Sierra Hull's Weber Fern?

[shiloh]

Hi,
Anyone know anything specific about the Weber Fern which Sierra plays, specifically on the AcuTab video/DVD? Wood? Tone braced (I know they usually/always are), strings (the Elixers which she endorses?)

Thanks. Or if there is a link which answers these questions. All I can find is "Weber Fern."

I emailed Weber and I know they'll get back to me but I'm eager to know! Inquiring minds....

Thanks,
Jill

[Chris Biorkman]

It's a distressed Weber fern. I think it's red spruce topped. She no longer plays it as her primary mandolin. She's been using a Harvey signed Gibson Master Model for the last few years.

[shiloh]

I noticed it has the scooped fingerboard extension (not normal for a Weber Fern). Any thoughts on lacquer or varnish? Tone bar vs. X braced?
Red spruce - how different in tone is that from Sitka or Engelman Spruce?
Jill

[George R. Lane]

Jill,
I have a custom Yellowstone with an engleman top, tone bars, bound f holes and is lacquered. This is my 3rd Weber, the first was a Gallatin with a cedar top, maple back and rims, tone bars (I sold it to buy the Yellowstone), a Vintage A with a 50 year old sitka top and maple back rims, X braced. All of them have a lacquer finish, a very thin one on the Gallatin. All of them sounded great. Bruce Weber told me that with a sitka or red spruce or engleman top with tone bars takes a couple of years to break in and an X brace takes only a few hours. But, he explained that the tones bars will give a richer tone as the mandolin ages. The X bracing tone is there right from the begining. My Vintage A was made in 2008 and sounded great right from the start and the tone really hasn't changed al that much. It still rings like a bell and has a very nice tone. The Gallatin broke in quickly, I believe the cedar responded quicker. The Yellowstone is just over a year old, so only time will tell. As far as the tonal difference between red spruce and sitka, to me I couldn't really tell a whole lot of difference. The engleman is a much sweeter sound and sustains longer than the others, the red spruce decayed quickly. I don't play much bluegrass (dyslexic fingers) and I have a light touch so engleman was the best choice for me. I chose the lacquer finishes because of the durability (I don't baby mine, but I don't abuse them either) and the cost ($1,000+ dollars). It takes quite awhile for varnish to cure, up to a couple of years. I was told that is does improve the tone, but with my incapable hands I couldn't tell the difference. I hope my ramblings have helped and I am sure you will get several other opinions.

[pdb]

I have owned varnish and lacquer webers (and flatirons when Steve and Bruce were signing the Flatirons). I have also owned x braced and tone bar models of both. So here goes my unscientific opinion:
The varnish models I have always owned were a little louder than the same model in lacquer...not necessarily a better sound, just more volume.. I noticed more vibration of the wood with the varnish models probably causing the volume increase.

Now, the x brace always gave a more broad, deeper sound but not quite as focused and they had less volume than the tone bar braced models. In a bluegrass setting where the midrange and treble needs focus, cutting power, and volume, I believe the tone bar varnish models make the better mandolin. In a smaller setting where volume is not as important, the x brace might have the edge as the tone is more broad and complex ( to my ear).

I have found red spruce to have a little faster response than sitka and a good bit faster than englemann. It is usually stiffer and can sometimes be carved a little thinner for a louder mandolin. I really like red spruce and sitka for bluegrass. Englemann is very nice for clarity. All have their purpose. It just depends on how you will be using the mando. This has been my experience over the past 20 years playing several different mandolins. ymmv.

[shiloh]

I'm really moving away from bluegrass. Oh, I still play it a lot, but I'm looking for a warmer, softer (?) sort of tone. My Doyle Lawson is the bomb for bluegrass - it's awesome and the bound sound holes give it a real woofy tone - but I'm really playing less and less bluegrass these days and I'm seeking a tone (how do you describe that?) which suits other genres of music, too.

Sounds like maybe Engleman spruce might be the answer?

Jill

[pdb]

englemann with x bracing might be the ticket if you're looking for a more complex, clearer tone where volume is not as important.

[shiloh]

Any thoughts on the one in the Classifieds? (Search for Weber. It's xbraced and varnish. But the price seems a bit low for such a Weber?)

Jill

[G. Fisher]

Any thoughts on the one in the Classifieds? (Search for Weber. It's xbraced and varnish. But the price seems a bit low for such a Weber?)

Jill

Which one?

26 come up in the search.

I found it.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hey George(& the rest of us Weber owners) - Just get Miss Hull to play all your Webers. I think that your MAS would vanish like morning mist !. Awsome touch on anything i've heard her play,that young lady,
Ivan:disbelief:

[Rroyd]

It's obvious that you are just looking for an excuse to get a new mandolin, :) but a cheaper solution might be to check out some other types of strings to see if you can get the tone you are wanting. There are a multitude of offerings, such silk and steel, flatwounds, monels, and many gauges that might provide an answer for you.

[JeffD]

Hey George(& the rest of us Weber owners) - Just get Miss Hull to play all your Webers. I think that your MAS would vanish like morning mist !. Awsome touch on anything i've heard her play,...

:))

No that would make me want all the Webers.

[George R. Lane]

I would love to have Ms. Hull play my Isabella, then I could tell her 'See thats' how you should sound in my hands'.

[Jim Nollman]

I kind of understand what you are looking for. I play a BRW three-point oval hole. I recommend it highly to anyone looking for a unique sound. It's got a huge pop in the mids, a nice sparkly high end, and an exceedingly well-defined bass. Makes great chords.

I have recorded with it quite a bit, and it is featured in my upcoming CD: The New Old Time. Yet this mando can be played loud enough to be heard just fine among 5 or 6 other instruments in the unamplified and noisy ambience of a Farmer's Market.

Ben has only made three or four of them. Yet I believe if more people heard this hybrid with its gorgeous lines — clearly inspired by the Lyon and Healy cutaway — and built by a great craftsmen, it would become popular, especially for jazz. I say jazz, yet I play mostly traditional music and it works great in that genre. Since I got it, it's helped me add the whole new dimension of double stop melodies, and it carries that style of playing very nicely.

The first 3-point Ben built has been reviewed with high marks on jazzmando.com. Ben has paid heed to the few upgrades mentioned in that review in his subsequent builds. I string mine either with silk and steels or jazzmando flat-wounds.

[Brett Byers]

I noticed it has the scooped fingerboard extension (not normal for a Weber Fern). Any thoughts on lacquer or varnish? Tone bar vs. X braced?
Red spruce - how different in tone is that from Sitka or Engelman Spruce?
Jill

Jill,
scooped fingerboard extensions are optional on all of our instruments. Her Distressed Fern has a hand-rubbed spirit varnish finish, and has tone bars.

[Ivan Kelsall]

George / Jeff - We live in hope !. Sierra's playing is as smooth as anybody could ever wish for & i'd love to hear her play my "Fern". The downside is,i'd possibly go away & shoot myself,:grin:
Ivan;)

[shiloh]

Thanks everyone!
Brett, I spoke to Cameron (sales and service at Weber/Sound to Earth) yesterday at great length. As always, your customer service is just amazing! The one question I forgot to ask him was what varnish you guys use (so now I know!). The next group of Ferns with their varnish finish is going to be very exciting! Brett, your custom finish work is the best on the planet. Always perfect. And beautiful.
Jill

[Ivan Kelsall]

Jill - You found out what all us Weber owners know- their service is just the best out there,
Ivan