CBOMs of Note

[Steve-o]

NFI. Dennis at the Mandolin Store just put up a nice used Eastman mandocello for sale.

[Tavy]

This oakwood just came up on ebay - I know nothing about these, but just look at the back on this one!

List is at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT BTW.

Ah.. seems you can't grab images off ebay anymore... you'll just have to follow the link I guess.

John.

[Fliss]

That Oakwood looks really nice!

Fliss

[PseudoCelt]

Here are a couple of the photos...

[PseudoCelt]

I recently noticed an interesting octave mandolin on the John Alvey Turner website. It's an Eastman 615 mandola, converted to a 22" scale OM with a new neck. Looks not unlike a Weber F-style OM.

NFI, etc...

Patrick

[nkforster]

I feel the urge to defend my work!

I sold an instrument to Randy Klepper a few years ago and after a while he took it to a shop to adjust the truss rod. He emailed me to say the repair chap said the truss rod was "maxed out" and would require surgery to put this right. This was a welded end two way truss rod and so I had serious doubts to wether this could be the case as I've never sent anything out with a truss rod with more than a couple of turns on, but in order to keep the peace I agreed to pay for what ever was required to put this right - I want my customers to be happy. The work was done and Randy seemed happy.

A couple of weeks later I was working on a guitar of mine, and was adjusting the truss rod. The welded nut snapped immediatly. Disaster. I removed the fretboard and installed a new truss rod. Stupidly I installed another two way one. I made a new fret board and carried on. It also snapped the first time I tried to adjust it. Another new fretboard later and I decided to no longer use two way truss rods. It may have been me or it may have been a poor batch, but I only use 1 way now, but install them in a fashion that gives me two way control.

I strongly suspect Randy's repair chap snapped the truss rod nut and didn't want to take the blame, and in fairness, it wasn't his fault, anyone would have snapped it, but this story has cropped up now a couple of times in forums so I feel it's time I told my part.

The thing went wrong and I put it right at my expense. Seems pretty fair to me.

For those interested, Dream Guitars have just taken delivery of a very smart Arch top ten string cittern of mine, it should be getting listed soon.



Nigel

www.nkforsterguitars.com

[steve V. johnson]

Dear Mr. Forster,

Below is the part of a previous post in this forum in which I mentioned you and and the instrument Randy Clepper got from you.

For my part I see nothing there that requires defense, in fact it's quite the opposite, a first-hand account of one of your instruments, presented in emphatically positive terms to folks who probably haven't seen many of your instruments and may not have even heard of you and your work.

It's very, very unfortunate that you've chosen to cast shadows on others' work in your "defense" with both an accusation of poor practice and an accusation of lying to a client about it. That's pretty low. Especially when no slight was intended, nor even implied, toward you.

This doesn't do anything at all to persuade me that you'd be much fun to work with on a custom instrument. Maybe others who read your accusations won't feel that way.

Finally, sir, perhaps you shouldn't yield to all your urges.

Once again, just to be plain: My experience of your instrument was very positive, my writing about it was also. My description of "problems" was general an not in the least accusatory toward you nor toward your work.


Here is the part of my previous post which mentions Mr. Forster:

"My friend Randy Clepper (who comes round the Cafe from time to time) has a zouk-bodied five-course by Forster. I think he got it from Nigel and I think I recall that it developed some problems that Randy had nicely fixed by J. Thomas Davis in Columbus OH.

"It's a rompin' stompin' big thing and while it has the same characteristic complex treble as the Sobells, I remember the whole sound being much more ... uh ... 'forward', I'll say. More 'modern' sounding, perhaps.

"It's made, as I recall, of Brazilian rosewood (aka "Rio") that has some really startling green in it, on the back, and with a very nice, tight-grained top, tho I don't recall what variety of spruce it it."

stv

[sgarrity]

How about the Smart octave in the classifieds??? That gave me serious O-MAS!

[Eddie Sheehy]

That Smart Octave is one beautiferous instrument.... I am sorely tempted... thankfully I got that itch scratched with the Big Sky Weber OM..... still.....

[Eddie Sheehy]

Oh, on the truss-rod thing, Walt Kuhlman (Gypsy's Music) made me a custom OM recently and had to replace a broken two-end truss-rod just while initially tweaking it after the fretboard was on... so ..it happens.

[nkforster]

I am no longer phased these days by the rudeness of folk on forums or by their ability to get the wrong end of the stick. I've been guilty of all these crimes myself.

The point is I stand by my warranty and give the customer the benefit of the doubt even if I have genuine and serious doubts about what has going on.

Likewise, I think it is fair that I get to have my say especially when this is the second time that tales of this instrument has cropped up on a forum.

[Rob Gerety]

I snapped one once. And it wasn't my guitar. Sick feeling. Never again will I touch a truss rod on any instruments other than my own.

