View Full Version : My new weber fern
Sean Greer
Apr-09-2008, 12:53pm
While I'm pretty new to the mandolin, I've thrown myself at it and love, love, love playing! My first mandolin was a gift and while I really love the tone of the oval hole, I wanted more of that bluegrass tone and chop.
This beauty was purchased from The Mandolin Store and I have been having a great time putting in my two hours a day!
Sean Greer
Apr-09-2008, 12:54pm
Here's another pic.
Sean Greer
Apr-09-2008, 12:55pm
And one of the back...
Carleton Page
Apr-09-2008, 1:16pm
That is awesome! The grain of the top is really beautiful!
Kevin Briggs
Apr-09-2008, 1:21pm
Welcome, my Weber brethern!
That thing is a beauty, and I'm sure ti sounds as great as it looks. Do you have any sound clips?
Feel free to browse my YouTube videos, accessible from the link below my name in this post. It shows me playing my Fern in a bunch of vidoes. I can say that I am amazed at the quality of my mandolin. It's incredible, as long as I put in the playing time on it. It warms up and plays very lightly, but with big, complex sound.
Sean Greer
Apr-09-2008, 1:30pm
Feel free to browse my YouTube videos, accessible from the link below my name in this post. It shows me playing my Fern in a bunch of vidoes. I can say that I am amazed at the quality of my mandolin. It's incredible, as long as I put in the playing time on it. It warms up and plays very lightly, but with big, complex sound.
I can say that browsing your videos contributed mightily to my MAS! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif I really enjoy watching and listening to your playing, so keep up the great work.
The playability of this mandolin is much better than my oval hole. The action is real light, and when you dig into it she just comes to life! I can't wait to see how she develops over the years.
I'll try to post a sound clip in the near future.
troika
Apr-09-2008, 2:22pm
I think the way the scroll ridge splits in half is unique and beautiful, a great take on tradition.
Rick Schmidlin
Apr-09-2008, 6:40pm
Congrats a great choice made by the right player,enjoy.
mandomick
Apr-09-2008, 8:38pm
That second shot is a beaut!
Ken Olmstead
Apr-09-2008, 8:38pm
You will never be the same! I love my Fern! That one is gorgeous...of course!! They just continue to get better and better!!! Enjoy the ride and I am also looking forward to some vids or soundclips!
Wesley
Apr-11-2008, 12:15pm
As a fellow Fern owner I can only echo what the others have said. You've made a wise choice. Enjoy.
I have just become the happy owner of a Custom Yellowstone, cedar, block inlay, flowerpot its a wonderful instrument. What is the major differencce between that and the Fern?
I couldn't be happier with this weber.
Kevin Briggs
Apr-11-2008, 3:37pm
There are two major differences between the stock Yellowstone and the stock Fern:
1. The Fern has some additional cosmetic eye candy, like triple binding all around the body, the Fern inlay on the headstock, etc.
2. The Fern's are advertised as having the tippy top of all of Sound to Earth's great tonewoods. There may even be less of an emphasis on great maple flame on a Fern, in favor of a percieved upgrade in tone
I'm sure Rick B. will eventually chime in and give the official stance.
Ken Olmstead
Apr-11-2008, 5:12pm
I have never played a ceder top Mando. They sure do get some good press around here! I have played some dynomite Yellowstones. My old one wasn't as great as some that I played. Kevin is right though, Ferns just have a little extra mojo. Maybe Bruce perspires into the laquer or something, I don't know but they are a top shelf mandolin at any price. I have played a Heiden and a Brock that shook my foundation a bit but they reside at that level. My friend traded his a little over a year ago for a Daley and is getting it back. He likes the Daley fine but misses that Fern. Thay just have that little extra something.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Kevin, is you coloring like Sean's? You noted mine was darker and I see what you mean in these photos.
Kevin Briggs
Apr-11-2008, 8:10pm
tenor,
Mine's a little darker than Sean's around the edges. Rick called it tobacco sunburst. It resembles Sean's very much, otherwise.
By the way, Sean, I played a Big Sky A style for a few months, and they come standard with a cedar top now. It had a nice dry, choppy sound right out of the box, and after months of playing it a lot it sounded very slick. In fact, it was only remotely like my Fern or my old custom Bitteroot. It had the core Weber sound (complex, pulpy, round, loud), but it reminded me a lot of Tim O'Brien's Nugget, in regard to the tone. It just had that same balanced, lively chop.