Wonderful video. I got a lot from it. learned a lot about listening, and comparing while I worked in a violin shop for 6 years. When our owner brought back a violin from one of the auctions, we would set it up, have one of the symphony people play it for a week or so to wake it up, and then compare it with others we had. We would listen to about 5 violins with our backs turned, take notes, and then later that day have 1 or 2 other players come in and we would do the same thing. My favorite almost always changed with the player.
This is just an incredible venture into the history and lore (sorry, I couldn’t resist) of the mystique of our instrument. Thank you for teaching us about the background… so fascinating! Thank you, David 🙏
Super documentary! - Learned much!! I can't afford an F-5, but did manage to obtain a 2007 vintage F-10. It was disappointingly hard to play. As I have arthritis in my left wrist, I put custom light strings on by starting with 8's, and moving the former 1st, second & third strings down to the 2nd, 3rd & forth positions. The F-10 came alive for me! However; my jewel is a Weber Yellowstone with a very rare one-piece back. The original Montana Weber shop put a custom pick guard on it, and while I was at the shop, got to meet Mr. Weber and all his craftsmen & women during a personal tour of his shop. Heaven!
Excellent video. I’m at a festival in Eureka, MO today and played two Loars, one being the famed “Don Brown” Loar. I’m primarily a guitarist (my 1936 D-18 is my Loar equivalent so to speak), but I have a deep appreciation for Loars. They’re American treasures indeed…
What a wonderful video David. Thank you so much for this content. Here are my two cents on Loar Mandolins. I live very near Elderly Instruments and for many years was given the heads up when one came to the store and would drive over and check it out. Some were incredible instruments ...some so so but I was always grateful to have the opportunity to play one. At IBMA in about 1991 after a long night jam session Larry Wexler came into the room and handed me a Loar. Maybe it was the energy of the evening or the late hour but something magical happened. My pick hardly touched the instrument and it was as if I was releasing the music from within the instrument. It was already there waiting. I played it that night until he pulled it out of my hands. A few years later my friend and mentor Butch Baldassari got me in touch with Aubrey Haynie and I bought his Gilchrist for which I will be forever grateful.
Roger Siminoff is my bandmate. He took care of Lloyd's widow for many years and she gave him a special present for his assistance. Roger invented and patented a machine that works the wood in, subsequent to his tap-tuning and final assembly. Thank you for the inspiring video.
@@ThisLoveIsSweet Roger knows something about banjos, also; he built for me an exact reproduction of my RB75 neck for my PB4 pot. By "exact" I mean that the headstock is overlaid with a veneer of painted pearwood rather than ebony. Before his carpal tunnel surgery he was working on Earl Scruggs' biography; Hmmm . . . I should ask him about his progress.
Sir, this video, along with a short list of like-minded projects by other musicians here on You Tube, makes up a great compilation of the history and significance of these mandolins. Thanks for putting in all the time and effort! I loved this video.
David, there has been a lot of information shared on the Loar mandolins and this one to me is the very best!! I love Tony's passion of the F5's! He is a gem!
Thank you for this David. Love me some Mike Marshall. He looks down on his Florida Bluegrass Boys day's, but let me tell you, you KNEW that young man was going places. And, they were taught proper stage presence. No other group would hit the stage immediately ready to play. They were quite frankly impressive as a whole. But particularly Mike. Bill Monroe, I was privileged to sit in on a Bluegrass Disc Jockey interview on his bus. Plain and simple, but effective, just like the man .
@@nicholasdauphinais Dunno what is the demographic range for "workingclass musicians", but those who reach a certain level of artistry find a way to acquire the level of instrument that suits their level of artistry. I had a chance to purchase a Lloyd Loar signed mandolin in the early 1970s for $6000, which exceeded my annual income that year. After playing mandolin professionally for over 50 years, I bought a Loar-signed F5 in 2022, for more than $6000, but way less than what was indicated as the current going rate quoted in the video. I humbly consider myself extremely fortunate to get this instrument, but it did not come into my position by simply whining about how "rich collector dudes" have effected the cost, or moaning "Woe is me, the down-trodden working musician"...along with some incredible good fortune, my unwavering desire to have a 1924 Gibson F5 put the thing in my hands. Want something real bad? How bad? Find a way to make it happen!
@@musicofanaticlol, you have to admit he has a point about all “collectible” things. I think as the boomers thin out, you’ll get to the point that these instruments will just be display queens in a display case somewhere.
Classical mandolinists still use the bowl back mandolin. I find them hard to play and uncomfortable to hold. I find the the A and F style mandolins superior in tone and playability.
@@pmscalisi I think we've already passed the point you refer to - young musicians are carrying the proverbial torch. These mandolins won't end up as display queens.
I live my reproduction of the Loyd Loar!! Its my 1st mando, and I made a great choice! "The Loar" was about $500...a far cry from a $10,000 Loar. But for me? 😊
Such a wonderful addition to an already impressive video library. As someone at the beginning of my mandolin journey the stories of things or people that inspire you,are very interesting and informative to watch . Well done!
Thankyou for everything David. Appreciated. I'll be back when I'm able, and can watch these videos in the meantime. Your music and lessons have helped me immensely.
Great video! Tony Williamson's historical knowledge and insights are fascinating. And that amazing group of artists! This synergy between a great player and a great instrument helps explain why I just can't hear enough of this music!
This video just was not long enough for me! Then again, an MCU rivaling epic at over 3 hours would not have been long enough, either. I was totally transfixed listening to - and trying to absorb - all the information & beautiful music. David, you are a true international treasure to the Mandolin & music worlds. Keep up the phenomenal work
This is so fascinating. There's also a couple videos out there of Thile playing a number of Loar mandos side by side, and hearing his take on tonality/etc. is in the same vein.
Great video. To slightly play devil's advocate... I was talking with George Gruhn while I was in Nashville in the spring and it was his belief that some Loars sound great and some are just fairly mediocre, and as he put it, "I've probably bought and sold more Loars than anyone alive." Now, to be fair, he was willing to admit that some of that can be attributed to wear and tear, poor storage, badly batched repairs, etc... but he still felt that the notion that all of these Loar-era Gibsons sounded like holy grails was the furthest thing from the truth.
My son got me a loar for Christmas. The sustain is incredible. It just rings and rings,and the sound is incredible. It could use a little more setup, and perhaps when I have a little more time, I will do so. It's not real expensive only 600 dollars but I love it.
Fascinating watch! Carters allowed my buddy to pick on one that was listed for $250k We asked on Friday and they weren’t interested…we returned on Saturday and they allowed him. Especially once they heard his playing. HNY!!
The 1923 owned by Bill Monroe absolutely had the capacity for a sweet, quiet tone. Plenty of recordings prove the point, if the person didn't hear the instrument at close range.
Really great Video. Always worth mentioning what type of plectrum used as it makes a huge difference to the sound, which is the main topic when judging mandolins. I reckon Wegen 2.00 are best.
Nice to see some old friends (mando's and humans). A nice short version of Loar history. Although, as usually happens, there needed to be some fact-checking done. Mostly a few minor glitches; but still, these sort of projects need to get it right for history's sake. All in all it's a fun 30 minutes.
I saw that Bill Monroe smashed mandolin in Chilliwack, BC back about 1990. You could not see any evidence of the repair. I seem to recall he said it was a “little tight” and it needed more 19:30. I also recall when Joe Val passed away, the mandolin was highly sought after and maybe sold around $35,000. But I may be wrong on that price.
$200 in 1922 is the equivalent of $3,7500 today. That is, not cheap, but a bargain for a Lloyd Loar mandolin, which now goes for nearly 50 times more. For comparison a modern Gibson mandolin costs between about 6 and 20 thousand.
Fascinating. I came to the mandolin from the guitar, and with a pronounced jazz influence (I also play four string banjo, mostly tenor). So, of course, I was aware of Lloyd Loar through the equally revered L-5 guitar; the instrument that set the template for the jazz guitar. Eddie Lang served the same function with the L-5 that Bill Monroe did a decade and a half later with the F-5: Other musicians wanted that sound, a sound that worked better for the emerging Big Band jazz than the tenor banjo that had been a staple of 1920s jazz rhythm sections. Side question: Are there any recordings of the complete set of Loar instruments together (F-5 mandolin, H-5 mandola, K-5 mandocello, L-5 guitar)? The irony of Monroe's influence is that, Grisman's Tone Poems 2 aside (and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble), conventional wisdom makes a Martin D-28 or D-18 the "correct" guitar to match with an F-5, a role Loar himself envisioned for the L-5. Now I'm going to play one of my Loar era instruments (1924 A Jr. Snakehead mandolin; 1925 L Jr. Snakehead guitar, because unless I hit the lottery, a Loar L-5 or F-5 is out of the question).
Another excellent video, thank David. I particularly liked the info on the tone Virzi. Have any modern builders tried to reinvent/improve on this concept? Would like to have a time machine to see how the instruments of current master builders sounded in 100 years.
Thanks David this is really great, it is likely you will own one of these while you are still young enough to play it. I own a fifty year old replica but with a higher arched top. We have found a full contact, non-adjustable bridge works well with it and I've always wondered what that style of bridge would sound like on a Loar.
Can get about 5 partials on my TKD Falcon F style mandolin but with arthritis no more than that. I searched the internet but could not find any info on this. David could you talk to Tony and some of the other in the know people and do a video on this? Thanks! 😊
Great info. I learned much. Makes me wonder what is the quality of the Gibson F5s in the immediate years after Loar left Gibson, is a '25 or '26 F5 still a desirable mandolin?
Yes, but the Loar signature will always be the bench mark for highest value. Many post Loar-period F5s sound great...listen to recordings with Bobby Osborne or Jimmy Gaudreau playing their 1925 F5s. Then there's Sam Bush's 1930s F5, granted, a somewhat modified instrument (regraduated) and sounds nothing like the classic Loar-signed instruments. F5s dated just after 12/1/24 very likely were constructed prior to 1925, but remained unsold until 1925 and beyond. Gibson F5s after 1929 were possibly built by later craftsmen and with different factory specifications. Mr. Williamson can speak more authoratively on this.
Would love to see a deeper dive on Loar. Gruhn and Joe Snapp have a video at a banjo camp that adds some perspective to this. “Acoustic Engineer” was a made up term. There was no degree that Loar acquired to earn that title. It’s funny they all remove the virzi. He also believed round sound holes were evil. Makes you wonder if he really had anything to do with them. I spoke with a prominent luthier that worked at Gibson during the CT scan era. He was able to spec 9 of them at once. He said 3 were amazing, 3 you could buy a new mandolin that sounded just as good and 3 were complete turds. I’ve only played one and it was a turd. Super disappointing when you finally get one in your hands and it’s awful. I remember the Collings mandolin next to it absolutely smoked it. Monroe, age and rarity make them what they are.
Thanks! Nice history! The switching between two cameras (front and oblique views of your talking head) is starting to feel dated. You could probably simplify editing and just look at the camera the whole time.
I have become so cynical when I hear notions like this. Mandolins attributed to Loar, like Stradivarious violins, and even pre-war Martins values are market driven with very little evidence to the veracity of their superiority against other similar quality instruments made years later. It's what people in the market do. They create stratification, in Loar's case, its the first iteration, the rarity and other undetermined variables like the unique circumstance of the craftmen working together, to justify the perceived value of a particular item. Psychology pushes musicians to adopt the narrative and establish their connection to it. Great. Now I feel like a big ol' downer. Enjoy what you like for whatever reasons you like. Rant done.
So much mando porn out there. Yes, a Loar can be quite special but each instrument has it's own characteristics and there's no shortage of great sounding mandolins out in the world. Our orchestra has a Loar Mandocello. It's loud and has a nice a growl. But the K2 I play has a very nice sound. We had one mandocellist who had an excellent Japanese made bowl back that had a great sound and was even louder than the Loar. These instruments were made to make music not to function as trophies.
It's not the instrument, it's the musician...it's not the wrenches it's the mechanic...it's not the tree ,it's the carver...it's not the paint ,it's the artist...it's not the preacher,it's God...I'm not judging, I'm just the observer, hind sight is 20/20 ,right ?💡
You are the Ken Burns of the mandolin world. What a great documentary.
“Let the mandolin teach you what IT wants you to do.” Now that’s really something to take to heart!
Wonderful video. I got a lot from it. learned a lot about listening, and comparing while I worked in a violin shop for 6 years. When our owner brought back a violin from one of the auctions, we would set it up, have one of the symphony people play it for a week or so to wake it up, and then compare it with others we had. We would listen to about 5 violins with our backs turned, take notes, and then later that day have 1 or 2 other players come in and we would do the same thing. My favorite almost always changed with the player.
This is just an incredible venture into the history and lore (sorry, I couldn’t resist) of the mystique of our instrument.
Thank you for teaching us about the background… so fascinating!
Thank you, David 🙏
Super documentary! - Learned much!! I can't afford an F-5, but did manage to obtain a 2007 vintage F-10. It was disappointingly hard to play. As I have arthritis in my left wrist, I put custom light strings on by starting with 8's, and moving the former 1st, second & third strings down to the 2nd, 3rd & forth positions. The F-10 came alive for me! However; my jewel is a Weber Yellowstone with a very rare one-piece back. The original Montana Weber shop put a custom pick guard on it, and while I was at the shop, got to meet Mr. Weber and all his craftsmen & women during a personal tour of his shop. Heaven!
Excellent video. I’m at a festival in Eureka, MO today and played two Loars, one being the famed “Don Brown” Loar. I’m primarily a guitarist (my 1936 D-18 is my Loar equivalent so to speak), but I have a deep appreciation for Loars. They’re American treasures indeed…
Wonderful to hear these treasures played side by side by such great musicians!
Thanks David, New Year's Day morning, snowing, with a hot cup of Joe and this video, it doesn't get better than this!
What a wonderful video David. Thank you so much for this content. Here are my two cents on Loar Mandolins. I live very near Elderly Instruments and for many years was given the heads up when one came to the store and would drive over and check it out. Some were incredible instruments ...some so so but I was always grateful to have the opportunity to play one. At IBMA in about 1991 after a long night jam session Larry Wexler came into the room and handed me a Loar. Maybe it was the energy of the evening or the late hour but something magical happened. My pick hardly touched the instrument and it was as if I was releasing the music from within the instrument. It was already there waiting. I played it that night until he pulled it out of my hands. A few years later my friend and mentor Butch Baldassari got me in touch with Aubrey Haynie and I bought his Gilchrist for which I will be forever grateful.
What an awesome video to start the new year!
Roger Siminoff is my bandmate. He took care of Lloyd's widow for many years and she gave him a special present for his assistance. Roger invented and patented a machine that works the wood in, subsequent to his tap-tuning and final assembly. Thank you for the inspiring video.
Roger Siminoff wrote the book on mandolin building 🙂
@@ThisLoveIsSweet Roger knows something about banjos, also; he built for me an exact reproduction of my RB75 neck for my PB4 pot. By "exact" I mean that the headstock is overlaid with a veneer of painted pearwood rather than ebony. Before his carpal tunnel surgery he was working on Earl Scruggs' biography; Hmmm . . . I should ask him about his progress.
Oh, what a great video! Thank you, David!
Sir, this video, along with a short list of like-minded projects by other musicians here on You Tube, makes up a great compilation of the history and significance of these mandolins. Thanks for putting in all the time and effort! I loved this video.
David, there has been a lot of information shared on the Loar mandolins and this one to me is the very best!! I love Tony's passion of the F5's! He is a gem!
“One of each, please” indeed 😂
Well done, David. Thanks for the excellent work once again
Thank you for this David. Love me some Mike Marshall. He looks down on his Florida Bluegrass Boys day's, but let me tell you, you KNEW that young man was going places. And, they were taught proper stage presence. No other group would hit the stage immediately ready to play. They were quite frankly impressive as a whole. But particularly Mike.
Bill Monroe, I was privileged to sit in on a Bluegrass Disc Jockey interview on his bus. Plain and simple, but effective, just like the man .
One of the best videos on the topic. Thanks David!!
We don’t own instruments - we are caretakers with a responsibility to maintain and preserve them for future generations to play and pass forward.
Tell that to the people selling them for 20-150k and rich collector dudes who ruin the instrument market for working class musicians
@@nicholasdauphinais Dunno what is the demographic range for "workingclass musicians", but those who reach a certain level of artistry find a way to acquire the level of instrument that suits their level of artistry. I had a chance to purchase a Lloyd Loar signed mandolin in the early 1970s for $6000, which exceeded my annual income that year. After playing mandolin professionally for over 50 years, I bought a Loar-signed F5 in 2022, for more than $6000, but way less than what was indicated as the current going rate quoted in the video. I humbly consider myself extremely fortunate to get this instrument, but it did not come into my position by simply whining about how "rich collector dudes" have effected the cost, or moaning "Woe is me, the down-trodden working musician"...along with some incredible good fortune, my unwavering desire to have a 1924 Gibson F5 put the thing in my hands. Want something real bad? How bad? Find a way to make it happen!
@@musicofanaticlol, you have to admit he has a point about all “collectible” things.
I think as the boomers thin out, you’ll get to the point that these instruments will just be display queens in a display case somewhere.
Classical mandolinists still use the bowl back mandolin.
I find them hard to play and uncomfortable to hold. I find the the A and F style mandolins superior in tone and playability.
@@pmscalisi I think we've already passed the point you refer to - young musicians are carrying the proverbial torch. These mandolins won't end up as display queens.
Great little doco. Cheers from an F9 owner Australia.
Thank you for this great work! I will always remember getting to play John Reischman`s Loar at a house party. PS happy new year!
I live my reproduction of the Loyd Loar!! Its my 1st mando, and I made a great choice!
"The Loar" was about $500...a far cry from a $10,000 Loar. But for me? 😊
I stand ready to buy all the original Loars for $10,000 each!
Such a wonderful addition to an already impressive video library. As someone at the beginning of my mandolin journey the stories of things or people that inspire you,are very interesting and informative to watch . Well done!
This was an amazingly well done documentary. Keep up the great work!
Thankyou for everything David. Appreciated. I'll be back when I'm able, and can watch these videos in the meantime. Your music and lessons have helped me immensely.
I don’t comment on videos, but this was a great one!
This was beautiful, I can't wait to get back to my Eastman now.
Beautiful document for a instrument nerd as myself. Thank you!
Great video! Tony Williamson's historical knowledge and insights are fascinating. And that amazing group of artists! This synergy between a great player and a great instrument helps explain why I just can't hear enough of this music!
This video just was not long enough for me! Then again, an MCU rivaling epic at over 3 hours would not have been long enough, either. I was totally transfixed listening to - and trying to absorb - all the information & beautiful music. David, you are a true international treasure to the Mandolin & music worlds. Keep up the phenomenal work
Great video David! I was fascinated by the discussion regarding overtones. Thank you for creating such an informative piece.
This is so fascinating. There's also a couple videos out there of Thile playing a number of Loar mandos side by side, and hearing his take on tonality/etc. is in the same vein.
Learnt a lot. Thanks David.
How lucky I was to just bump into this video! So interesting! Thanks for posting, David!
That was such a joy to watch. Amazing work David - thank you!
Thank you, David! Your videos are always amazing!!!
I have totally enjoyed this little documentary. Thank you David
Great video. To slightly play devil's advocate... I was talking with George Gruhn while I was in Nashville in the spring and it was his belief that some Loars sound great and some are just fairly mediocre, and as he put it, "I've probably bought and sold more Loars than anyone alive." Now, to be fair, he was willing to admit that some of that can be attributed to wear and tear, poor storage, badly batched repairs, etc... but he still felt that the notion that all of these Loar-era Gibsons sounded like holy grails was the furthest thing from the truth.
Fascinating, well done.
