Sound to earth ste mandolins

**norseman** · Nov-21-2007, 11:20am

I'm looking for info about these mandolins. I've seen them for sale on The Mandolin Store and Elderly. They look very similar to the Weber Hyalite. I'm curious why there's no mention of the STE model on the Weber site? If anyone owns one of these, what's your impression of them?

Thanks,
Bob

**Kevin Briggs** · Nov-21-2007, 11:23am

My understanding is STE (Weber) tried out this line for a while and then decided not to keep making it. Now, there are a few of them floating around various places. The price at the mandolin store is great, especially that one for $750 or whatever. Think about it, you can get a nice Weber model that is a carved top with f holes for $750, the same price you can pay for a pac-rim that probbaly isn't quite as nice.

**junctionbill** · Nov-21-2007, 12:03pm

I bought a Sound to Earth Mandola, signed by Bruce Weber, from Canyon Music in Durango in 1999. It has a beautiful woody tone that just keeps getting better. A friend liked mine so much he bought the same model, but a humidifier accident caused the back to separate. Repair resulted in a laquer finish and a very different tone - still very nice. My model is a Gallatin, and I played the matching mandolin as well - same woody tone, great for Celtic, Blues,or Old Time, but not the Bluegrass tone so many look for. That price sounds like a steal to me.

**jefflester** · Nov-21-2007, 5:04pm

Originally Posted by (junctionbill @ Nov. 21 2007, 10:03)

I bought a Sound to Earth Mandola, signed by Bruce Weber, from Canyon Music in Durango in 1999.

Different beast. These "STE" models were a recent foray into the lower price market that didn't work out.

**junctionbill** · Nov-21-2007, 5:23pm

Thanks Jeff for enlightening me, that would explain the $750 price level. I guess I have never been attracted to anything that didn't end up costing me a lot.

**Andrew Faltesek** · Nov-21-2007, 5:36pm

Sound to Earth is the Weber coporate name. STE series mandolins were produced at the Weber facility, but have headstock decals of STE in script and crossed f-holes with a flame on top(looks like a figure with its arms reaching up), but no Weber identifiers other than the inside label. Various A and F prototypes and some final production models were produced, but the series was discontinued. The final production units were buckskin colored with black top binding; no customization was planned on. There is another thread I started on them. Nice mandolins for the money. Mine is well made and sounds great.

**shadco** · Nov-21-2007, 5:57pm

I snagged one of the STE1 A models and it will be here next week.

I have spent a fair amount of time wondering what to get for my 1st mando.

Hope I did the right thing but it looks quite a bit better than say the Breedlove for about the same price. The Mondo Store's post thanksgiving sale ended up being quite a deal.