About the service
I start every job with a proper inspection. I measure string height at the first and twelfth frets, check neck relief with a straightedge, look at the top around the bridge and the tailpiece, and play every course up the neck to find buzzes and dead spots. After that you get a plain list of what is worth doing, what can wait and what it will cost, so nothing is done behind your back.
Most of the playability comes from the frets and the nut. I level high frets, recrown and polish them, file the nut slots so each pair of strings sits at the same height and spacing, and fit or shape the floating bridge so the saddle meets the top cleanly. Then I set the scale length by moving the bridge until the octave matches the open string on both treble and bass courses. Top cracks are cleaned, glued and, where needed, backed with small cleats; worn tuners are swapped for a matching set without new holes where possible.
One warning I give every owner: never take all the strings off at once. On a mandolin the bridge is usually held in place only by string tension, and it will slide off its spot, losing the intonation you paid for. Change strings one pair at a time. Solvents and glues are used only with good ventilation. I do not make copies of logos or models of well-known makers.
— inspection, action and neck relief measurement;
— fret levelling, recrowning and polishing;
— nut slot work and bridge fitting, scale length and intonation;
— top crack gluing with cleats, tuner replacement;
— neck relief adjustment, fitting paired strings and tuning the unisons;
— cleaning, care advice; typical turnaround is 7–14 days.
Most of the playability comes from the frets and the nut. I level high frets, recrown and polish them, file the nut slots so each pair of strings sits at the same height and spacing, and fit or shape the floating bridge so the saddle meets the top cleanly. Then I set the scale length by moving the bridge until the octave matches the open string on both treble and bass courses. Top cracks are cleaned, glued and, where needed, backed with small cleats; worn tuners are swapped for a matching set without new holes where possible.
One warning I give every owner: never take all the strings off at once. On a mandolin the bridge is usually held in place only by string tension, and it will slide off its spot, losing the intonation you paid for. Change strings one pair at a time. Solvents and glues are used only with good ventilation. I do not make copies of logos or models of well-known makers.
— inspection, action and neck relief measurement;
— fret levelling, recrowning and polishing;
— nut slot work and bridge fitting, scale length and intonation;
— top crack gluing with cleats, tuner replacement;
— neck relief adjustment, fitting paired strings and tuning the unisons;
— cleaning, care advice; typical turnaround is 7–14 days.
