A Weber dream materialises

[Rod_Neep]

I'll take a close up photo of that tailpiece when it arrives.

The whole idea behind having this was to create a themed colour scheme throughout.

Ooohh! ... it just moved again, and is making good progress....

[Rod_Neep]

Moving on well, doing a tour of the Eastern US:

Location Date Local Time Description
NEWARK,
NJ, US 26/03/2009 21:30 ARRIVAL SCAN
LOUISVILLE,
KY, US 26/03/2009 19:29 DEPARTURE SCAN

I know from my Weber Bridger delivery in January that it is following the same timetable, which means that it will fly out of Newark at 08.50 tomorrow morning (Friday), and appear on the tracking in the UK at around 8.30pm UK time. Saturday it will hang around in Customs, and then be delivered on Monday, (perhaps Tuesday).

OK, OK.... I am getting excited.

In the meantime I have been watching some Bill Monroe on YouTube for inspiration

How about this for an introduction to a tune.... two bars and then he steps aside.... leaving me laughing out loud in disbelief and uttering something that sounds like "Fwooork".



Rod

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'll be there directly Rod !!. ( Now,learning how to play a Mandolin while drinking beer - that's a whole new ball game),
Saska

[viv]

sooooo pretty! looking forward to your report..........btw, i love your word........"fwoork". fabulous....

[Rod_Neep]

Well.... the tracking listed everything in great detail whilst it sped through the USA, and the mandolin arrived in the UK last Friday, since which it hasn't moved and the tracking hasn't been updated.

I phoned UPS.... it won't be here today. Maybe tomorrow.

[trevor]

That's normal for UPS

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hey Rod - Just be glad that it wasn't sent by Fed-Ex - they have to be the world's worst,at least in this country. I've had 2 expensive shipments held by them,without them notifying me of an 'attempted' delivery.In the first instance,it was only when FQMS in Louisville sent me the tracking no.,that i knew that nearly £250 ($365) worth of my goods was in the country.That was 4 days before they would ship it back & try to charge me for it.If they had tried to deliver it,then unlike UPS & Royal Mail "Parcelforce",they didn't notify me. Anyway i hope that your new Mandolin arrives safe & well - then it's piccies please !,
Enjoy - Saska

[Rod_Neep]

Saska.... I am pleased that it isn't coming by Royal Mail Parcelfarce (intentional mis-spelling). Their tracking always shows as "Attempted Delivery", which translated into real terms means nothing of the sort. Instead it means that it has cleared customs and they have posted a letter to you snail mail to ask for the VAT & Duty. Only after paying does it go out for delivery.

So to this grey Tuesday morning.... UPS tracking report shows some overnight activity, (the first since Friday when it arrived in England).... but not the magic words.

GLOUCESTER, GB 31/03/2009 2:45 IN-TRANSIT SCAN
EAST MIDLANDS AIRPOR, GB 31/03/2009 0:13 IMPORT SCAN

That means at least that it has reached Gloucester. It may now be on a van for delivery. But who knows?

I'm sitting here (none too patiently) in the man cave waiting for the dogs to bark, which will be the next sign.....

Rod

[Chris Keth]

Strength, sir. That wait is always tough. I'm waiting on my first mandolin to arrive. I'm excited and it's a much less glamourous instrument than yours. You must be positively antsy.

[Rod_Neep]

Yes... very positively ansty! If I didn't value my fingerpicking nails so much they would be chewed down to the bone by now.

Almost 12 noon and no sign yet. I have been pacing around the house all morning, high on coffee, and I have arranged some picks in a neat line, made sure that there is a good battery in the electronic tuner, and sorted out three straps as potentials.

See... I really do have it bad! But in my defence, I have been waiting since December 5th for this to materialise.

Ooohh... dogs bark.... must run.....

Edit... nope... false alarm.

[trevor]

Rodd,
From what you show above it won't arrive today....

[Dan Johnson]

great mando! sorry for the complications... you are living my dream... I've currently started saving a hundred bucks a month (or twice when I can) towards a Weber... thanks for the inspiration!

[Rod_Neep]

Its here..... arrived a three and a half hours ago.





Don't worry. I'll watch over it for you while the case warms up to room temperature....
It won't take long. Its quite mild outside.

[trevor]

One up for UPS, they've had one of mine for in the UK 3 days.... and waiting. From the depot here it always shows as out for delivery around 7 a.m.

[Rod_Neep]

So... what do I show you first..... ?

OK... that tailpiece.



Gold plated.... and infilled with tortoise coloured resin, with a swirl that looks like tortoise shell. Matches the body colour perfectly.

[RHBoy]

must...see...more...!

Looking good so far...
How does it sound??

Congrats!

Jeff

[Rod_Neep]

The mandatory headstock shot.



Very, very dark rosewood (could even be ebony?), and unlike the standard Yellowstone, it has no knot inlay or the standard "Weber" lettering. Just a "The Weber" script in abalone. Simplicity. Gold plated tuners.



Simplicity with style again... more variation from the standard Yellowstone. A peninsula fingerboard, without any position markers (except on the edge). So that's just a plain black ebony fingerboard and an uncluttered appearance. Fine white purfling all around the fingerboard, and tortoise edge binding to the fingerboard.

A stunningly beautiful "tortoise" colour finish. Thanks Brett. Perfect!

[Rod_Neep]

Another shot of the fingerboard...



And the neck. Note how Brett has graduated the shading. Darker at the heel and headstock, and more pale in the middle. Nice attention to detail, and bringing out the rich figure in the maple.

[Rod_Neep]

And the portrait view...

[Gerry Cassidy]

Rod,

Congratulations on your new, and beautiful instrument!

The fit and finish are superb. Definitely my new favorite finish available from Weber.

I really like the subtlety of the build. Kind of like a 'Sleeper' in a way. My Bighorn is the same way. At first glance they look nice, yet somewhat simple. But, the catch is the more you look at them the more you will see.

Again, Congrats, and have a wonderful time with your new beauty!

[Rod_Neep]

OK... the sound....

Although the top is of red spruce, which is renowned for needing to be played in well to open up its full potential, this one is already extremely responsive. Even before I tuned it up and put a pick to the strings it began to ring just by me talking to it. A good start.

It already has a "want to be played" sound. Its open and free, not at all like an instrument that wants to be opened up and which needs to be played hard to respond. Thats extremely encouraging indeed! It can only get better.

Its big, round and impressive. Play it gently up over the fingerboard and it is nicely mellow. Play it further south and dig in with the pick and its got that clear bell like chime of red spruce and LOUD!

I love an instrument that can be "milked" into providing my ears with different tonal qualities. This one really has it.

Worth the wait? You betcha!
Thanks a million to the guys at Weber. You made this old guy really, really happy.

Rod

[Jill McAuley]

Wow, well done Rod - that is a beauty! My favourite two shots are the one of the tortoise binding along the fretboard, just stunning, and then the one of the back of the neck, the maple with that finish looks quite "tortoise-y". Simplicity of the headstock inlay and no fretboard inlay is lovely as well. You are a lucky man, but sure, you know that! Enjoy!

Cheers,
Jill

[Chris Biorkman]

Real nice.

[JEStanek]

Toto, I don't think we're in Montana anymore! Congratulations, Rod. Enjoy it.

Jamie

[pickloser]

BEAUTIFUL!! Congratulations.