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Thread: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

  1. #1

    Default Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    I will be in London (COVID restrictions willing) for the first 3-6 months of 2022. I'll have along my John Monteleone Grand Artist and am looking for a repairman who can do some limited, but quality work while I'm there. (Apologies if I haven't picked the most appropriate topic for this post.) It's mostly set up work, things I would most likely do myself if I were traveling with appropriate tools, but I'm not. I'm also interested in having a second bridge made and fitted. I've searched past messages here and most seem to be 5+ years old, so I'm looking for more current recommendations. Ideally I'd like to find someone who could sit with me for a short evaluation and proceed from there. Again, I'm not talking about any major structural work. I'm a frequent visitor to London, so this could easily become an ongoing relationship.

    Thanks in advance for any help, Bryan Caldwell.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    Hi Bryan - Here are a few recommendations:

    Alex Potter - http://aspotterinstruments.com/
    Michael Cameron - http://www.michaelcameron.info/
    Celine Camerlynck - http://luthierscorner.co.uk/old_site...rner_Home.html

    Alex is a based in the New Forest, so is a bit out of your way, but he's done work on 3 mandolins for me and is currently working on a 4th. His work is excellent and he has previously made a bridge for me. Happy to send you pictures if you are interested.

    I've used Michael once before for a neck reset, also excellent and has previously been recommended on this site.

    I haven't used Celine before but she was recommended to me and (for what its worth) I think she used to repair Bert Jansch's guitars...

    Good luck!

  3. #3

    Default Re: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    Thanks, I'll be making some inquiries.

    Bryan

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    My impression (living in UK) is that there aren't many mandolin specialists here. Another one to consider (who I haven't used myself) is:

    https://johnalveyturner.co.uk

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    Default Re: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    BTW, John Alvey Turner is very long established (1790 - !), also a banjo specialist (I bought one there years ago, it was good value and a good instrument), and convenient for Central London - they're near Camden Town tube station. They also have what might be an interesting Strad-O-Lin (Chicago) mando for sale at the moment. I'm no expert on vintage instruments, so don't know what I'm looking at there.
    Last edited by maxr; Dec-09-2021 at 6:52am.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    Quote Originally Posted by maxr View Post
    BTW, John Alvey Turner is very long established (1790 - !), also a banjo specialist (I bought one there years ago, it was good value and a good instrument), and convenient for Central London - they're near Camden Town tube station. They also have what might be an interesting Strad-O-Lin (Chicago) mando for sale at the moment. I'm no expert on vintage instruments, so don't know what I'm looking at there.
    I keep having a look at that Strad-O-Lin... it a nice price but think that my wife would do terrible things to me if I bought another mandolin this year. John Alvey Turner are good and Phil Alexander really knows his mandolins - I bought a nice Gibson from him a couple of years ago.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Recommendations for Greater London Area Mandolin Work

    I get the impression from some posts here that Strad-O-Lins are different sounding mandolins - are they? I think on the JAT site it says something like 'surprisingly loud and appealing', which is a slightly enigmatic statement, eg why 'surprising' - are they not loud normally?, or are they not appealing normally?

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