Weber Bridger changes

[Rick Lindstrom]

I own a much beloved Bridger A from 1998. I visited the SoundtoEarth site recently and noticed that the neck/ top joint details on Bridgers have changed considerably. The old construction style was like the early Gibson A models where the ramp for the fingerboard over the top was actually carved out of the top.

It appears now that the construction is in the style of modern A or F styles with the top not actually meeting the fingerboard, but rather being glued to a discrete piece.

I curious about when this happened and why, if anyone knows. It seems like a major departure from the original character of the Bridger.

Thanks-

Rick

[JEStanek]

You should probably ask Sound To Earth via their contact us page. The model on the old Folk of the Wood Pages shows the fingerboard glued to the top like yours (which dates the photo to 2000-2004sh at least. If I recall correctly, Weber revamped it's line 3-4 years ago and dropped certain models, like the Bridger F. The elevated fingerboard may have been implemented on the Bridger A then.

Jamie

[Rick Lindstrom]

I wrote Sound to Earth recently with a question about the provenance of my Bridger and never received a reply from them which I thought to be a bit out of character since they've been very responsive in the past.

I've been off the Cafe for a while, but I remember that there was a sales guy from Weber that seemed to follow the forums pretty closely and stay on top of things like this. Wonder what happened to him?

Rick

You should probably ask Sound To Earth via their contact us page. The model on the old Folk of the Wood Pages shows the fingerboard glued to the top like yours (which dates the photo to 2000-2004sh at least. If I recall correctly, Weber revamped it's line 3-4 years ago and dropped certain models, like the Bridger F. The elevated fingerboard may have been implemented on the Bridger A then.

Jamie

[GRW3]

Any chance you are comparing a D hole Bridger to an oval hole Bridger. It is available both ways and there is a significant difference in the area of which you speak. I have played both versions of Bridger and both types of hole in other Webers and I much prefer the D hole. So much so that it is my choice for the new mandola I've ordered.

[Rick Lindstrom]

My Bridger A has the D hole and the old style neck join where the fingerboard extension is actually glued to the top. The current Bridgers at StoE show an oval hole with the crosspiece and free extension type detail. Also, the peghead is more like a snakehead design now.

The only thing that seems to distinguish the current Bridger from the other Weber A styles is that they've maintained the "Celtic" (for lack of a better description) body shape.

Nothing wrong with any of this of course- it just snuck up on me and I was wondering when it happened and why.

For comparison purposes, here's a link to photos I put up several years ago when I mistakenly thought I wanted to sell it. It actually went to Iowa and came back to me because the guy decided he didn't want it. Really glad of that now because it's my favorite mando.

http://www.nettally.com/kb10troy/bridger/

Rick

Any chance you are comparing a D hole Bridger to an oval hole Bridger. It is available both ways and there is a significant difference in the area of which you speak. I have played both versions of Bridger and both types of hole in other Webers and I much prefer the D hole. So much so that it is my choice for the new mandola I've ordered.

[Kevin Briggs]

Rick,

It is definitely out of character for STE not to get back to you. I would not hesitate to call them about your question. John or Mary can probably answer your question about the original STE model you are referencing. It's a shame Paula Jean is not there any more though, because she could absolutely answer it, having been the customer service rep from the older days. Still, I can attest from personal experience that they will do anything they can for you.

Kevin

[JEStanek]

I would call if the e-mail failed. They're very easy to talk too. Small staff, very knowledgable and helpful. I think you're thinking of Brett Byers now. Rick B. used to post a lot but has since left Sound To Earth.

E-mails can be wonky at the best of times. The Folk of the Wood page has a D hole with the integral (not raised finger board). When I was just getting into mandolins the Bridger F was my dream instrument.

[chasray]

I have the "older" style Bridger . The change (raised fretboard) is only very recent, this past year. I think I noticed the new photos up just a month or two ago.

[8ch(pl)]

Am I wrong, or was the Bridger the First model that Weber brought out? Late 90's or so.

[Rick Lindstrom]

That's one of the questions I wanted to ask STE. If I interpret the serial number correctly, mine was built in Dec. 1998 and was #207 (9820712).

Rick

Am I wrong, or was the Bridger the First model that Weber brought out? Late 90's or so.

