I am Cas Davey, luthier at Davey Mandolins, and I’ve been making instruments to my own designs for 19 years. My interest in music stems from being brought up in the trad music and dance scene in Cornwall, and travelling to festivals far and wide with my father’s ceilidh band from a young age.
After some time, it was inevitable that I would finally learn to play an instrument. I got stuck into playing the guitar for a couple of years, before progressing onto the mandolin, becoming the third generation in the family to play.
I gained a keen interest in repairs and setups through working for a local music shop for 7 years in Cornwall. For me, the shop floor experience was invaluable in finding out what people want out of an instrument. After a few early attempts at making my own instruments, I bit the bullet and travelled to Michigan, America to learn my trade properly.
I have since refined my own designs to best reflect what I, and others, like to see and hear in an instrument.
I am a firm believer that instruments should be loved and played, not kept in a glass cabinet for fear of being dinged.