Rhonda Vincent's Weber

**man dough nollij** · Nov-16-2008, 5:28pm

I caught Rhonda Vincent and the Rage at the Wickenburg Bluegrass Festival yesterday. I was blown away-- those guys are great.

They were fooling around and Rhonda, the guitar player (Darryl?), the fiddle player, and the bass player all entered the mandolin contest as "ringers".

All of them were awesome mandolin players-- it was surprising. When the guitar player did his mando bit, he drew some of the best tone I've ever heard from anybody. I'm pretty sure they were all using Rhonda's mandolin, but I couldn't tell for sure from where I was sitting.

Rhonda mostly played rhythm, so I couldn't get much of a taste of her mando's tone, until the guitar player whooped it.

That is in the top three of any mandolins I have ever heard. My favorite so far has been Sharon Gilchrist's Gil, which I believe is a red mahogony-backed x-braced F5. Rhonda's (or whatever Darryl was playing) has a similar sound. Bright, but in a good way. Tons of "pop" on the high strings, which is unusual.

Anybody out there know about Rhonda's instrument? I think I heard somewhere that she plays a Weber Fern. X-braced? Top wood? I want one.

(BTW, I was just at the Weber factory a couple of days ago, dropping off my custom Gallatin to have a finish ding fixed. Bruce, Tony and John played my Gal and all three remarked that it was an exceptionally good sounding mandolin. I've always thought it was okay, but I'd never heard anyone else play it. It's a hoss in the right hands.)

**Gerry Cassidy** · Nov-16-2008, 6:25pm

Did you see Dennis (TMS Owner) playing it with her onstage? He sent me photos. It was Saturday night at the Del Webb Center.

**JEStanek** · Nov-16-2008, 6:43pm

I thought there was a Weber Distressed mandolin that was given away as a promo for her latest album (saw it but they didn't play it at the show in Sellersville last year). IRRC that one was given away. Normally, or in the past, she plays a Smith Creek. However, she may be playing a Weber mandolin now.

From her homepage and photos page it looks like a Weber tail piece on the home page (at the moment) and a mix of Weber distressed and Smith Creek on the photos page.

She and the rage are quite enthusiastic entertainers. I enjoyed their show. IIRC from other threads she doesn't play much lead mandolin b/c of hand / wrist injuries. She's still a good picker and quite the band leader.

Jamie

**man dough nollij** · Nov-16-2008, 6:57pm

Originally Posted by arcopizz

Did you see Dennis (TMS Owner) playing it with her onstage? He sent me photos. It was Saturday night at the Del Webb Center.

Actually, I just caught her short set at the BG festival. That was all BG and gospel. I suspected that the other concert would be all country stuff, which I'm not too crazy about.

**MikeEdgerton** · Nov-16-2008, 8:24pm

Actually the story About Dennis playing Rhonda's mandolin is a hoot. In his own words:

"I got to spend some time with Rhonda Vincent - she was in town for the festival and some evening concerts. I got to play her mando on stage with her.....................I was supposed to just pull raffle ticket for a guitar we were giving a way and she said "I want to play a song on this guitar - you own the mandolin store so you should be able to play this" FREAKED ME OUT! We visited after the Friday night concert and she wanted to get her picture taken with our 6' mando.........................wanted to get on the roof of the building."

Here are the pictures. Love the shot on the roof.

**Patrick Sylvest** · Nov-16-2008, 9:04pm

Darryl Webb, Rage guitarist, was the mandolinist for 'Wildfire'. Apparently, he's moving on from the Rage in January '09. He can be found at the Station Inn playing with the 'Mashville Brigade' on Tuesday jam nights sometimes. The Mashville Brigade has a cd out called 'Bluegrass Smash Hits'. I believe......all traditional and on which Darryl does a fair amount of lead singing. He's very talented.

**DryBones** · Nov-16-2008, 9:18pm

Seems Rhonda is losing a couple players. I heard on Sirius XM BLuegrass Junction that Big K is moving on as well.

**MikeEdgerton** · Nov-16-2008, 9:41pm

Originally Posted by DryBones

Seems Rhonda is losing a couple players. I heard on Sirius XM BLuegrass Junction that Big K is moving on as well.

Thus is the hardscrabble life of the professional musician.

