Official Luthiers Forum!

That's the idea! Though that aint ebony for the neck, it was 1 piece of mahogany that I routed out and reinforced with carbon rods. It looked a bit messy so I smoothed it all out and Dave sprayed it black for it - it looked amazing.

Good news - the book has arrived, get your copy here:
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/the-book
http://www.ypdbooks.com/photography/366 ... 00333.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

aha. I wonder if you'd use an extra long truss rod with that design?

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Latest episode on the blog:

http://nkforsterguitars.blogspot.com/20 ... a-iii.html



http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/the-book

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

Wow. How did that sound? Or is it real?

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Yes, it's quite real! Read the blog, and all will become a little more clear. I'll post a youtube clip of it soon so you can hear.

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/the-book

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

Here you all are!

http://youtu.be/yPAqxT-ot6Y

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

I like the sound , very nice work !

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The Shallower the depth of the stream , The Louder the Babble !
The Taking Of Offense Is the Life Course Of The Stupid One !
Wanna Leave a Better Planet for our Kids? How about Working on BETTER KIDS for our Planet !
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The truth will set you free , But FIRST, it will probably Piss you Off !
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The Saddest thing anyone can do , is push a Loyal Person to the point that they Dont Care Anymore
Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
http://wiksnwudwerks.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/GatewayA ... rAssembly/

Be careful. That youtube link is either an accident or malicious. The guitar looks good.

I would ditch the steel pins as they could very well add too much mass. There's a bit of info out there on "Low pressure bridges" or "Zero Pressure Bridges" for you to check out:

http://books.google.com/books?id=oejZDX ... ar&f=false

http://www.ricktoone.com/2008/10/neutra ... ridge.html

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Pars ... =7,795,516


Just make sure you don't get sued!

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

The guitar looks and sounds great! Well done.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I weighed the bridge with the steel pins and it was less than a standard bridge. Since I won't be relying on it to anchor the strings to the top, it can be much smaller. Have to wait till I get some more funds to start again. I'm pretty confident it's going to work really well.

Be careful. That youtube link is either an accident or malicious. The guitar looks good.


I just tried the link again after reading that. It works fine.


http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

whew. That guy can play. Thanks for the link there. Sounds quite good, and I noticed how the raised pick guard area appears to act as a hand rest of sorts. I always wondered about raised fretboard extensions and their awkwardness due to being so high above the top.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Whilst the neck is high relative to the body at the 14th fret, the height at the saddle is only a little higher than normal. Basically its a long neck with a body suspended from the neck/body area, with a bridge "wedged" between the two. The height of the strings above the neck is about the same as a regular steel string acoustic, the finger rest is more or less in the same plane as the neck.

As someone in the UK said recently - Les Paul's "The log" lives again. I hadn't thought of that. I was thinking more in terms of "the cricket bat!"

Makes sense?



http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

_________________
nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

Final episode is up on the blog:

http://nkforsterguitars.blogspot.com/20 ... arlie.html

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

Those of you interested in modern guitar design may be inspired by the latest version of my "long neck" archtops. This one is called "Oscar" after my favourite Jazz player, Oscar Moore.

Questions welcome!





You can read more about the guitar and see more pictures on my site:

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... oscar.html

And you can read about my approach to design here:

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html


nigel

_________________
nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

the entire reason acoustic stringed instruments have a "body" is so that the large, lightweight cavity can resonate when the strings vibrate, thus projecting a louder sound.
i would think this concept seems to defeat that goal: the extended heavy neck/fretboard is effectively a damper over the thin sound box. for the same reason, thick finishes, heavy bracing, large pickguards, and massive bridges are shunned.
it looks fine for an amplified instrument but i would think it must be inferior to traditional designed guitars as far as sound and volume goes.
brilliant people have been tinkering with acoustic instrument designs for thousands of years, and there are excellent, solid, practical reasons that most "traditional" acoustic instruments emerged the way they look through the ages
having said all that, nice work, and i definitely enjoy tinkering around as well

Well, I'm pretty familiar with how guitars work. i've made one or two in me time!

Perhaps if you go through the blog posts "The journey of an idea" you'll see how this design came about, and you may begin to understand how it works and the advantages it has for jazz players. Many jazz players when describing what they want from an archtop often describe qualities which are more in line with what flat tops have. And often in line with qualities electric guitars have too. This design in pretty much in line with those wishes. It really works.

Nigel

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

I missed tose u-tube vids.
All I can say is "WOW"!!!!!
That thing sounds and looks absolutely beautiful!

i just closed the box on my design inspired by this post. Hope it works. Pics later.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Nigel--I'm rewriting this post because I think I went off track the first time. It's great to find someone who enjoys the music of Oscar Moore as much as I do. Thanks for helping to keep his memory alive.
P.M. sent.

Great, look forward to it!

nigel

http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

Okay. Here's a peek. Pinless bridge, 25" truss rod (for basses), "backbone" inside, dovetailed onto tail block. I call it the "suspension bridge", because it reminds me of the bay bridge for some reason (with bridge suspended on the top?), or a bow concept, where the neck and string ends are fully connected. It's a bit like your design, but all underneath the top instead. I 'm thinking this guitar will never need a neck reset, among other things, (if it works)... There is in fact no neck joint really to re set... if that makes sense.

Also I think of post tensioned concrete slabs, used on modern bridges, as a possible direction for bracing a top, where string tension itself adds bracing strength somehow. Being a carpenter I am familiar with this idea for reducing the weight and increasing length of unsupported spans of large slabs, and wonder how it could somehow relate to top construction (but this is not yet worked out). I frequently hear of braces acting as I beams, where a thin, tall shape is strongest, and wonder if other construction concepts could be theoretically relevant too.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Mmmm....seen one ore two variations on this theme over the years. So does it work more like my first guitar in the series - that the sound is produced by sympathetic vibration? What's going on under the soundboard?



http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/nkforst ... _book.html

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nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com

I think you did a nice Job on your design and execution. The sound is just as you described.

I wish you the best on your future journeys.

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Ken