My son got me a loar for Christmas. The sustain is incredible. It just rings and rings,and the sound is incredible. It could use a little more setup, and perhaps when I have a little more time, I will do so. It's not real expensive only 600 dollars but I love it.
😊
This undoubtedly refers to the brand name reproduction "The Loar," not to what's commonly known as "a Loar" made in the 1920s by Gibson.
Maybe his son won the lottery 😋
Excellent video David. I've got a 1999 Charlie Derrington F5 and I'm very pleased with it.
Happy New Year to you and your family David
Great work on this! Very enjoyable
Fascinating watch!
Carters allowed my buddy to pick on one that was listed for $250k
We asked on Friday and they weren’t interested…we returned on Saturday and they allowed him. Especially once they heard his playing.
HNY!!
The 1923 owned by Bill Monroe absolutely had the capacity for a sweet, quiet tone. Plenty of recordings prove the point, if the person didn't hear the instrument at close range.
Vert interesting, informative, and historical. Excellent!
So now do a show on the new builders.
Wonderful presentation - Bravo!!
Can't get enough of that Loyd Loar mandolin content 🫶🐿🫶,Thanks!
Excellent David!
Having built 4 F-5's and owning a 1917 F-4, this was fun!!!! Thankyou.
Really great Video. Always worth mentioning what type of plectrum used as it makes a huge difference to the sound, which is the main topic when judging mandolins. I reckon Wegen 2.00 are best.
Nice to see some old friends (mando's and humans).
A nice short version of Loar history. Although, as usually happens, there needed to be some fact-checking done. Mostly a few minor glitches; but still, these sort of projects need to get it right for history's sake.
All in all it's a fun 30 minutes.
Excellent video!
I saw that Bill Monroe smashed mandolin in Chilliwack, BC back about 1990. You could not see any evidence of the repair. I seem to recall he said it was a “little tight” and it needed more 19:30. I also recall when Joe Val passed away, the mandolin was highly sought after and maybe sold around $35,000. But I may be wrong on that price.
Fantastic video, both in content and presentation. Could you please consider creating a Gilchrist version as well?
$200 in 1922 is the equivalent of $3,7500 today. That is, not cheap, but a bargain for a Lloyd Loar mandolin, which now goes for nearly 50 times more.
For comparison a modern Gibson mandolin costs between about 6 and 20 thousand.
Fascinating. I came to the mandolin from the guitar, and with a pronounced jazz influence (I also play four string banjo, mostly tenor). So, of course, I was aware of Lloyd Loar through the equally revered L-5 guitar; the instrument that set the template for the jazz guitar. Eddie Lang served the same function with the L-5 that Bill Monroe did a decade and a half later with the F-5: Other musicians wanted that sound, a sound that worked better for the emerging Big Band jazz than the tenor banjo that had been a staple of 1920s jazz rhythm sections.
Side question: Are there any recordings of the complete set of Loar instruments together (F-5 mandolin, H-5 mandola, K-5 mandocello, L-5 guitar)? The irony of Monroe's influence is that, Grisman's Tone Poems 2 aside (and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble), conventional wisdom makes a Martin D-28 or D-18 the "correct" guitar to match with an F-5, a role Loar himself envisioned for the L-5.
Now I'm going to play one of my Loar era instruments (1924 A Jr. Snakehead mandolin; 1925 L Jr. Snakehead guitar, because unless I hit the lottery, a Loar L-5 or F-5 is out of the question).
Another excellent video, thank David. I particularly liked the info on the tone Virzi. Have any modern builders tried to reinvent/improve on this concept? Would like to have a time machine to see how the instruments of current master builders sounded in 100 years.
I've seen a Virzi in a Rigel mandolin - however, I'm not a mandolinist so I can't comment any further!
Ok, gotta ask - who's the Orioles fan in the background at 26:42? Go O's!
Thanks David this is really great, it is likely you will own one of these while you are still young enough to play it.
I own a fifty year old replica but with a higher arched top. We have found a full contact, non-adjustable bridge works well with it and I've always wondered what that style of bridge would sound like on a Loar.
