News

Annie and I finally managed to get over to see Daoirí Farrell play in Tenbury Wells back in April. We missed him last year — there was torrential rain, the River Teme flooded, the gig was cancelled. The two concerts before that, Covid got in the...

After a long 35 years, I've finally got round to starting and finishing my own bouzouki! This instrument has been a long time in the planning – just never got round to doing it though, as the old saying goes, “The cobbler’s kids are the poorest...

Mike McNelly must like the instruments I build – he’s recently taken delivery of his third, a Mandolin. Mike hails from California and first got in touch back in June 2013 to enquire about a large body bouzouki. This instrument was delivered mid...

Seánie got in touch at the beginning of last year with a few ideas about a new instrument. I’ve worked with Seánie many times over the years, most recently a couple of years ago servicing an old Tobin SBB that he managed to re-acquire. For one...

A few years ago I built a prototype SBB which included a number of new construction methods. This instrument became the forerunner of the Black Edition range of instruments which ultimately became the basis for the specification of the instruments...

I’m currently building an instrument for John Ryan in Dublin. John is a real gent and a great player and has had a number of my instruments over the years. About a year ago he bought the prototype Black Edition SBB I built as part of a development...

Now that we all seem to be over the worst of the pandemic, and things are starting to get back to normal, Benji Kirkpatrick came over to the workshop for a socially distanced visit and to bring his electric bouzouki over for a few tweaks. This...

I finished and strung up Manus’s new custom bouzouki a couple of weeks ago now. Well, I’m very happy with how it’s sounding, clear and punchy with a lovely clarity in the top end and a fullness and warmth in the mids and bass. This bouzouki was...

Manus got in touch a while ago to ask me to build him a new buzouki. The LBB I built for him over 20 years ago has had a very hard life after years of touring with Capercaillie and too many arguments with airport baggage handlers around the world....

I think it’s fair to say that Seánie has had many bouzoukis over the years and all of them really nice instruments from top makers. It’s also not wrong to say that Seánie has quite a rapid turnover of said bouzoukis! As was the case with an SBB he...