**DryBones** · Nov-16-2008, 11:24pm

I was thinking it may be music choices making them decide to move on. Her last album sure seemed to be going more country and less bluegrass than her other recent albums. I know she has gone the country route before and came back to bluegrass but maybe fame has a way of changing things. Time will tell.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Nov-17-2008, 2:02am

From what i know,Rhonda currently uses her new Weber as her main instrument,but when a player of her standard has more than one top quality instrument,it's just a guess as to what she may be playing at any one time. If her Rhonda's Weber is similar to Sierra Hull's new Weber,then the tone should be stunning. I've listened to Sierra Hull's new CD LOTS,& the tone of the Weber on the instrumental 'Hullarious' is just incredible.There again, she could pull good tone from a tennis racket !!!,
Saska

**MikeEdgerton** · Nov-17-2008, 7:26am

Originally Posted by DryBones

I was thinking it may be music choices making them decide to move on....

I think we are probably looking at career and personal life choices more than musical choices.

**AlanN** · Nov-17-2008, 7:33am

Darryl Webb, Rage guitarist, was the mandolinist for 'Wildfire'. He's very talented.

That he is. I caught Wildfire when he was a member, with Barry Crabtree and Robert Hale. That band had some serious bark.

**earthsave** · Nov-17-2008, 10:48am

Originally Posted by Cayenne

Darryl Webb, Rage guitarist, was the mandolinist for 'Wildfire'. Apparently, he's moving on from the Rage in January '09. He can be found at the Station Inn playing with the 'Mashville Brigade' on Tuesday jam nights sometimes. The Mashville Brigade has a cd out called 'Bluegrass Smash Hits'. I believe......all traditional and on which Darryl does a fair amount of lead singing. He's very talented.

Thanks for the upated. Darrell is one of my favorite pickers. That boy can play anything and a excellent voice too.

**Mandobar** · Nov-17-2008, 11:03am

rhonda's fiddle player, last time i saw them, was her daughter's boyfriend. (she stated that he'd been dating her daughter 8 years).

**engr-tech** · Nov-17-2008, 1:16pm

My cousin, Jay Kaczor of Virginia fame, played a few times with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. He plays the banjo, guitar, a little on the resonator guitar, and he played the mandolin a little too. Next time I see him, I will have to ask him if he remembers what she was playing.

**loardreamer** · Nov-17-2008, 6:05pm

I have been to alot of rhonda's show's and i have never seen her playing the weber it's always another mandolin that i dont know who the maker is.But i know that she endorses weber but the shows that i have been to its always the other mando she is playing i have always wondered why?

**man dough nollij** · Nov-17-2008, 7:12pm

Originally Posted by JEStanek

Normally, or in the past, she plays a Smith Creek.

Confirmed by Dennis from the Mandolin store.

With at least four killer mandolin players in the band, it would be cool to see them do a mando quartet. Yep.

**MikeEdgerton** · Nov-17-2008, 7:33pm

It's been documented here several times that Rhonda has the Smith Creek. By the way, here are some more pictures of Rhonda at the Mandolin Store from her blog.

Rhonda's Blog

**mandopete** · Nov-18-2008, 9:18am

Originally Posted by Mandobar

rhonda's fiddle player, last time i saw them, was her daughter's boyfriend. (she stated that he'd been dating her daughter 8 years).

Hunter Berry.

**Scotti Adams** · Nov-19-2008, 11:42am

Originally Posted by Cayenne

Darryl Webb, Rage guitarist, was the mandolinist for 'Wildfire'. Apparently, he's moving on from the Rage in January '09. He can be found at the Station Inn playing with the 'Mashville Brigade' on Tuesday jam nights sometimes. The Mashville Brigade has a cd out called 'Bluegrass Smash Hits'. I believe......all traditional and on which Darryl does a fair amount of lead singing. He's very talented.

Darryl will be the new guitar player for Michael Cleveland and Flamekeepr beginning Dec.26.

**Rick Banuelos** · Nov-22-2008, 10:57pm

Rhonda has been playing a distressed Elite F that made its first public appearance at summer NAMM. The top was Adirondack, and the mando can be found here:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=38972

I know that she had been playing the Smith Creek at live shows, but I've seen many more pictures of this one since she got it.