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Who? Me? Nope, not me.

And thanks for the kind comments Ed :)

Well, of course I am biased, because I make them but:

http://www.selkiestrings.co.uk/micro%20mandolins.html

NOT a budget item though I'm afraid.

Mark Shiner.
Selkie Strings.

Well, of course I am baised, because I make them but:

http://www.selkiestrings.co.uk/micro%20mandolins.html

Mark Shiner.
Selkie Strings.

Only light clamping is needed, for two reasons: you are working with soft wood that will absorb the glue easily without too much compression and secondly if you clamp any glue joint too tight you...

Hi, I am a full time luthier and restorer and I want to find people's views on an issue that has had me thinking for a while.
I am restoring a customer's 1924 Clifford Essex 12 string mandolin for...

No, I didn't know. Thanks for the tip. Guess I'd better read the etiquette section. I'm up in the Orkney Islands so I don't fancy sending it all the way to Brighton, although I have a few friends...

Thanks for the tip. Watch this space! It should be up a few days or so.
Cheers, Mark.

Hi, forgive me forum for I have strayed, it is ages since my last post.:(

I am a maker and restorer and recently a customer has asked me to sell, on their behalf, a rather unusual Clifford Essex...

Hi, I have bought a set of those brass "Ibex-copy" finger planes off Ebay sold by a Chinese vendor called music-1982. I guess a lot of people will be tempted by them so I thought I'd write a quick...

May I suggest my MicroMandolin at www.selkiestrings.co.uk ? I'll be honest, its not completely silent, in fact for its size it is quite loud but as I never miss an opportunity to shamelessly...

I'm loving the peg head inlays against the white background. Also the high contrast with the back and sides. Very original.

Cheers Ivan. Maybe you'll drop into the workshop next time you are passing through Orkney.

Thanks!

Oh, and the music track is called "Curlew Song".
Cheers, M.

Thanks all for the encouraging comments. Frank Keenan is a singer-songwriter who lives in Orkney and is starting to carve out a bit of a scene here in Scotland at a few large festivals and radio...

I have just completed this restoration for a customer. I hope it might be of interest. Although originally a 12 string, it had been an 8 string for around 50 years so it was felt appropriate to...

There has been some discussion about the differene between bottled liquid hide glue (ready-mix) and home prepared granules. Different folks have had varying results. So, I wrote to Franklins, who...

Adrian, interesting that you have had a report that liquid hide glue is unreliable. I am interested in any further information or links you may have. I have had reliable results with it for years...

I have to put in a word for the ready made liquid hide glue made by Titebond. (I have no connection with the company). I have built many instruments with it and it saves time and offers consistancy...

Good advice from Ivan there. Additionally you can carefully widen nut grooves by wrapping fine abrasive paper (sandpaper, glass paper, emery paper etc) around thin card. For a wider groove use more...

Well, in spite of the good advice from Ivan, I ended up using the metal polish because I was out of vinagar anyway. However, I got a great new link with some good ideas and that's always good. I...

Hi Ivan, thanks for that and especially for the link. Very informative. I quite liked their vinagar,flour and salt paste idea. I will be sure and report back with progress.
Many thanks agian,...

Hi, has anybody got a trick for cleaning old brass tuners? I mean the type that are on a base-plate with bone or "early plastic" knobs. I was thinking an overnight soak in vinagar or such like. I...

One of the main issues is that fixed guitar type bridges and movable mandolin bridges drive the sound-board in radically different ways. The traditional mandolin bridge pumps the centre of the...

Well, thanks for all that input. I think it just comes down to personal taste. I guess it can't hurt to offer both as an option. Many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Cheers, Mark Shiner. ...