheltenham! 49 Model E 12 12 string goes home 50 Purflings 13 Work in progress: Rio Model B 51 New Model F 14 Work in progress:Rio Model F 52 Model F 15 Experimental Model C 53 Neck/Head Joint 16 Richard selects some timber 55 more Neck/Head joint 17 Russ picks up his Model F 56 yet more Neck/Head joint 18 Model A 19 Neck/Head Joint – last part 20 2008 Different Dalbergias 58 Model J Guitar 21 Yellow Cows 59 Burgundy rosette, Indian Rio mix 22 Indian Model C for Japan 60 Indian/Rio mix 23 Goodbye Model J 61 Indian/Rio mix model C complete 24 Just for Damien 62 New Model J 25 Another Model J 63 Happy Customer picks up his Model A 26 Fitting a bridge 64 The English Heel 27 Another experiment 65 Damian picks up his Camatillo Model B 66 Work in progress: Howe Orme and Rio D 67 2007 Images for the new book 68 Model ES – another new one! 29 How to order an instrument 69 Indian/Rio mix Model A 30 Work in progress 70 More Indian/Rio mix Model A 31 Panamanian Rosewood 71 More Model A 32 Buying Spruce in Germany 72 Model A continued 33 Bearclaw anyone? 73 Model A – Nearly there 34 Work in progress – trial run for the 74 Model G – adjustable neck 35 Anniversary Model 74 Sunburst Model C 36 Panamanian Model C goes home 75 Model A all done 37 Adjustable neck IndianModel C 76 Indian/Rio mix 12 string Model F 38 Panamanian Rosewood Model C 77 Model A goes to her new home 39 Rio Model D 78 Making a back. Part 1. 40 New interview ! 79 Making a back part 2 41 Latest images for the book 86 Rio sets 42 Ullapool guitar festival 87 www.nkforsterguitars.com 5 Work in progress – new mandolin 88 2011 Model C in Panamanian Rosewood 89 Panamanian Rosewood Model J 90 2006 Model C cutaway 130 Work in progress – Model S 91 Saddles! 131 work in progress – guitar bouzouki 92 The journey of an idea I 132 An ideas journey II:a modern flat top guitar 133 An idea’s journey:a fine archtop is born 134 2009 A guitar bouzouki for Lisa 136 An ideas’ journey V – new archtop guitar – CHARLIE 137 India trip 2009 94 An ideas’ journey IV:great jazz guitar playing 138 Model S pictures 95 View from the hammock, Thailand 2011 139 Guitar Bouzouki 96 A fine archtop guitar – “Oscar” 140 Maple Mandolin! 97 Just for Duncan 98 FAQ 99 2012 New style Bouzouki 101 Work in progress – a C and a S 102 A day at the Newark College guitar making course 142 Mandolinetto 103 Images for a new guitar making book? 143 Stripped down Model C 104 The guitar bouzouki that turned into a Les Paul… 144 Work in progress: redwood and 105 Selmer Maccaferri inspired archtop... 146 cocobolo bouzouki 105 Not all guitars are equal! 106 Work in progress: guitar bouzouki 107 2013 India 2013 148 Winter 2013, Thailand 149 2010 STOLEN – GUITAR BOUZOUKI 151 Thailand 2010 109 Another Howe Orme inspired guitar: Japan 2010 110 Tom picks up his Model C Modern 152 intonation 111 What’s the best value handmade acoustic guitars? 153 Japanese Bamboo Art 112 Exclusive! Richard Dawson, and his new album, Redwood Zouk with new design tailpiece 113 The Glass Trunk 155 Influences 1 – Selmer guitar 114 Irish bouzouki? What about Isle of Man bouzouki? Influences II – Hermann Hauser I 116 Interview with Adam Rhodes, Barrule. 160 Influences III – Shaker furniture 117 The flat top guitar that isn’t a flat top 164 Influences IV – Howe Orme Guitars 118 New interview with Guitar Connoisseur magazine 167 Work in progress – Cocobolo Model B 119 Two new celtic bouzouki videos! 181 Influences V – Stefan Sobell 120 Luthiers BBQ 25th July 121 On the bench – new Celtic Mandolin 123 Work in progress: cocobolo 10 string bouzouki 124 In memoriam: Jennifer Forster 125 1947-2009 125 New A model Mandolin 127 Nov 3, 2010 127 THE BOOK! 128 www.nkforsterguitars.com 6 2006 www.nkforsterguitars.com 7 nkforsterguitars Feb 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. www.nkforsterguitars.com 8 Indian Rosewood Model C Feb 25, 2006 This is my standard Indian Model C with European Spruce top and 1908 Cu- ban Mahogany neck. www.nkforsterguitars.com 9 Arch Top Bouzouki Feb 25, 2006 Here is a nice 8 string arch top Irish bouzouki, that now lives in Scotland. www.nkforsterguitars.com 10 Model C Cutaway Mar 3, 2006 This is a tasty Model C cutaway in Indian rosewood and European spruce and 1908 Cuban mahogany. Nice eh? www.nkforsterguitars.com 11 Model E Mar 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. www.nkforsterguitars.com 12 Purflings Mar 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. www.nkforsterguitars.com 13 New Model F May 10, 2006 At last! This model is a Spruce and Rosewood version of Model E. Its great, loud, clear, and I’m very happy with it. www.nkforsterguitars.com 14 Model F May 10, 2006 More pics of the Model F. Still can’t 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 I’ve made. So much for current thinking. www.nkforsterguitars.com 15 Neck/Head Joint Jun 8, 2006 This complicated joint was inspired by my Grandfather’s 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… www.nkforsterguitars.com 16 more Neck/Head joint Jun 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… www.nkforsterguitars.com 17 yet more Neck/Head joint Jun 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 you’ve 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. www.nkforsterguitars.com 18 Model A Jun 25, 2006 English Sycamore, European Spruce, Honduras Mahogany. Loud and bal- anced. You can buy one if you like. www.nkforsterguitars.com 19 Neck/Head Joint – last part Jun 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. www.nkforsterguitars.com 20 Model J Guitar Jul 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.