Mandolin most like a Loar

[sunburst]

Last time I talked to him he said he'd sold his Pag.

[Flowerpot]

You tackled David McLaughlin?

[kudzugypsy]

yes john, - to ME!

amazing mando....really, no hype

[sunburst]

You tackled David McLaughlin?

Yep. He was a push over.
(See edit above.)

[sunburst]

Cool!
He didn't say who he sold it to. I'd like to check it out sometime. Maybe Galax.

[wallflower]

The Paganoni's I've played have great tone, but they seem to have more low end than the Loars and a bit more growl. #They're not quite as mid-rangy as the Loars to my ear.

kudzugypsy - Your #35 is beautiful!! #Love that burst and finish.

[kudzugypsy]

i'll be there with it - i also want to talk to you about some repair work to another mando (or 2 or 3)....esp, fix a crummy factory neck set on my 95 Gibson F5L that was set to low. i figure i need to get it in the hands of somebody competent before i attempt something stupid. i *hope* that maybe a new thicker fingerboard might work? its a good loud mando, but it could be more.

I'll be pulling my *new* old '66 Airstream up there this year...i'm tired of *car campin'* - so i'll be easy to spot.

[J. Mark Lane]

I think Eastmans sound just like Loars.

[JGWoods]

I think Loars sound like Eastmans

[JD Cowles]

Counselor, one more outburst like that and we'll have to hold you in contempt of cafe

[J. Mark Lane]

That's alright, Your Honor. I'll just feel more at home then.

[JEStanek]

My Eastman sounds as good as every Loar I've played. All none of 'em. Oh Mark. In the words of Reagan, "There you go again."

Jamie

[azerdayten]

I play a 95 Gibson f5L Master Model - I hv played a couple of Loars & I spend a lot of time picking with Mr. Wakefield. There seem to be a couple of things at work: First, his Loar has a distinctive pop with a lot of ring in the G and D strings...It "croaks". But on some days mine holds its own...It has to do with string age and condition on the 2 instruments. Second, I don't believe 70+ years of playing and seasoning can be replicated in any new instrument. & I suspect that when my mandolin is played / seasoned for that long its sound will be much brighter and closer to the way Frank's Loar sounds today. I'll never know...&For 100,000$+ I'll keep it.

[wallflower]

Good point...

I've played Frank's mandolin too. #It's a good one!!

Plus I'll bet you'll never bake your mandolin in the oven.

[J. Mark Lane]

Last time I talked to him he said he'd sold his Pag.

Is that the one that was in a poke? #

No...wait, that was the poke that was in the mandolin.... No, wait, that was someone else's mandolin....

[Mandoe]

I've had the extreme fortune of playing 8-10 Loar F-5's, none my own. IMHO, the mandos that come closest the Loar tone are the the Gibson MM and DMM.

The next closest to the Loar tone, that I have played, are F-5's from Randy Wood.

David Davis' Kirk F-5 sounds Loar-like, at least to me. I've played a couple of Wayne Henderson F-5's that I thought were very Loar-like as well. As did a couple of Red Diamonds I've played. I thought a Sumi I played one time sounded Loar-like. As did a Sargent F-5.

Never played a Hieden or Wiens or Pag. Have played many other makes, however, including mandos by Dude, Gil, Nugget, Monte, Duff, Phoenix, Rigel, Collings, Webber, Apitius, Ludewig, Kimble, Daley, BRW, Brentrup, Stanley, Dearstone, Tucker, Rattlesnake, Glenn, Old Wave, Cole, Ward. All are great mandos, but none sounded as Loar-like. To me anyway.

There are so many quality mandos/builders out there. Wish I had one of each!!