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View Full Version : Weber Bighorn Revisited



banjoboy
Feb-08-2009, 2:03am
Sorry to bug you folks again....Last Saturday I played a Bighorn and was really impressed. This week, I went to a different music store, and they too had a Bighorn. Thing is... the first Bighorn had an "A" style headstock, and the second had an "F" style headstock. I've looked on the web, and the only headstocks I'm seeing are "A" style. Is Weber coming out with "F" style headstocks? Was this just a fluke. The music store said that it just came in. It wasn't special ordered Anybody have info?

Rod_Neep
Feb-08-2009, 5:18am
I have come accross this sort of thing a lot when searching....

Weber do appear to make a lot of variants of the "standard" mandolins. So much so that out there in dealer land one wonders what is the standard for a given model.

Rod

Gerry Cassidy
Feb-08-2009, 7:07am
My Bighorn has the florentine (F) styled headstock. Not exactly sure why they do it, but if you look on the "Instruments" section of their webpage you will see they have the Bighorn listed in both the F and A sections. It might be a hybrid, or crossover thing? Whatever that means...

Come to think of it, I have the prototype, first build of their Bridger F4 style and it has Weber's version of the snakehead headstock. The Bridger was originally just an A style. Maybe this was a crossover thing, as well? The F version now comes with the florentine headstock. Not sure you can get the snake anymore(?).

Jon Hall
Feb-08-2009, 9:07am
I'm pretty sure the original Gibson model had a florentine head stock. A friend of mine has one but I'm not sure it was the original Gidson Jethro model. Maybe the standard headstock was a Weber option to reduce the cost.

mikeyes
Feb-08-2009, 10:25am
That's the way Weber is, while they have standard models, you might find anything. The Bighorn mandolin (remember they have a Bighorn OM, mandocello and mandola, too) can come in F-holes, oval hole or D-hole and the hole may or may not be bound. As you point out the headstock can come in two varieties and the logo/inlay varies too. (For at least 18 different looking Bighorn mandolins.) I am sure that if you asked, they would put in X-bracing - like mine - and use different top woods too. Sound To Earth is nothing if not flexible. :grin:

http://www.soundtoearth.com/inst_cust_ma_mahogbighorn.htm shows a mahogany Bighorn with another style headstock.

Gerry Cassidy
Feb-08-2009, 10:34am
As far as soundholes, binding, purfling, etc: They do all of that with just about every one of their models, as do many other builders.

The headstock thing just seemed a little out of the ordinary and interesting. But, hey, why not? Build 'em what they want! If you're shop is set up to be flexible, it's a great way to do business.

Ken Olmstead
Feb-08-2009, 12:41pm
The Gibson A5 that Jethro is generally associated with had an F style headstock and an oval hole. He played all different kinds of mandolins. Mostly see him on youtube with an F5. Personally, I like them (Bighorns) with a sleeker look and so I prefer the A style headstock. Weber varies the headstock on this model regularly but it costs a few bucks more for the f stock. Not enough to keep you getting one if that is what you wanted.