The travel guitar making course has been set back to the 12th August 2008. This gives people a little more time to gather their pocket money and convince the other half of their intentions! There are a few places left so get convincing!
Details are on the courses page.

Labels: Updates

Build your own Wildwood travel guitar! The first instrument making course begins on 15th July 2008, where you will be guided through all the steps on constructing your own travel guitar. Be quick to book as places are strictly limited. See here for more details.

Labels: Updates

What an amazing night the launch was! The performers were fantastic, taking on the challenge of playing the whole evening on only Wildwood instruments. With jaw dropping performances by Dan Dinnen, Wendy Ealey with Unsung, Peter Miller Robinson, Judy Small, Mark Pengilly, Michelle Chandler, Christina Green and Jane Coker, and a spell binding set by the fresh new talent of Madeline Hudson.

Peter Miller Robinson jumped up again to play an encore, into the wee hours of the morning. I believe a great night was had by all! The excellent finger food was a highlight, and the little cup cakes with the Wildwood logo went down a treat too! Thanks to everybody who attended.

Photos and possibly some video footage of the launch will be posted soon.

The shop will now be open Fridays and Saturdays 10am to 5pm.(including ANZAC day, Friday 25th) Please feel free to come down and have a browse and say hello. Hope to see you soon.

Labels: Updates

The phenomonal amount of performers performing at the launch now includes: Judy Small, David Arden, Dan Dinnen, Peter Miller Robinson, Kate Eve, Maria Forde, Michelle Chandler, Mark Pengilly, Wendy Ealey, Christina Green, Madeline, and possibly some extra, extra special guest appearences(if that wasn't special enough!). They will all be playing on Wildwood instruments, so it will definately be a night not to miss. For further details see last post.

Labels: Updates

With the Launch just around the corner, the Opening Party is set to be a Blast! We have secured some amazing acts, including Judy Small, David Arden, Dan Dinnen, and many many more, to perform on the night. They will be playing on Wildwood instruments, so it is indeed going to be a magical evening!
Everyone is welcome to attend. It is a free concert, with snacks and drinks to keep you happy. We won't be offended if you wish to "bring your own", as I am sure the party will go on till the wee hours!
Please mark in your diaries Friday the 18th April, with a big red circle around 7pm.
Corner of Albert and Leslie St. Brunswick, right next to the Brunswick train station (Upfield Line) or just off Sydney Rd tram line. There should be plenty of street parking too. I really hope to see you all on the night. Oh and there may be a door prize too!

Labels: Updates

We will be at the Sydney Street Road Street Party on Sunday 24th Feb. between 12 noon and 7pm. You can find us between Phoenix and Albert St.

A launch date has been set for the shop opening. Circle the 18th of April on your calendars and keep it free because your invited to the official opening party! More info to come, closer to the date.

Deluxe Mandolins are now back in stock. Order at will!

Up coming festivals include:
Port Fairy Folk Festival 7th - 10th March
Yackandandah Folk Festival 15th - 16th March
National Folk Festival 21st - 24th March

See you somewhere soon!

Labels: Festivals, Updates

We are heading up to Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland this weekend. It runs from Boxing day to New Years Day. A super festival from what we have heard, as this is our maiden voyage to those parts. I have been flat out for the last few months building a bucket load (a very big bucket that is!) of instruments in antisipation for this, the largest folk festival in Australia.
Wildwood Instruments will be 'out of the office' until 10th of January. We would like to wish you all a safe and Merry Xmas and and a Joyous and Elated New Year! (Happy was so last year)

See you in 2008!

Labels: Festivals, Updates

For those of you who may have missed it, here is the Wildwood Instruments Newsletter. It was sent out to the mailing list, so if you didn't receive it why not sign up and next time get it delivered to your inbox.


WILDWOOD INSTRUMENTS NEWSLETTER

Hello and welcome to another instalment of the life and times of Wildwood!

As you probably know by now, Wildwood Instruments has moved to Melbourne, found a great factory in Brunswick, and has been setting up the very first Wildwood Instruments shop there. It has been a busy year with all the relocating, giving me little chance to make any instruments. So, unfortunately, I will be putting off the opening of the shop until after the festival season. With many instruments to be made and many festivals to attend, there is not enough time to complete and run the shop as well. You can still order instruments online and have them posted to you or you can collect them from the factory. I will also be attending a whole bunch of music festivals across Australia over the summer months (soon to be posted on the website) where you can come try, and buy the whole Wildwood range. Maldon Folk Festival is the first on the list, with the Wildwood stall putting in an appearance on Saturday the 3rd of November.

