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So here's my story. By day I'm a forensic psychologist. But
by night, I reclaim my humanity through music. For 26 years, I've played
on a
trusty, but simple, Ibenez mandolin. In celebrating our 20th Anniversary,
my beautiful bride said she wanted to buy me the mandolin of my dreams -
which was of course a Weber!
I had it for about 2 hours and then sent it back up to Montana to have it
dressed up a bit.
Never a man to keep things simple, I immediately proceeded to torture
Mary and John at Weber with custom requests for my Yellowstone. Here's
some of what went into the "Weber-Wonder."
First, what you don't see:
.Tone-bar bracing, which ages better over time.
.A cedar top, which makes for a richer sound and better projection.
.A McIntyre Acoustic Feather pick-up, the perfect assist when playing
with enthusiastic banjo players, electric keyboardists and drummers.
Second, what's up front:
.A custom "filled" tailpiece (Mary's idea) that matches the color of the
cedar top.
.A "Wood-Nymph" with custom inlay of "Hypomone" - a Konia Greek word that
roughly translates "God's grace under fire."
.A fossilized, walrus-bone bridge and nut. This improves tone and volume.
Vern was kind enough to create a custom "Brekke" bridge on
this.
.The Gecko inlay in the scalloped fret-board. In the desert Southwest,
the sighting of a gecko is considered to be a blessing upon a home. The
three stones on his back are sapphire - the stone for September (the month
we married and the birth month for both of our children).
.I wanted a finger rest, and Mary wisely suggested making it scalloped to
flow with the fret-board. .A truss-rod cover inlaid with "Wonder" -
my middle name (my parents had a sense of humor).
.The "Fern" abalone headstock. An upgrade for the Yellowstone.
Thirdly, on the back:
.A cross in the heel - a reflection of the most significant relationship
in my life. .The headstock inlay - the date of our 20th wedding
anniversary. This was an innovative design suggested by Mary.
What can I tell you? She plays like a dream. This truly is a treasured
family heirloom that, by God's grace, will be passed down for generations.
The team at Weber was fantastic to work with, and Mary has the patience of
Mother Theresa.
So if you're ever sitting in a jail in Tucson, Arizona, and having a
psychologist evaluate your sanity, ask him about his Weber-Wonder (maybe
he'll put in a good word to the judge!).
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