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I wish I could have recorded all the changes as we went. I'm a recording engineer by trade, so a phone mic isn't going to do justice to the sound.
What I can tell you is I was shocked how loud the...

I did some research on that term a few years ago, and it seems that there is no word in the English language to describe the 1/4-of-a-sphere shape, so we're left with "semi-hemispherical", which can...

Looks like I neglected to get any shots of the process of gluing the top linings into the rim, but that is done, and here is the process of gluing the top to the rim. I used an assortment of padded...

I've been meaning to post these for awhile. I sold my Beard Bouzouki (among other things) last year and picked up these beauties:

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A Crump Octave (came...

The lads from http://www.snaarmaarwaar.be/nl/ popped around last week for some tunes. They are playing a recent guitar bouzouki and a Celtic F mandolin. They just emailed me this video. Lovely...

Here is my latest tenor guitar. Back and sides are a stunning piece pf Black Heart Sassafras from Tasmania, top is European Spruce, neck Honduras Mahogany, bindings Indian Rosewood, Rosette Black...

Well there's always the feel test too. You can squeeze the back with your fingers from the sides to the tailpiece side and see if it flexes any. And if your fingers are long enough you can put a...

Well, I don't do anything else Dagger - almost no repairs, just making. But the last couple of years I've been making in batches. It means production has gone up - about 20+ instruments a year. But...

Been playing around with the camera...this is the latest "top of the range" guitar bouzouki.

http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp65/NigelForster/Guitar%20bouzouki-10_zpsazlwgxws.jpg
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Here are three pictures that Lawrence sent me, we are getting near the end of the process. Love the look of the paduak wood. Love the look of the top. Love the look of the neck. Am very excited. ...

The body is about 1" narrower than my old Sobell bouzouki shape. So it fits in a case.

Materials - the way I make these days the back and sides materials are almost irrelevant. They are...

Hi everyone. I think I said I was going to make a blue one some day? Well here it is. I barely had time to get 12 coats of varnish sprayed on outside last week when the temps were in the low 60's,...

Rothbury is a lovely place, as is Morpeth. The accent in both towns is stronger than Hexham where I'm from. My old pal Johnny Dickinson is a Morpeth lad. His accent is great.

Nigel

'Here is an excerpt of what woods are listed in Appendix II of the CITES convention:

"...the entire genus Dalbergia spp. (except for Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), which is listed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxiozT3Xwfk&feature=youtu.be

Hopefully the new owner will make a video to show you it being played properly!

It's worth staying to the end - we've fitted a single...

https://youtu.be/VozTVxcO2Js

Hi there folks. I'm not sure if this video appeared on the cafe before. Its a documentary made by an Irish TV Station about the Irish Bouzouki. It features the bouzouki greats, Lunny, Irvine and Finn...

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...

This one is due out this week -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxlD3KvGiNU&feature=youtu.be

Enjoy!

Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/guitar-bouzouki/

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...

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...

Nigel

I am going to embed this video properly as it is a really great video really tastefully done by both musicians. I just came back to it after two years.

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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...

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...

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...