View Full Version : Weber Gallatin Mandola
Here are pictures of my new Weber Gallatin Mandola. This is a 'build-to-order' model with the following changes from standard.
D hole instead of f holes
Antique Walnut instead of Faded Leather finish, still satin
"The Weber" on the Headstock instead of "Weber" alone
Traditional Brekke Bridge instead of a Standard Brekke Bridge
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Markus
Mar-20-2011, 1:30pm
Beautiful instrument, would love to hear some sound clips.
Congrats, it's a keeper!
bratsche
Mar-20-2011, 1:46pm
Congratulations! And I'm looking forward to sound clips, as well.
We seriously need a "drool" smilie on this forum...
:-/``` :))
bratsche
chasray
Mar-20-2011, 2:47pm
I like! Tell us your first impressions....
Nonprophet
Mar-20-2011, 4:31pm
Wow George! She's a beauty!
I've test-driven a few Weber Bridgers and I really like the tone and volume that the D hole produces....
One thing I don't see many people talk about is that I think the Weber cases are hands down the nicest "factory" cases that I've seen. Well built, very robust, a nice thick leather wrapped handle, and they cradle the instrument very well.
NP
JEStanek
Mar-20-2011, 9:37pm
Nice. I hope it exceeds your expectations.
Jamie
Here's a Weber Family Portrait
The Bighorn is gloss Walnut with about as much fancy stuff as I can tolerate. In general I have a more ascetic taste in instruments. Both instruments are Walnut: The mandolin is gloss walnut and the mandola is antique walnut. I thought that would give the two more of a family resemblance and I'm happy with the result. Brett, Weber's color guy, offered to make them match more but I declined.
One of the things I like about Weber is how there is not exaggerated uniformity to the finish. The differences are subtle but each time the difference appears aimed at taking advantage of the unique aspects of the wood in hand. I wanted to get that same consideration.
69932
Markus asked for a sound clip so lets give it a try. This was done with the free iPhone app, iTalk. Converting the AIFF to MP3 was a challenge given that iTunes has been 'improved' to the point it will no longer generate an MP3.
I got Doug to make me an armrest for the mandola. Mechanically, it sets my hand over the strings more naturally and it keeps the edge from cutting into my arm. (Even though the Gallatin is unbound and rounded it still would 'edge into my arm' after a while.) The increase surface area contact on my arm also reduces the tendency to lock my arm in place.
Soundwise, it helps the sustain if my arm is kept off the top. Before I got it completely set I A/B'd it several times and the difference was noticable. This was particularly true for the lower registers which makes sense, I guess, seeing how my arm would rest on the bass side ofthe instrument.
Anyway, here's how it looks. When you look at the top from the side with oblique lighting the wood pattern is striking.
Fredmando
Apr-20-2011, 6:27pm
George, thanks for posting the review and the sound clip! Nice mandolin and mandola! I am a Weber fan, I own a Weber mando. But today I got to play a new Collings MT mat finish mandola. I was blown away. Have you had a chance to A-B the Weber with a Collings? Just wondering!
Sorry if this is an old question.
Fred
Being a Texan, I kinda hoped I would prefer the home team but I clearly preferred the Weber sound. In my terms, I find Webers to be on the warm side of the Gibson neutral and where the Collings are on the tight, bright side. It may be related to the fact that I have better high range hearing than a lot men my age.
When I A/B'd them I found the Collings mandos to be excellent. They are well built with probably the best fit and finish of the manufactured American mandolins. To me it just comes down to what you like.
Hi George,
A little bit of a veer here. About iTunes not generating mp3 files. I convert files to mp3 all the time, and I think my iTunes is up to date.
Don.
BTW, I enjoyed the sound clip. Thanks for sharing.
Don.
Brent Hutto
Apr-21-2011, 2:52pm
At some point they moved the "Create MP3" function around slightly in iTunes. You now have to have your "Import CD" settings set to "MP3" in order to get that option. Or at least it seemed that way to me. I had "Import CD" set to ALAC and could not find the "Create MP3" anywhere. So I went into the import options and made the "Import CD" default to MP3 with such-and-such bitrate and I was able to find and use it on a particular file. Then I changed it back. Weird.
Fredmando
Apr-21-2011, 7:01pm
Thanks George! I listened to a sound clip of a Yellowstone Mandola and it sounded nice! I still like the Collings I played around with the other day. The satin finish really seemed to help it sound less brash than some of the other Collings I've tried.
I have a Weber Hylite that I love and it has a woody tone that is absent in a lot of mandos.
Do I have this right, the mandola is easier to get used to than an octave?
Anyway, you did good!
Fred
The Gallatin also has a satin finish which really fits the ascetic vibe if this unbound instrument. I've played octaves and the longer scale can be a literal handfull. With this intermediate length I can easily play the the open scales and the FFCP scales are coming along (though form 2 is a stretch).
The scale length is good but the tone range was my target. The Weber Gallatin Mandola slots in handily between my mandolin and my guitar.
Fredmando
Apr-22-2011, 8:37pm
Weber is great. You got me thinking now.
Thanks for the info!
Fred
Just a quick update...
The mandola is starting to open up. The resonance is just staring to get huge. It was strong to start with but now it's just thrilling. I'm used to listening for the beat when tuning the courses. I can feel the beat on this mandola. It's just crazy...
Jake Wildwood
Jun-15-2011, 8:39am
Lookin' good!