Weber Octave Mandolins Questions & Answers

Subject: octave mandolins
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 19:04:21 -0400

hello
listening to your sound samples on your site:
the absaroka has a full resonant sound which i like very
much; the samples of the sage one sound tinny by comparison>
is this a fair comparison or is this difference due more to
the times and techniques of recording (the sage two by
contrast sounds closer to the absoroka)

can you compare the relative sounds of the two instunents? i
assume the sage models differ only in finish work

thanks

Greetings,

Yes, the Absoraka Octave has a very throaty tone...and has the added ability of projected better than the Sage. I personally own a Big Sky Octave of which does have that darker throaty sound that you're hearing in the Absaroka.

The Sage does have a nice overall resonance...I just don't believe it has the richness in tone offered by Weber's archtop octaves.

The Sage does differ in other ways...such as the fact that it is a flat style octave...and this is the biggest influence of all on the tonal difference between the two.

Hope this helps, Mickey

Subject: order
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 18:07:38 -0700

Mickey, First, James is the best. Next, in buying an octave mandolin and considering a Weber, if I want a deeper, raspy sound with good sustain, should I consider moving up to the layer of Webers above the Sages? Which models, especially those you have in stock, would best for Celtic rock background rhythm playing. What about oval hole to the f-holes? Again, I've never met a business with the integrity of yours. Your people are good listeners, patient and take care of problems in an excellent manner. Eric Larsen

Greetings Eric,

Glad to assist...hope this finds you well...

A deeper sound...with more resonance...will be found with the flat styles such as the Sage models...now, if you want projection, with good resonance, you might want to step up to an archtop model such as the Hyalite. Because of its matte finish, it still offers a full resonance.

I have a friend up in Canada who's a devout celtic player, Russ Godfrey...and, he recently picked up a Weber Hyalite...of which he's thrilled with...he plays lots of complex celtic rhythm and plays professionally within the context of a celtic band in Canada...before he purchased the Weber Hyalite, with D soundhole, he had a Absaroka octave...he felt that the Absaroka just didn't have the resonance he was looking for...whereas he feels the Hyalite does have the aliveness in tone...(of course, the Absaroka does have tremendous projection).

You can find a pix of him with his Hyalite at:
http://www.folkofthewood.com/page2591.htm

I personally own a Weber Big Sky Octave of which I've found to have the voicing I'm looking for...lots of projection...little resonance.

At your disposal, Mickey

Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 08:11:54 -0700
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Fwd: Mandolim/Octave mandolin

Hello Mickey,
More contemplations,
I am attracted to the Absaroka because I have played and know that characteristics of that instrument, however, I thought that the Bridger with the oval or D hole and a none laquer finish
might make a better choice for an octave mandolin.

If you're looking for more resonance...with lots of sustain and aliveness, go with the Bridger with D hole...

The Absaroka would work well for projection...

I play mostly Bluegrass and some Celtic(used to be a fiddle player and belted out lots of Cape Breton music)
The instrument would be used to accompany vocals(Ricky Skaggs/Tony Rice style),
backup and lead and I think I like the sound of a rich, dark sounding instrument with presence as opposed to an F hole, more nasal sounding instrument,
what is your view on this ?

Well, it's rare to hear an Octave in a bluegrass setting...they're usually always played in Celtic settings. I personally play a wide variety of styles on my Octave...for vocal accompaniment, if you're looking for lots of roundness of tone with sustain, go with the Bridger...however, if you're playing it as a lead instrument amongst quite a few other players, you still might find the Absaroka to be the best choice. Of course, you could consider a compromise by having an Absaroka built with a D soundhole...

I realize that it would take a lot longer to get that instrument , as it probably would have to be built.

Hope something here has been of assistance to you...Mickey

Let me know what you think,
Best Regards
Peter

Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 11:32:22 -0800 (PST)
Subject: and octave mandolin

Hello Mickey,

I received an from Shelley and hopefully we've
taken care of things. I'm optimistic our arrangement
can remain the same for the foreseeable future.

That's great to hear Errol! As you know, I'm a fan of the Stinger Strap myself and use them exclusively on all of my mandolins. I also have friends that swear by them...Hopefully, we can get back on a solid track.

I could use your expertise on another matter. I've
mentioned that I'm looking to purchase a octave
mandolin and may be in the market for it very soon.
I've read all the FAQ information on your site and at
the Mandolin Cafe and still have some questions
needing resolution before I place an order.

I'd be glad to personally assist you...

I'm have difficulty deciding between the Sage 1 and
the Hyalite with the "D" hole (rather than f hole) and
would value your opinion. I'll be using it largely
for solo accompaniment and am looking for a mellow
instrument with a fat sound.

The Hyalite with "D" Soundhole would do you justice...it's a very vibrant instrument with some added projection due to the arch...the Flat Octaves seem to get lost in most settings...even so, they do have a nice resonance just the same.

I don't necessarily need
the projection of an arch top instrument, but I've
read your comments about the warmth a mahogany backed
instrument generally provides.

I just recently sent out a Hyalite D soundhole model that had plenty of aliveness along with warmth...in fact, it far surpassed the resonance of my Big Sky Octave...my Big Sky has a dark voice that projects very well...and will slice through a wall of cacophony...only, it lacks in resonance. It has its own smoky voice...that works well for me...

However, I've been
fooling around with a Morgan Monroe octave for a few
months now and really like the sound of the flattop
instrument. Can you somehow describe the
characteristics of these two models?

The Flat Style is nice and resonant...in fact, it will be more alive than the Hyalite...however, the Hyalite will be far more versatile and have more of a slice-through sound when it's called up to perform in an ensemble. I believe that having both would be the ultimate...especially when recording...since you'll have a couple of colors to choose from. If I had only one to choose, I'd personally go for the Hyalite. Since the Morgan Monroe is so affordable, it seems having both the Hyalite and the Morgan Monroe would be the ultimate. Morgan Monroe distributes our Wisdom of the Wood videos...and, interestingly, I've added another 45 minutes to my "Intro to Octave Mandolin"...which now includes the Morgan Monroe Celtic Octave...you can hear an amazing contrast on this video between the Weber Yellowstone Octave (very similar to the Big Sky) and the Morgan Monroe Celtic...

Also, how would
a gloss finish impact each of them and would x bracing
benefit the Hyalite?

Judging by what you're looking for in an octave, I'd say stay away from the gloss finish...it will definitely tone down the aliveness...yes, the X Bracing does benefit the Hyalite...especially if you're looking for an open sound from the beginning...I prefer X Bracing on all my mandos except one: the Gibson F-5L...which to me is a focused mandolin that has that bluegrass voice.

Hope this helps somehow...Mickey

Thanks for you help in advance. I'll look forward to
your response.

Errol