[steve V. johnson]

Shaun sez, "How about the Smart octave in the classifieds??? That gave me serious O-MAS!"

Yes!

stv

[steve V. johnson]

I just got some pix of Gene Dellinger's latest Kestrel mandola, so here they are.

Gene's no longer on the Cafe, but if you'd like to talk with him about a mandola you can contact him at < greatcoveboxes@hughes.net >

[Steve L]

That's nice looking. Have you heard it Steve?

[Steve-o]

Yeah, ditto here Steve. That's a lovely mandola. Exquisite walnut back figure! And nice custom touches all over.

[steve V. johnson]

No, guys, I've never been in the same room with one. I -think-, that is I'm not sure, that Mark Kunkel may have posted some sound clips of his Kestrel 'dola here when he got it. I seem to remember that, and that he was very happy with it. If he did, they're probably still here somewhere.

Gene has said to me that he doesn't want to do "custom instruments," so I'd expect that, given wood and weather, the Kunkel clips would tell the tale. Not to argue with your term, Steve-o, but Gene told me that he didn't want to build to folks' requests, but to be consistent once he found a way to build the sound he was after, and I think these are it.

I hope there's one in my future, but that's not certain yet. I have a personal block against the key of C, instruments in C and such... When I capo my zouk at the 5th fret and try to get around in sessions, I find myself lost. So clearly I need one of these things as a remedial aid, to get myself right. So much of the world runs in C ... ack ...

I'll let you know all about it when I get one, I promise! 'Til then you really ought to bug Gene about the details. Sorry I can't follow thru for y'all.

Thanks,

stv

[Markkunkel]

No, guys, I've never been in the same room with one. I -think-, that is I'm not sure, that Mark Kunkel may have posted some sound clips of his Kestrel 'dola here when he got it. I seem to remember that, and that he was very happy with it. If he did, they're probably still here somewhere.

Yup, that's me...it's wonderful in every way, and I'm happy to sing Gene's praises to anyone who will listen.

Mark

[Fliss]

NFI, but I must give a shout out to the lovely Abnett cittern that's currently in the classifieds:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/...uery=retrieval

Fliss

[rclepper]

I sold an instrument to Randy Klepper a few years ago and after a while he took it to a shop to adjust the truss rod. He emailed me to say the repair chap said the truss rod was "maxed out" and would require surgery to put this right. This was a welded end two way truss rod and so I had serious doubts to wether this could be the case as I've never sent anything out with a truss rod with more than a couple of turns on, but in order to keep the peace I agreed to pay for what ever was required to put this right - I want my customers to be happy. The work was done and Randy seemed happy.
...
I strongly suspect Randy's repair chap snapped the truss rod nut and didn't want to take the blame, and in fairness, it wasn't his fault, anyone would have snapped it, but this story has cropped up now a couple of times in forums so I feel it's time I told my part.
www.nkforsterguitars.com

Ah, I just happened to come round the Cafe... my ears must have been ringing.

Upon seeing this discussion and references to apparent previous postings about this instrument, I feel compelled to clarify a few points:

The instrument I purchased from Nigel initially arrived from overseas with some minor setup issues and a bow in the neck. After consulting with Nigel, I took it straight away to local luthier (and friend), J. Thomas Davis. Tom was able to address the issues and remove the neck bow, but it took maxing out the truss rod in one direction in order to do so. Nigel agreed to pay toward the repairs in order to make things right. As Nigel said, he and I both deemed the transaction to be fair and we closed the deal on a positive note.

For the record, the truss rod never snapped. I must also add that Tom Davis is a world-class luthier and a man of high integrity.

The resulting instrument plays wonderfully and has a rich and exceptional tone, and I credit both luthiers' contributions to its final outcome.

[nkforster]

Can't say fairer than that. Would still like to know how it got "maxed out" but perhaps we will never know.

The instrument Randy has is one of the few flat top, fixed bridge citterns I've made. I'm a big fan of them but folk generally order the arch top versions.

What I'd like to try some time is one with the "Howe -Orme" arch that I'm using for my guitar bouzouki's. That arch combined with x braces produces fine sounding instruments.

www.nkforsterguitars.com

[Tavy]

A couple of nice ones on ebay UK at present:

One octave mandolin from Paul Hathway

and one cittern from David Freshwater

John.

[Tavy]

Here's an interesting Mandocello that's just come up: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...E:B:SS:GB:1123

[nkforster]

Dream Guitars have listed the new Octave Mandolin of mine. Here it is:

http://dreamguitars.com/new/forster/...zouki_dg11.php

http:www.nkforsterguitars.com

[John McGann]

Dream Guitars have listed the new Octave Mandolin of mine. Here it is:

http://dreamguitars.com/new/forster/...zouki_dg11.php

http:www.nkforsterguitars.com

That is beautiful, Nigel!