The earliest Gibson mandolins had non-adjustable bridges which I imagine might yield a better sound - but maybe not!
One thing that was not discussed is the pick and materials a pick is made from.
Can get about 5 partials on my TKD Falcon F style mandolin but with arthritis no more than that. I searched the internet but could not find any info on this. David could you talk to Tony and some of the other in the know people and do a video on this? Thanks! 😊
What song are you playing in the beginning?
Increíble, the tonal difference between the 23s and 24s. Its uncanny, it can be heard on every instrument.
Great info. I learned much. Makes me wonder what is the quality of the Gibson F5s in the immediate years after Loar left Gibson, is a '25 or '26 F5 still a desirable mandolin?
Yes, but the Loar signature will always be the bench mark for highest value. Many post Loar-period F5s sound great...listen to recordings with Bobby Osborne or Jimmy Gaudreau playing their 1925 F5s. Then there's Sam Bush's 1930s F5, granted, a somewhat modified instrument (regraduated) and sounds nothing like the classic Loar-signed instruments. F5s dated just after 12/1/24 very likely were constructed prior to 1925, but remained unsold until 1925 and beyond. Gibson F5s after 1929 were possibly built by later craftsmen and with different factory specifications. Mr. Williamson can speak more authoratively on this.
@@musicofanatic Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate the extra tidbits of knowledge.
i sometimes wonder if these mandolins are actually obiously way ahead of the rest or is it a case of the kingsnewclothesitis
you're crushing it hermano! economics 101 - supply and demand. hope to pick in 2025 bb!
Would love to see a deeper dive on Loar. Gruhn and Joe Snapp have a video at a banjo camp that adds some perspective to this. “Acoustic Engineer” was a made up term. There was no degree that Loar acquired to earn that title. It’s funny they all remove the virzi. He also believed round sound holes were evil. Makes you wonder if he really had anything to do with them. I spoke with a prominent luthier that worked at Gibson during the CT scan era. He was able to spec 9 of them at once. He said 3 were amazing, 3 you could buy a new mandolin that sounded just as good and 3 were complete turds. I’ve only played one and it was a turd. Super disappointing when you finally get one in your hands and it’s awful. I remember the Collings mandolin next to it absolutely smoked it. Monroe, age and rarity make them what they are.
Thanks! Nice history! The switching between two cameras (front and oblique views of your talking head) is starting to feel dated. You could probably simplify editing and just look at the camera the whole time.
I have become so cynical when I hear notions like this. Mandolins attributed to Loar, like Stradivarious violins, and even pre-war Martins values are market driven with very little evidence to the veracity of their superiority against other similar quality instruments made years later.
It's what people in the market do. They create stratification, in Loar's case, its the first iteration, the rarity and other undetermined variables like the unique circumstance of the craftmen working together, to justify the perceived value of a particular item. Psychology pushes musicians to adopt the narrative and establish their connection to it.
Great. Now I feel like a big ol' downer. Enjoy what you like for whatever reasons you like. Rant done.
So much mando porn out there. Yes, a Loar can be quite special but each instrument has it's own characteristics and there's no shortage of great sounding mandolins out in the world. Our orchestra has a Loar Mandocello. It's loud and has a nice a growl. But the K2 I play has a very nice sound. We had one mandocellist who had an excellent Japanese made bowl back that had a great sound and was even louder than the Loar. These instruments were made to make music not to function as trophies.
Lovely video David. Make a pice of wood sound good 👍 😊 Remembered pumping into you in Brevard 185 King Street in 2023 😅 Cheers 🥂 🎉 for 2025 😘
Ok, so mandolin producers should replicate the Gibson/Loar F-5 and sell them.
It's not the instrument, it's the musician...it's not the wrenches it's the mechanic...it's not the tree ,it's the carver...it's not the paint ,it's the artist...it's not the preacher,it's God...I'm not judging, I'm just the observer, hind sight is 20/20 ,right ?💡
Hate to see The Loar on new mandolins. Get real. That’s like stealing valor.
It’s wood selection, it’s finish, it’s design… it’s nonsense.