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Thread: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

  1. #26
    Registered User Lorenzo LaRue's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Leyda View Post
    Just speculating but I wouldn't be surprised if Weber returns as an upgrade to their Crossover mandolin. Designed in Bend and produced offshore. There may be a market for a 1k type of carved top. They would compete with Eastmann. They already have the facilities that produce the Crossover.
    ....I believe the Crossover's were an actual Breedlove model, made in Asia when they dropped their own stateside mandos....
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  2. #27
    Mando-Afflicted lflngpicker's Avatar
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    I appreciated Scott's well stated and reasoned explanation of the human and business aspects that were employed in making this decision. I feel confident that in better times, Weber will again be producing mandolins. In the meantime, I am grateful to own a very nice one Bruce signed in 2007.

  3. #28
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandolin Cafe View Post
    There was never a takeover of Breedlove or Weber by Two Old Hippies. This is a false narrative. Hostile takeovers are designed to use big money on top of big money to make a lot of money through force. We're talking building guitars and mandolins here, and in case this is news, hardly an industry you get into to wildly prosper. Breedlove and Weber were independently sold by agreement. Bruce addresses his sale of the company on his web site.

    There has never been a plan to move Weber's manufacturing overseas, another false narrative now dating back almost 10 years.

    The entire manufacturing industry is struggling and has been severely impacted by the panemic. This was never a financially viable industry to make a lot of money. But it has always done well enough and people that do this for a living do it because they love stringed musical instruments.

    During the pandemic it's known a number of guitar, mandolin, banjo companies downsized and let employees go, permanently. Two Old Hippies was not one of them. The business changes they've made over the years saw to that. Say what you want to about Tom Bedell, but he knows how to manage a business, and the continued employment of his people is a priority. The changes going on at TOH are happening right now in one shape or another to almost all companies with more than a few employees, only they aren't being announced. Collings will produce a fraction of mandolins in the next few years compared to the past.

    Guitars keep the lights on: at Weber, Collings, Gibson, Eastman and many, many others. And yes, a mandolin is quite more difficult to build than most guitars and the latter a better profit margin. Should go without saying I love mandolins as much as anyone, but at the end of the day, people need to eat, and they need employment. What Weber is doing here is little more than ensuring their continued success.
    Thanks Scott. Spot on!

  4. #29
    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandolin Cafe View Post


    "....And yes, a mandolin is quite more difficult to build than most guitars...."
    This is incorrect.

    When I worked for Kim Breedlove, I "built" 2 1/2 mandolins per day before lunch, while getting constantly verbally abused that I was too slow, earning $7 per hour. The guitars have many more production steps and took about three days.
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  5. #30
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Quote Originally Posted by j. condino View Post
    This is incorrect.

    When I worked for Kim Breedlove, I "built" 2 1/2 mandolins per day before lunch, while getting constantly verbally abused that I was too slow, earning $7 per hour. The guitars have many more production steps and took about three days.

    I don't doubt you, but then why are they focusing on guitars when they can sell all they build of either?

  6. #31
    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    From a sales standpoint, the domestic mandolin market is measured in tens of thousands of units per year while the domestic guitar market sales are measured in millions of units per year. That is a lot more potential money. Outside of this forum, the mandolin is a very small niche & most average people don't even know what a mandolin is; they more often call it a ukulele (at best).....
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  7. #32
    Registered User Willem's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Quote Originally Posted by lflngpicker View Post
    . I feel confident that in better times, Weber will again be producing mandolins.
    Maybe, but will they continue to be produced in Bend Oregon...
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  8. #33

    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    I live near Bend and have a Weber mando that I wanted to bring to them so they could look it over and set it up. They don't answer their phone and they never returned my call.

  9. #34
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    In my experience, there is more money, less labor and skill required in manufacturing than repairing and restoration.

    Just an aside..
    2 x 4 8 ft is now 8-10 dollars. less than a year ago it was $2.50. Do you really think they will ever be at $2.50 again ?

    Follow the money.




    Quote Originally Posted by Timk View Post
    I live near Bend and have a Weber mando that I wanted to bring to them so they could look it over and set it up. They don't answer their phone and they never returned my call.

  10. #35

    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    True, but it doesn't give me confidence in owning a Weber product, not knowing if I could get assistance or service if I needed.

  11. #36

    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Quote Originally Posted by Timk View Post
    True, but it doesn't give me confidence in owning a Weber product, not knowing if I could get assistance or service if I needed.
    I had a really great email exchange with their customer support earlier this summer regarding bringing my Weber up there on a road trip. Perhaps they are just more responsive with email. I sent my initial inquiry to weberinfo@twooldhippies.com and heard back the next day. Good luck getting your Weber some TLC!

  12. #37
    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Published one year ago today. There's an important development about the future of Weber in the works and it's a positive one in our opinion, but not yet ready for announcing. For someone that might ask, no, they are not moving production overseas. Never was a consideration.

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  14. #38
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    I've read in the past year that Breedlove, Waterloo and Collings had all suspended building new mandolins to focus on guitars due to high demand, worker shortages and supply chain issues. Doesn't surprise me that Weber (being part of Two Old Hippies which also runs Breedlove) did the same. Surprised I don't remember hearing about it when the news first came out - maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

  15. #39

    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    Collings has not suspended building mandolins. You are not seeing a lot of new ones for sale at dealers because most are pre-sold. TME just got a brand new MF5v. They have had new MT2s and Mt2vs that were already spoken for upon arrival. However, don't expect to see a lot of MTs. Most dealers are filling their allotted build slots with upper end models, and build slots through 2023 are pretty much full now.


    Collings has however discontinued the Waterloo mandolin, and ukes, and their tenor guitar model.
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  16. #40
    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Weber Announces Pause in Mandolin Manufacturing

    And Breedlove hasn't even existed for quite a number of years now.

    There's also some major changes in the works with Gibson on the mandolin and guitar side I wish I could share but I'm not supposed to know, but some of their dealers do. As with any subject with that company, always a fair amount of drama and attention seeking involved in any change.

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  18. #41
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    We just posted our video interview with Ryan Fish, the new owner and builder of Weber Mandolins.

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