Mandolin Shops in Williamsburg, VA area

[AndrewMTO]

My wife and I will be visiting Williamsburg for a week from March 14 to March 20. Can you tell me any good mandolin shops in the area?

We go to Williamsburg about this time of year 2 years out of 3.

Thank you,

Andrew.

[Manfred Hacker]

which direction are you coming from?

[AndrewMTO]

North, specifically Toronto in Canada. Thankyou.

[btrott]

Hi, Andrew. Sadly, there is not much in the area as far as mandolin shops go. Charles Johnson up in Richmond (about an hour west and north) has some nice instruments. You can check him out at www.vintagemandolin.com/.

Barry

[pheffernan]

There's Picker's Supply in Fredericksburg to the north: http://pickerssupply.com.

[AndrewMTO]

Thank you. Our route takes down I95 to I295 around Richmond to I64. I can keep it in mind as it does not seem far from our route.

[AndrewMTO]

Thank you. Our route takes us down I95 after passing the Capital region bypassing Fredricksburg. I can possibly check it out going down or coming home.

[JSanta]

Picker's Supply is a great shop, and it's in the historic part of downtown Fredericksburg, so it's a great place to take a break for lunch and of course check out a nice shop!

[rgray]

Pickers Supply is only about 5-10 minutes off I95 via Exit 133/Rt 17 exit. If you like Williamsburg, you might like Old Town Fredericksburg, which is the area of Fredericksburg where Pickers Supply is located. It is a 40-block National Historic District, filled with more than 350 original 18th and early 19th century buildings. And considering the time of year you are visiting, there are three good Irish pubs within walking distance of Pickers Supply - J. Brian's Tap Room, Colonial Tavern and The Blarney Stone (my fav). Then consider taking Route 17 out of Fredericksburg down to Williamsburg. Scenic drive through Middle Peninsula VA and you can hook up with the Colonial Parkway into Williamsburg.

[fatt-dad]

I'd think you out of luck in W'burg. Picker's supply in F'burg comes to mind for sure. Guitar Works in Richmond is our local mom$pop. (Actually, I just know of the "pop" working there.) H&D, Taylor, and store re-branded instruments from Asia i their typical fare.

Back when I had a larger collection, I'da invited you to visit, but alas, all I got is a '25 black-snake for sale, and this isn't the thread for that. In Virginia Beach, there's also Alpha music. I went there 10 years ago and they had a great wall of instruments!

f-d

[Manfred Hacker]

When you bypass Washington D.C. on I 95, you might as well make a detour to Leesburg, VA on the western outskirts of D.C.
Melodee Music usually has a good selection of Webers, Eastmans, Breedloves, and some of the less expensive brands. There is a second location in nearby Sterling, but Leesburg has the better mandolin inventory.
I have not been to Picker's Supply in F'burg in a while. You can check their inventory online though.

[Mike Arakelian]

If you take the beltway (I-495) around Washington to the west side of the city, you will see signs for Takoma Park, MD. Located there is a place called The House Of Musical Traditions. They typically carry both new and consignment instruments as well as some of the most unusual stringed instruments from around the world that I've ever seen. Their address is 7010 Westmoreland Avenue, Takoma Park. I don't know the exit number, but if you put that address into a GPS, it will get you there. The shop is only 10 minutes or so from the beltway. You can check them out at www.hmtrad.com. Good luck and have a great trip.

[rgray]

I would give a whole-hearted recommendation for Melodee Music, especially the Leesburg location. HMT is good too. Appalachian Bluegrass in Catonsville, MD might be worth the stop. With such a selection, you might never get to Williamsburg.

[allenhopkins]

If you're coming down I-95, House of Musical Traditions is about seven miles from Exit 30B of the I-495 Beltway around Washington. Carry Eastman, Breedlove et. al, show several interesting used instruments as well.