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Weber Archtop Oval Hole Archtop OMs: Any Preference?
I would like to get a Weber Archtop Oval Hole OM. I have never seen one in a store, so notwithstanding having viewed a few YouTube’s, I am flying blind. I always thought I would prefer a Bridger, as I have a Bridger mandolin that I really like. As Bridgers are quite hard to find these days, I was wondering about the relative merits of Yellowstone and Bitteroot oval OMs. Anybody ever play these three instruments? Would somebody please take a moment to clue me in on their relative merits regarding tone, volume, etc?
Thanks so much for any help or insights you can give to me.
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Registered User
Re: Weber Archtop Oval Hole Archtop OMs: Any Preference?
I've owned a Weber Gallatin F hole, a Weber Yellowstone D hole, a flat top O hole teardrop, and a Bayard Flat top Guitar bodied. I liked all of them but they had different strengths.
The flat top teardrop was a good strummer but in my opinion the single notes/drone stuff got a little weak as you went up the neck.
The F hole Gallatin was great for single notes and drones but the strum was a bit thin. I did like it quite a bit when playing with guitar and bass. I would use more percussive chords and drones and harmonies When trying to accompany my wife's tin whistle the chords were less full than a guitar.
The D hole Yellowstone was a nice mix. The chords sounded fuller and had more sustain than the F hole. The single notes sounded very nice as well, I like the single note playing better than a flat top tear drop and almost as much as the F hole.
The Guitar bodied octave is where I landed. The single notes have more zing (a bit more bouzouki like) but they still sound nice enough. The bass and sustain is great. It's really a Franken-instrument part mando, part bouzouki, and part guitar. The D hole sounded nicer playing melody but the bass and sustainof the GBOM means I can accompany a whistle, drive a session, or be the only instrument in a sea chanty or sing along.
You might think of them in a spectrum as from more mandolin like to more like a guitar.
Mando----F hole carved top octave-------D Hole carved top octave------Guitar bodied flat top----Guitar.
Of course bridge and scale length and many other things play a factor as well!
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Re: Weber Archtop Oval Hole Archtop OMs: Any Preference?
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Barn Cat Mandolins
Re: Weber Archtop Oval Hole Archtop OMs: Any Preference?
Hello Timacn,
Mine is a custom Weber Absaroka D hole, and uniquely short-scale and small bodied. Still, I thought I would offer my perspective.
I think the arch-top OMs are a different animal than the flat-tops, perhaps even more so that in mandolins. For the playing I do, I love it. It is very mandoliny. By that, I mean that I agree with Chuck's assessment that there is a range of OMs from more mandolin-like to more guitar-like. I wanted one on the mandolin end of the spectrum and this one is definitely there. That is what I prefer for my type of playing (mostly melody line, lots of Renaissance, Italian folk, Scottish and Irish, but not accompanying a singer).
Good luck with your search.
Bob
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Re: Weber Archtop Oval Hole Archtop OMs: Any Preference?
Hi, I own a weber Yellowstone OM 20" scale large oval hole, built recently and purchased thru acoustic vibes music. Looks really cool.....however it seems to be built for bluegrass music....when I play a reel or jig it feels like a real workout. I've also owned a D hole weber.....same response. I own a Sobell OM from 1996.....It's Alive!!!
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