"I worked with Jeff Menzies earlier this year (2008) and ended up with an
instrument I am quite pleased with. We had great communication all along,
and it was really fun. All I requested was the scale length to be 25.5", and
let him do the rest. One of the high points of the instrument is the fit of
the pegs...it is nearly total perfection. They never bind up, or get too
loose. You can easily adjust very small increments under all conditons. How
cool! The angle of the strings coming out of the nut slots to the pegs is
great. The angle of the headstock, the set of the neck to the rim, and the
length of the tailpiece creates perfect tension. The well cut (and I mean
VERY well cut) bridge almost never shifts or moves. The skin was mounted
nicely. The instrument has a nice boom to it, but is still pretty crisp. The
original tailpiece was not quite right, and he quickly made a beautiful bone
tailpiece of sufficient length to correct the problem. (This was one of the
benefits I spoke of earlier, where the maker is right there with you. ) The
curves and angles of the instrument kind of grew on me. I was mostly after
function....
The pot is a multi-ply maple rim. I string mine with pretty light tension
gut strings."
