Blonde Loars ?

**John Adrihan** · Jul-19-2010, 6:11pm

I have been looking at all the old F5's during the Loar period and have not seen any finnishes other than sunbursts. So I have a couple of questions - When did other colors come out? does the finnish as far as blonde v.s. sunburst have an effect n the tone or sound? please comment on any particulars on finnish and color v.s sound, tone, value or even if the sunburst is the "standard"
thanks

**SternART** · Jul-20-2010, 1:57am

If you found a blonde Loar F5 it would be REALLY valuable! As far as I know there weren't any.
The color doesn't have anything to do with the sound, but varnish or lacquer recipes on top of the color do make a difference. Gibson offered other colors both before & after the Loar era, and even during that era, but in other models than the top of the line F5's.

**evanreilly** · Jul-20-2010, 7:49am

What was the blonde mandolin that Mike Seeger played?

**sgarrity** · Jul-20-2010, 9:01am

There was a blonde F5 with a larger body shape that the Dawg played on one of the Tone Poems recordings. Then I think Dave Harvey wound up with it? But it definitely was not a Loar.

**f5loar** · Jul-20-2010, 11:06am

Seeger had an early Fern blonde. Harvey's was a mid 30's. The F5 Loar era color was described as "cremona-brown finish, delicately shaded" . There have been variations on that theme from light tobbaco shading in '23 to dark brown/black shading in '24. There were a few special orders that have lighter then normal shading and the one off F4 red sunburst on a Fern Loar.
If a blonde Loar is out there she is still in hiding.

**sgarrity** · Jul-20-2010, 6:35pm

Was Seeger's Fern a blonde from the factory or a later refinish? I'm assuming it's in someone's collection now?

**sunburst** · Jul-25-2010, 11:45pm

Mike Seeger's '25 F5 was stripped and refinished (lacquer, I believe). I don't know where it is now and I'm sort of curious what has happened to his instrument collection, but it's not really any of my business I guess. I've worked on several instruments for him in the past, he had quite a few.

**Big Joe** · Jul-26-2010, 10:44am

I believe Dave Harvey's was a 41. He had it for a long time. I always called it "blorty". It was a rare F5 with a larger body than the standard F5. Sounded great, but then nearly anything does in Dave's hands

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**Ivan Kelsall** · Jul-28-2010, 5:32am

I saw Mike Seeger's blonde Gibson when he was over here in the late '60's with Alice Gerrard. Here's a clip of John Cohen playing it & a nice info.clip about the 'Ramblers,
Ivan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnmdFIeB-L0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcU0dhw7tJs