Carved Top Octaves

[mmukav]

Anyone out there have experience with carved-top octave mandolins like the Webers? I know the look is non-traditional compared to flat-tops like the Trillium, Weber Sage, Stewarts etc.--Is the sound that much different? Are they very popular? Anyone like or dislike them?

[John Rosett]

i played a couple of paul lestock's "arrow" octaves at weiser, and liked them very much. for some reason, they're alot more comfortable to play than mandocellos. i think that the carved top on an octave gives a more "focused" sound than a flat top. greg boyd has some pictures of an arrow octave on his website.
john

[Steve L]

The past couple of sessions I've played , a fellow came by with a Sobell 5 course cittern. It just blows away any flat top I've ever heard including some very good ones. Very expensive, but worth every dime in my opinion. Ahhh, someday.

[Hoyt]

I've had both -- a Weber Sage and my current "carved top" Old Wave Octave.

I will say that the Old Wave is certainly more refined and it plays a little easier -- it's a 20.5" scale vs. the Weber's 23.5". While one might say the Old Wave “blows” the Sage away -- the Sage is an excellent instrument. If I had bought the Sage in a dark finish, I probably would have kept it. It's a great instrument for gigging and hauling around –it’s rather plain. Although the wood is top notch.

That said, I will definitely keep the Old Wave. It's nicer in a number of respects, but it's at least 60%-70% more than the Weber. And, I don’t feel quite as comfortable hauling it around.

The fact that a very expensive carved top "blows away" a flattop should not be interpreted to mean a flattop cannot a very nice instrument in the hands of someone who works at finding the right sounds. I do a lot of recording for myself and friends and I swear to this day that I hit the sweetest 3 notes of my life on that Weber. Not sure what they were or where they came from, but it happened.

Hoyt

[mmukav]

Hoyt--the sweetest 3 notes of your life and you don't remember what they were? Oh-no! Kidding aside, thanks for the info.

[Mandobar]

i've a sobell zouk and a weber sage. i've played a trillium (half the price of the sobell). i still like the sage for traveling about. and i cannot justify selling it and paying almost twice as much for the trillium.

the sobell, well, think of it as the mercedes of carved tops. i'd like to find an octave used here in the states.

[zeke]

I had a Lawrence Smart F bodied octave that was a total dream, absolutely the finest I have ever played. Just boomed with no conflicting tones. And that huge scroll made lesser instruments quiver!<g> I regret ever losing that instrument.....

Ben Winship uses his Smart octave on his cds as well as Matt Flinner (I've played his, it's a really fine octave). Although I havn't played one of Bill Bussman's (old wave), knowing his work, I would venture to say they're prolly very nice as well.

[Joe Mendel]

I have a Sawchyn AO2-C, Basically a blown up to octave size A-5 style mandolin. It's an amazing sounding instrument, big sound & great tone. It does have a more focused sound than the flat-top OM's I've had, and is LOUD, too. # # There's a picture of it on Peter's website http://www.sawchyn.com/, it's the top row of picture on the custom page. It sound as good as it looks.

[mmukav]

Thanks for all the great info guys. Sounds like there's many fine octaves out there! So many instruments, so little time. (and $)!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif