Whither the Makers from the Czech Republic ???

[Silly Moustache]

Hi,
I am the proud owner of a 2005 Lebeda F-5 Premium, and try as I might I can't find a better instrument (well not without selling my house and grandchildren).

My question however is not restricted to Jiri Lebeda who I know has been discussed previously. a decade or so ago, ther was a sudden burgeoning of pretty good quality mandolins from various makers within the Czech republic but they seem to have dissapeared.....can anyone enlighten me ?

Thanks in advance,

Ol' Andy

[Scott Tichenor]

Disappeared how so? I'm showing 18 active mandolin builders located in our database and the annual update on it was completed in early April. Are you meaning you can't find them for sale? I'm guessing as more musicians in that part of the world discover how great these instruments are there are more and more of them staying closer to home, and the Czech Republic has a fairly robust folk/bluegrass scene.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi,
thanks for your comment and I have looked through some of them - and most are names familiar to me.

I should have been more specific as I am looking at things from a UK point of view and makers known to us in the past decade - Lebeda, Capek, Holoubek etc., don't seem to have any outlets in the UK or EU now - perhaps they only deal direct now.
Do they sell therough dealers ion the US?

Anyway it is good to know that they are still making ...apart from, I assume, Lebeda who I think has stopped production.

Any more info would be much appreciated.

Ol' Andy

[almeriastrings]

I think you will find pricing and global economics has been a factor here. Around 10 years ago, just prior to their joining the EU (2004), their currency was very "undervalued". Hence, it was ridiculously "cheap" to buy a fine mandolin from there, relatively speaking. That situation has gradually changed, and is no longer as true as it once was. In addition, the cost of living there has risen substantially, also leading to an upward pressure on builder's costs, and hence prices. They are all quite small operations, apart from Stonebridge, so there are no great discounts/wholesale rates available.... translate that into an export situation, plus associated costs, and this is one reason why you now see very few new instruments on the international market.

I would add that back around 2005 I knew several people who took a cheap flight there, "loaded up" on instruments, had a nice weekend in a good hotel, and returned still able to "move them on" at a good margin! There were no import duties to pay, no taxes, no hassle (that was within the EU of course). Quite a change from just a few years previously....

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hello Andy - Nice to see you back on here. Jiri Lebeda has indeed ceased building instruments.There are still many builders in the Czech.Republic,but finding a UK vendor might be difficult. One maker who's instruments are really excellent is Eduard Kristufek - 'Krishot' mandolins. I believe that before he ceased building,Jiri lebeda has pulled out of selling thro.dealers & that you could only purchase directly from him. It may be that the other builders in order to maximise their profits are doing the same.What Almeira says above is very true.The Czech.builders were building for half of what their instruments were worth at one time.For any person wishing to purchase an instrument from the Czech.Republic,i'd go directly to the builder's website & take it from there. I do know that the German instrument store,Streicholz Schachtel (Matchbox) shows 4 Lebeda instruments in stock ,including an awesome 'blonde' Premium 'Special',
I know that at one time,a friend of mine from Scarborough,Yorkshire,Arthur Robinson, was a dealer for the Krishot mandolins.That's how i know how good they are. Arthur suffers from MS & has ceased dealing.I'm not sure,but another friend of mine,Dave Bresnen - ''Frets Old & New'' from Liverpool, may have taken over his dealership.I know that the last time i was over in L/pool,he had a Krishot for sale,
Ivan

[Ray(T)]

I doubt it Ivan - if you care to check the "Frets Old & New" Website, you'll find that they are having a retirement sale and there doesn't appear to be much left!

I'm aware of your postings elsewhere re. what has happened to Jiri Lebada. The last time I corresponded with Ondrej Holoubek, he said that he was just about to get a website up and running; but that was a mere 6 years ago and we're still waiting. You could try him on "urias@cmail.cz" but whether that address will still be alive, I couldn't say. I don't see how people can deal with Ondrej direct if he doesn't have a website!

The fact that "Mandolin Heaven" [AKA TAMCO] no longer lists new mandolins from the Czech makers could say something.

[HoGo]

I'm in Slovakia (we used to be Czechoslovakia few years back) and know a thing or two about local makers.
I heard from czech musicians that Lebeda quit instrument making and moved away only few can reach him.
Krishot is still making and I guess he is in high enough demand from local pickers so he doesn't need any advertising or retailers.
Prucha is making in volumes and has nice new website.
Capek is making mostly banjos I guess as I haven't seen new mandolin in hands of musician for a long time (except for EWOB where he had a booth). His mandolins are way more expensive than the makers above so musicians mostly buy those...
Holoubek is whole anothe category. You must know and understand his work. He is artist and things take their time... His guitars are in demand and he mostly makes guitars and does some repairs. He hasn't built mandolin for quite a long time, some folks spent several years on his waiting list.
The rest of makers are realtively newcomers and since their prices are typically lower, local folks who cannot afford US made instrument get most of what they build. It's much simplier to sell within EU than shipping to US. And often they can sell for more here without additional customs and taxes and limited competition from US builders...
If you really need to contact some of these builders, let me know. I can help or at least ask around for more info.

[swampstomper]

Second HoGo's info. on Jarda Prucha (I am a very happy owner of two mandos and an open-back banjo). He is so busy filling orders that he could not come to EWOB this year, despite being a sponsor. He sells directly but also through Greg Boyd in Missoula MT and I suppose other dealers in UK and EU. His website is just fantasic eye (and ear) candy. Czech it out (sorry could not resist): here/. He is very well known in the banjo world but makes very fine mandolins at still reasonable and competitive prices. He is very happy to work with a buyer even of limited means (like me) to get the right instrument at the price point.

[trevor]

I will be receiving my first two Eduard Kristufek/'Krishot' mandolins in August.

When I started I sold many Capek and Lebeda mandolins, I also had a few from Holoubek but his failure to communicate made it impossible to do business with him. I also stocked Pavlu for a while.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Ray - Thanks for the info.on ''Frets Old & New''.Dave Bresnen's a very close friend of mine & has been for 30 years or more.I'd heard that he was thinking of selling up,but didn't know that he was in the process of doing so.Maybe that's why Eagle music in Huddersfield is now selling Stelling Banjos. DB was the original main Stelling dealer & i bought mine from him close to 22 years back.
Trevor - I sincerely hope that the Krishot mandolins will be as good as the ones that i've played.They'll be a welcome addition to your inventory & it'll be nice to see them 'up front' on your site.He's a great builder,
Ivan

[Ray(T)]

Thanks for the info HoGo. I think Trevor only ever had 2 mandolins from Holoubek (an A and an F - back in 2002) and I bought, and still have, the F. I can understand your comment about him being an artist. A luthier friend, who doesn't throw compliments about easily, said that the only instrument he'd seen with a better detailed finish was a Monteleone. Its volume and sound is all you could ask for but typical for an "X" braced instrument.

[Ivan Kelsall]

In my thread re.Jiri Lebeda,i gave credit to fellow 'Cafe member Gerry Cassidy for helping me make contact with Jiri through his Czech luthier friend Roman Zajicek. I found this YouTube clip of Roman showing a few of his instruments so here it is :-
I think that the GB(S)OM sounds utterly incredible !!!. It goes right to the top of my 'i wish' list. Roman also mentions a dealer for his instruments in The Netherlands,
Ivan
http://youtu.be/VUa13hmLtrM

[StevieSteve]

Hi All, I've been off the radar on this site for some ten years, kinda been busy. I've been wondering the same thing about Jiri. I had a Premium Plus F5 and a fistful of cash that I swapped with Arthur Robinson for a 1995 custom built F4 at the A1 festival in 2000andcan'trememberwhen, maybe it was 2000 or 2001. Arthur commisioned Jiri to build it personally to an slightly unusal bespoke specification using a pile of ancient wood that Jiri had acquired from an old violin maker's estate. To say you would have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers to get me to part with it would be somewhat of an understatement. I've been trying to locate Jiri recently to enquire about a refret, if he is off the radar too it looks like I will have to find someone else that I could maybe, just perhaps trust to do the job. There's certainly no-one here in the arse end of Africa who I would let touch it.
It is a shame that he's no longer building. I never liked the F5 a great deal (one of his 'factory' made 'lins), think it was the radiused fingerboard but my F4 is truly something else.