[Brett Byers]

That's one of the questions I wanted to ask STE. If I interpret the serial number correctly, mine was built in Dec. 1998 and was #207 (9820712).

Rick

Rick, you are reading the serial number correctly. Your mandolin was built in December of 1998, and was the 207th A style mandolin to come out of the Weber shop. Off the top of my head, I can't remember exactly when we changed the specs of the Bridger A, but it was fairly recently. Within the last couple of years. Ultimately the spec changes were a result of Bruce's constant drive to improve the instruments we build, and he felt that the elevated FB extension improved the Bridger. The change in peghead shape from the dogbone style to the tapered style was a result of consumer demands. We just had more people wanting the tapered shape, so we finally decided to make that standard on most A models.
I'm sorry you didn't get a response via email, but if you have any further questions, please feel free to call the shop. Either Cameron (sales mgr) or JoAnn (office mgr) will answer the phone, and if they don't have the answers you need, they will certainly get the information for you. The toll free number is 888-886-7598.

In regards to the question about the Bridger being the first model introduced, it was one of the earliest models, but not the first. Initially STE intended on focusing on flat top and back mandolin family instruments, but the demand for a quality, US made carved top instrument was so high that Bruce expanded the lineup very early on, and we now offer the largest and most diverse line of mandolin family instruments in the world.

[GRW3]

Weber has pictures of their three sound hole styled, F, Oval and D, here

The D hole picture looks like your pictures and the oval hole picture shows how the fretboard projects above the top (see the shadow?) like on an F hole instrument.

[Mary Weber]

Just saw this and 'What Brett said'. It's funny this came up about the same time as the Hyalite thread. The Bridgers' & Hyalite tops and backs are carved/shaped totally differently than our other A-style instruments- we call it our Celtic carving, and consider these the supremo celtic instruments.
You'll notice the molas, OM's & mandocello Bridgers still have the integral fingerboard (which gives more space in the sound chamber) and the D-hole but same carving, but Bruce liked the extension blocks with the mandos (he just said he may change the mandolas to ext. blocks, too- shouldn't have mentioned it : )
As to why the picture recently changed, it always takes us awhile to build one, then build a STANDARD one (so many are customized), then remember to get a picture.
The Bridgers are pretty popular (esp. the octaves) with sound musicians, and artists that are looking for a different sound for particular songs, etc. so don't get a lot attention, but are cool.

[Rick Lindstrom]

Thank you Mary and Brett for weighing in on this- your explanations shed a lot of light, and I would agree with you that market forces is what it's all about. You build what will sell and what people desire or else you're not in business.

I love my Bridger and wanted one from the moment I saw a picture- it seemed magical. The early model is one of the most elegant mandolin designs I've seen. Not a Bluegass instrument, of course, but extremely versatile.

Someone mentioned in an earlier post that my serial number indicates that the mando was the 207th A model mandolin to come out of your shop. As I read the explanation on your web site, I interpret it as the 207th Bridger A. Would you know which is the case?

Thanks-

Rick

Just saw this and 'What Brett said'. It's funny this came up about the same time as the Hyalite thread. The Bridgers' & Hyalite tops and backs are carved/shaped totally differently than our other A-style instruments- we call it our Celtic carving, and consider these the supremo celtic instruments.
You'll notice the molas, OM's & mandocello Bridgers still have the integral fingerboard (which gives more space in the sound chamber) and the D-hole but same carving, but Bruce liked the extension blocks with the mandos (he just said he may change the mandolas to ext. blocks, too- shouldn't have mentioned it : )
As to why the picture recently changed, it always takes us awhile to build one, then build a STANDARD one (so many are customized), then remember to get a picture.
The Bridgers are pretty popular (esp. the octaves) with sound musicians, and artists that are looking for a different sound for particular songs, etc. so don't get a lot attention, but are cool.

[Brett Byers]

Rick, it would be the 207th A style mandolin. We do not assign serial numbers by model, but rather body style. A style mandolins have their own set of numbers, as do F-style mandolins, and it goes even further with A and F style mandolas, octaves, and mandocellos each having their own succession of numbers, as well as our line of flat top mando family instruments. It sounds complicated, but it's not really. Basically, the first number(s) represents the year, the last two numbers represent the month the instrument was inspected by Bruce and shipped out the door, and the middle group of numbers represents the chronological number assigned to that instrument, within it's body style grouping. I'm sure I just made it way more complicated than it needs to be, but that's it in a nutshell. For example: 10366509 would represent a mandolin (f-style in this case) that was inspected and labeled by Bruce in September of 2010, and was the 3665th F-style mandolin produced.
That's not a specific mandolin I'm referring to, but it's a relevant example.

