Sierra Hull's Webson (or Gibber?)

[man dough nollij]

I just got Sierra Hull's Secrets album. I had to order it, as I've never seen it in a music store.

Her playing is unreal, and the tone of her mandolin is among the best I've ever heard. While the playing on the album is the best of the best (with Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, et al), the song selection is a little too AKUS for me. Okay, but a little too "sweet country ballad" for my tastes.

I was under the impression that she was a Weber player, but in the two pictures of her on the album, she's holding what appears to be a Gibson DMM, or possibly a vintage F5.

Anybody know for sure what she was playing on that album? I want to be able to play like her when I grow up. I'm only 30 years older than her, and about 1/1000th as good...

[Rroyd]

It's an Adam Steffey model Gibson, which was a limited edition that is no longer being made.

[Chris Biorkman]

She plays a Weber now.

[San Rafael]

Looks like a Steffey to me, on the album the OP is talking about and enjoying the sound of. I looked it up on Amazon. Can't quite make out the brand on the peghead, but the fleur-de-lis (how do you spell that?), the fingerboard end, the small burst, and the signature truss rod cover all look like a Gibson Steffey.

[Tony Polecastro]

She currently is playing a distressed Fern.
As for the recording I know for a fact she used the Fern on a couple of tracks, as for the others I do not know which instruments were used.
Her tone on that album is without a doubt fantastic. I have to say most of the time a great player just has the touch to make anything sound good, but here we have a great example of not only a great player, but a great player playing some very fine instruments.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Sierra Hull is an utterly incredible player,no one can doubt that. Her tone from her Mandolins is just stunning to listen to, & her smooth,fluid style is one that i'm trying to emulate (ok, COPY !!) - i could do far worse.
The track on "Secrets" - 'Hullarious',is played on her Weber & again,her tone is awesome. The Weber Mandolins are capable of sounding as good as ANY - in the right hands of course.
Tony summed it up as well as anyone can. It really IS down to the player at the end of it & Sierra is one of those players who could play a cigar box & make it sound good - she just has 'the touch',which unfortunately,my 63 year old hands just can't match - YET ! - but i'm working on it.
As a finishing note,i'd love to hear her play my own Weber Fern,just to hear it at it's best.I'm sure it would sound incredible,
Saska :mandosmiley:

[viv]

amen there, saska--she probably COULD play a cigar box and make it sound good!!! i once heard someone say something similar about john cowan (or as i like to call him, The Vocally Magnificent One), in that he could sing the yellow pages and it'd be incredible.

[mandopete]

Don't know what mandolin she plays, but she's also a pretty fair flatpicker. I have always enjoyed this video:

[Eric Hanson]

OK, I now am putting down my mando. I will never play again. :disbelief::crying:
It is just amazing how good some of these kids are that are new to the scene. Just fabulous!:mandosmiley:
I look forward to seeing who is next and what they add to the playing of our beautiful instrument.

Eric

[Sean Greer]

Don't know what mandolin she plays, but she's also a pretty fair flatpicker.

Some people just intuitively understand music, and it helps when you're immersed in it from a young age. My co-worker is that type - amazing guitar picker and when I brought my mandolin in, he figured out the fretboard in a matter of minutes and was fingerpicking so damn fine melodies shortly thereafter. Argh! Oh well, I'll keep plugging away and loving every minute of it!

[Ivan Kelsall]

There's a YouTube clip where Sierra explains her musical upbringing. She's been immersed in Bluegrass music since she was a baby,not surprising then that her inate musical talent & ability just had to find a way out. Youngsters pick things up so much more quickly than even young adults,they seem to be like sponges & soak up everything.
Given that a particular youngster HAS musical ability,being surrounded by family members who play,has to be a huge boost. Maybe not ALL young players would hit the top spot like Sierra has,but it surely would help them along,
Saska

[mandopete]

I think the current term for that is "A perfect storm."

The convergence of talent, environment and time.

[mandolooter]

I apparently totally missed that storm! Hahaha

[SHORTY]

If madolooter missed the storm , I'm still in the fog. WOA IS ME.

[mandopete]

Yeah, there's a number of examples of this in the mandolin world...Chris Thile, Josh Pinkham and Sierra Hull certainly come to mind. One thing that stikes me about the appeal of the mandolin is that it's a failrly small instrument and might be better suited than say a guitar for child with smaller hands.

And this also makes me think of the value of the mandos for kids thing that Scott is sponsoring through the Cafe. Who knows, we may be sponsoring the next MandoWunderKid!

:)

[DryBones]

Then there are these 2 young whipper-snappers! Kids these days! :mandosmiley:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG_xzuu7M4

[viv]

Then there are these 2 young whipper-snappers! Kids these days! :mandosmiley:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG_xzuu7M4

yeah, dangedole younguns showin out.....bless their hearts!! thanks for postin it--made MY heart sing!