Update on the "quiet" Weber Yellowstone

[mlbex]

Remember that Weber Yellowstone that just didn't have the volume? I noticed it had a bit of a smell, kind of what you might expect from a young instrument. It had spent a lot of time in its case, and I figured it might not be aired out properly, so I hung it on the wall, and the smell appears to have dissipated -- and the mandolin is a bit brighter and louder. I took it to the same jam as last time, and there were fewer people there so it was quieter. I had no problems with volume.

I still might go for a Loar-style bridge, and I hold it away from my body when I need more volume.

It seems to have two speeds, quiet/sweet and bark. When it barks, it seems plenty loud; when it doesn't bark, it seems about average for volume, but it does sound sweet and clear. As for making it bark reliably, that will probably come with practice. When I nail it using closed-position chords, it barks to beat he11.

It still seems to have a soft spot on the bass strings (G and D) between the 4th and 8th frets. Maybe that's just a matter of skill -- I noticed many other mandolins seem soft in the same place.

[Chip Booth]

I'm glad you are getting happier with it. That sounds similar to my Yellowstone experience. I had one for several months and it performed better when left out of the case. I normally wouldn't think that would make much of an impact but the difference was obvious enough that I believe it was true in this case. My Yellowstone also had two speeds, quiet and subtle, and big and barking. After playihg about half an hour it would go into bark mode, where it sounded really full and had good volume, but then would return to quiet mode next time you picked it up. I eventually traded mine for an oval hole mando as I already had another F style.

My experience with Webers has been that every one of them I have played that is a few years old gets nice and loud and open, I think you just have to have faith and wait it out. It's also been my experience that my favourite Webers have all had a traditional bridge.

Chip

[GBG]

I once bought a new Bitterroot model and let a good mandolin player play it. The first thing he told me was "get rid of the Brekke bridge and get the Loar-type". He was right. I bought one from Cumberland Music, one of the best made, and had it properly fitted. Big difference in volume.

[Milan Christi]

This is fascinating to me - my Yellowstone is doing the same thing. About three weeks ago I noticed a huge difference in the tone. I've got it on a stand in my studio - not in the case. I've read a lot over the years about instruments "opening up" but this is the first time I've experienced it. I doubt that there's another explanation. I haven't changed anything else. It's a 2001 model with tone bars and the Brekke bridge. (I'm being tempted to try a trad bridge.)

I've had it a little over a year. I bought it used but I don't believe it got much use before I bought it. It was pristine when it arrived. (I'm wearing it in a lot!)

Now I'm going back to all my recordings and re-tracking the mando parts because it sounds sooooo much better than before.

Milan

[mlbex]

"Opening up" usually implies playing it some number of months and years so (as somebody said) "it finally realizes that it's not a tree".

I've never heard it used in the context of moisture content, which is what I believe has happened to mine, and might be what happened to yours. We might be on to something new. Maybe mandolins (especially Weber Yellowstones?) need to breathe.

I know a guitar kept in a damp environment sounds dull until you give it some time to dry out. I travelled once with an old Harmony classic, and it lost its tone on rainy days but brightened right up when it had a couple of hours to dry.

[steve in tampa]

I have had a few mandolins sound much better after a bluegrass festival. The combination of the all night playing, humidity, and campfire smoke really does it. Taking my new Bitterroot to one on Labor Day Weekend. Very hot and humid out here, but there will be folks burning campfires.

[Blueglass]

I've always predicted that these now new webers will be high trade resale items when they are the old webers.
much the same as those now old gibsons