Tell me about the Weber Yellowstone mando!

[High Lonesome]

I'm a complete n00b when it come to playin' the mandolin, but I am determined to learn and I want to buy a good mando.

So from what I have been reading in my search for a good F style mando the Webers are very nice.

In the $2500 to $3500 price range what else should I be checking out?

And this mando will be for Blue Grass to Country.

BTW, I want to buy a new instrument because I'm just not sure what to look for when choosing a used one.

So I ask you all for a little of your insight, please! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

PS, I really like this forum # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[diamond ace]

hey there high lonsome.

I think you are headed in the right direction! The Webers are great instruments and Paula Jean and Bruce are great to work with. I have a custom yellowstone they built for me that is a realy great mandolin. I love it. If you buy a new one as you metioned you get a lifetime warenty with it which is nice but they are well made and I dought you would ever need it. Feel free to call the number on there web site and talk to them about the mandolins and they can even tell you where your closest dealers are and you can have just about anything done to customize it that you can imagine ( if you are so inclined).
Good luck and let us know what you do or find. But I dont think you can go wrong with a Weber!

[mandoJeremy]

I can attest to Gabriel's Yellowstone. It is the best Yellowstone I have ever played. I sold it to him at the store I worked at and it was the best sounding Weber I had ever got in at the store. I had a Fern in stock and Gabriel's Yellowstone blew it away!

[High Lonesome]

diamond ace & mandoJeremy, thanks for your input and I think I'm getting excited about ordering a custom Weber Yellowstone!!!

diamond ace, What options did you get on your mandolin?

Thanks for your help again.

[pickinNgrinnin]

If you decide to go with a new one, I'd order one with tone bar bracing, radiused fretboard, double cut away fretboard extension, perhaps a Red Spruce top, Quilted Maple back and sides. That should be enough to get you started http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

I would not overlook a used Yellowstone. Great value. I would not worry about not having a warranty. Bruce Weber and Co. have the best customer service in the market today IMO.

[Spruce]

I'm not all that familiar with the Weber models, but last weekend at the Darrington BG Festival I played the first Weber I've played that really did something for me...

I think it was a Yellowstone, but what I do know for sure is that it had a Western Red Cedar top, and had a nice woody tone right out of the box.

So,ooo you might do a bit of research before ordering and find out how Weber feels about their Cedar-topped mandos...
This one was sure a winner...

[mikeh]

I owned and played a yellowstone. 2001, not red spruce, radius , tone bars. Workmanship was impeccable,fit and finish second to none. played very easy, I can reccomend these quality instruments without hesitation, my only advice would be to eschew the tone bars and go with the modified xbracing. I played this instrument for 1 1/2 years and tried many setup,bridge and string combos, but it never opened up. Many hours of play but alas the deep woody chop never developed. It was very percussive and had a sweet and unique sort of tone but never got that "WOOF". It never did compare to some of the xbracers I played. The purists will say I was impatient with the tone bars, But I never noticed an appreciable difference compared to day one 1 1/2 years later, so I got a Gibson. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[pickinNgrinnin]

Yes, it can take up to 5 years for a tone bar braced mandolin to fully open. That's what I've read from a Charlie D. quote. The X braced offer the pop right out of the gate. However, over the years, tone bar braced mandolins will continue to improve. See here:

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page2168.htm

Some heavy hitters weighing in on this one.

Bottom line here - get what sounds best to you!

[Nick Triesch]

I have a Weber F type with tone bars and I really like it. Most folks who have played it really like it. But I think all mandolins are differant and you need to play one that just knocks your socks off. Also, I've seen some great deals here in the classifides. Nick

[Igor The Cat]

I would say you should get a Schnider! I played #30 and is was SOOOO! nice!!!

[DrewM]

I'm a complete n00b when it come to playin' the mandolin, but I am determined to learn and I want to buy a good mando.

So from what I have been reading in my search for a good F style mando the Webers are very nice.
Hi High...

I'm a noob as well...I played a borrowed Gibson F9 for a couple weeks and then tried many at a local store before figuring out what I wanted and decided on a Custom Yellowstone.

I ordered through Greg Boyd's shop, but not before several long conversations with both Greg and Paula Lewis (from Weber), two very patient people! #I settled on a Yellowstone, upgraded to koa, with radiused fingerboard, McIntyre pickup, and a custom color idea that should look pretty nice with the koa. # If the mando matches the customer service, it should be a beaut.

It should be delivered by mid-late September.

[mandoJeremy]

Hey Igor, he asked about a Weber and nothing more!

[jimbob]

I just bought a used Yellowstone w/ tone bars. It is great ! I think it is a 1998...I got it from a gentleman who had it listed in the classified section here. I am very impressed with this instrument. The workmanship is great. It plays very easily and has a wonderful sound.
I couldn't believe how much differnce there is between this instrument and the Washburn JB I have been playing for a while...

[High Lonesome]

If you decide to go with a new one, I'd order one with tone bar bracing, radiused fretboard, double cut away fretboard extension, perhaps a Red Spruce top, Quilted Maple back and sides. That should be enough to get you started #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

I would not overlook a used Yellowstone. Great value. I would not worry about not having a warranty. Bruce Weber and Co. have the best customer service in the market today IMO.
Thanks everyone for your input in my quest for my first mandolin #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

pickinNgrinnin, what do you mean by, double cut away fretboard extension?

And with the adirondack red spruce top about how long does it take for the spruce to open up?

Thanks again #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[pickinNgrinnin]

High Lonesome-

Check out the Weber site and look at the picture of the Fern. It has 2 cut aways on the fretboard extension. Contrast this with the fretboard extension on the Big Sky - single cut away. The double is more of a traditional look.

The Red Spruce top will take longer to play in than a Sitka Spruce top. Don't have a timeline here, just know that it will take longer. Maybe Spruce can weigh in on this one.

[David M.]

Hi, High: I got my custom Yellowstone from Keith Yoder up in Farley, Iowa. Drove up there from Muscatine with the intention of only playing it and checking it out (though I had the cash in my pocket) and after about 2 hours of hard pickin' w/Keith, ended up taking it home w/me. It's got tonebars and the Traditional Brekke bridge (not the orig. Brekke). The combination gives a good, bluegrassy sound and it's the only combination that Keith keeps now. He's a bluegrasser and feels this is the best combo for the Yellowstone. These mandolins are great. Great craftsmanship, great sound.

One thing that I really like about Weber is their creativity and product innovation. They've done so many new things to their product line such as new, patented bridges, tailpieces, construction, string nut, etc. Being a product designer, I find them to be leading in the innovation, yet still maintaining a traditional base.

Don't know about the type of spruce top, but I think it's Sitka. I recently had an F style w/a red spruce top and it never broke in at all.

This Weber has a great tone and I've only been playing it about 4 months. I'd say after a long time of playing it, it'll be super. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif