North Field F5S vs Weber Yellowstone

[Skip Brownlow]

I have been thinking about buying another mando and have been looking at the Northfield F5S and also a used Weber Yellowstone. Anyone one out there have any suggestions or experience with these pro & cons. Any comments would be great.
Thanks
Skip

[George R. Lane]

I have never owned a Northfield, but I do own a Yellowstone. The Northfield's have a Adi top and most Yellowstones have a Sitka top (mine is an engleman) and some had cedar tops. I have heard a couple of Northfields and was very impressed with the tone and volume. If you can get a serial number on the Yellowstone and then contact the folks at Weber, they can tell you which woods were used in that particular instrument. The Webers are well built and have an even tone across all the strings. Good luck on you search.

[Skittle]

Complete thumbs up on the Northfield. I do have a recent F5S and love it immensely. Tone, volume, play-ability , is as good as any mandolin I have owned. I tend to favor tone bar, Adi tops, traditional sounding mandolins...........that's my take on them. It would be great to find a place that has both you can get, and have for 24 to 48 hrs if possible and compare, then send back the one you didnt like as much........may be out of shipping but still will know which one you like the best.

[darylcrisp]

Skip

i've now owned 2 of the Northfield F5S models(currently have 1), a couple Weber F models(Gallatin/BitterRoot/Black Ice).
I've played more from each brand. I also currently have a dandy Collings MF. I'm throwing the Collings in the mix as well since its here.

all the Webers i've owned(we still have 1), have been sitka top. the NF i've owned have been Adi tops(but i've played a couple englemann tops also), and i've owned englemann and adi top Collings.

i really like all 3 brands equally well. all 3 brands have a very different voice and feel in the hand(they really do). all 3 have very different neck profiles. if memory serves, i think Weber has a pretty true 14" scale, where NF and Collings are 13 7/8".

weber has what i call a soft V neck. Collings has a more distinct V shape, but its not sharply pointed at the bottom. the Northfield has an almost U shape. its not exactly U but moreso than V. the shoulders are full in the neck. i hope that makes sense.

build quality on all 3 brands are essentially the same in my opinion(i'm speaking of Northfields built in the past year as thats about as far back as i go with them).

i'm not sure what Northfield calls the style/type of finish on the F5S. I love it. Its not a glossy thick feel, it has a more semigloss look and feels like the wood-similar somewhat to the satin finish Webers(BitterRoot). A very organic look and feel. Collings has this same feel/look on the satin finish they use(i assume its a nitro base finish but don't hold me to that). the Yellowstone models i've seen/played have had full on gloss finish.

i've played englemann tops from Northfield and Collings that are loud, organic/woody, sweet with bell tone quality to the notes.
same thing with Adi tops as well. so i'm not going to say you will get this or that with such type wood. each mando is going to have its own voice, you just need to hear it and see if it fits what you want-thats the best i can tell you.

i do like the tone i get from Northfield. a lot.

the setup on the Northfields i've played have all been exceptional. on the NF models i've played, the nut slots were as well cut as i think a human can do. the bridges have all been very proper fit. i've never had to redress/seat a fret, recut a nut slot, or anything. take them out of the case, tune them up and play. you may have to dial in or out some relief-the truss rod well is cut excellent and the supplied tool works effortless-the truss rod turns smooth. adjust the saddle height and you will have a proper fit mandolin with exceptional setup that suits you perfect, within minutes. the tuners have all worked smooth and effortless and hold tuning as good as any(i've had the cheapest and some of the best). to my ears, the NF have this spot on note quality up and down the fretboard-the string sets seem to be very nice balanced to each other. sometimes i have found some NF that are not as "loud" as i would expect, but they always have this high quality of tone. but on the flipside i've heard some that project fine. my current F5S is excellent all around.

for the most part, all the Collings i've owned, have been well setup. I did have to redo a nut slot or two in the past. excellent fretwork always. truss rod works smooth. tuners can at times be hard or tight and need some attention. typically loud mandos, but can be played soft. the tone is not for everyone(just like all mandos, but you either love or hate Collings is what i've found).

webers, i've had to do the most to bring them into my type setup. i've had to recut nut slots(actually i've removed nuts and just cut new ones at times), had to recut string slots on the saddle, had to do some fret leveling. but nothing major. the newer Webers i've had hands on with in the past year or two seem to be more dialed in and better set up. this has been my experience only and may not reflect other people. some Webers i've played don't seem balanced to my ears, what i hear(and talking about me only) are the trebles can be a little too much at times-but i have owned a BitterRoot that was excellent, and the Black Ice was exceptional(i just didn't care for the gloss).

the last thing i'll mention is the feng shui-the environment a particular mandolin causes around you.
i know that may sound korny, but i think its a real thing. if you pick up an old Gibson from decades past, no matter how hard it plays or if it doesn't intonate well past the 12th fret, it brings "something" to the table that a brand new modern mandolin can't. its that ancient feel, look, touch, sound.
to me, the Northfields capture this and bring it to the player. they look like an old perfect kept instrument, but everything fits, adjusts with ease, and they play so nice(like a new modern made instrument should).

hope this helps,
d

[Skip Brownlow]

Thanks to all for their input I'll let you know what I decided.
thanks
Skip

[Johnny60]

Daryl - your last paragraph summed it up perfectly. The Northfield F5S has a finish which is very reminiscent of an old nitro instrument that's dulled down over the years and has taken on a gorgeous semi-Matt lustre. They look (and sound) gorgeous.

[chris.burcher]

Haven't played a Northfield, but I have a 2015 Yellowstone Custom that is a solid, killer mando. I can try and compare it based on Daryl's info.

