How thick are Loar F-5s?

[bjewell]

On a roll here, second post of the year. Question: On an original Loar or copy thereof, what is the width of the sides?

I'm doing a poor job of describing what I mean here. The mando's sides - -what is the measurement? My KM-1000 (2012) measures @ 1 5/8ths inch from top to bottom including the binding.

I remember the 1000 I bought in 2000 as being narrower than a Gibson, the reason given is Saga copied the owner's F-5 that had been modified when the took the Virzi out.

Any input really appreciated and no, I have yet to change the strings on that stringed vampire... ;- )

[Oliver A.]

The width of the sides on the Lloyd Loar signed varied somewhat from instrument to instrument. My guess is that this was due mainly to level sanding the rim in order to create an even flat surface on which to glue the top and back plates. Rims usually measure 1 5/16" to 1 7/16" with 1 3/8" as an average. That is the width of the side. To that you would add the width of the bindings which would be very close to 3/16" so typically 3/16 + 1 3/8 + 3/16 = 1 3/4"

[Spruce]

Rims usually measure 1 5/16" to 1 7/16" with 1 3/8" as an average. That is the width of the side. To that you would add the width of the bindings which would be very close to 3/16" so typically 3/16 + 1 3/8 + 3/16 = 1 3/4"

...and that goes for the Loar A5 as well...

[Dale Ludewig]

...and that goes for the Loar A5 as well...

Oh, oh.

[Spruce]

Oh, oh.

Oh man...didn't you get the directions?

"rib height--35 mm"...

[bjewell]

Thank you everyone. In remeasuring, the mandolin is definitely in the ballpark, measuring a shade under 1 7/8" = 350 decaliters... or something like that... :- 0

[Timbofood]

Isn't 350 decaliters the same as a "fifth" of (insert favorite libation here)? No, that would be (750) milliliters.
Just pokin' at you!
On second thought, it might be closer to..... (Deca=10, liter >Qt.)...more like, way more booze than even I might have consumed, extant!?
No wonder I feel like taking a nap.
I think you suffer from fingerosis like I might after that liquid measure.
You really mean millimeters, right?

[bjewell]

Isn't 350 decaliters the same as a "fifth" of (insert favorite libation here)? No, that would be (750) milliliters.
Just pokin' at you!
On second thought, it might be closer to..... (Deca=10, liter >Qt.)...more like, way more booze than even I might have consumed, extant!?
No wonder I feel like taking a nap.
I think you suffer from fingerosis like I might after that liquid measure.
You really mean millimeters, right?

My mistake Timbo-san. I meant 350 dentalflosses... or something like that. That mirrortric system is so confusing, I can hardly play waltz time let alone that... ;- )

[Timbofood]

Well taken,
But, to actually address your question presents one more of the quandaries of the Loar mandolins and "Virzi-ectomies". Rim thickness would have changes on those due to the saw kerf when removing them (at the factory). I am told that there have been less, delicate extractions. One of which that comes to mind is the mentioned more "destructive" breaking the thing out through the ff holes.
Have a nice evening!
One might also ask, "Which Loar is being copied?"

[Willie Poole]

One time I was at a jam where there were two Loars and they were both different, as stated above there probably isn`t a "for sure" measurement...

Willie

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Well taken,
But, to actually address your question presents one more of the quandaries of the Loar mandolins and "Virzi-ectomies". Rim thickness would have changes on those due to the saw kerf when removing them (at the factory). I am told that there have been less, delicate extractions. One of which that comes to mind is the mentioned more "destructive" breaking the thing out through the ff holes.
Have a nice evening!
One might also ask, "Which Loar is being copied?"

You shouldn't have to remove the back when removing a Virzi (Gibson may have done it nonetheless). But you sure saw the back off when installing a Virzi into an already completed instrument; check out this thread:http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ght=Virzi+Loar

[Loudloar]

- I've played many Loars and nearly all appear to be the same thickness. But not all.
- I saw a Loar that was considerably thicker than the norm by about the width of the binding. So that would be about 3/16". It definitely made it sound different and not in a good way, in my opinion. Clearly the rim was wider on this instrument, it wasn't just the top/back thickness.
- I've seen a lot of Loars with the Virzi removed but never by removing the back. They always are broken up and removed through the F holes.

Steve

[William Smith]

My opinion Virzi Loars should've been left alone. You see em prevalent in the later batches of Loars. I think by 24 Lloyd had the sound maybe what he was looking for in a mandolin. I think they were taken out because the players wanted a more thunderous voice to their Loar, to me the virzis add something to those they were put in. many were taken out maybe before the player really got to "know" their mandolin! A little off topic on the thickness/side width but all very interesting.