# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > CBOM >  Nigel Forster Gouzouki Build Thread

## timcasey55

Nigel is building me one of his fantastic guitar bouzoukis, as I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to hand made instruments I've convinced him to send me some videos and pictures as the build progresses. Thought it might be of interest to folk on here !

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Daniel Vance, 

noah finn, 

Pete Brown

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## timcasey55

Here's Nigel joining the top of the soundboard https://youtu.be/URSztnmmOx4

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fox

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## Lord of the Badgers

ha ha well done, he didn't do that for me!  :Smile:  I was used to Phil D sending me updates, but then he's a close mate. so not entirely the same thing.

it'll be a beaut  :Smile:  going for the cylinder top?

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## timcasey55

Hey badger.  Ya cylinder top, sold my Peter abnett to make way for it. Can't wait! Nigel's a good lad, prob will have emailed him 1000 times by end of the build but he gets back sharp every time in fairness

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## Lord of the Badgers

Good luck with the emailing ;-)
worth the wait dude

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## nkforster

> Here's Nigel joining the top of the soundboard https://youtu.be/URSztnmmOx4


Here we go Tim, 




I used the video tab on the editor and missed the "s" of https off to make it http://

Nigel

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## timcasey55

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...sfosqadqc.jpeg

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## timcasey55

I've started a photobucket album with some pics which will be great to follow from start to finish or even flick through to see the various stages of the build. The first three are Nigel's back braces which he makes from arch top wedges of fine European spruce.

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## nkforster

> I've started a photobucket album with some pics which will be great to follow from start to finish or even flick through to see the various stages of the build. The first three are Nigel's back braces which he makes from arch top wedges of fine European spruce.









Aye, every few weeks I sacrifice an old archtop wedge for braces. They get rough sawn to about 12mm wide and sit for a couple of months. When I'm starting a batch of braces I take the oldest ones and take them close to final thickness by machine and finish them off with a Japanese plane which leaves a lovely burnished finish.

That's the Indian rosewood back getting glued up too. It's the same process as the top went through.

Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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Daniel Vance

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## timcasey55



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## nkforster

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So, starting from the bottom, the simple rosette is black and white veneer lines, this is bound with a thin veneer of smoked eucalyptus - it's a nice black colour and bends easier than ebony. 

Then I bind that with a 2mm thick piece of rocklite which is a new "engineered" wood, a really great ebony substitute. It makes great fretboards  and bridges, but I think it makes superb binding - jet black but is so much more co-operative than ebony and more stable.

These engineered woods are very interesting and getting better all the time. I first saw them about 10 years ago - they are made from layers of veneer from fast growing trees like polpar, birch or pine. With more and more woods being added to the endangered list, these may well be the future of instrument making. And not just for decoration lie this case.

When that is dry I give the soundhole edge a heavy round over on both sides, when it takes the finish (nitro on the top) it looks classy and simple.

nigel

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fox, 

Pete Brown

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## nkforster



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fox, 

John Kelly

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## Pete Brown

Nigel, as a guitar builder, I'm used to installing four back braces. Can you please explain why your "gouzouki" has five?

Watching with interest!

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## nkforster

> Nigel, as a guitar builder, I'm used to installing four back braces. Can you please explain why your "gouzouki" has five?
> 
> Watching with interest!


Sure. I want the back "dead." There are several ways to do this, and adding an extra brace is one of them. These instruments are made for playing in noisy pubs, they have to be loud, so a "dead" back is part of that equation... 

nigel

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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John Kelly, 

Pete Brown

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## timcasey55

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## nkforster

So, I'm on with the last batch of necks for this year - about three or four years back I realised I'd become "sensitised" to wood dust - it creeps up on you so watch out fellow makers. It started with ebony, then cocobolo and other rosewoods, then mahogany, then pretty much any wood dust. It got to the point where I was having to take a day or more off after final sanding despite wearing a decent mask I was having sneezing fits and breathing problems. 

What do you do? Look for another occupation? 

I wrote a book about guitar design a few years back, and reading back over it I can see I was quite "sniffy" about makers using cnc. But these were the thoughts of a younger man who wasn't aware he was in the process of doing himself in with wood dust exposure. Faced with the option of farming the messy stuff out or packing in lutherie and retraining made me grow up a bit!

So, I found a company in Spain to whom I sent all my fretboard stock - hundreds of old ebony fretboards - two weeks later I got the lot back - they flattened them, cut the slots, to a variety of scales and cambered them perfectly, all by cnc. I put the relief in by hand using a cabinet scraper (which makes shavings not dust) and sand them with me super posh Mirka sander (thanks to Haydn Williams for putting me on to them.) The Mirka uses Abranet abrasive and all the dust is sucked away as you work. Brilliant, and leaves a superb finish. Should have done all this years ago.

The necks are prepared by a machine shop in Newcastle - it's my timber, stuff I've had for years, I taught them about the grain orientation I want, what to reject, the order I want things done, and they do it. I'm still carving them by hand but I use a spoke shave for most of it - so once again I make shavings, not dust.

The little plane is a cheap Chinese one from ebay, and for an easy job like brace shaping it's great.

n

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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derbex, 

fox, 

Pete Brown

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## nkforster

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Gary Carter makes these fret saws in Wales. I use them to make sure the slots are the correct depth after scraping in the relief. Look for GMC luthier tools online or on ebay.co.uk. They use normal hacksaw blades and they are the best I've found.

nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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Head veneers on back and front.

nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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Mandocarver

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## Mandocarver

Many thanks for posting this thread, Nigel. It makes fascinating reading and viewing for amateurs like me.

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## fox

Yep, I agree, this is a great thread, so interesting  to follow a pro build.

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## timcasey55

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## nkforster

The search for the "perfect" way of doing things never seems to end. This year I started pressing frets. I tried it a few years ago and dismissed it, but I thought I'd try it again and if you're methodical enough you can get a great job - neat enough to need no or little levelling at the end. It's a long day doing nothing but fretboards but they really come out better this way.

Above that is a photo of some binding ready to be bent. I make my own. The black stuff is rocklite. The dark grey is another engineered timber similar to rocklite I found in Germany. The purfling lines are made of black and white fibre and birdseye maple. Rocklite makes superb  binding, it looks like ebony but bends easily, and it glues better than black plastic, because it's wood. For laminating purflings and bindings I've found PU glue is best.



I tape them in fours then tape the whole lot together and bend them at once, like a side, on the hot bending iron. The sides themselves I do in a machine these days - I'm making a lot of instruments these days so the machine really helps. The sides are later laminated together to make a thick chassis.

The head veneers are Indian rosewood, ebony and fumed eucalyptus. 

nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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derbex, 

fox, 

John Kelly, 

Pete Brown

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## nkforster

Slight diversion - I've been stringing up some of the last batch which came back from the spray shop this last week and plan to get on with the gzouk soon. I only build in a batch to a certain stage after which I work on them one by one. It would be more efficient to work on them all the same time but it bores me rigid if I do. So this one was first of the current batch to be made ready for spraying - a sycamore/maple/cedar flat top bouzouki.

More progress not this week but next I hope.

Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/celtic-bouzouki/

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Pete Brown

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## Reinhardt

You're a lucky guy Tim, I've been stalking Nigel's Website for years now. It's a total drool machine for us poor bouzouki players. I'll definitely buy one at some stage, was originally thinking of a session king guitar bouzouki but I know in my heart of hearts if I bought that I would probably regret not buying his Howe Orme Model like the one you're getting. Just a case of getting a few bob together and making a decision of which of my bouzoukis I move on.I need a bouzouki for life if ya know what I mean and i think this good be it. 
Would love to know what you think of it when you get it. 

Keep up the great work Nigel, you're videos  on the instrument making process are fantastic. Have a copy of your book too which is a great production, great photos and essays.

John

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## Reinhardt

Hi Nigel, you out there????? I've just bought the bouzouki you made for Adam Rhodes in 2007. Cant believe this!! I only joined this forum and I've already bought a bouzouki!!!! Lock my credit card away someone!!!

As you can tell from my previous post I'm a big fan of your instruments Nigel so I cant wait to get me hands on it. will email you and let you know how i get on with it. Still might get that Howe Orme though.

John

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fox

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## Lord of the Badgers

> Hi Nigel, you out there????? I've just bought the bouzouki you made for Adam Rhodes in 2007. Cant believe this!! I only joined this forum and I've already bought a bouzouki!!!! Lock my credit card away someone!!!
> 
> As you can tell from my previous post I'm a big fan of your instruments Nigel so I cant wait to get me hands on it. will email you and let you know how i get on with it. Still might get that Howe Orme though.
> 
> John


Nice one John. Adam is a thoroughly nice bloke; he said back in summer that my gzouk (howe orme style) was his inspiration to get a new build. Which is nice. Awesome purchase  :Smile:

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## Reinhardt

Thanks Lord Badger. Yeah my dealings with Adam have been hassle free, he's a great player too as I'm sure you know. I started a thread a few days ago titled Andy Tobin Bouzoukis so you'll get all of my bouzouki owning history there!!! Its pretty embarrassing the amount of Bouzoukis I own or have owned. When the Forster arrives I'll have 5, The Forster, a Joe Foley, 2 tobins and a phil crump. 2 are going though ( not sure which yet) and if Adam's Forster suits me the rest may go as well to fund a purchase of a Howe Orme like yours. I really want to reduce the number of instruments I have...Seriously!!! They dont get used enough to warrant me having so many and I need the money!!

Sounds like you're happy with the Howe Orme. I really really fancy one. to be honest, if i had that and a really good standard bouzouki I'd be a happy man. Hopefully I'm half way there when the Forster arrives. Actually..... I'm never happy, thats my problem, I'm always lookin out for something new. My current bouzoukis are actually all good, some really really good. Is there any treatment out there I could avail of I wonder!!

 Was actually thinking of a session king GB , have you heard one in the flesh?? they're supposed to be incredibly loud. ( see there I am lookin again!!)

I see ya have a tenor guitar. I have that disease too unfortunately, an old Gibson 1930s and a 1950s Martin .

Talk again Badger. I'm only new to the Cafe but I have to say that its a great resource and brilliant to chat to like minded people like yourself and all the other members.

Take care ,, John

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## nkforster

> Hi Nigel, you out there????? I've just bought the bouzouki you made for Adam Rhodes in 2007. Cant believe this!! I only joined this forum and I've already bought a bouzouki!!!! Lock my credit card away someone!!!
> 
> As you can tell from my previous post I'm a big fan of your instruments Nigel so I cant wait to get me hands on it. will email you and let you know how i get on with it. Still might get that Howe Orme though.
> 
> John


Great stuff John. Adam has looked after it well considering how many gigs he does. I hope it's just what you're after and allows you to "thin the herd" a bit. It's a lovely bouzouki, and structurally very much like the stuff I did when working for Stefan, the later ones changed a bit. 

No updates on the build thread - I've had a load of stuff back from the sprayers the last few weeks and it's all been getting strung up and allowed to settle this week. Hopefully I shall get back on with building next week.

Best,

nigel

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## nkforster

> Was actually thinking of a session king GB , have you heard one in the flesh?? they're supposed to be incredibly loud. ( see there I am lookin again!!)
> 
> Take care ,, John


All my stuff is loud these days - mind you still have to have the right hand technique to make it work - one chap in the US kept telling me his wasn't all that loud, and I was was baffled as it certainly was when I set it up. Then he took it to a pal of his to play  for a second opinion - a rather well known "alternative" musician in the US -  he took the roof off when he played it! The owner realised the issue might not have been the instrument....oh well!

n

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## Reinhardt

Thanks for that Nigel, Adam has been a real gentleman . No Hassle sale. I'm like a kid at Christmas waiting for it to arrive. If that herd thins out a bit I'll be on to you for a Howe Orme guitar bouzouki and maybe one of your session king tenor guitars ( Steady on  John!!). Saw it being played by Paul kimber? on your website/youtube channel. Sounds absolutely fantastic. Have a martin and gibson tenor which are lovely but very quiet. waste of time in a session.

Adam is really excited about gettin his new bouzouki from you by the way. Saw it on your website. looks great in the raw should be magnificent when varnished. 

Keep up the fantastic work Nigel. Your instruments are a feast for the eyes and ears,

John

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## Lord of the Badgers

Incidentally John the photos on Nigel's site of the cylinder top gzouk are my own work & my axe of course...

Yes. Just occasionally Dee Mcilroy makes a tenor guitar - this was the second. It's not as loud as Nigel's gear, but it has an amazing tone and the build quality is awesome. It's my goto fingerstyle instrument . I need to put it back in CGDA  but have a search in the tenor guitar area for a thread I started about CGCG tuning. (slide tuning I believe). Short demo video on there.

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## Reinhardt

Jeez Lord Badger, I've just realised I've never talked to a real life Lord before. Are you a life Peer or what!!!! Only messin. What do I call you, your lordship, your highness or just plain Badge!!!! I've a weird sense of humour as you might have guessed. I saw your band website so I think you're more warped than me!!!! Id say yiz put on a great show,the website is great by the way, really funny and informative of course. Love the bios of your band members. Yizzer mad, which I love!!!

"2 guys I know have McIlroy guitars and they absolutely love them. i actually played one of his gazoukies in a shop in Dublin which has since closed. Was pretty small bodied as far as I can remember ( just dropped in after a liquid lunch).i think theres a guy in the North of Ireland .. Barry Kerr who plays one, might be on youtube. Barry is mostly associated with pipes and flute but is a mean bouzouki player as well. Dont these guys just make you sick!!!! Michael McGoldrick is another who could get Beethovens 9th symphony with a kazoo and as well as being probably the best piper and traditional flute and low whistle player in the world ( in my humble opinion of course),  also plays mandolin and guitar and sings and to put the tin hat on it actually appeared in coronation Street once. This wont mean anything to non UK and Ireland Cafe members but you and me know that you've really arrived when you appear on the Street ( TV Soap for the rest of you guys!!!). 

By the way, hope its the same McIlroy we're talking about. The one I'm aware of used to work for Lowden Guitars and his own stuff is quite Lowdenish ( theres a new word for the Oxford English Dictionary!!).  

Never tried Cgda or  CGCG by the way. I use Gdae or DGBE which is fantastic for playing old style songs Aint Misbehavin etc,.Must give CGCG a go!!

Slán ( goodbye in Irish) Badge. Talk soon

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## Lord of the Badgers

yes, same fella matey... the one that trained with Lowden. Like Nigel's work, he's not given to OTT ornamentation - prefers to just build bloody well. I'd say the same for Paul Shippey too, who lives near me. I'd buy instruments from all of them (well, I've two out of three so far...) in a heartbeat. 

My real name's in my sig...  :Smile:  now back to the thread!

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## Reinhardt

Absolutely Rob, great to meet ya, Now whats Nigel up to...........................

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## nkforster

Been busy the last couple of weeks stringing stuff up. It's so time consuming and at the same time stressful: at this stage one slip can cause a lot of problems. You only have to look at a finished instrument to scratch it! When I worked for Stefan the store cupboard sometimes used to be totally full of instruments to string up - neither of us wanted to do it - it was much more fun doing woodwork.

Anyway, they are done, and this weekend I photographed some of the latest batch including these two - a guitar bouzouki (rather like what I'm making for Tim) in Indian rosewood/european spruce with black rocklite binding, and a guitar-OM. Basically the same instrument but  two frets shorter, for the same tuning but with slightly heavier strings. It's made of the same materials but has Indian rosewood binding. The long neck has Hipshot tuners, the OM Gotoh 510s.

You could say this is a sneak peak at what you have to come Tim!











nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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fox, 

Pete Brown

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## Lord of the Badgers

Hi Nigel - am I right in saying you appear to be doing the top differently? I see no seam on the sides like I have on mine? Or is just the tiny pics on my phone?  :Smile:

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## nkforster

> Hi Nigel - am I right in saying you appear to be doing the top differently? I see no seam on the sides like I have on mine? Or is just the tiny pics on my phone?


Correct - yours is a very practical way of making it a very long lived instrument - taking the top off is easy on yours, you get a hot knife in that seam and the whole top section comes off. But this year I'm making stuff that looks a little more conventional - I do a lot of experimenting on the inside and the outside, but if I make the outsides more conventional and keep the experiments for the inside life becomes a little easier.

n

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## Reinhardt

Hi all, got my Nigel Forster Bouzouki ( used, 2006) last week. Brought it out to it's first session on Sunday last and it was just magnificent. It has plenty of volume and sustain and beautiful tone to spare. Nigel tells me that his new bouzoukis are quite a bit louder than my one, if so, I'd recommend protective ear muffs or a sound proofed room, the neighbours wont be happy!!!!

There were 3 bouzouki players at the session, not all playing, but each one was green with envy when they took their turn playing it. Its quite different to anything I've ever played before, and I played and owned a lot in the past. Hard to describe, but it has a really punchy tone, kinda warm as well, plays brilliantly up the fretboard, is very easy to play in terms of the neck and the response, you dont have to dig in too much to be heard. 

It got a great work out and competed with an array of instruments including  fiddles, flute, banjo, guitar and the dreaded bodhran. I had no problems hearing myself and being heard. Plays great with a capo on as well by the way. had it up to 7th fret and it retained all of its brightness and responsiveness. I've played a few bouzoukis in the past that just seemed to go dead if you went past the 5th fret. No problem for the Forster.

Nigel seems like a really nice guy as well. I emailed him just to ask for some advice re strings and action and he got back to me straight away.Tim ( who started this thread) , you're a lucky man to have you're Howe Orme under way. You wont be disappointed trust me. 