A set of Deluxe Mandolins has just been finished. Those of you, who have been patiently waiting, thank you for your patience. Stock is now available if you wish to place an order.

Large Xylophones and large shakers are also in stock again. Hooray!!

A new model of fiddle is about to be launched. Three prototypes have been designed and are nearing completion. They will then be subject to some scrutinising by the fiddle aficionados which will lead to the new Wildwood fiddle being reborn. Pictures of the new models will be posted on the website shortly.

The instrument making classes have been postponed. These will begin next year about the same time as the shop opening, if all goes well. I will let you all know when I will start to take bookings.

So much to do, so little time.. Oh well, we will get there in the end.

Hope to see you soon, at a festival or somewhere!!



Cheers

Nick Carpenter
Wildwood Instruments
www.wildwoodinstruments.com.au

Labels: Updates

The brand new Wildwood shop is slowly coming together in Brunswick, Victoria. Hopefully it will be ready by the end of September. With so much to do for a lone instrument maker (ie. removing walls, hanging beams, plastering, carpeting, laying flooring, building shop fittings and counters, painting, etc), it's no suprise I haven't made a single instrument this year. Well, I have started some deluxe mandolins and a new improved version of the fiddle (details coming soon!), but the new spray booth is yet to go in, so.... first things first!

Unfortunately, Wildwood Instruments will not be running instrument-making classes as previously planned, but have been put on hold until next year. Due to the enormous effort of setting up the shop, and the fact that the festival season is nearly here, I do not have the time to start the classes now. But never fear, as next year will be here before you know it! I will keep you up-to-date with when I will start to take bookings in the new year.

Labels: Updates

Our "Seeking Expressions of Interest" survey has ended. Thank you to all those people who contributed, your feedback will help us determine what classes to run, when and for how long to run them, among other things. If you would still like to add any comments or suggestions please feel free to e-mail us. All suggestions are welcome.

It will still be a while before we are ready to open. The course times and prices will be posted closer to the launch date. Until then, we leave you to ponder the many wonderful things that you will soon be able to build!

Labels: Updates

We have a new website! Jeff has redesigned the website to make it more user friendly, with drop down menus from the main categories, a new section of what services Wildwood Instruments can offer, feature enhanced roll over buttons and pictures, slide shows and a site map, so you can easily find everything. Some info on certian pages is still to come. However, please enjoy the new site, for your surfing pleasure!

Labels: Updates

Wildwood Instruments is now no longer based in Western Australia. We have packed up and will be leaving Perth at the end of the week. We are moving to Melbourne but the business will have no fixed address for some time while we find a suitable premises and set it up for operation. While we may not have a home, you will certainly still be able to find us at one of the many festivals we are planning on attending over the next few months. These include;
-Australian Blues Festival (Goulburn NSW) 8-11th Feb
-Bruthen Blues Festival (Vic) 16-18th Feb
-Cobargo Festival (NSW) 23-25th Feb
-Brunswick Festival Street Party (Vic) 4th Mar
-Port Fairy Folk Festival (Vic) 9-12th Mar
-Blue Mountains Music Festival (NSW) 16-18th Mar
-Basin Music Festival (Vic) 23-25th Mar
-National Folk Festival (Canberra ACT) 5-9th Apr
-Apollo Bay Festival (Vic) 20-22nd April
-Mt Beauty Music Muster (Vic) 27-29th Apr
-and more to be announced.
We hope to catch you at one (or more) of these festivals. If not, the website is still here at the same old address www.wildwoodinstruments.com.au
And we wish you will all come and visit us when we open our shop/workshop in Melbourne later in the year. We will keep you posted.
Remember to come back here regularly over the next few months as we tend to keep this page fairly well updated over the festival season.
Cheers

Labels: Updates

We have been so busy here at Wildwood Instruments that we haven't had time to update you with all the latest going on's! A whole swag of festivals have been lined up for the summer season. These include: Australian Blues Music Festival (Goulburn NSW), Bruthen Blues Festival (Bruthen, Vic), Corbargo Festival (NSW), Brunswick Festival (Vic), Port Fairy Festival (Vic), Blue Mountains Festival (NSW), National Folk Festival (ACT), Apollo Bay Festival (Vic) with more still to be confirmed.
We are just finishing off the massive stack of instruments ready for the festival season. Once complete the workshop will be packed up and shipped off to Melbourne at the end of January. Wildwood Instruments will have no fixed address for a number of months while we locate and set up a new factory somewhere in Melbourne. But don't worry! Online orders will still be taken during this time.
Have a Happy New Year and hope to catch you at one of the festivals soon!

