Weber diamondback [Archive] - Mandolin Cafe Forum

one2pick

Feb-05-2008, 7:36pm

There is currently an ad for one of these. I've seen a couple listed as new by some dealers. Does anyone have any more knowledge or experience with it?

johnM

Feb-05-2008, 8:23pm

Where is it for sale, i've seen one at the mandolin store. If its the destressed I think they're pretty nice mandolins, I'm really thinking of a weber these days.

Kevin Briggs

Feb-05-2008, 8:57pm

Weber is hitting on all cylinders these days. They are building froma stockpile of 50-75 year old wood, and the mandolins are exceptional. My buddy just bought a standard Gallatin tonight and it was great. Yes, it had a mahogany back and an all wood Brekke bridge. It was loud, woofy, and deeeeep..

It's a great time to get a Weber!

red7flag

Feb-06-2008, 11:13am

Rick Banuelos

Feb-07-2008, 8:33am

Tony-

You have played one-- at least, I think I handed you one in Nashville at IBMA. Do you remember what you thought back then?

BTW: The diamondback is an exclusive model to the Mandolin Store in Wickenburg, AZ. Anyone can always feel free to PM me for further particulars. As Kevin can tell you, I am a fairly objective man, regardless of my position.

Kevin Briggs

Feb-07-2008, 4:53pm

I remember that Elite, Rick. It was dang impressive.

I concur that you do a good job of telling it straight. The only thing I don't get is when you wrote this:

"I am a fairly objective man, regardless of my position."

Maybe in independent films and in drama departments people need to restate innocuous phrases, but as an English major and teacher, I can say that you've accomplished being redundant. If you are objective, you obviously are so regardless of your position. So, you don't need to say, "I'm objective, [despite how I may feel about it]."

I know, I know... shut up, The Briggadier. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Kevin Briggs

Feb-07-2008, 5:03pm

Last night I was telling a friend about the Diamondback and we listened to MP3 on the site and just to have something to compare it with we also listened to a Collings MF that they had on the same site. #We both felt that the Collings sounded better. #Seeing that I have 2 Collings that might not be hard to figure, but my friend's only mando is a Weber. #I also know that online MP3s may not be the best way to compare 2 instruments.
Tony
Tony,

I know you know your mandolin tone, so please don't think I'm trying to usurp your impressions. You hear what you hear, you like what you like, and that's great.

My impression from the same clips is that the Weber has the GHS Bronze strings on them, and the Collings has J74s. I think the GHS Bronze strings are a darker, less complex string by nature, and that the J74s are brighter and more resonant. I prefer the nature of the Weber tone, and think it has much more body and presence to it than the Collings, whichis very sweet and nice in its own right.

When I got my Fern, it had GHS strings on it, and the tone was very thick and dark. I liked it initially, because the mandolin itself has spectacular tone, but after a day or two I started getting a little more picky and I knew the J74s would be a little slinkier and more what I want. Well, when I put them on, not only were they worlds easier to play, they also had that crisp, bright, barking, crunching chop that I have come to expect from Weber mandolins. It made a huge difference to my ear. So, I guess my point is those clips are flawed in that the GHS strings are not doing justice to the Diamondback.

Rick, I know it has nothing to do with me, other than I'm a big fan, but it'd be great if you could work out shipping new mandolins with J74s as opposed to the GHS bronze. That's just a comment form the peanut gallery. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Ken Olmstead

Feb-07-2008, 7:57pm

I agree with Kevin on the J74s. It is all very subjective but I consistantly like the J74s on my mandolins and I think they are a better "stock" string since most of us have a pretty good ear for what they sound like.

I listened to the sound sample of the 2 mandolins and my vote is the Weber. Obviuosly I am biased as well but when I was in Wintergrass I tried a bunch of Collings and I wanted to like them so much but after playing them for 15-20 minutes I grew tired of the sound. My F9 is a little that way but not as bad. The Weber I can't ever put down. It is hard to discribe the complexity of tone that I hear but it captures my attention for hours on end. Listen to Kevin's youtube clips and the sound is really great! (NO OFFENSE TO THE LEGIONS OF HAPPY COLLINGS OWNERS, GREAT MANDOS JUST NOT MY SOUND!!)

I will say that the "trim" on the Diamondback is not my bag but now we are really getting into subjectivity and personal preference. So far, I have yet to come across a mandolin that I like better than my Weber. The only one that has caused me to loose sleep was built by Fletcher Brock and had it not been the extra $$ in the way it might have done it but I am so pleased with my Weber!

I will say, the Weber is its own sound and is NOT a Gibson clone (I feel there are enough of those.) I guess that is why I have and hang onto the F9 because it absolutely nails the Gibson sound but the Weber Fern is by far my favorite mandolin. If I had to have one instrument it would be a Weber mandolin. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Decided to add a line here because to imply the Gibson (or similar sounding mandolin) was less versital was stupid on my part. Its all in the hands! I listen to Grisman, Marshall, Butch, the Tone Poets album and the Gibson is easily as versital as any other mandolin made.

red7flag

Feb-08-2008, 7:22am

The instrument that Rick showed me that I really liked at IBMA was a Vintage A oval hole. Again, to really compare and do a true AB would be in person. I had not considered the string issue and I appreciate all your comments on that. So to be fair, the two instruments should have the same strings. I just want to say that my comments were not a knock on Weber, but was just sharing an experience from one night on the net. I know that I would not consider buying an instrument from an MP3 over the internet.
Tony

Kevin Briggs

Feb-08-2008, 7:53am

The instrument that Rick showed me that I really liked at IBMA was a Vintage A oval hole. #Again, to really compare and do a true AB would be in person. #I had not considered the string issue and I appreciate all your comments on that. So to be fair, the two instruments should have the same strings. #I just want to say that my comments were not a knock on Weber, but was just sharing an experience from one night on the net. #I know that I would not consider buying an instrument from an MP3 over the internet.
Tony
Tony,

You're a man of honor, and every knowledgeable person on the Cafe knows it! You are a positive force, and will continue to be.

Rick Banuelos

Feb-08-2008, 8:06am

#I know that I would not consider buying an instrument from an MP3 over the internet.
Me neither-- I don't trust my computer speakers enough. The really neat thing about sound clips, however, is that we do get a very decent portrait of an instrument's voice before we go play it, or call a dealer to talk about it.

Timbofood

Feb-08-2008, 9:39am

I agree, I don't know how much instrument buying I would do solely over the impression of an MP3, phone, tape, or much of anything unless I also had the option of having it in hand before the trigger is pulled. #I think most reputable sellers would honor that sentiment as well. #If you got it and there was just no joy in Mudville, then ship it back. #I must admit, with few exceptions, the Webers I have heard and played have been dandy.
Side note, I like GHS strings, I have used them with a few exceptions from time to time for almost 35 years. #I got to know the people at GHS when I worked at a store here in Kalamazoo and even did a photo for one of their ads. #I know, ...So..? I will go do something constructive.