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Thread: Bill's Loar

  1. #1

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    Where is it?

    If anyone has the complete story of where it has been since the moment of his death until now, I will call you my daddy.

    Jeremy

  2. #2
    Cafe Linux Mommy danb's Avatar
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    Well there was a bit of an embroglio when the Monroe Foundation didn't complete the transaction with James Monroe over it.. what's happened since then, I'm not really sure?
    The Mandolin Archive
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  3. #3
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    Bill Monroe's 1923 Gibson F5, master model mandolin signed by Lloyd Loar. The Kentucky-based group, Bill Monroe Bluegrass Music Foundation. had tried to purchase the instrument for $1.125 million. James Monroe, son of the late “father” of bluegrass music, argued it should remain with him. But the foundation claimed it still had a valid contract to buy the mandolin. As the ownership issue had been entangled in legal battles for two years, the mandolin sat in a vault at an undisclosed location. As part of a confidential settlement reached January 8, 2005 in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, Monroe's son James will retain possession of the mandolin.

    -Mando Museum

  4. #4

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    Thanks a lot.

  5. #5

  6. #6

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    "I always wanted him to be the last one to play it and hope it's never played again,"- James Monroe

    I'd rather see it passed on to some player like Ricky Scaggs or Sam Bush who deserve it both for their musicianship and for their dedication to preserving Monroe's music and carrying on the tradition he started.

    Instruments are meant to be played, not placed on display in a museum.

    When the great guitarist Laurindo Almeida passed away, his widow gave his custom hand made guitar (probably worth over $10,000) to one if his deciples, a fellow named Greg Newton, who cherishes the guitar and performes with it often.

    I think Laurindo Almedia would be pleased to know his beloved instrumesnt is in good hands and still making beautiful music.




  7. #7
    Registered User 8ch(pl)'s Avatar
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    Yeah, me too. I don't personally want it.

    It is a shame that this is going on. To see it atrophy as a museum piece is not ideal. I don't know of any Stradivarius violins being in a museum, but then I don't know everything. Instruments are made to be played.

  8. #8

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    We need to start a petition to get the mandolin out of the museum. That is sad, sad news. I want to hear the mandolin recorded as the technology of capturing music gets better and better.

  9. #9
    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    It's not in a musuem. It's in a bank valut in the Nashville area and James Monroe is the only person who has the key. I'd rather be able to see it in a museum than know it's in a dark cold bank valut lock box. At least in a museum setting you do have the chance it could get played. I see Mother Maybelle's L5 Gibson gets played at a lot of Nashville functions.

  10. #10
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    isn't there a Strad. in the Smithsonian?

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    The Smithsonian arranges to have someone play their strad every day. I imagine the line is long with folks who want to get their hands on it. As most folks known, except perhaps J. Monroe, an instrument that sits unplayed loses tone quality. Playing kept Bill going strong and it would do the same for his mandolin,
    Mike Plunkett

  12. #12

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    Strad? Singular? Try Strads, Amatis, Galglinos, del Gesus...

    http://americanhistory.si.edu/collect....lkey=23

    ALB
    His mother gave him a choice: the accordion or judo.

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