Commission an instrument.
The best way to begin is to speak. Telephone or write, and Richard will answer himself — usually the same day.
Most who write are after a Welsh harp or a crwth. But the bench also builds mandolins and Irish bouzoukis to commission, made in the same way and in the same timber — so if that is what you are after, write all the same.
Five quiet steps.
- 01
A conversation
Telephone or write. Tell Richard the instrument, the music you play, the timber you love. Nothing is decided and nothing is owed — this first talk is only to learn whether the bench is the right home for what you are after.
- 02
Design & quotation
A written quotation follows — the instrument's specification, the timbers to be used, the price, and an honest delivery window. Questions are welcome, and the design is settled together before anything is agreed.
- 03
Deposit & your place
A deposit confirms the design and secures your place in the order book. From here the timber is chosen and set aside, and your instrument takes its turn at the bench.
- 04
The build — six to twelve months
Slow, by hand, in Welsh wood. Most instruments take six to twelve months, longer if a rare timber must be sought or seasoned. You are welcome to follow it in the workshop journal — photographs and notes at each stage.
- 05
Delivery, setup & first tuning
Delivered in person where distance allows, set up in your own room, and tuned together. A short lesson in its care, and a note on the strings and the seasons, so the instrument settles well into its new home.
An honest word about the wait.
Everything here is made by one pair of hands, and only a few instruments can be in build at once. That means there is usually a waiting list, and it is often measured in months rather than weeks before a new commission can be started — before, that is, the six to twelve months of the build itself begins.
Richard would rather tell you this plainly than promise a date he cannot keep. When you write, he will tell you honestly where the order book stands and when your instrument could realistically be begun. If the wait suits you, a deposit holds your place; if it does not, there is no obligation, and you are welcome to write again when the time is better. Good instruments have always asked for patience. This is simply the patience asked of you first.
A considered enquiry.
If you would rather send your thoughts in writing, fill in the note below and Richard will reply himself.