Brandoni

[tom1946]

Hi all,

does anybody know if Brandoni Guitars is still open? They sell vox teardrop and Eko guitars and I've used them before and I'm in need of their services again.

The number rings out but no-one answers, is anyone near their address:

Unit 3.6
Wembley Commercial Ctr
80 East Lane
Wembley
Middlesex, HA9 7XJ 

to have a look please?

Thanks, Tom.

Edited March 2, 2018 by tom1946

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I've not been there for several years & I'm in South London so I can't help with knocking on their door, but I imagine this weeks snowy weather might have something do with there being no one in on a Friday afternoon.

If you google 'brandoini guitars' & get their google business profile shown on results page, it appears that someone added a new five star rating within the last week – which suggests that the company is still active.

Maybe they'll respond if you send them an email?

Can you report back if you do get hold of anyone - I'll be needing some bits & bobs sometime in the near future, so it might be worth a visit in a few weeks.

[tom1946]

Thanks for that, I did google them and have been ringing since 9am, maybe they close early for the weekend, well they are Italian 

I emailed them this morning too, no reply. Strangely I can't find anywhere that gives opening hours either. The prices on the website haven't changed since 2006!

I'll report back when I find something out 

[TheGreek]

Getting a phone call answered has always been an issue...haven't been there for a while but they have an Aladdin's cave of great gear.....

Really need to stay away from there though...

[EdwardMarlowe]

Anyone know if Brandoni are still a going concern in 2025? I bought a second hand Brandoni P Bass for a song on eBay some time ago which is *beautiful*, and have toyed with the idea of getting a Strat type from them for years. Robert Brandoni died a few months ago and the website announced the business would be on pause for a bit, but there's been no change since for a long time. Did someone else take the business over and not take down the old website? Seemed too significant a going concern to just disappear. 

[pete.young]

Roberto died in March 2022, so it's more than a few months. I'm pretty sure it's now permanently closed, just waiting for the auction of bits on Gardner Houlgate.

[EdwardMarlowe]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

Roberto died in March 2022, so it's more than a few months. I'm pretty sure it's now permanently closed, just waiting for the auction of bits on Gardner Houlgate.

Jinkies, hadn't realised it was that long! Seems likely it's shut down now. I was wondering in the event that did happen whether someone would buy it over, or at least the stock. I suppose at getting on for the three year mark there's a strong chance it's already been dealt with by a quiet private sale to another builder. 

 

[Geek99]

Yes roberto has been dead a while. I was going to get one of their P neck and body sets and was discussing with his charming wife shortly before his passing. 

[Russ]

That's a shame. Brandoni was a goldmine if you liked new-old-stock stuff. They'd put together some interesting hybrid instruments too - I always remember a Tele-style bass they did with lipstick pickups, and the entire front of the instrument was covered in an abalone-style finish. The Eko acoustic basses they sold were interesting, and surprisingly loud.

 

Everybody used to use their gig bags back in the day too - they were hard to avoid! 

[chriswareham]

I have a Brandoni constructed Eko semi-acoustic bass guitar. Fantastic instrument, and I got the opportunity to tell Roberto how much l love it shortly before he passed away. In the early 1990s his instruments would occasionally appear in Macaris music shop in the London's West End, which is how I came by my one.

Edited Saturday at 12:12 by chriswareham

[pete.young]

I have an Eko electric mandolin which suffered a headstock break. I rang Roberto up to ask if he would sell me a replacement neck. Instead he gave me a bollocking for breaking it and told me to get it fixed.  His view was that if he sold me a neck, that was another mandolin that he wouldn't be able to make.  A great character and a sad loss to the musical world.

 

I did get the mandolin fixed by a local repair-setup guy, and it's holding up some 10 years later touch wood.