Best Setup in Northern Virginia?

**PJ Doland** · May-20-2012, 9:21am

I've got an F-9 that I just picked up and it's got some weird buzzing on the G string.

Who's the best guy for a setup in Northern Virginia? (All other things being equal, I'd prefer somebody near Reston.)

**PJ Doland** · May-20-2012, 3:00pm

bump?

**Chris "Bucket" Thomas** · May-20-2012, 3:15pm

Drive south to Richmond to see Dr. Cohen. Go see an expert one time instead of someone else twice.

**Willie** · May-20-2012, 6:41pm

Drive a little ways down I-95 to Fredericksburg and look for Pickers Supply, they have people on board that should be able to take care of you....

Willie

**MandoSquirrel** · May-20-2012, 7:20pm

Or Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe in Catonsville Maryland
http://www.appalachianbluegrass.com/

**Jeff Oxley** · May-20-2012, 7:25pm

Or, get ahold of Sunburst (AKA John Hamlett) and set up an appointment. His shop is just a 2 or so hour drive south on Rt. 29, to Lovingston, and his reputation is solid, as anyone on here can attest. Be sure to contact him first, though, to make sure he's in town.

**Philphool** · May-20-2012, 10:51pm

Or Ward Elliott in Riner.

**billhay4** · May-21-2012, 10:52am

Riner is a LONG way from NOVA, but Mr. Elliott is top drawer.
Bill

**PJ Doland** · May-21-2012, 1:23pm

There has to be **somebody** decent I can take this to in the DC metro area without having to drive two hours or more?

**fatt-dad** · May-21-2012, 2:45pm

Call the house of musical traditions in Takoma Park and see who does their setups. They may say they do it in house. If so, go talk to the dude that does the work.

f-d

**fatt-dad** · May-21-2012, 2:46pm

I have another idea: Send Orrin Star a message and see if he knows anybody.

http://www.orrinstar.com/

f-d

**JJO** · May-21-2012, 5:24pm

Originally Posted by fatt-dad

Call the house of musical traditions in Takoma Park and see who does their setups. They may say they do it in house. If so, go talk to the dude that does the work.

I don't have direct experience with mandolin setups (I've only had mine a couple of days and it came nicely set up from Folkmusician.com), but both House of Musical Traditions and Melodee Music (in Sterling and Leesburg) are excellent shops and I'd expect that they have good people doing work for them. The guy who helped me looking for a guitar at the Melodee Sterling shop a couple of years ago mentioned that he's mostly a mandolin player, so they've definitely got people beyond just guitarists there. Those are the placed I'd check -- I'd imagine it's ok to say (tactfully) that you've got a nice Gibson, and that it's important to you that someone really experienced does the work on it.

**Willie** · May-21-2012, 8:26pm

Fredericksburg is only about 45-50 miles from Springfield....There is builder in Springfield name Verlon (Vern) Bryant, he builds a nice mandolin but I don`t know if he does set ups for other people or not...If you look him up in the phone book tell him Willie sent you, he knows me real well....He did some conversion work on aF-12 for me....