Kevin Arrowsmith has a long history of playing instruments – starting with the violin at age five.
Eventually, he moved on to the cello, guitar, and mandolin. The diversity in his instruments carries through to the musical styles he was exposed to. Bands like Guns N’ Roses and Ozzy got him into guitar, but a “pickin party” in college turned him on to bluegrass and love for the mandolin.
Now on tour with Luke Bryan, this multi-instrumentalist plays fiddle, viola, mandolin and guitar on stage all in one night. You can check him out on tour or in Bryan’s weekly webisodes. Weber sat down with Arrowsmith to learn more about the inspiration of his custom Weber mandolin and what life is like on the road.
Weber: You have a custom Weber, what was the thought process behind it?
KA: I got the Custom Vintage F because I love the elegant look of the oval hole with herringbone inlay. To me, the prettiest era of mandolins is those from the early 1900’s, F2 and F4 mandolins. Don’t get me wrong, I love the power of an F5, but there is just something about the look and sound of an oval hole that can’t be denied.
Weber: Can you describe your custom inlay and why you chose it?
KA: My custom inlay is and arrowhead with a diamond in the middle. My last name is Arrowsmith. This is an English name given to someone who makes arrowheads. I chose for my arrowhead a medieval style much like what someone in my family long ago might have made. As for the diamond, my family spent several generations mining diamonds in South Africa. The inlay is an homage to my particular Arrowsmith family.
Weber: How did you decide what color to pick?
KA: The color I chose for my mandolin is basically a lighter version of the burgundy burst that comes standard on that model. I wanted a bit more of the reds showing in the finish but I didn’t see anything quite like it on the website, so I looked online and found a picture of a Weber from years ago with the finish I liked. That’s the finish I have and I think it really gives a classic look to the instrument.
Weber: What is your favorite characteristic of your Weber?
KA: I love the way my Weber plays, feels, looks and sounds, but I would have to say that my favorite characteristic is the woodiness of the tone. That is something common with oval hole mandolins, but this has an extraordinary amount especially for a brand new one.
