Brandoni Guitars (revisited) - New pics.....
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:23 am
Not so long ago I got it into my head that I wanted to have a 6-string neck built for my Vox Ultrasonic 12-string. I'd get a lot more use out of it as a 6-string but figured having one of each neck would be the ultimate luxury. I tossed a few ideas around & then someone on this forum (sorry, I forget who) suggested I should check out Brandoni Guitars in North London. I called them up &, sure enough, they had not one but two replacement 6-string necks!!
I popped in at the stupidest of times (an hour before I was due to travel up to Leeds for Christmas) & was absolutely gobsmacked by the place. I spent too long looking around & chatting with the guys there. In the end I left without the neck as there were a couple of issues I had to address - the neck heel was narrower than a 12 string (we'd debated this on the forum but didn't have a definite answer) and the NOS necks weren't drilled for machineheads. I was given a choice of 3 different types & felt I needed to take time out to think this through properly. Oh, I missed my train too.
So, 6 months on & after watching a Brian Jonestown Massacre gig online (they love their Vox's) I figured it was time to get this project started again. I gave them a call to make sure they still had the necks. After checking I was told that only one remained, the other was being used on a custom build. That was enough for me. I jumped on a train & bought the neck there & then.
As I had plenty of time to kill I had a nice long chat with the guys there. Roberto (Brandoni I assume) & his colleague Dino who was working on a neck as I arrived. Roberto showed me around the place & I got to see just how much stuff they had there. This place is an Aladdin's Cave of NOS stock & used parts!!!!
As I looked around the workshop I asked how he had come to own so much old stock. He told me that 20 years ago he bought what remained of the ailing EKO company in Italy. What stock they had left was his. I thought all the stuff he had acquired was in North London but it turns out there's another unit in Italy that has even more stuff than the Wembley workshop. Amazing!!
Dino told me that Roberto grew up in the same village as the EKO company. He clearly inherited a wealth of experience & knowledge from the locals, a lot of whom also built guitars independently. When EKO went into decline sadly so did they. I'm unsure of where Dino fits in to the story but he clearly knows his stuff too. Why oh why did I get my EKO Ranger fixed by that dickhead on Denmark Street?? When I told them about it Roberto disappeared for a while & came back with an identical guitar (bought from Wunjo apparently). When I pointed out how clean the bridge looked & how mine should've looked the same Dino said "I did that". Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!! They also told me that the guitar could be stripped & refinned without my losing the beautiful rosette. They have thousands of the rosettes in stock!! Ha!!!!
I asked rather sheepishly if I could take some photos, half expecting them to say no. I'd have fully understood as this place is a goldmine!! I was told it was fine & I could take as many as I like. So, here goes. All you aspiring luthiers might want to sit down, especially you Ben. I know you have a soft spot for Vox stuff like myself.....
The neck I bought. 100% new old stock. The head isn't discoloured, thats just a reflection....
These were being worked on as I arrived. Apparently they make a fair few Phantoms for mainly Japanese, French & US buyers.
The furthest Phantom with a black pickguard has the other 6-string neck I was told about.....
Roberto & Dino (on the right) in their main workspace. Bright & airy. They seem to have various machines strewn throughout the building....
...and the other side of the room. Plenty of custom builds there too....
Various necks they were working on for custom projects....
...and just a small amount of the parts they had at hand. We're probably talking less than 1% of their overall stock!!!
You can't see so well but both those pickguards are chrome. Notice the Brandoni logo on the right. Nice touch!!....
An adjoining room was a kind of showroom. I'm assuming these were custom builds too.....
More bodies. All vintage, all over 30-40 years old....
My favourite area. Neck, necks & more necks!! Its a bit dark but you get the idea. I couldn't get them all in shot!!!....
Did I mention necks?.....
More assorted bodies with necks....
And again....
And another tiny glimpse of their spare parts collection....
Every inch of space had stacks of boxes like this, all full of parts....
Astonishingly, they told me that a large amount of the old stock he acquired ended up in the bin. He just didn't have the space to store it!!
Roberto's going back to Italy in a week or so & he'll be bringing back (amongst other things no doubt) 6 period correct machineheads, a 12-string bridge cover (Ultrasonics did have them after all!!) & a metal nut. He actually gave me a blank bone nut but I'm gonna stick to the originally spec.
I can't mention enough how helpful these guys were. I'm sure they were busy but they took time out to tell me all I needed to know. Their expertise doesn't just stop at Vox & EKO. They have tonnes of other stock, including Fender, that is slowly going on their custom builds. I'm pretty sure, at least with regard to Vox & EKO, that they have every concievable part you could imagine, within reason.
There's a wealth of tradition, talent & knowledge in this place. Building guitars, by hand, from scratch to individual specification. Nothing comes from China (I was told this). What they buy that is pre-built is of the highest quality available. I can't praise these guys enough.