Labels: Updates

Wildwood Instruments is moving to Melbourne. We are relocating to the eastern states in February to be closer to the myriad of festivals and greater music playing population this country has to offer! We will be able to attend festivals in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria all through out the year. You will be seeing a lot more of us on the east coast very soon with a whole bunch of music festivals already lined up.
Blues at Bridgetown was a great weekend, but unfortunately that would be Wildwood Instruments' last WA gig for a while. Don't worry, it doesn't matter where you (or we) are, you can always order online and we can post the instruments out to you, anywhere in Australia.

Labels: Updates

Things are busying up at the Wildwood factory. It's coming into festival season, so many instruments are presently being built (almost 70 stringed instruments are currently under construction!).

The York Jazz Weekend was a great starter for the season. The Blues at Bridgetown Festival is next on the agenda, from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th November, where you can find us in the street party on Saturday. Just look for the Wildwood Marquee Hope to see you there!

Labels: Updates

Another well known Australian Folk singer Judy Small has aquired a Wildwood Travel Guitar before embarking on her tour of the US. These guitars are living up to their name, traveling all over the globe!
Mandolins and Panpipes are back in stock, and very soon the Travel Guitars will be too. Suppliers....AAARRRrrrr!! Patiently waiting for a teeny weeny part to complete the batch. You can place an order now though as there are only a few that aren't already sold.

Labels: Updates

Here's another musician who's been giving our Travel Guitar lots of play across Australia: Stephen Pigram of The Pigram Brothers! He bought it when he visited our stall at the Blue Mountains Music Festival, and is seen playing it at the Fairbridge Festival in the photo above on the left. Our Travel Guitar is fast becoming a folk festival staple!

Labels: Updates

Chris While & Julie Matthews are two singer/songwriters from the UK who bought a Travel Guitar each during the Wildwood Tour 2006. The above photo is a testament of the "travelability" of the guitar, and it's made its way to the stage, too!

Labels: Updates

After almost a week of re-organising, we're back on the road again. It's a pity we had to miss the Port Fairy Folk Festival this weekend, but we're now headed for the Blue Mountains Music Festival happening next weekend. Check back soon for more updates on the road!

Labels: Updates

On Monday 6th March we were involved in a car accident. After the Nannup Music Festival, we were heading out of WA towards Port Fairy Festival when our van rolled. Jeff was driving when on a tight corner about 40km from Lake Grace (WA). He went into the gravel shoulder of the road, hitting a couple reflector posts, then over compensated and the van flipped, rolling 3 times we think. We are both ok, only a few scratches, bumps and bruises. Quite lucky really considering the van was a complete write off. Most of the instruments survived as they were very tightly packed into the van, though a number were thrown from the vehicle. The ambulance took us to Lake Grace hospital to clean us up and for observation. A friend from Bridgetown came and picked us up. We attempted to purchase a van in Collie the next day, however that didn't pan out. My brother came down from Fremantle to collect us and our stock but he also flipped his Landcruiser on the way down. He and his car were ok once kind passer-byers helped him get it back on it's wheels.

So we are back in Perth at the moment looking for another van. We have missed Port Fairy Festival but hopefully we can make the Blue Mountains Festival and the rest of our itinerary from there. We will keep you posted of whats happening on our 'crazy adventure' as we refered to it previously!

P.S. Yes that is a mandolin hanging off the wheel of the upturned vehicle!

Labels: Updates

We got into a car accident this afternoon. We're both fine, except for some bumps and bruises. Our van was so tightly packed, so we hope all is not lost. We plan to continue with our trip if we manage to find a new van.

Labels: Updates

Seasons Greetings! It's that time of the year when we buy lots of things for other people! Oh well, let's hope they buy lots of things for you, too! Why not send them a link to www.wildwoodinstruments.com.au just as a hint of what to get you this X'mas?

Wildwood Instruments will be travelling around Australia again next year. In March and April '06 we plan on attending six music festivals and several markets across the country (over 5,000 km apart). The trip looks like including Nannup, Port Fairy, Blue Mountains, Yackandandah, the National and Fairbridge festivals, and The Rocks Markets in Sydney, plus others still yet to be announced. So the next few months will be busy, busy, busy, getting all the instruments ready for the trip.

