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Thread: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

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    Site founder Scott Tichenor's Avatar
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    Default Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Tony Williamson and I have been trading emails and he sent over a bunch of content for me to post as he doesn't have some of the image editing tools at hand. He recently had the pleasure of working with 1923 Gibson F-5 #72212, a Lloyd Loar signed mandolin that was known to exist but had not been photographed for documentation.

    Tony's email to me for reference:

    Scott, I have taken possession of 1923 Gibson F-5 #72212 after having been asked by the family to open the case and bring it out to play for the first time in 50 years. For me this is one of the major events of my life, and I hope to share it with your readers. After quite a bit of TLC on behalf of our friend Lynn Dudenbostel and myself, we now have it up and running and have recorded the first performance in video with the same high quality audio I used in my recent CD.

    I also have it described on the instrument list: http://www.mandolincentral.com/instlist.html

    I have hundreds of photos of the process from closet to studio, including detailed documentation of the time it spent on Lynn’s bench (thanks Lynn!!!).


    Note in the video Tony refers to the serial as #72112, but #72212 is actually the correct number.



    More pictures follow...

  2. #2
    Site founder Scott Tichenor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Additional images:

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    Existing record for this instrument at the Mandolin Archive.

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    Work in Progress Ed Goist's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Wonderful!
    c.1965 Harmony Monterey H410 Mandolin
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    Registered User Toast's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Sweet!

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    Americanadian Andrew B. Carlson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    That is one amazing sounding Loar! More videos please! I'm tickled I got the first comment on the video too. hehe
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    Site founder Scott Tichenor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    I had the pleasure of being the first person to play #76547 (the Schultz Loar) at Wintergrass something like 7-8 years ago after it was unplayed in the case 52 years. A Nashville repairman with Loar experience (sorry, can't remember his name) strung it up for the first time in front of everyone and it was a bit freaky. It creaked, it groaned, the tuners made uncomfortable noises. The owners winced. I had really low expectations but vowed to rave about it in front of them. And then I played it and was bowled over. It was fantastic right out the gate. Loved it. Got to play it a bit more for an extended period a year or so later after it had received some proper TLC. It remains to this day one of my all-time favorite mandolins and definitely about my favorite experience of all-time, although I played Monroe's mandolin once in the mid 80s when he asked me to watch it while he used the restroom. Him, scolding, looking mildly angry and pointing at me, "now don't you play it!" Then he turned and I heard him laughing as he walked off knowing I would.

    This is really beautiful instrument and sounds great. Thanks for sharing, Tony.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Goodin likes this.

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    Registered User Steve-o's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Always fun to watch an old Loar come out of hiding, but I enjoyed your anecdote about the Schultz Loar and Monroe's Loar even more, Scott. Thanks for posting.

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    Registered User MANDOLINMYSTER's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    I love it when Tony looks up and smiles as he is playing that mandolin..like a kid in a candy store.
    Also what is the name of that tune? I'm drawing a blank
    Michael Lettieri

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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Lynn was telling me about this..what a treat! Thanks for sharing.

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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Wonderful sound. Thanks to Tony for sharing this. I too got a real kick out of how plain it was to see the joy on Tony's face while he played. What a treat.

    ron

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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Curious as to what the paperwork is in the case with it. The history detectives have nothing on this mandolin..
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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    The tune is "Golden Slippers."
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    beautiful. Thank you!

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    Registered User Dan Hoover's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    insanely cool..wow..
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Love the sound. It is amazing how something that has been 'dormant' for so long could wake up and be so full of energy and life. Thanks for sharing this with us.

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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Awesome! I wonder if this is the same mandolin? It was posted only a few days ago. It seems to be a Loar but the bust does not exactly match perhaps - light it not too good.

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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    What an awesome thing to share, asleep for fifty years awakened to sing again. Cant help but respect Mr Loar! Thanks for posting this moment in life, now if only I could have the pleasure of waking a Gibson Loar mandolin from its sleep.
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    Registered User Jim Ferguson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Awesome!!!!!
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Oh them golden slippers.
    Wonderful.

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    Registered User Fstpicker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    I was kind of taken back by how loud it was and bold. And what tone!!! Wow!! What a neat experience and so glad Tony is sharing it with the rest of us, who will never ever touch a real Loar in our life-time probably. Nice to live on vicariously through others experiences.

    Jeff

  22. #22

    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Thanks for all the thoughts, as you can tell I am really excited about this and very pleased to share it with you. I will try to answer and clarify some of the ideas mentioned. In the case I found a collection of songbooks, rolled up, tattered and threadbare. Most were from the 1930s and featured songs such as "The Letter Edged In Black", "Barbara Allen" and "Golden Slippers" just to name a few. All arrangments feature lyrics. I wanted to do something in keeping with the history of this mandolin, so I chose "Golden Slippers": my arrangement was pretty much developed on the spot as ace audio engineer Jerry Brown of the Rubber Room tweaked the control knobs.
    This is not the mandolin I played in the "Real Groove Music" video with Rad Andy. It was a few days before the unveiling, and I was playing Lloyd #75941. I was actually stopping in Asheville for a gig on my way to Lynn's shop.
    I agree with Scott on the Schultz Loar; like #72212 it is truly amazing when a closet find opens up and sounds so great right out of the box. many times, we spend a lot of time with instruments that are dormant and it sometimes takes a few months before they are really singing their song and playing up to their potential. This is a rare thing, very remarkable; I can only imagine that in the weeks to come, it will come out even more.
    Yes I did quote the wrong serial number in the video...I have always had a hard time calling these mandolins by their number: they all seem to have such a distinct personality, I prefer to use a nickname.
    One more point on the mandolin now in hand: it is consecutive in number to the Tiger mandolin that I had until Christmas of this past year. It is also the Joe Val batch, and Monroe's other Loar was also from this batch if I am not mistaken. Feb 26, 1923: a very, very fine, fine day at Kalamazoo!

  23. #23

    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    It was certainly a treat for me to help bring this "barn find" back into the sunlight. Well, it wasn't found in a barn, but that seems to be a fitting description. I was amazed how great it sounded from the begining! I had the privilege of doing some set-up on Tiger right after the auction, and was amazed at how much more awake 72212 was right off the bat. Tiger came around pretty fast once it was in a players hands. I can only imagine what this one will be like in a few weeks. Tony is right, this one is only a couple of digits off from Monroes other Loar. I think it was 72214. From what I understand, it is still unaccounted for.
    Lynn

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    Work in Progress Ed Goist's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandolin Central View Post
    ...snip...
    I agree with Scott on the Schultz Loar; like #72212 it is truly amazing when a closet find opens up and sounds so great right out of the box.
    ...snip...
    I have always had a hard time calling these mandolins by their number: they all seem to have such a distinct personality, I prefer to use a nickname.
    ...snip...
    Thanks for the detailed report Tony.
    What a wonderful thread!
    Have you given Loar #72212 a nickname yet?
    c.1965 Harmony Monterey H410 Mandolin
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  25. #25

    Default Re: Loar #72212 in performance for the first time in 50+ years

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Goist View Post
    Thanks for the detailed report Tony.
    What a wonderful thread!
    Have you given Loar #72212 a nickname yet?
    Finding the right nickname has to be a very natural and organic process that cannot be rushed...a few ideas have cropped up, but none have stuck. Out of respect for the privacy of the family we will not be using their name...soooo....any thoughts? anyone?

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