Hello everyone. I was going to pull the trigger on a Weber Abaroska A but need some advice on the Breedlove brand. I know I will kick myself if I don't at least try a Breedlove. I have in my head what a Weber A sounds like......I want to know what a Breedlove Quartz FF might be described as. I have heard somewhere that Breedlove's are a bit brighter than other mandolins. Is that true? Is the neck a bit wider than other brands? What instruments did you try before you got your Breedlove....especially those who got the Quartz FF? Thank you. I love the Breedlove guitar sound, but never had a chance to play a Breedlove. Any help is appreciated.
I used to have a Quartz KO, and used flatwound strings to offset the brightness very nicely. I tried a bunch of Absarokas, & a Big Sky & a Yellowstone from Weber, the only one of which I would have considered letting the Breed go for was one of the Absarokas, but had no desire to. I now have a Cascade, & no need to use the flats to offset brightness, it sounds fine. I wouldn't let it go for any Weber I've met.
The nut is 1 3/16" a little wider then most (1 1/16") with a nice and comfortable rounded back on the neck. I have a Quatrz FF and I really like the tone. It has a nice woody and throaty sound with a really nice chop making it a good all around mandolin for Bluegrass, Blues, and Classical music.
Wow! Seems like one post per month. I've had the chance to compare my Quartz OF with several other brands and the B'love holds it's own. Yes, its bright but that just gives me a strong rhythm chop. A couple of mandos I compared with are a '43 Kalamazoo Oriole and a Martin Brunkalla "A" model.
I guess I'm improving that one-per-month ratio. I think that the FF has a punchier sound than the OF. I like the FF sound better for chords, and the OF sound better for single notes or double stops. I really like the wide nut, and the neck works really well for me. In terms of comparing Breedloves with Webers, to my ear, a new Weber has a really tight, constrained sound that apparently opens up after a few years. I've never played a used one, so I can't say for sure. When I bought my OF, I played it side by side in the store with a few new Webers --- which cost a thousand or two more --- and there was no comparison.
2004 Breedlove Quartz OO tonal description: Dominant mid-range tones, with very good sustain and tonal clarity across the range. Tone is more 'woody' then 'bright', with very good tone richness, definition and presence. The most noteworthy tonal characteristics are the mandolin's sustain, its mid-range voice, and it's preference for tonal richness and presence over projection or 'bark'. A classic example of the tone expected from a long-necked, oval-hole mandolin with X bracing and no tone bars.
I have a Weber Absaroka, Bitterroot and a Big Horn but my main mando is my Breedlove Quartz FF. I like the playability and sound. The Big Horn is beautiful and more delicate suitable for lower volume playing. The BitterRoot is a great BG mando with chop and wood tones. The Absaroka is a little hollow sounding to me but a great mando. The reason I play the quartz above the others is b/c it is an all around mando that has a little of all those qualities as ewell as it's own sound. I like to make it woof!
Never played the Weber Absoroka, but my BL American ff is loud, dry and woody, and rings out in the highs. I couldn't be happier with it. It sounds better than my F9 and plays better with its radius FB and larger frets.
My KF has a full rich tone and is very well balanced between the trebel and bass sides. Sound is crisp and clear. I couldn't be happier.
