#1
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Weber Mandolins to go on furlough...
Copied from the Mandolin Cafe website:
BEND, OR. — Two Old Hippies President and CEO Tom Bedell has announced a temporary transition of the Weber mandolin luthier team to the guitar side of the company's manufacturing operations effective with the completion of instruments already in production. As those instruments are completed and shipped, the team, previously dedicated solely to Weber Mandolins, will temporarily transition to the guitar side of the Two Old Hippes brands, housed in the same facility. Bedell told us, "Like other stringed instrument companies, demand has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Thankfully, when our lives are turned upside down, millions of Americans turn to music making and especially acoustic stringed instruments. We are currently completely sold out with Breedlove and Bedell Guitars and Weber Mandolins. We anxiously want to serve our dealers and are doing everything we can to get them the instruments they are selling. And, if people want to learn to play, we want to get them the instrument they would like while the interest and motivation are peaked. "Since we can only build one mandolin for every four guitars we craft, we have decided to focus on guitars for the next year. This will help us get more instruments to more dealers and players. We have contacted all of our Weber dealers and they are aware of the situation and, in cases where they also sell our Bedell & Breedlove guitars, we have found agreement and support. "We sold more Weber Mandolins in the past year than ever and had already halted 2021 orders some time back, unprecedented for us this early in the year. We're committed to re-evaluating where we're at on an a monthly basis. Once we're confident our guitar retailers are receiving the inventory they need we'll transition our mandolin team back to the Weber brand." |
#2
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Well, I'm betting they will do what makes them the most money for as long as they are making it.
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2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa |
#3
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Interesting. It’s clear that the guitar side of their product line moves faster and probably more profitably than the mandolin side.
Still, it’s a relatively good problem to have. whm |
#4
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Speculation over at the Mandolin Cafe forum is that American-made Weber mandolins may never return. They think Bedell will instead source a Chinese mandolin. The extra labor needed to build mandolins being the reason.
Again, mere speculation.
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Rob Hanesworth Not tryin' to brag, or nuthin', but I own a guitar. |
#5
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It makes no difference to me, because every Weber I've played has had no loudness. Pretty sounding but lacking volume. But there is a dealer I frequent that has them to bridge the gap from imports to Ellis. They ususally have a Pava or two. It would be interesting to have a dealer's perspective.
The shortage of product doesn't seem to get any better. Gryphon was down to two F styles last week. They could be counted on to have five or so, and another five A styles. They had no Northfields.
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2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa |