PDA

View Full Version : Boetzkes Snaarinstrumenten



jkways
Jun-10-2009, 7:46pm
Hi,
I'm looking to maybe buy a Kentucky Dawg from this overseas music store. Does anyone know anything about this fellow or his music store?

Carlier
Jun-11-2009, 1:57am
I actually live relatively close to this shop (half a day's travel). It's in the Netherlands and I live in Belgium. Anyway, coincidentally I was recommended the very same instrument by the salesman in Strings and Things in Antwerp. He had nothing but praise for the owner of Boetzkes, so I think you're ok ordering from him. The shopkeeper said he tried the electric Kentucky at the Boetzkes store and that it's a sweet instrument.

kristallyn
Jun-11-2009, 2:15am
I actually bought my kentucky at boetzkes store,
I live in holland
I can recommend his store and he , in my opinion , is a trustworthy man,
you ll be safe buying an instrument there, and the shipment as far as I know is good, at least it was very good whit the mandolin I ordered at his store last week for my little girl, it was packed very well,his service is good

I bought my kentucky 505km ( with fisman pu) at a tradeshow at boetzkes stand, the mandolin had been a demo model that he took to tradeshows, it was priced down, so when we decided to buy it, he pick it up, looked at it closely and discovered a spot on the back of it. he said,..I don t know what this is , but it happened right here at this tradeshow so You cannot be expected to pay for this, and he lowered the price even more, the spot turned out to be NOTHING I actually could wipe it off with a cloth

Michael Wolf
Jun-11-2009, 2:21am
A friend of mine has bought some Mandolins from him over the years, the last one a few weeks ago. He bought the Krishot F5 that Massimo Gatti left in the shop when he bought the Gilchrist A5 that heīs playing now. Heīs a trustworthy dealer.

grassrootphilosopher
Jun-11-2009, 3:15am
Mr. Boetzke is quite known in European (acoustic) circles as a dealer of note. He has his booth at the EWOB festival every year (www.ewob.eu), he is well respected, well known musicians deal with him (the aforementioned Massimo Gatti is the leader of the Band Bluegrass Stuff; Massimo is a world class musician whoīs reputation you can check out on mandozine) and I would do bussiness with him if I were mando-short and he had the one I liked for a price that pleased me. Boetzke posts in the classifieds on and off. He even had the (now) Massimo Gatti Gilchrist on the classifieds. Only then I was short of fundings to buy the beast.

Let me point out some things unrelated to any dealer you have to be aware though when dealing with overseas. You have to take customs and shipping into consideration costwise. Aditionally there is the tax issue. If the Kentucky mandolin was in the US before it came to Europe you wouldnīt have to pay import taxes and such on it (as it would be a reimport). Shipping is always an issue that provides some anxiousness with the involved parties. Who handles shipping best. There are numerous threads on the cafe if you would like to search them. I had instruments shipped via FedEx; they did a good job shipping but left me and the other involved party with a heck of paperwork messup that did clear up after about a year! DHL did a good job (in cooperation with an australian shipping firm)... Donīt hear too much good about UPS... Packing is the main thing and I would think that Boetzke knows his stuff. Aditionally I would be carefull about the CITES issues. If the Kentucky has appointments of Brazilian Rosewood, (elephant) ivory and such, you need special documentation and permits to import these. Otherwise the instrument may get seized. Again, these things have nothing to do with Boetzkeīs but are general reminders.

Good luck with your mandolin purchase.

Just thought of it... Boetzke has a RICHTER mandolin for sale (on commision?). Richter is one of the primier German (bluegrass and oldtime) mandolin builders. He hasnīt built one in recent years, but he knows his stuff really well. I just had a setup done on one of my instruments and was verry pleased by his work (as allways). The mandolin in question is quite inexpensive (I think about roughly 2.300 USD), itīs an F-5 style mando, it plays really well and sounds nice, it has tone bars and it is played in well (itīs from the early 90ies if Iīm not mistaken). The former owner is a good mando and guitar picker and fine singer (Ronnie Snippe from the band Lazy Tater) who has aparently taken good care of the mando. A couple of apointments are not "spot-on" as the traditionalists would say but the mando looks good. Iīd be hard pressed if I were to decide between a Kentucky dawg or Mr. Richterīs mando, though Iīd go for Mr. Richters instrument.
By the way, I have no financial interest in this. I just happen to know Mr. Richter and find, that he is undervalued and I happen to know Ronnie Snippe and think that he deserves a head up. So whoever buys that Richter mandolin gets a great deal on a good mandolin from a fine picker and a nice knowledgable luthier for a fair price.

