Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?

Subject: RE: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 30 Oct 10 - 11:55 AM

You could aave a word with Trevor at TAMCO Brighton. He has a tame repair-person but he's probably from the wrong side of London.

Subject: RE: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: buddhuu
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 12:23 PM

Thank you, Bob. :-)

R

Subject: RE: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: GUEST,BobT
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 11:53 AM

Ray Cooper 01442873043 has a workshop just outside Hemel Hempstead...
He's done great work for me in the past.

Also Andy Viccars in Milton Keynes [e-mail] comes highly recommended....

Bob

Subject: RE: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: buddhuu
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 11:17 AM

BTW, the KM-505 is about £400 and the KM-174 about £280. Cheap, but a world away from the laminate stuff that gets badged up for Westfield, Stagg etc. Definitely worth a set-up.

The woods aren't as pretty as, for example, the Eastman mandolins I have had, but fit, finish, playability and sound are definitely comparable.

Subject: RE: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: buddhuu
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 11:13 AM

Well, I generally do my own set-ups. I adjust or make nuts, tweak bridge slots, 'vacuum' fit bridge bases to instrument tops, adjust truss rods to set neck relief... All no problem and I've been doing it for years.

However, I hate working on frets - especially on radiused boards - and both of these mandos need a tiny bit of fret levelling, and one has a compound radius fretboard. Also, I think the truss-rod on one is maxed out so either the neck might need a clamp and adjust, or the rod may need a couple of washers to give some more range. Either way, better eyesight than mine would be an advantage when doing the tweaks, and my glasses are crap.

If I have to do it myself I will do, but if there's someone who is happier (and competent) to do it for me then I'm happy to pay. These are current Kentucky models from the improved Artist range - hand carved, all solid and really very good for the prices - especially the 505 - so it is worth paying a bit to get them ticking over smoothly again.

Subject: RE: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 10:37 AM

i'd guess you might end up paying more for the setup
than the initial cost of the instruments..

I've similar cheap [less than 50 quid] but reasonable Chinese mandos
that I easily tweaked into good intonation
and a comfortable string action
by just adjusting bridge placement and height.

..dread to think what my nearest recomended luthier
would have charged just to accomplish that..

let alone any fret polishing and nut filing work
that might make any real qualitative difference...???

Subject: Good mandolin setup: Luton/Hitchin/Duns?
From: buddhuu
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 10:19 AM

Hi all,

Looking for a luthier or guitar/mandolin tech around Luton/Hitchin/Dunstable (Herts/Beds, UK).

I have two decentish, but cheap, mandolins that each need a bit of a set-up. A Kentucky KM-505 f-hole A-style and a Kentucky KM-174 oval-hole A-style.

I know Jon at Coda Music in Luton is a mandolin player and a good tech (I've had him set up a mando in the past, which was fine), but does anyone know any other good local set-up people who have experience with mandolins?

Thanks,

Rick