I recently Met PAUL SHIPPEY GREAT GUY, GAVE ME SOME GOOD ADVICE ABOUT MY NEW MANDOLA NOT A SHIPPEY so it was good of him to spare the time. HE PLAYS ONE OF HIS MANDOLINS ON YOU TUBE IN THE FALLEN APPLES, GOOD REPUTATION AS A PLAYER AND BUILDER
I ASKED HIM AFTER YEARS OF MAKING MANDOLINS "WHAT CONCLUSION HAVE YOU COME TO AS TO WHAT MAKES A GOOD MANDOLIN" ,HIS ANSWER WAS VERY HONEST HE "SAID THE THICKNESS OF THE WOOD THE REST IS JUST CARPENTRY" ,FROM THAT ANSWER I GUESS HE SPENDS MOST OF HIS TIME ON GETTING THE THICKNESS OF THE WOOD PERFECTLY TUNED AND THAT IS WHY HIS INSTRUMENTS ARE SO SORT AFTER HER IN THE UK.
HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE MAKE THERE MIND UP ABOUT UK MANDOLINS/MADOLAS
PS HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME QUOTING YOU PAUL