NK Forster Guitars J

My NK Forster Model J features:
17 5/8" lower bout
12" upper bout
20 1/8" length
depth ranging from 3 7/8" to 4 3/16"
25.9" scale
1 3/4" nut
2 1/4" spacing
4 piece back of solid premium Dalbergia Negra Rio cut from very old growth scantling timber
matching Rio sides
Premium Caucasian Spruce top
premium Cuban Mahogany neck cut from a single block of timber felled in 1908
Rio headstock front plate
Rio headstock back plate which extends into the tenon with the neck
Gotoh 510 tuners
Calton delux Case

This guitar is designed for players who enjoy staying in the DADGAD tuning and other open tunings. When I ordered it, I explained to Nigel that I was interested in tone above all else and that I wished him to choose woods accordingly. We decided on a four piece back cut out of his small stock of very aged Rio scantling timber. It had the best 'ring" in raw form. It is very dark slate with a lot of green and purplish hues. Nigel matched it with a beautiful caucasian spruce top. It has qualities much like adirondack and had the proper stiffness to support the 17" plus body size. I allowed Nigel to make all decisions on ornamentation to best compliment the shades in the back and side woods. He designed a custom rosette which extends to protect the soundhole edge. It is a combination of brown, red and black that picks up the dark and light tones of the spruce perfectly. The binding is rosewood complimented by purfling lines. The Cuban Mahogany neck is highly flamed with a dark carmel color. The neck meets the body at the 12th fret. The body has a Selmer style cut away. The body lines, contours and proportions are Nigel's own but pay homage to the Sobell and the Selmer. It is square shouldered with a waist cut deeply enough to allow the large body to rest comfortably on the leg. The 25.9" scale neck with Nigel's headstock design allows a comfortable playing balance. The top is domed along each axis as is the back to provide the optimum balance of resistance to tension and vibration. The bridge is thinly cut but oversized to adequately ditribute string tension. The 17+ inch body with the relatively shallow depth allows a deep focused bass that is very manageable. The scale length was easy to adapt too. The headstock meets the neck at a scarf joint. The Rio backplate extends into the tenon. The contrast of the Rio to the Cuban Mahogany is striking and draws many compliments. It also looks very "right" with the general design of the guitar. Nigel's guitars are very understated with the beauty of the woods to stand on their own merit. The lacquer finish is professionally applied and appears thin. There are photos of this guitar on nkforsterguitars.com website.

The sound of this guitar is glorious! The bass is very deep but clear and focused. The notes decay very slowly away from the guitar. The trebles are brilliant and open. The balance across the strings is dead perfect as is the intonation. I play many styles including celtic, blues and Travis style. I bought the guitar for use on Celtic tunes but have found I use it just as much for blues. It really brings a new life to a Mississippi John Hurt tunes. The bass can be made to whisper or to command. Triads ring with an amazing clarity. The sustain is forever with a superb focus. If you need it to thunder it will and it doesn't get tubby. Varying attacks create a wide variety of tone shades. I was concerned that the large body size would be difficult to play but the waist cut and balance allow you to focus on your playing and not the guitar. It has a sustantial projection. I have a 37 D-28. I play the J model fingerstyle while friends back me up flatpicking the Martin. The J cuts right through the volume of the Martin and the two voices blend in a real interesting fashion. It sounds really great along with a mandolin. It is truly a lap piano! It can be tuned to a low C with no loss of clarity.

It was perfectly set up when it arrived. The workmanship was of the highest precision in all phases of construction. The finish is thinly but adequately applied. It in the English tradition with the finish more in the wood than on the wood. It's a beautiful job. Nigel has his guitars finished by a specialist who does the finishing for most of the makers in northern England. The four piece back appears as if it were two pieces. The bookmatching is perfect. The seams are not evident on the outside of the guitar.

The guitar is built to last. Nigel uses a neck joint that should never require a reset. The body binding and purfling is positioned to allow the top and back to be removed should any interior repairs ever be needed. The heastock to neck joint protects the weak point in the throat of the neck. I play in a lot of different temperature and humidity conditions. It holds tune perfectly.

Nigel provides a warranty to the original owner as long as he is around. He covers defects due to workmanship or design. He seems like a square dealer. I don't have any concerns.

I have been playing for 35 yrs. I also play a 37 D-28, 37 D-18, a 1930 Larson maurer Euphonon, a 40s J-200 and Monteleone mandolins. I have a Forster Model C Rio as well. I was not dissappointed about anything about the guitar as it exceeded my expectations. I listened to low tuned guitars from several other makers before deciding on the Forster.