I highly highly recommend all CBOM enthusiasts to aspire to getting one of his instruments. 

John

PS, I suppose his guitars are brilliant as well!!!!

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Lord of the Badgers

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## Lord of the Badgers

Has the benefit of being played in nicely by Adam too I suppose! Congratulations man - awesome acquisition. You're right about the tone on his instruments. And feel. Classy.

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## Reinhardt

Thanks Rob, delighted with it, really like the look of the new design Howe Ormes by the way. Whats great about Nigel is that he doesn't seem  to be content to continue making instruments the same way, he always appears to be experimenting with new designs, ideas and sometimes very slight changes that can make a significant improvement. A true sign of a great Luthier ( which he is) . Not sure if it was in this thread or another, but someone mentioned that Stradivarius made is best instruments in his 70s or 80s ( well he was pretty old any how). So Nigel, hope you're not thinkin of early retirement!!!!

Am saving for a Howe Orme.. Have to offload a few possessions first though. Ya dont fancy buying an MGB Roadster by any chance?? My mid life crisis is over so I dont need it now!! Maybe Nigel likes classic cars!! Now that would be an interesting trade!!

Take care Rob

John

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## Lord of the Badgers

Lol John I'm a musician not a mechanic!! Beautiful cars those. 
I need to shift my Sobell cittern for the next build I commission. We all have that cross to bear...

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## timcasey55

Hey guys

Sorry haven't been checking the posts, welcome John, ya I was wondering who snapped up Adams zouk so quick!  Nigel send me some new build pics-looks amazing. Love the back shot of the body- rosewood looks top!

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## nkforster

So, from the top down:

This is after fitting the back - here you can really see the Howe Orme arching cut into the ribs.

The next one is actually someone else's gzouk, but the process is the same - glueing the back on using the back former as a caul. The ribs are so stiff there is no need for a mould.

Finally the back is trimmed flush and given a nice roundover.

n


http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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## nkforster

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Next - the insides are given a light sealer coat of lacquer. The sides are laminated from Indian rosewood, western red cedar with a modern manmade inert material between the two for mass and stiffness. I've been experimenting with different modern materials. To be honest, with so many timbers heading towards the endangered lists these are things we need to be thinking about.

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## nkforster

So - bottom pic, you can see the arching in the top. The braces have to fit the arch or you have a problem. It gets glued on when the humidity is right - I never glue a critical (cross grained) process above 40%RH. 

After that it goes in the carriage for binding.

n

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## nkforster

So, from the top down - I use cheap laminate trimmers, each one permanently set for a different depth of cut. That way I don't have to keep changing the bearings. I just swap router. The routers are dirt cheap - around £25! Google Aim Tools, UK and you'll find them. But considering they only have to work about 10 minutes a week each they are more than good enough for the job. I use an old adapted LMI jig for routing.

The body is sealed with shellac, and the channels are routed, the sides are trued and the channels routed again.  Then the channels are cleaned up with a file and a sharp chisel. Routing around the Howe Orme hump is done free hand - the hump is too much for the binding jig to cope with.

The binding and purfling are bent together - this binding is an engineered ebony, similar to rocklite. Makes superb binding. I bend them by hand on the old bending iron. It's actually quicker than using the machine for this job.

n
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/

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Pete Brown

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## nkforster

This lot should be fairly self explanatory. Any questions, ask away.

n

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## Reinhardt

Hi Nigel and all you bouzouki players out there. Justa quick update on the Forster second hand bouzouki I bought from Adam Rhodes of Barrule ( check out his bands theyre great!!). Had it out for its 3rd session last night with a piper friend of mine. His pipes are very loud but the bouzouki had no problem drowning him out!!! It just gets better and better the more I play it. i dont think Adam was playing it much lately so its really opening up on a daily basis. And believe it or not, this is one of Nigel's earlier bouzoukis which are quieter than the ones he makes now. I cant wait to get the cash together to order a Howe Orme Guitar Bouzouki from him. 

I showed the bouzouki to Joe Foley last week. Joe is an old pal of mine and makes brilliant instruments himself. Joe was mightily impressed!! By the way, Joe has just built himself a round back greek style bouzouki for his own use. Fantastic instrument, totally different to the flat backs in sound. Brought back memories to me as I used to play a greek bouzouki for years until it fell apart, looks great on the wall now!!

Keep up the great thread Nigel. Fascinating to see the instrument taking shape. Is Adam's new bouzouki nearly finished?? Dont forget to post some photos and a video!!

