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SOLD: Nigel Forster Session King. Luthier quality for factory price!

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stevehsteveh Frets: 222
edited September 2018 in Acoustics £

My Nigel K Forster Session King is up for sale. I’m having a real clear out due to my current focus on nylon strings. I’m the first owner – I commissioned this from Nigel back in April 2015 after hearing the demo videos on YouTube. There’s a full AGF build thread for this guitar, unfortunately sans pictures due to the subsequent Photobucket debacle:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=384963&highlight=forster

Skip to the end of the thread and you’ll find a few videos of me attempting to play it. You can read my very positive contemporaneous comments about the guitar there but, in summary, this has a thin lattice braced top with very stiff and heavy sides, aka Greg Smallman applied to steel-strings. The result is a very loud and responsive guitar with a lot of characteristics akin to a lattice braced classical.

Mine is an upgraded model with an ebony fretboard and spruce top; Nigels original spec was a mahogany top with rosewood fretboard. It also comes with a Hiscox Pro II case. Everything else is as per Nigel’s spec – Cuban mahogany back and sides and the super cool distressed finish.

Nigel is no longer making the Session King except as a tenor guitar. Originally intended as a more affordable way into his instruments, he told me that the hassle of making them etc. ultimately didn’t justify the asking price. Pity for us, but a man’s got to eat… 

I’m looking for £1500, which is peanuts for a guitar from a luthier as well known and as capable as Nigel, but I need to move some guitars to make way for nylon strings. You can play this in St. Albans or London. PM me if interested. 


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Comments

  • VimFuegoVimFuego Frets: 15476
    fuck me, that's a steal for a NF guitar, someone will be a very happy camper with that.

    I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.

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  • interstellarinterstellar Frets: 486
    pm sent
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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    Also PM’d.
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    Tx for the PM's: Although this is cased, I don't have an acoustic-sized cardboard outer box at home, so I'm really trying to avoid shipping it. London is easy to get to!
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  • interstellarinterstellar Frets: 486
    not from deepest darkest North Cornwall with a busy life @steveh ;
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  • fishfingersfishfingers Frets: 103
    edited July 2018
    Hi Steve - what's the nut width? many thanks
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    Hi Steve - what's the nut width? many thanks
    I think it's 46mm - I really like the feel of the Sobell Martin Simpson Signature neck, which is set up for fingerstyle (obs), and that's what I asked Nigel to copy. 
    I'll check when I get home - I seem to be permanently at work these days (so sorry re the tardy PMs guys).
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    steveh said:
    I think it's 46mm - I really like the feel of the Sobell Martin Simpson Signature neck, which is set up for fingerstyle (obs), and that's what I asked Nigel to copy. I'll check when I get home - I seem to be permanently at work these days (so sorry re the tardy PMs guys).
    Just measured it:
    46 mm at the nut
    58 mm at the 12th fret
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  • Hi Steve, I'm quite interested in this but I live in Ireland so I would want to be fairly sure before coming over to play it. I like chunky necks and wide string spacing, can you assure me that this has both? Also, I generally play in standard tuning and all the samples seem to be in DADGAD, how does it sound in standard? What is the scale length please? You describe it as heavy, like how heavy? Is it uncomfortably heavy? I generally like light guitars, but Nigel has quite a reputation, so maybe it's the correct weight?
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    You describe it as heavy, like how heavy? Is it uncomfortably heavy? I generally like light guitars, but Nigel has quite a reputation, so maybe it's the correct weight?
    The guitar is very heavy, and very heavy for a reason. Read this:

    http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/loud-acoustic-guitars/

    This design is coming from the Smallman classical tradition: Very, very stiff back and sides and a very light top so that the top acts like a drum head. That's the principal reason why the guitar is so loud and responsive.
    Smallman uses 18mm birch play for his sides! Birch ply or not, the cost is around 25K per guitar...

    I'll post the other neck dimensions when I get home.



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  • Hi Steve, I appreciate that it is heavy for a very good reason, what I'm trying to establish is, is it uncomfortably heavy. Could you compare it's weight to any other guitar?
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    edited July 2018
    Hi Steve, I appreciate that it is heavy for a very good reason, what I'm trying to establish is, is it uncomfortably heavy. Could you compare it's weight to any other guitar?
    Gibson Les Paul.

    Having said that, I don't find Les Pauls' uncomfortable, because I play sitting down. The SessionKing is fine on my left or right knee, and it doesn't move around.
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    This is - verbatim - the spec I asked for from Nigel:

    "Neck profile as per that lovely Martin Simpson scantling guitar – I’d be happy to go a shave thicker though; i.e.

    Nut width = 46mm
    Neck width at fret 12 = 58 mm
    Neck depth behind fret 1 = 20 mm
    Neck depth behind fret 9 = 22 mm  
    Nut string spacing = 38 mm
    Bridge/saddle string spacing = 57 mm"
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  • barry2tonebarry2tone Frets: 212
    edited July 2018
    That's another beautiful guitar! My dream was a N.K. custom build, but you can't always have the unobtanium.
    Hence the new Avian Songbird fan fret.

    So interest from here too, Steve.  I'll clear this month by after the weekend, so will be back in touch next week.  May well be gone by then.
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  • Thanks for all that info, I would love to try it, but I don't think I would be comfortable with the weight, so I don't think it's worth a special trip. It will probably sell in the meantime, but if not, next time I'm visiting my son in Oxford I'll give you a call.
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  • AuldReekieAuldReekie Frets: 196
    I have two NK Forster guitars - absolutely awesome instruments.  This is a bargain
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  • LewyLewy Frets: 4126
    steveh said:
    You describe it as heavy, like how heavy? Is it uncomfortably heavy? I generally like light guitars, but Nigel has quite a reputation, so maybe it's the correct weight?
    The guitar is very heavy, and very heavy for a reason. Read this:

    http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/loud-acoustic-guitars/


    That was a really interesting read. Thanks for posting. 


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  • barry2tonebarry2tone Frets: 212
    Note of intent lodged with Steve yesterday. He's probably away at this time of year.
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    Note of intent lodged with Steve yesterday. He's probably away at this time of year.
    No such luck - just mental with work as usual!
    Please see PM. Cheers Barry.
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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 222
    This lovely instrument has sold to a happy guitarist.
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