A Boy and His Loar

[f5loar]

Shortly after banjoist Don Reno from South Carolina left Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys he met up with Red Smiley from Asheville, North Carolina. After several years of recordings as Reno and Smiley they hit the road in 1955 and became one of the best of Bluegrass Music's premiere bands. A few years later Don's first born son Ronnie Wesley Reno would be placed on a wooden crate box to reach the mic to sing some silly country songs to entertain the fans of Reno & Smiley. By the time Ronnie was 9 he was learning to play the mandolin and started out on a pretty nice mid 20's, Loar era Gibson A-4 snake head round hole mandolin. Then a year or so later he moves "up" to a used pre-war mid 30's A-1 F hole mandolin. Don noticed his son was getting serious at being a mandolin picker and decided that he needed something a little more professional by the time he turned 13. Don sought out a Gibson F5 "just like Bill's" knowing all to well that would get the job done and in 1960 wrote a check for $350.00 for Gibson F-5 serial no. 73670 signed by Lloyd Loar on June 13, 1923 however this one the label had fallen out but it lines up with the other June 13 numbers. This signed Loar also featured gold plated parts. Ronnie recalls his Dad shaking when writing this check. The only reason that would explain why Don was shaking is it was the most he had paid for a "used" instrument in his life. One must consider a new Gibson F-5 with a case would have cost you $600 in 1960 so I would assume this near half price for a slightly used one was still a deal at the time, but that was a lot of money for Don who was a professional touring artist feeding a family of 6. Ronnie went on touring with his Dad after Reno & Smiley split up in 1964 and then left to join up with 2 other first generation bluegrass giants, the Osborne Brothers, first as electric bass player then guitarist. Ronnie got an offer to go with Merle Haggard as a background singer and then he enjoyed a short lived solo career. Ronnie got back with his Dad before he died in 1984 and then his 2 younger brothers continued to tour a few more years. Today Ronnie has his own well-known bluegrass band and his own TV show on RFD/Blue Highways and he still has that Loar F5 his Dad bought him back in 1960. I ran across this unique photo of Ronnie and his Loar when he first got it in 1960 at age 13, along with photos of his other 2 Gibson mandolins. Ronnie Reno is a great asset in Bluegrass music today doing a heck of a job promoting it and I thought it would be of interest to share his beginnings in bluegrass music.

[AlanN]

You certain it ain't a 13-June-1923, hoss?

[CES]

Shortly after banjoist Don Reno from South Carolina left Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys he met up with Red Smiley from Asheville, North Carolina. After several years of recordings as Reno and Smiley they hit the road in 1955 and became one of the best of Bluegrass Music's premiere bands. A few years later Don's first born son Ronnie Wesley Reno would be placed on a wooden crate box to reach the mic to sing some silly country songs to entertain the fans of Reno & Smiley. By the time Ronnie was 9 he was learning to play the mandolin and started out on a pretty nice mid 20's, Loar era Gibson A-4 snake head round hole mandolin. Then a year or so later he moves "up" to a used pre-war mid 30's A-1 F hole mandolin. Don noticed his son was getting serious at being a mandolin picker and decided that he needed something a little more professional by the time he turned 13. Don sought out a Gibson F5 "just like Bill's" knowing all to well that would get the job done and in 1960 wrote a check for $350.00 for Gibson F-5 serial no. 73670 signed by Lloyd Loar on May 29, 1923. This signed Loar also featured gold plated parts. Ronnie recalls his Dad shaking when writing this check. The only reason that would explain why Don was shaking is it was the most he had paid for a "used" instrument in his life. One must consider a new Gibson F-5 with a case would have cost you $600 in 1960 so I would assume this near half price for a slightly used one was still a deal at the time, but that was a lot of money for Don who was a professional touring artist feeding a family of 6. Ronnie went on touring with his Dad after Reno & Smiley split up in 1964 and then left to join up with 2 other first generation bluegrass giants, the Osborne Brothers, first as electric bass player then guitarist. Ronnie got an offer to go with Merle Haggard as a background singer and then he enjoyed a short lived solo career. Ronnie got back with his Dad before he died in 1984 and then his 2 younger brothers continued to tour a few more years. Today Ronnie has his own well-known bluegrass band and his own TV show on RFD/Blue Highways and he still has that Loar F5 his Dad bought him back in 1960. I ran across this unique photo of Ronnie and his Loar when he first got it in 1960 at age 13, along with photos of his other 2 Gibson mandolins. Ronnie Reno is a great asset in Bluegrass music today doing a heck of a job promoting it and I thought it would be of interest to share his beginnings in bluegrass music.

Wow, thanks for posting! I met a gentleman from Albemarle a few weeks ago who mentioned he played guitar. At some point I asked him what he played, expecting a "typical" answer. He muttered, " a '37 Martin double naught." To which I replied, " excuse me, what?" At which point he said, "I guess you do play a little," with a grin. He has a picture of his 12 year old dad posing with his grandparents Christmas morning 1937, when they gave it to him. Needless to say, the OO is not for sale, and will remain in the family for at least one more generation...I love stuff like that, and am beginning in earnest to look for the instrument or two that I'll pass on to my kids...curious to see where that leads me!

[re simmers]

Great pics and story. I now realize that my parents deprived me of a Gibson Loar Mandolin. I guess dad thought that a Brooks Robinson baseball glove would make me happier. It did back then, but......I wonder if I could trade.

Bob

[f5loar]

You certain it ain't a 13-June-1923, hoss?

Your're right. Thanks for catching that. Too much hangover from IBMA! Ronnie's would have been the first of the June 13, 1923 batch but his label was missing and we assume it just fell out. There are other speculations as to why it did not have a signed label but I recall when seeing it you can see the glue marks.

[William Smith]

Love that story each and every time I heard it. Great/Awesome! Someone with Knowledge like Tom or other Vets should write a book on the stories of the grass so the youngsters can learn about when music was a tough living. Driving for a little pay.Feuds. Instrument stories.etc...... It would be a must have for any fan

[Timbofood]

Bluegrasser, that would be a great project! I'm in, happy to try my hand sorting the stories from the more rapidly diminishing sources that have first hand knowledge of the early days!
The book could be a while in coming but, it sounds like a great project!
"Keep those cards and letters coming!" Kind of thing

[Jim Garber]

Ronnie recalls his Dad shaking when writing this check. The only reason that would explain why Don was shaking is it was the most he had paid for a "used" instrument in his life. One must consider a new Gibson F-5 with a case would have cost you $600 in 1960 so I would assume this near half price for a slightly used one was still a deal at the time, but that was a lot of money for Don who was a professional touring artist feeding a family of 6.

According to an online inflation calculator... "$350.00 in 1960 had the same buying power as $2,774.39 in 2014." Of course we have to calculate the acquisition factor for bluegrass players back then vs. the much larger population of those folks right now. I put $180K in as of 2014 and got the following: "$180,000.00 in 2014 had the same buying power as $22,707.67 in 1960." I am not sure what it all means but as Tom notes, it was a bargain back then... worth about 65 times as much by today's calculations. BTW I used this calculator.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Good story. Equally important (to me), Ronnie is a fine fellow and let me play his Loar.

[William Smith]

It would be a great must have book for any fan "I'd thing anyway"!