Guitar Bouzouki

NK Forster guitar bouzouki – handmade, versatile, distinctive

The guitar bouzouki that cuts through sessions and holds its own in the studio.

WHAT IT IS

The NK Forster guitar bouzouki combines the tonal power of a traditional Irish bouzouki with the responsiveness and balance of a fine acoustic guitar. Available in two distinct versions: the GZ-HO and the GZ-SS. Each one is hand-built to deliver dynamic range, strong projection, and a voice that fits any traditional setting.

WHY YOU NEED IT

Backing fiddles, flutes, or Uilleann pipes? This instrument won’t get buried.
Need studio-level nuance without losing volume? You’re covered.
Whether you play 8 or 10 strings, a Forster guitar bouzouki delivers depth, punch, and clarity in any setting

It’s made to drive a session and reward subtle playing.

WHAT YOU GET

A fully hand-built GZ bouzouki with your choice of body style and string configuration.
GZ-HO: Bright, punchy, and full of presence. Cylinder-top soundboard with X-bracing, ideal for trad rhythm work.
GZ-SS: Slightly darker tone. with more midrange weight. Sobell-style soundboard, perfect for solo work and recording.
8 or 10 string options.
Built using top-tier materials and over 35+ years of lutherie experience.
Made to endure real-world use, on stage, in sessions, or in the studio.

WHAT MY CIENTS KNOW

Every GZ bouzouki is built by me. No production runs. No shortcuts.
This instrument was developed through years of work with top trad musicians and refined through hands-on feedback from players who know exactly what they need. The big experiments are over. The design is settled.

Still unsure which version fits your playing? I’ll help you figure it out.
And if you want proof they hold up, scroll down and check the testimonials.

HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Starting at US$8250
Includes top-grade materials, full customisation, and personal support from day one and a Lifetime warranty.

HOW TO BUY

Every great build starts with a quick chat.
Use the form below to tell me a little about what you’re after. I’ll follow up with honest answers.

"I own and frequently perform with a guitar-bouzouki recently built by Nigel. There is no other instrument out there like this. It has a huge sound — punchy, clear, sparkly, and way more low end than any other bouzoukis or octave mandolins I’ve ever tried. After every show I play, people come up and tell me how much they love the sound of it. Nigel is a true innovator!"

- Forrest O’Connor, USA

"Nigel makes great instruments, lively, well built, with great projection as well as fun to play."

- Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) Australia

"I initially bought a mandolin from Nigel Forster back in 2012. I was floored by the quality of its build and the sweetness of its sound. So impressed was I that six months later, I commissioned a GBOM. Much to my joy, Nigel delivered it by hand to me in Seattle. To say that it was impressive is an understatement! The neck felt perfect, the fit and finish were as good as could be, but the thing that really floored me was the sound. My god, what a sound! It was at the same time clear, deep, full, loud, complex and 3-dimensional in tone, yet capable of true subtlety as well.

When it arrived, I had 21 other cittern/bouzouki/octave mandolin instruments, all from famous builders with long waiting lists. Nigel’s GBOM sounded better to me than any of them. Over the course of a few years (and an embarrassing number of hours in side-by-side comparison), I came to the conclusion that the Forster was the only one of them that I needed. The others have all found new homes, and, 6 years after its arrival, I now happily own only one CBOM-family instrument, the one that Nigel built me."

- Andy Marshall, USA

"Without getting too carried away, I LOVE my gzouk and play it a lot. I have a Sobell mandola for tunes, - I play in a ceilidh band - but the gzouk is brilliant for rhythm, chords-ing, tunes, and arrangements. The sound is fantastic."

- David Sawtell, England

"This is by far the best playing, best sounding and all round most beautiful instrument I've ever been fortunate enough to own. A couple of years in and It's still a genuinely uplifting experience every time I pick it up. "

- Sam Patten, England

"My NK Forster guitar bouzouki is an instrument unlike any I had played before. It has a great evenness of tone across its entire range, incredibly stable intonation, great dynamics and a startling level of projection. I had not experienced this amount of bass response from a bouzouki before - it truly synthesises the unique strengths of the bouzouki and the guitar. Aside to this, it is very comfortable to hold and to play, as well as being a beautiful piece of craftsmanship."

- Luc McNally, Scotland

"I have played Nigel's Guitar-Bouzouki for the past few years, no doubt this instrument is second to none. When I played the first notes I knew that I had found the instrument that I had been looking for years, with powerful bass but also crystal clear highs, however, it was not until I recorded my Alpha CD when I could check the number of nuances it Guitar-Bouzouki provided me, I was amazed. You can hear it on my CD Alpha. Thank you Nigel for your talent and good work"

- Xurxo Iglesias, Spain

"I am very glad I found your website back when I was searching for a bouzouki and got both the mandolin and bouzouki from you. They are such nice instruments. Thanks for building them for me!"

- James Lummis, USA

Material
Soundboard – mature seasoned European spruce or Western red cedar.

Back and sides – there are many options - mahogany, maple, figured mahogany, wenge, ziricote or figured bubinga.

Neck - New Guinea rosewood, Fiji mahogany.

Fretboard - fine Sri Lanka ebony or ancient bog oak.

Bridge - rocklite ebano.
Hardware
Tuners - Gold Gotoh 510.

Frets - hand polished Evo gold frets.

Nut and saddle - hand polished bone.
Dimensions
body width: 395mm 15 1/2″
body depth: 120mm 4.7″
scale: 24.75″ or 650mm or custom
nut: 36mm or custom
tuning: GDAE, GDAD, ADAD or similar