This Yellowstone has a red spruce top, and it is the reason I bought it. Very dynamic and complex. As far as I know I had always had sitka topped mandolins - either way, this one sounds different. I'd say it's still a little tight, having only been played about 5 months every day but it is opening up (if you believe in that type of thing :) ).

Fit and finish are perfect. Absolutely. It's like it was made by machines - and maybe it was in part. The sunburst is a custom color, as Yellowstones typically come in the 'yellowstone burst' which is kinda red. This is more traditional with the yellow to black blend. It is also side bound, which I love, all the way except the fingerboard is only single ivoroid bound. Nitrocellulouse glossy finish is very attractive and resists finger marks and pinky nail rubs, easily wiping away. It has a non-shiny headstock veneer in ebony, with a flowerpot and THe Weber script inlay that is stunning and pops compared to the glossy rest of the mandolin. Very, very, very easy to adjust neck relief and action - the Weber traditional bridge has a tool to adjust under full tension. Fretwork is absolutely perfect and it notes, at about 0.055" action at the 12th fret, all the way across the board with amazing consistency and precision.

Very balanced up and down the neck with a focus on the mids. Highs and lows are still definitely there, but rather than spit in your face, they respond to your touch with a very dynamic range from loud to soft and the tonal complexities change along with how you pick it. It's definitely the most complex and dynamic tone I've had in a mandolin thus far.

My issue is the neck profile. It's what I would call a 'round thin'. The profile is low, like a new D18 compared to an old one. The back of the neck is closer to the fretboard than some. And it there is absolutely no vee. It is more like a square than a vee. It's round. And, unfortunately, my hand prefers the vee. I've had 5 months to adjust and it just isn't happening. I have a trade ad in the classifieds to find something that feels better to me. It is actually contributing to tendonitis in my left elbow.

I have played with setup from none to a lot of relief, and from higher to lower action. I can't get this one down below 0.050 at the 12th without putting more relief in the neck. I trust that the nut is fine as is and all the string slots look rounded and appropriate. It can do a lot as far as setup goes, except I can't get it down in to the ridiculously low zone, which is probably normal without a pro and lighter guage strings (Using J74s). Responds better to my natural pick than my CT55.

Anyway, this newer Yellowstone is WAY different than the older ones I've played. Not to knock Northfields in any way, and I'd trust what Daryl said, but just so you have the info you need.

[sblock]

I have owned a Weber Yellowstone F5 (with some minor customizations, with a red cedar top and maple back and sides), a Weber Bitterroot F5 (with a spruce top, and mahogany back and sides), and a Northfield F5M (master model, varnish finish, with the 'modern' style fretboard, James tailpiece). Of the three, the Bitterroot was the loudest, and with the most distinctive voice, sort of "old-timey." The Yellowstone was the sweetest-sounding, with a "round" voice, esp. on higher notes. Not a lot of bass, though. And the Northfield was the best balanced, with the most impressive low end (and excellent "bark"). I liked them all, but I enjoyed the Northfield best, the Bitterroot next best, and the Yellowstone came in third. I liked the sound of bluegrass on the Northfield, and I liked Irish music on the Bitterroot.

Then I got an Altman F5. It blew away all three of these. But then again, it cost over twice as much. But man oh man, it has satisfied my MAS for the time being. I eventually sold the Northfield and the Weber Yellowstone, but still have the Bitterroot, which has a contrasting voice.

P.S. The Northfield was purchased new. It not only retained its value; it sold for significantly more than its original purchase price! The Webers were both purchased used, and depreciated only slightly or not at all.

[Skip Brownlow]

Thanks for all the comments and information it helped out a lot.Since I already have a Weber Big Sky I have ordered a Northfield F5S from the folks at Morgan Music great people to deal with.
Skip B
Tx

[darylcrisp]

Thanks for all the comments and information it helped out a lot.Since I already have a Weber Big Sky I have ordered a Northfield F5S from the folks at Morgan Music great people to deal with.
Skip B
Tx

interested to read what you think after you've had some time with your NF, be sure to let us know........

d

[Skip Brownlow]

update on the Weber vs Northfield

I have had the Northfield for a about 2 weeks now and can't seem to put it down the more I play it the better I like it. I have compared it to my Weber Big Sky I think the Northfield has a little more deeper tone and also I like the chop on it.The weber has a little more highs plays and sounds great not as good chop but, still it's hard to beat a weber. I guess it's a toss up which I think is best both have there place and both play and sound great. The guys at Morgan's Music did a super job of the set up on the Northfield also are very nice folks to deal with. I hope this helps don't think you can go wrong with either one.However I am still thinking about a Gibson I know I have a problem
Skip

[almeriastrings]

They're very different. I had a Big Sky years ago, but never really "took to it". The Northfield has a much more 'traditional' voice. In terms of 'quality' there is not much in it, but they certainly are very different. Ditto a Gibson. Different again. Main thing is - you can make great music on all of them :mandosmiley:

[Jr Brown]

Northfield all the way.
I think the tone is much more complex and full. I live a mile from the shop in Michigan. I've spent some time there, they have great attention to detail especially in putting out a very consistent sounding instrument. Every one I have played all sounded and played great. I cant say the same for Weber, they make a lot of nice mando's but there are quite a few dud's in there too. Inconsistent.

[Skip Brownlow]

Jr and all thanks for all the comments and information. Just a little up date I played the Northfield F5s for a few weeks and found nothing I could say bad about it played and sounded great.Then a Northfield Big Mon came up which is what I wanted to start with after selling my soul to my wife I am now the owner of a very nice Big Mon that will be a keeper I hope it's a great Mando.
Skip