Luthier
NK Forster
- Luthier
- Nigel Forster
- Founded
- 2004
- Location
- Australia
After a decade and a half spent training and then working alongside legendary luthier Stefan Sobell, Nigel Forster set up his own shop, making guitars in England, Germany, and now Australia.
Building on what he learned with Stefan and taking it in his own direction, Nigel crafts not only acoustic guitars, but bouzoukis, mandolins and archtops as well, available in familiar and uncommon fine tonewoods, and with different approaches to the soundboard structure, and a classic, wood-focused aesthetic.
Despite having made hundreds of instruments, I’ve never made the same instrument twice. I constantly experiment with both structure and aesthetics. Whilst the “look” of the work changes from one year to the next, it’s all recognisably “Forster.”
Nigel offers several different top shaping options. Each guitar is named after the body shape (Model C, Model S) and then the type of soundboard used to create each guitars unique individual voice – SS (Sobell style), HO (Howe Orme inspired), SK or SK adv. So a Model C with a Sobell style soundboard would be a C-SS.
His preferred top wood is European spruce, which he hand-selects himself for lightness and response while on periodic trips to Europe. By request, for folks who want a quicker-opening top, he also uses torrefied Sitka and cedar.
For back and sides, Nigel has been creatively venturing into the world of rosewood alternatives. He believes that rosewood's supremacy in the guitar world is because it doesn't detract or get in the way of the soundboard. So in building with other woods, his goal is always to best hear the top, with as little interference from the back and sides as possible. This has led him to the use of laminated sides, allowing him to replicate the best features of rosewood guitars using any other tonewood. He offers a wide array of less common, non-regulated woods, in addition to the classics.
Instruments
From guitars to mandolin-family instruments, Nigel offers a wide range
Models
Standard specifications
- Top
- European spruce or cedar
- Back and sides
- Varies
- Neck
- New Guinea rosewood, maple or mahogany
- Fretboard
- Sri Lankan ebony or ancient bog oak
- Bridge
- Rocklite ebano or ebony
- Frets
- Gold EVO
- Tuners
- Gotoh 510
- Nut and saddle
- Polished bone
- Scale length
- 24-3/4" or custom
- Nut width
- 1-3/4"
- String spacing
- 2-1/4"
Standard specifications
- Top
- European spruce or cedar
- Back and sides
- Varies
- Neck
- New Guinea rosewood, maple or mahogany
- Fretboard
- Sri Lankan ebony or ancient bog oak
- Bridge
- Rocklite ebano or ebony
- Frets
- Gold EVO
- Tuners
- Gotoh 510
- Nut and saddle
- Polished bone
- Scale length
- 24-3/4" or custom
- Nut width
- 1-3/4"
- String spacing
- 2-1/4"
Standard specifications
- Top
- European spruce or cedar
- Back and sides
- Varies
- Neck
- New Guinea rosewood, maple or mahogany
- Fretboard
- Sri Lankan ebony or ancient bog oak
- Bridge
- Rocklite ebano or ebony
- Frets
- Gold EVO
- Tuners
- Gotoh 510
- Nut and saddle
- Polished bone
- Scale length
- 24-3/4" or custom
- Nut width
- 1-3/4"
- String spacing
- 2-1/4"
Standard specifications
- Top
- European spruce or cedar
- Back and sides
- Varies
- Neck
- New Guinea rosewood, maple or mahogany
- Fretboard
- Sri Lankan ebony or ancient bog oak
- Bridge
- Rocklite ebano or ebony
- Frets
- Gold EVO
- Tuners
- Gotoh 510
- Nut and saddle
- Polished bone
- Scale length
- 25.4" or custom
- Nut width
- 1-3/4"
- String spacing
- 2-1/4"
