Weber Hyalite-anybody have one? Whats it like

[darylcrisp]

By looking at it on the website, it appears more flat on the top and back-am i right?

And if so, i assume it sounds a little different than say the A style Gallatin-right or wrong?

thanks
daryl

[ColdBeerGoCubs]

I played one on my quest for my current mando. It was a sweet, sweet thing. Not much in the volume department at all, but the sound and tone that came from the thing had me looking up tickets to the emerald isle. It was almost dream like and after hearing someone else play it i almost bought it. Didnt really sound anything like the carved top webers at all, just had this droning, captivating tone that I really can't describe. I also have completely untrained ears so take that into consideration but after playing and hearing many F and oval hole mandos that all started to sound the same, this thing made me sit up.

[Bill Snyder]

Daryl, you might get more responses if you ask questions about instruments in the Looking For Information About Mandolins (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?48-Looking-for-information-about-mandolins) section. I think there are probably more readers of those threads and that is what that section if specifically set up for.

[Mandocarver]

I have a Hyalite mandola. It has a normally carved top and back but the body is more of a teardrop shape. I'm very impressed with it and can't imagine that it sounds any different than the Gallatin. It has no binding on the body but is beautifully made and sounds great set up with Jazzmando flatwound strings.
Dean

[darylcrisp]

Daryl, you might get more responses if you ask questions about instruments in the Looking For Information About Mandolins (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?48-Looking-for-information-about-mandolins) section. I think there are probably more readers of those threads and that is what that section if specifically set up for.

Bill

Thanks for the info, its nutty sounding but my time is so limited i jump on here and really haven't had a good chance to look the whole forum over-i'll take that advice and post there.

thanks to everyone else, sounds like a neat mandolin to check out-my dealer sold all his webers for Christmas but has one of these so i want to play/hear it

thanks
daryl

[darylcrisp]

I played one on my quest for my current mando. It was a sweet, sweet thing. Not much in the volume department at all, but the sound and tone that came from the thing had me looking up tickets to the emerald isle. It was almost dream like and after hearing someone else play it i almost bought it. Didnt really sound anything like the carved top webers at all, just had this droning, captivating tone that I really can't describe. I also have completely untrained ears so take that into consideration but after playing and hearing many F and oval hole mandos that all started to sound the same, this thing made me sit up.

thanks for your thoughts-this sounds exactly like what i would like. i'm not looking for a bluegrass mando, more of a celtic or alternative sounding type i guess. definitely need to check one out.

daryl

[Bryon Winger]

I have one in a mandola version as well, but with tortoise binding around an Engleman top. Seems to me to be somewhere between a guitar and a mandolin tone-wise. Lots of low end and mids on mine. It gets a bit dark with a thick pick - I usually prefer something a little thinner pick-wise for Irish music myself. Very, very warm and full sounding. I use John Pearse string on mine, flats were too dark for my tastes.

[Mary Weber]

It's a rainy, cold day outside and thus I get to do one my favorite things (mandolincafe), but usually just read...this post really struck me as the Hyalite is carved very differently than the other Weber A-styles. We call it our celtic carving and it is shaped the same as the Bridger A instruments, thus the different tone. Also the Hyalite standard is mahogany back/ribs/neck giving that woody tone- also comes with an Original Brekke Bridge which enhances this sound even a bit more...Bryon says it well (and his Engleman top gives even more mid-bass tones) while a 'normal' Hyalite would have a Sitka spruce top. It's a great moody instrument in this form (my grandfather's name was Cecil MacCasland, so moody and stubborn I know : ) I should go on Nick's Irish thread about the Bridger...supremo Irish mando...uh oh, this might start to be advertising, gotto go.