John

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## nkforster

On with the neck...this one is Tim's.

Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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## NotMelloCello

Love that bridge!

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## nkforster

That's it for now folks, the gzouk is off to the spray booth. The sprayers do a great job but how long they take varies from 3 weeks to 6 months. And I have no idea why. Anyway, it's away, and hopefully we will see the end of the project early in the new year.

Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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## nkforster

Aye, I've been busy stringing a lot of stuff up this last couple of weeks. The bridge goes on first, then the neck. I rough fit the nut and saddle, string it up, straighten the neck then put it away in the case. 

I do my best not to look at them for about two weeks. When you first start off as a maker you want to play them all the time, but the first two weeks tell you little about how the instrument will be. I want them under tension (I make the saddle a little too high) for a couple of weeks before I decide whether I need to make a few adjustments of if it's time for a full set up and away to the customer. If time allows I keep them longer. 

So this shiny little beauty will be kept in her case for the next fortnight. We'll see how she is then...

Nigel

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

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## Rahmemhotep

Interesting body shape. Love the grain on the back!

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## nkforster

> Interesting body shape. Love the grain on the back!


It's my Model S guitar with the shoulders brought in to reveal a bit more neck. That's how we designed the first one for Andy Irvine when I worked for Stefan. Handy if you use a capo and most bouzouki players do.

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## timcasey55



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## timcasey55

a

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## timcasey55



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## timcasey55



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## timcasey55

Hello all

Looks the instrument is newest completion. Reflecting back----- I contacted a lot of builders- prices - advice trying to get ideas / tips. I own a number of handmade instruments but for the first time. -in my heart and soul I justtha when  when Nigel's instrument arrives it's going to be top quality. Don't be put off  off by his short "gruff " funny replies to emails. He's brilliant. I hope I meet him in person some
Day. In the mean time hopefully he's going to do a video with this particular instrument (please no boney m!) and I'll stick
Up
Some videos 
When I get it.

 :Smile:

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Daniel Vance, 

fox, 

gortnamona

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## nkforster

> Hello all
> Don't be put off  off by his short "gruff " funny replies to emails. He's brilliant.


This is not the first time I've been called short. Or gruff. 

Bah!

n

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## ukrobbiej

Is it me or have the tuners changed colour?

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## nkforster

> Is it me or have the tuners changed colour?


When it came to stringing up time, all I had in was chrome 510s. Gold ones arrived last week.

n

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## Wesley Turner

You'll love it. I have one, 22". And since I have put in for a Mandola as well.

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## nkforster

That's it, all done and ready to go. Last week I fitted the pickup, went through the final set up and fitted a colourless pickguard. 

Every year there are a few design changes - this year I've gone back to the old Sobell shape bridge. This year might well also be the last year I work with Indian rosewood thanks to the new CITES regulations. So take a good look - in the future they'll look a little different.

The plan is to get this wrapped up Monday and shipped Tuesday. Hopefully I'll have time to make a quick video tomorrow. I've been practicing a medely of Boney M hits! Just for Tim....

Nigel
www.nkforsterguitars.com

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Lord of the Badgers

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## Reinhardt

Looks Great as usual Nigel. Tim's a lucky man!!! I cant wait  to hear your Boney M medley. Fantastic looking tuners by the way, really suit the instrument.

John

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## timcasey55

Hey all!

So
The instrument arrived 2 weeks ago. It I've been very busy gigging and working.  It's hard to describe the perfection o the instrument. It is flawless craftsmanship. It is loud but when I play soft it sound amazing too. In fact I can find so many beautiful tones within the instrument with different styles of playing. I'll do a video soon I'm away for a while gigging. Nigel- your a legend. Thanks so much

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Lord of the Badgers

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## Lord of the Badgers

That's fab, Tim  :Smile:  Enjoy!!!

I'll be in the "new" club hopefully very soon as my Davidson Tenor Dola was strung up today.

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## Reinhardt

Looks great Tim. Best of luck with that. Have you had any difficulties gettin used to the Guitar shape compared to the mormal bouzouki shape?? 

John

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## timcasey55

Hey John.

Not really,i gig standing normally. im a tall guy so i can hold it at an angle like a regular zouk!! its sounding better every day!!

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## garryireland

Is this the one for sale here in Ireland

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## nkforster

> Is this the one for sale here in Ireland


No! A lad who ordered a guitar OM decided he wanted a bouzouki instead. He tired selling it in Ireland, but now he's part exchanged it back to me and ordered a bouzouki. 

Nigel

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