C’mon, some other folks out there must have mandos.
Jim D., I wanna see that Bridger, don’t make me resort to peer pressure… 
Loren
Just now getting the rust off the strings of the Hyalite. My Iroid playing is rusty too, unfortunately, the wheels start to come off the second time through… I used a Clayton .80 where i usually use a Proplec 1.5, which is fatter but not so crisp for triplet-y things.
Anyway, this is the “poor man’s Bridger”, though i’m not sure all the tone and sustain come through, but hopefully it gives you some idea. Sure is fun to pick, in any case.
Gibsons, right to left: madolins - A , A2, A1 models; mandola - H1; octave mandolin - homemade.
wow, looks like a nice job on the OM. what is the scale length?
Nice, thanks for taking the time to share that. The Hyalite sounds good, what sort of set-up did you use to record it?
Loren
VERY nice, gotta love those A Ovals! All yours?
Loren
Nothing fancy, i just used the crappy mike built into the iBook, and recorded with Audacity. That and a cup of coffee to get me going.
I’d just pulled it out of the case after a couple of months… but later on in the day, after i’d recorded that clip and played it off and on for a while, the sound really started to come. Weber does build some nice mandolins.
Yeah, except the pumkin top A1 is on permanent loan (the owner died). I took the picture a few minutes ago when I saw your thread.
rh, the scale length on the OM is the same as my dads 1938 Gibson AJ guitar. I wish I’d made it shorter. You see the capo on it most of the time.
Here’s a mandocello I had for many years. I finally sold it a couple years ago. The neck is plenty wide and the sound is incredibly deep. I’m bound to get another someday…one in sheraton brown next time.
Okay, stop dude, you’re killing me. 
Loren
Okay, dude. And I was just getting ready to show you my Loar collection!
(just kidding!) 
Well, i decided to put the strap button on the Hyalite; it was not without some trepidation, but the outcome was fine. I have a nice leather Rigel strap that feels a lot better on my neck than the bootlace 
and i figured that the worst that could happen is i’d crack the heel – then i’d just have to send it to Weber and get it glued or the bolt-on neck swapped out. Happily, that didn’t happen and all’s well.
The Hyalite has pretty much become my #1 mandolin since i took it out of the closet the other day… also my least expensive, go figure. I’ll say it again, Weber makes some nice mandolins, IMO especially their oval (or D) hole models. I’ve played some of their F hole models that were good and some that were way too tight, but i’ve yet to play a bad Weber oval.
That’s good to hear. I’ve noticed some good prices on some Gallatin’s on the mandolincafe, and it makes me wonder . . . I noticed the comment on one ad was that it was not good for bluegrass, but great for celtic. Perhaps it was his setup?
As for me, I’m still waiting for my Mid-Mo M-1 to show up (in two day) and really hope it’s what I expect. For the price, I don’t think I can beat the deal. I already got my strap from Chief Bailey and it looks great, so I’ll be postin’ my picture [hopefully] in a couple of days.
Think I’ll have to come up with a new avatar too
Matt
I think maybe the reason was because the back on a standard Gallatin is mahogany rather than maple, which is the standard for BG mandolins. I had a Bitterroot with a mahogany back that had a lot of pop to the single notes and a good woofy chop, so i think it’s not such a big deal myself, but a lot of BG players won’t look at anything that doesn’t have a maple back.
Another reason might have been if the mandolin had an oval hole rather than F holes, that is a much bigger factor in voicing for the classic BG mandolin sound – oval holes usually have a more open sound, more low-end and don’t cut as well as F holes.
As an aside, i often wonder: when somebody says in an ad that a mandolin is “great for Celtic”, what do they mean? Jigs & reels? Clannad? Pogues?
My assumption is that is a general remark referring to anything that sounds like it came from the Emerald Isle . . . almost like saying, “I like to drink soda/pop” . . .??
Yeah, no kidding. I’ve come to really dislike that term, or more specifically it’s use. Typically when someone says “celtic” music these days, I cringe…
Loren
Glad the strap button worked out okay.
I appreciate your comments on the Oval hole Webers, and your Hyalite really does sound nice, but you are NOT helping my MAS 
I imagine you saw the floor model (new) Hyalite D going for $1000 on the cafe? And I still know where to get a custom oval hole Absaroka with radiused fingerboard (another floor model) for only $1250 If I had the chance to play one locally, I’d be VERY tempted to sell my Breedlove and try to scare up the difference for the Absaroka. However I still don’t know if the Weber neck will suit me, and I have read that they typically ARE a fair bit narrower than the Breedlove necks.
Loren
The $1000 Hyalite ain’t such a great deal, though it probably sounds nice. The stock Hyalite lists for $1500, and most dealers will take at least 10% off (used to be 20% but looks like Weber raised the MAP). The $1250 Absaroka is a much better deal, list is $2175 and the radius is something like a $125 upcharge.
Standard Weber neck widths are 1-1/8" where Breedloves are 1-3/16". The Breedlove IIRC also has a shallower, more tapered neck profile than the Weber, which has kind of a chunky neck with no taper. I’m used to Weber necks, having owned a couple and played a lot more. I have big hands, but all of the wider neck mandolins i’ve had i’ve sent back or sold off, except the Foley.
In terms of build level the stock Quartz is more akin to the Hyalite (no binding, no sunburst), though it has a maple back and radius FB standard. Really, the Quartz is a tremendous value, for a US-made mandolin.
One more thing, before you go selling off the Quartz: you might want to try a Rigel. The neck is 1-3/16" with more radius on the FB than the Breedlove, kind of straight/chunky like the Weber and feels really comfortable, excellent playability. You can find an A+ deluxe used for $1200-1400, though F holes are more plentiful than ovals. It also has a built-in piezo pickup. I owned one for a while, thought the neck was great but sold it because i wanted something more bluegrassy and the tone wasn’t what i was looking for. I still sometimes wish i had it around though, very nice mandolin.
Thanks. I do realize the Absaroka is a much better deal - it’s a steal really, for a new Absaroka (although it’s being sold by the dealer as “used”) - it would be definately be my preference, by far, over the Hyalite. It’s a shame there are no Weber dealers locally, so I could at least have a go at one - the closest dealer is halfway across the state. Hmph.
Re: Rigels, I dunno man… I’m not convinced they’d be for me, I’m more into the trad vibe and sound, rather than ultramodern, although I can definately appreciate what they’re doing.
Loren
Looks like it’s all moot now anyway, that Absaroka has been sold. 
Loren