Thank you to all the people that bought instruments from us at the Blues at Bridgetown festival. It was a great festival and a successful weekend for Wildwood Instruments.

Labels: Updates

So much has been happening! As you can see the website has been upgraded to accept credit card payments through PayPal. Easy and secure online shopping for all your musical instrument needs!

We also now have credit card facilities avilable at our stall when we're at the music festivals, making it easier to purchase those lovely stringed instruments while still having enough moulla to enjoy the rest of the festival.

The Blues at Bridgetown festival is only weeks away and Wildwood Instruments will be there again this year. Come over and say hi at our stall located outside the supermarket on the main street on Saturday 12th November.

The new Deluxe mandolin is on sale now for only $325. Check out the details here.

A new version of the Bodhran is out now. It has a deeper shell, more fastening tacks for securing the drum head, and a single cross beam for ease while playing. It is available in a dark or light finish and goes for an incredible $140.

The beautiful Jarrah guitar stands are now even sturdier with a rear extension on the feet. This enables the instrument to sit safely, greatly reducing the risk of it going over backwards on the stand.

Oh yes, you can now order your instrument strings online and have them posted to you for only $1, anywhere in Australia. How cool is that! So easy you don't even need to leave home. Check out our Accessories page for details or Shop Online page for quick ordering.

Labels: Updates

The Deluxe Mandolin is the latest release from Wildwood's hub of creativity! Packed full of features and priced to fly out the door at only $325.

The mandolins, fiddles and travel guitars are now made with jarrah back and sides. This is a beautiful timber and is a better match with the overall appearance of the instruments. All headstocks have been modified as well. Now an angled headstock with a jarrah veneer will be standard issue. This increases string angle and eliminates potential buzzing problems.

The new Bodhrans are on their way, too. Lots of improvements to keep you banging away in style! More details and pics to follow soon.

A series of dulcimers are under construction at the moment, followed by a set of travel guitars, then some fiddles (Wildwood should then be restocked after being cleaned out over the festival season).

All of the stringed instruments will now have serial numbers. This provides better protection for you and your instrument if it was stolen or misplaced, and better records for warranty and insurance purposes.

Labels: Updates

Wildwood Instruments has been busy building a Jarrah kitchen of late. A work in progress pictured here on the right.

As the winter months set in, a bit of R&D (research and development) is planned. An all new, bigger and better Bodhran is on its way. A deeper shell with twice the number of pins and a single cross bar to enable easier hand movement whilst playing. Thanks to the feedback of customers over the past months, these improvements are on the way.

Another model of mandolin is on the drawing board, too. Improving on the original model, this one will have curved points on the upper bout (have to wait and see!), a WildDesign motif on the face, and a pick-up. Pics will be posted when the prototype is completed. Until then, back orders of mandolins are being built... they are on their way, I promise!

Labels: Updates

Goofing around in Melbourne yesterday.

Labels: Updates

Wildwood Instruments has just added another page to this website. The "After Sales Service" page gives you all the information on caring for, maintaining and playing your new Wildwood instrument. All you need to get you going and keep you making wonderful music! You will find a link at the bottom of the "Instruments" page.

Two weeks till Wildwood Instruments hits the road!

Labels: Updates

We are less than three weeks away from our road trip, and here's an update of the festivals we will be visiting over the seven week period:

1. Nannup Music Festival, Nannup, Western Australia. 4-6 March 2005, Western Australian Labour Day Long Weekend 2005.

2. Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy, Victoria. 11-14 March 2005.

3. Blue Mountains Music Festival of Folk, Roots and Blues, Katoomba, New South Wales. 18-20 March 2005.

4. National Folk Festival, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. 25-28 March 2005, Easter Long Weekend 2005.

5. The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival, Corryong, Victoria. 1-3 April 2005.

6. Fairbridge Festival, Pinjarra, Western Australia. 15-17 April 2005.

We hope to keep this page regularly updated throughout our trip to give you a glimpse of what we're up to.

Labels: Updates

Wildwood Instruments will be heading over east in 2005 to attend a series of this country's finest music festivals. Throughout March and April the Wildwood Instruments stall will be visiting six festivals between Perth and Sydney, including Nannup, Port Fairy, Blue Mountains, National, and Fairbridge Festivals (others still to be announced). That's nearly one every week! Until then, Wildwood Instruments will be busy building enough stock to see the 'festive' season through!

If you would like to get all the latest info and happenings, join the 'Wildwood Instruments' mailing list here.

Labels: Updates