Carlier
Jun-11-2009, 5:47am
I actually bought my kentucky at boetzkes store,
I live in holland


Hi Krisallyn,
I'll continue in English because we're on an English-speaking site. I have been trying to find a music store in the Benelux that has electric mandolins in stock, so I can try them out. I'm looking at a fairly low budget purchase, around 200-300. However, I can't find a single store that has these, and some say companies like epiphone can take up to 8 months to deliver to the music store. Do you know of any shops in NL or Belgium where I could try out some electric mandolins?

Thanks

kristallyn
Jun-11-2009, 10:09am
the only store I can think of that has anything with piezo in it would be musikproduktiv in germany, a long drive for you, but well worth to take a day and visit the store,
you could give them a call maybe
but I d give mr boetzke a call too, not all the mandolines he is selling are on the website I think

my mandoline ( the kentucky km with pick up ) wasn t that expensive less than 500 euro s,
in the prices you are looking..there s stagg but Im not all that impressed by those ( tried one)
or maybe one of these musik produktiv seems to have some in store
http://www.musik-produktiv.de/epiphone-mm-30se-tl.aspx
http://www.musik-produktiv.de/epiphone-mm-30se-as.aspx

here s another link, but I don t know this store at all
http://www.mainmusic.nl/nl/search/search.html
and than there is feedback ofcourse which may be closer to you
but I found only one mandoline there
http://www.feedback.nl/?id=52&o=3&q=%27mandoline

swampstomper
Jun-11-2009, 12:25pm
Just wanted to add my voice to those who know and respect Boetzkes. I currently have one mando on consignment with him (not the one you are mentioning, so NFI), I sold another through him that way, he has done setup work for me (on a guitar), and I've spent many happy hours discussing mandos with him. He is professional, honest, and knowledgeable. He works out of his house (which I have visited, a very nice professional shop area) on reputation, which he deserves and works hard to keep intact. His prices are fair and what the market will pay -- he does not try to gouge anyone. He gets a lot of repeat customers (like me). I've seen him discussing purchases with prospective buyers at EWOB -- slow, patient, no high pressure, and very informative. Tell him your price range and he will point out the plusses and minuses of the various choices.

Carlier
Jun-11-2009, 1:16pm
the only store I can think of that has anything with piezo in it would be musikproduktiv in germany, a long drive for you, but well worth to take a day and visit the store,
you could give them a call maybe
but I d give mr boetzke a call too, not all the mandolines he is selling are on the website I think

my mandoline ( the kentucky km with pick up ) wasn t that expensive less than 500 euro s,
in the prices you are looking..there s stagg but Im not all that impressed by those ( tried one)
or maybe one of these musik produktiv seems to have some in store
http://www.musik-produktiv.de/epiphone-mm-30se-tl.aspx
http://www.musik-produktiv.de/epiphone-mm-30se-as.aspx

here s another link, but I don t know this store at all
http://www.mainmusic.nl/nl/search/search.html
and than there is feedback ofcourse which may be closer to you
but I found only one mandoline there
http://www.feedback.nl/?id=52&o=3&q=%27mandoline

Thanks. That's a good point that he may have more than advertised on the site. I'd really like to try the epiphone mandobird viii, but can't find it anywhere.

kristallyn
Jun-11-2009, 3:41pm
Just wanted to add my voice to those who know and respect Boetzkes. I currently have one mando on consignment with him (not the one you are mentioning, so NFI), I sold another through him that way, he has done setup work for me (on a guitar), and I've spent many happy hours discussing mandos with him. He is professional, honest, and knowledgeable. He works out of his house (which I have visited, a very nice professional shop area) on reputation, which he deserves and works hard to keep intact. His prices are fair and what the market will pay -- he does not try to gouge anyone. He gets a lot of repeat customers (like me). I've seen him discussing purchases with prospective buyers at EWOB -- slow, patient, no high pressure, and very informative. Tell him your price range and he will point out the plusses and minuses of the various choices.

I second all of that