[Rick Lindstrom]

Brett (and Mary)-

It's really great to have you back on the forum. Please do hang around!

One more question that's probably a little harder, and if you don't know, it's OK: I've always wondered where my Bridger stood in the sequence of Bridger A models- 207th A model, but how many Bridgers before mine? (9820712). It originally was purchased at Greg Boyd's, and was actually the example they had up on their website for a long time. I know this because it has some distinctive grain patterns in the top, and a unique inclusion in the maple back.

Rick

Rick, it would be the 207th A style mandolin. We do not assign serial numbers by model, but rather body style. A style mandolins have their own set of numbers, as do F-style mandolins, and it goes even further with A and F style mandolas, octaves, and mandocellos each having their own succession of numbers, as well as our line of flat top mando family instruments. It sounds complicated, but it's not really. Basically, the first number(s) represents the year, the last two numbers represent the month the instrument was inspected by Bruce and shipped out the door, and the middle group of numbers represents the chronological number assigned to that instrument, within it's body style grouping. I'm sure I just made it way more complicated than it needs to be, but that's it in a nutshell. For example: 10366509 would represent a mandolin (f-style in this case) that was inspected and labeled by Bruce in September of 2010, and was the 3665th F-style mandolin produced.
That's not a specific mandolin I'm referring to, but it's a relevant example.

[Brett Byers]

Rick, I have a feeling that finding that information would require quite a bit of digging through old records, but it's possible JoAnn could come up with an answer for you with a few simple keystrokes. She's pretty good at stuff like that. I'm not sure how much of our early records were done by hand, or computer, but feel free to give her a call.

[Matt]

Hi All! I too am a proud owner of a '01 Bridger A. with a flat fretboard. Mine came stock with a lightweight polished endpiece, the type where the cover slides off to reveal the string ends. Can anyone attest to an improvement in sound quality if I were to switch to a heavier endpiece like the ones now shipped stock on newer Webers?

[nickster60]

It is hard to beat the Weber clan for customer service. I great company by any standard.

Nick Petrasso
Palmetto,Fl

[Rick Lindstrom]

I switched mine too, and I don't think I could really say that it changed the sound any. But I like it because it's elegant looking and it doesn't have any sharp corners or edges like the original and so is much easier on your arm if you happen to play with it down that low.

One caveat- it's not a "take it off and bolt on the new one" proposition. I had to drill out the end pin hole (a little scary) and as I recall the screws needed new holes drilled because the old holes weren't in the right places (not too scary).

Rick

Hi All! I too am a proud owner of a '01 Bridger A. with a flat fretboard. Mine came stock with a lightweight polished endpiece, the type where the cover slides off to reveal the string ends. Can anyone attest to an improvement in sound quality if I were to switch to a heavier endpiece like the ones now shipped stock on newer Webers?

[Matt]

I switched mine too, and I don't think I could really say that it changed the sound any. But I like it because it's elegant looking and it doesn't have any sharp corners or edges like the original and so is much easier on your arm if you happen to play with it down that low.

One caveat- it's not a "take it off and bolt on the new one" proposition. I had to drill out the end pin hole (a little scary) and as I recall the screws needed new holes drilled because the old holes weren't in the right places (not too scary).

Rick

Thank you for your thoughts, Rick. I am not well equipped with drill bits!

[red7flag]

I went to the STE website. By mistake I went to the octave mandolin area, looked at the Bridger A and guess what? It has the old attached to the body style.

[JEStanek]

That's what Mary said. Bruce thought the mandolin version benefited from the elevated board.

Jamie

[red7flag]

I missed that post entirely. Thanks Jamie.

[Brett Byers]

One more question that's probably a little harder, and if you don't know, it's OK: I've always wondered where my Bridger stood in the sequence of Bridger A models- 207th A model, but how many Bridgers before mine? (9820712).
Rick

Rick, JoAnn did some digging and found that your Bridger was the 16th Bridger A built. I'm not sure what we'd do without her.