Setup recommendations in Birmingham area please.

[ambient]

I’m picking up a really lovely looking DB from London on Tuesday. It will probably need new strings, whatever’s on it were on when the guy bought it ten years ago.
 

I’m going to have it setup too.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to where to take it please? I’m just outside Birmingham.

Thanks.

Edited May 30, 2021 by ambient

[zbd1960]

Possibly Tim Toft in Stone? http://www.timtoftviolins.com

[NickA]

  On 30/05/2021 at 14:13, zbd1960 said:

Possibly Tim Toft in Stone? http://www.timtoftviolins.com

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Plus 1 for that.  Though I heard their bass expert, Helen, had left.

Not too far to Leicester where you can find Tim Batchelar https://www.batchelar.com/

Or Derby where Bassbags also do repairs ( they did my dB end pin and put a new bridge on my cello .... Not sure who actually does the work though)

[ambient]

  On 30/05/2021 at 14:13, zbd1960 said:

Possibly Tim Toft in Stone? http://www.timtoftviolins.com

Expand  

 

  On 31/05/2021 at 19:06, NickA said:

Plus 1 for that.  Though I heard their bass expert, Helen, had left.

Not too far to Leicester where you can find Tim Batchelar https://www.batchelar.com/

Or Derby where Bassbags also do repairs ( they did my dB end pin and put a new bridge on my cello .... Not sure who actually does the work though)

Expand  

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. A friend recommended this guy. He has a small workshop not too far from me. 
 

https://www.ksblutherie.com

[NickA]

Not heard of KBS.  Looks a bit violin biased.  Basses are special ...need a bigger workbench for one.

Still, ask them, might be worth us all knowing about.

[ambient]

  On 31/05/2021 at 19:37, NickA said:

Not heard of KBS.  Looks a bit violin biased.  Basses are special ...need a bigger workbench for one.

Still, ask them, might be worth us all knowing about.

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He does them. Though he asks that you collect the instrument in a timely manner, to avoid him running out of room in his workshop.

[NickA]

  On 31/05/2021 at 19:52, ambient said:

room in his workshop.

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Not a problem for Bassbags who now own a vast converted mill building in little Eaton.  Acres of basses and bass bits.

[petebassist]

Bass Bags did a fantastic setup on my bass. Been rock solid for four years 😎

[Doddy]

  On 30/05/2021 at 14:13, zbd1960 said:

Possibly Tim Toft in Stone? http://www.timtoftviolins.com

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That's exactly who I was going to say. They really know their stuff.

[ambient]

  On 01/06/2021 at 21:05, NickA said:

Not a problem for Bassbags who now own a vast converted mill building in little Eaton.  Acres of basses and bass bits.

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I rented an instrument from them for a while. He was working out of a house at the time - that was a few years ago now though.

[TheG]

There’s also Thomas and George Martin in Oxford who were highly recommended by the David Gage shop in New York! I think they are good as well. Otherwise for my sins I take my bass to Laurence Dixon “the bass place” in London who is very knowledgeable and has worked on Christian McBrides bass amongst others. I am from Birmingham myself as well. 

[ambient]

  On 06/06/2021 at 18:25, TheG said:

There’s also Thomas and George Martin in Oxford who were highly recommended by the David Gage shop in New York! I think they are good as well. Otherwise for my sins I take my bass to Laurence Dixon “the bass place” in London who is very knowledgeable and has worked on Christian McBrides bass amongst others. I am from Birmingham myself as well. 

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Thank you.

[ambient]

Just a quick follow up on this post.

I took my bass in to Kevin last week, he did a fantastic job. He gave my DB a good look over, set it up: reshaped the bridge, changed the strings, oiled the tuners, reset the sound post which was slightly out of position, and gave it a good clean. All for £80, which is half the price anywhere else was asking, even for a basic setup.

He does all the repairs and setups for Birmingham Conservatoire, it was a friend who works there recommended him to me. He also builds the most beautiful looking instruments. 

He’s moving away from Birmingham down to Devon, the conservatoire is so pleased with his work they’re going to courier instruments to him.

https://www.ksblutherie.com