The busted up Loar at Carter's

[holden]

It's the June 12, '23 Loar... Massive repairs, broken up. Much less expensive than the other 3 they have. Just wondered how it sounds....

http://www.cartervintage.com/mandopage/mandopage.html

[OldGus]

...It sounds like the clip they posted of Adam Steffey playing it.

[holden]

I've seen that thanks... Wondered if anybody played in person to know what it really sounds like, especially compared to the others.

[George R. Lane]

The one Steffey is playing is not the busted up Loar. He is playing the April 12 Loar.

[holden]

I think it's very cool and awesome that Carter's makes those videos… it's certainly better than the nothing you get from most sites. But I'm not sure how much you could tell about tone and quality from a video camera microphone. On the other hand some websites have so much fidelity and processing on their sound clips that everything sounds fantastic. I'm mostly pleased that Carter's lets us see all these great players doing their thing… that being said, I'd still like to hear from somebody that's played the "cheap" loar. If we are going by sound clips I like those two ferns the best.

[OldGus]

The one Steffey is playing is not the busted up Loar. He is playing the April 12 Loar.

It says Frank Solivan is playing that one, Steffey is playing the repaired one hence the link in proximity to the pictures...

[William Smith]

I think it's very cool and awesome that Carter's makes those videos… it's certainly better than the nothing you get from most sites. But I'm not sure how much you could tell about tone and quality from a video camera microphone. On the other hand some websites have so much fidelity and processing on their sound clips that everything sounds fantastic. I'm mostly pleased that Carter's lets us see all these great players doing their thing… that being said, I'd still like to hear from somebody that's played the "cheap" loar. If we are going by sound clips I like those two ferns the best.

The videos are great and I agree the 2 27 ferns are monsters! while no Loar is weak some are better than others and I can tell them apart on that video, of the April 12 and the "busted-refinished" Loar. I'd say the April 12th is a better/stronger mandolin. I do like them ferns! Killer

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'll take the Elkhorn Koa please !.You guys can fight over the Loars - maybe that's how the June 12 came to be busted in the first place !.
Joking apart - what a crying shame that the June 12 came to be so badly damaged. It looks like somebody got it caught in a closing door or some such incident. Still,the asking price is pretty huge & it makes me wonder if any prospective buyer would have a new back put on it.There are ceratainly luthiers out there who could make it look 'like new' (sort of),but i suppose such work could alter it's inherent tonal qualities. Still, a great shame to see such damage,
Ivan

[almeriastrings]

I'll take the 2005 Ellis F5, a Gilchrist, a Nugget, a Duff and a new car and exotic vacation with the change, please.

[OldGus]

I'm fine with a Wienzi...

[Petrus]

Those are some of the most expensive mandolins I've ever seen, anywhere. $167,000 for a Gibson F5? That better sound dang good.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Petrus - We've all goggled in disbelief when seeing prices like that. With the Lloyd Loar mandolins, as we all know,it's a combination of high quality & scarcity that hikes the price up so high. However,as individuals,when purchasing an instrument it's usually (hopefully) whether we consider it to be 'right for us' ie.it exhibits all the nuances of tone & ease of playability that we require. Whether any individual mandolin sound 'good' to us,is a purely personal thing. Without mentioning any names,there are a number of top players who,while not disliking them,don't think that 'Loars' are anything special. In other words,'for them',there are other mandolins that produce what 'they' want. One good example of this & he's stated it,is Ronnie McCoury. Ronnie's gone back to using his 'cheapo.' Gilchrist over his Loar,because he prefers the complexity of tones that the Gil.gives him. That doesn't mean to say that his Loar is a bad or 'lesser' mandolin,it's that to Ronnie Mc.,the Gil.has what i've come to call 'a more pleasing difference',
Ivan

[Petrus]

For $167K that thing better be solid gold and come with a date with Sarah Jarosz.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Petrus, could it be that investing in a Loar is at least as smart as in gold, and - moreover - that the above mentioned date is quite transient?

[Petrus]

Probably right. And the date would never work ... May/September and all that.