An amazing place. I'm not even a luthier but I felt like a kid in a candy shop. I'm looking forward to going back in a few weeks to see it all again!!
I popped in at the stupidest of times (an hour before I was due to travel up to Leeds for Christmas) & was absolutely gobsmacked by the place. I spent too long looking around & chatting with the guys there. In the end I left without the neck as there were a couple of issues I had to address - the neck heel was narrower than a 12 string (we'd debated this on the forum but didn't have a definite answer) and the NOS necks weren't drilled for machineheads. I was given a choice of 3 different types & felt I needed to take time out to think this through properly. Oh, I missed my train too.
So, 6 months on & after watching a Brian Jonestown Massacre gig online (they love their Vox's) I figured it was time to get this project started again. I gave them a call to make sure they still had the necks. After checking I was told that only one remained, the other was being used on a custom build. That was enough for me. I jumped on a train & bought the neck there & then.
As I had plenty of time to kill I had a nice long chat with the guys there. Roberto (Brandoni I assume) & his colleague Dino who was working on a neck as I arrived. Roberto showed me around the place & I got to see just how much stuff they had there. This place is an Aladdin's Cave of NOS stock & used parts!!!!
As I looked around the workshop I asked how he had come to own so much old stock. He told me that 20 years ago he bought what remained of the ailing EKO company in Italy. What stock they had left was his. I thought all the stuff he had acquired was in North London but it turns out there's another unit in Italy that has even more stuff than the Wembley workshop. Amazing!!
Dino told me that Roberto grew up in the same village as the EKO company. He clearly inherited a wealth of experience & knowledge from the locals, a lot of whom also built guitars independently. When EKO went into decline sadly so did they. I'm unsure of where Dino fits in to the story but he clearly knows his stuff too. Why oh why did I get my EKO Ranger fixed by that dickhead on Denmark Street?? When I told them about it Roberto disappeared for a while & came back with an identical guitar (bought from Wunjo apparently). When I pointed out how clean the bridge looked & how mine should've looked the same Dino said "I did that". Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!! They also told me that the guitar could be stripped & refinned without my losing the beautiful rosette. They have thousands of the rosettes in stock!! Ha!!!!
I asked rather sheepishly if I could take some photos, half expecting them to say no. I'd have fully understood as this place is a goldmine!! I was told it was fine & I could take as many as I like. So, here goes. All you aspiring luthiers might want to sit down, especially you Ben. I know you have a soft spot for Vox stuff like myself.....
The neck I bought. 100% new old stock. The head isn't discoloured, thats just a reflection....
These were being worked on as I arrived. Apparently they make a fair few Phantoms for mainly Japanese, French & US buyers.
The furthest Phantom with a black pickguard has the other 6-string neck I was told about.....
Roberto & Dino (on the right) in their main workspace. Bright & airy. They seem to have various machines strewn throughout the building....
...and the other side of the room. Plenty of custom builds there too....
Various necks they were working on for custom projects....
...and just a small amount of the parts they had at hand. We're probably talking less than 1% of their overall stock!!!
You can't see so well but both those pickguards are chrome. Notice the Brandoni logo on the right. Nice touch!!....
An adjoining room was a kind of showroom. I'm assuming these were custom builds too.....
More bodies. All vintage, all over 30-40 years old....
My favourite area. Neck, necks & more necks!! Its a bit dark but you get the idea. I couldn't get them all in shot!!!....
Did I mention necks?.....
More assorted bodies with necks....
And again....
And another tiny glimpse of their spare parts collection....
Every inch of space had stacks of boxes like this, all full of parts....
Astonishingly, they told me that a large amount of the old stock he acquired ended up in the bin. He just didn't have the space to store it!!
Roberto's going back to Italy in a week or so & he'll be bringing back (amongst other things no doubt) 6 period correct machineheads, a 12-string bridge cover (Ultrasonics did have them after all!!) & a metal nut. He actually gave me a blank bone nut but I'm gonna stick to the originally spec.
I can't mention enough how helpful these guys were. I'm sure they were busy but they took time out to tell me all I needed to know. Their expertise doesn't just stop at Vox & EKO. They have tonnes of other stock, including Fender, that is slowly going on their custom builds. I'm pretty sure, at least with regard to Vox & EKO, that they have every concievable part you could imagine, within reason.
There's a wealth of tradition, talent & knowledge in this place. Building guitars, by hand, from scratch to individual specification. Nothing comes from China (I was told this). What they buy that is pre-built is of the highest quality available. I can't praise these guys enough.
An amazing place. I'm not even a luthier but I felt like a kid in a candy shop. I'm looking forward to going back in a few weeks to see it all again!!
