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Thread: Griffith Loar

  1. #26

    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Played it one year at IBMA my favorite Loar !
    If I could have any mandolin that’s the one
    Danny Clark

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  3. #27
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Imagine a world where Bill Monroe sees a mandolin hanging in the window of a Florida barber shop, plays it and buys it and instead of it being serial number 73987 it was serial number 74003. That would have messed things up a bit
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  4. #28
    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    The late, great Tut Taylor once offered this mandolin (for purchase) to a friend of mine... many moons ago this was. The price? $2,500!

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  6. #29
    Registered User EvanElk's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    The late, great Tut Taylor once offered this mandolin (for purchase) to a friend of mine... many moons ago this was. The price? $2,500!
    The current owner paid $7500 in the mid 1970's he said. I think he got it from Tut but I'm not sure...there was more pickin' and whiskey sipping going on than chatting. What would it sell for now I wonder? Rhetorical question for the most part...and I'm hip to the usual rhetorical answers, but I'm curious to know opinions on the value...and/or what the next owner will pay...
    2003 John Sullivan F5 "Roy"
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  7. #30
    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    There was an old ad floating around from the Mandolin Brothers monthly newspaper that had it priced around $7500 in the late '70s.

    I believe there was a brief period of a few days maybe a half dozen years ago where it was listed at Elderly for $350k or somewhere in that range. It caused a bit of an uproar and was removed from the market.

    How about a quick glimpse of it's cousin, the one and only snakehead mandola. I'll admit it is pretty cool small club to have played both of them!
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  9. #31
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Am I correct in my understanding this is the only A model signed by Loar? That is what the wiki says, which I don't doubt, but I'm still wondering. The wiki also says this was a special order. Isn't that sort of the opposite of how most people think of these things these days - that the F models are considered to be more special. This being one of a kind ... that's pretty dang special, anyway you look at it.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  10. #32
    Registered User EvanElk's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    Am I correct in my understanding this is the only A model signed by Loar? That is what the wiki says, which I don't doubt, but I'm still wondering. The wiki also says this was a special order. Isn't that sort of the opposite of how most people think of these things these days - that the F models are considered to be more special. This being one of a kind ... that's pretty dang special, anyway you look at it.
    Check out Max Girouard's blog that AJH posted earlier in the thread https://girouardmandolins.wordpress....ffith-project/
    2003 John Sullivan F5 "Roy"
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  12. #33
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    ...The wiki also says this was a special order.
    Ms. Griffith felt that the F style was not comfortable when she played it. Mr. Griffith got an F style and the rest is history. It hadn't occured to me but there are members here that may not know about this mandolin. Take a look at these links:

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...iffith-A5-Loar

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...r-A-5-drawings

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ndolin-history

    There are more threads.

    From the Mandolin Archive:

    http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/...andolins.pl?a5
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  14. #34
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Quote Originally Posted by EvanElk View Post
    Check out Max Girouard's blog that AJH posted earlier in the thread https://girouardmandolins.wordpress....ffith-project/
    Thanks for that. Confirms what the wiki says and much more. Fascinating story.

    And then there's all that about building a replica. Holy wow! That is some deep, in-depth detailed stuff. It's taking me hours to read. I'm sure builders know all or most of this, but it's a whole new world to me, told in nearly a foreign language. Again, fascinating.

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    Ms. Griffith felt that the F style was not comfortable when she played it. Mr. Griffith got an F style and the rest is history. It hadn't occured to me but there are members here that may not know about this mandolin.
    And I'm one. That's why I expressed my astonishment at having learned this. Fascinating. And yes - the points dug into her leg. (Personally, I like points, as they help hold a mandolin still - just don't hold it so they dig in.) So the request was made for a version without points, and the rest is history. It just seems a bit ironic for a special request to be for a simpler model - the usual thing is the other way. But now there it is, a unique instrument.

    Thanks, guys. I really learned a lot from asking a simple question. And I hope others have, too.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  15. #35
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    Quote Originally Posted by j. condino View Post
    ...How about a quick glimpse of it's cousin, the one and only snakehead mandola...
    I remember when that first burst on the scene in a thread here.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  17. #36

    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    I admire and appreciate the numerous members who make an effort to give others the opportunity to play and hear and see these instruments. For really accomplished players and makers and songwriters, the opportunity to do this must be both helpful and ridiculously inspiring. Thanks to everyone posting here. Interesting thread!

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  19. #37
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Griffith Loar

    I'm still waiting for myself to find the other Loar A-5 or that other unknown Proto-type Gibson Loar oddball that I know exists "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"-way up high-so yep its still in an attic waiting for me! I know oldies still surface all the time! Well maybe not everyday but every year or so a new/old Loar or pre-war F-5 surfaces out of the proverbial woodwork! And that's just F-5's-hard telling how many great guitars surface! I also know that many 30's Gibson oddities surface from time to time such as the Wide Body 1940 F-5 that David Harvey found years ago when he played with Sparks "Dawg used it on Tone Poems"-many don't know this but there is another one of those floating around! Also some blonde 40's F-5's that the great Dave Appolon had ordered for at least one student! So yep they're out there still!

    Look at my 1919 OO-18 that was in an attic crawl space that the owners had to knock a wall down to get to as it was boarded over in the 1930's! They were going to throw the Martin out-luckily it was saved by my buddy! I'm still waiting 3 years later for the resto to get done! Also my 26ish Fern I "had" I just swapped her even up for Loar #75319! The Fern was found in the 50's to go to the trash-luckily the cleaning lady kept her! So just think how many do indeed get thrown out-fairly stomach aching right? Hurts my brain thinking of such HORROR! So Thank the Good Lord when these are brought to the light of day once again.

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