[Glassweb]

Is the builder Vana still building? His mandolins looked exceptionally well made.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Is the builder Vana still building? His mandolins looked exceptionally well made.

Last year at the EWOB Festival in Voorthuizen (NL) I spoke with Martin Krajíček who to my knowledge is a friend of Miroslav Vana. Martin Krajíček is a czech mandolin player (bluegrass: Sunny Side, solo website:http://www.myspace.com/martinkrajicek) According to what I understood Vana operates a music store in his hometown of Jirkov, CZ where he also repairs and builds instruments. According to Martin Krajíček it takes Vana a very long time to build an instrument and Vana hadn´t come around to finishing the built for Martin Krajíček at the time of our conversation. I would have loved to see one of Vana´s instruments but Martin had his reworked F-12 with him and no Vana mandolin was present. I contemplate to go visit with Vana on a trip to some czech festival but the language barrier (czech-german/czech-english etc.) seems to be an obstacle. The fit & finish as well as the sound are very good from what I heard.

When the Vana mandolins came up in some threads and in an article by Mr. Graham a couple of years ago I was quite interested how they would/could be marketed as they looked very nice. I tried to get some information through the grapevine but what I found out (building time...) was not really encouraging to go pursue the Vana road actively.

[Bill Snyder]

StevieSteve, see this thread Jiri Lebeda - Still Building.

[Ivan Kelsall]

For those of us outside continental Europe,taking/sending a mandolin (or any other instrument) to the Czech.Republic,would be a costly event.The freight charge,plus the insurance (both ways) would be pretty inhibitive (IMHO).I wouldn't even dream of sending my Lebeda via a freight service for a re-fret etc.. Having it done by it's maker would be my preference,but other than taking it myself it's simply impractical,especially as there are so many good luthiers in the UK,capable of doing the job. It's much the same for you folks in the US.If you're up in Wisconsin or any of the other Northern states,is it really practical to send your Ellis down to Texas for a re-fret ?. ''Support your local luthier'' ( or as local as youcan get) - that's what they're there for & it keeps 'em in business,
Ivan

[Spencer]

Is the builder Vana still building? His mandolins looked exceptionally well made.

Just returned from a bluegrass festival in Sweden, where I saw a Vana mandolin that is a couple of weeks old, a very nice instrument.

Spencer

[pjlama]

For those of us outside continental Europe,taking/sending a mandolin (or any other instrument) to the Czech.Republic,would be a costly event.The freight charge,plus the insurance (both ways) would be pretty inhibitive (IMHO).I wouldn't even dream of sending my Lebeda via a freight service for a re-fret etc.. Having it done by it's maker would be my preference,but other than taking it myself it's simply impractical,especially as there are so many good luthiers in the UK,capable of doing the job. It's much the same for you folks in the US.If you're up in Wisconsin or any of the other Northern states,is it really practical to send your Ellis down to Texas for a re-fret ?. ''Support your local luthier'' ( or as local as youcan get) - that's what they're there for & it keeps 'em in business,
Ivan

I've learned that it's much better to send the mandolin back to its maker when possible. I recently sent my Heiden to Canada from the US and it was well worth it. In your case I could see shipping to CZ from the UK being too much but ive seen where the maker takes much better care when doing maintenance thant the average person because their name is on it. Gilchrist works on his US customers stuff when he visits the US each year. Ellis refretted my Ellis when it needed it. When I recently purchased my Stanley I specifically asked if he was willing to work on it when I needed it taken care of.

[Ivan Kelsall]

PJ - I take your point & i agree with you - however !. Any 'good' luthier who wants to stay in business 'should' be able to do as good a job as the original builder (IMHO). Certainly,my own local luthier does outstanding work & i'll be trusting him to re-fret my Weber & my Lebeda instruments when they need it, & anything else that comes along. Any luthier who 'can't be bothered',won't last too long - word gets around pretty quickly about poor workmanship,
Ivan

[Beanzy]

In February a friend I used to edit for posted this U-Tube video from 1996. Not acoustic builds but of related interest really;

[Johng913]

<Moderator Edit: Please restrict personal sales of instruments to the Classifieds as per Forum Guidelines.>

[trevor]

I just heard from Eduard. I should have two of his mandolins in few weeks.