Virzi--What am I missing?

[Mandobart]

Just to not sound quite so unlearned when discussing this in person: is it "vir-zee" or "virtsi" as in "pisa" vs "peet-za".

[Vincent Capostagno]

the latter

vincent capostagno

[dan in va]

Wasn't Monroe's other mandolin that met the fire power a '24 fern? This mandolin is featured in the video hosted by John Hartford.

Maybe the Virzi had been removed, perhaps in similar Monroe fashion as the pearl inlay, finish, and possibly the peg head scroll had been in the early '50's. If not, then it noted good 'nuff for him to use for cross tuning. If the Virzi was indeed intact, it could've been that it suited him for that purpose. Or, the mandolin just might've sounded good despite its presence.

Gee...i've never heard anything about Big Mon owning and playing a Loar with Virzi. i'm hoping there will be others who can shed some light on this.

[f5loar]

Monroe's other Loar was a Feb. , 1923 with no virzi. In that video (from memory) he was using Ralph Rinzer's '27 Fern which of coarse never had a Virzi. He likely played a virzi Loar at sometime in his life as many would loan their Loars to him during times when his main Loar was out of commission.

[dan in va]

Thanks for your reply, Tom. i'm trying to recall where the '24 fern date info came from, and am thinking it was in an article about restoring his famous mando, and that the other one had more damage and was a tougher repair job. Of course, this is gonna stick in my head until the answer pops up. You may very well be spot on (as usual) and my info may be incorrect.

Maybe i was reading something into it, but the fern in the video appeared to have lots of crack repairs in the bridge area, which may only have been in the finish. Although i've never seen any photos of the other mandolin, much less in its damaged state, i may have drawn a wrong conclusion from what i thought i saw in the video.

[Bill Halsey]

#72214, here on Dan's Archive.

[f5loar]

I thought he played the other Loar in the video too on another cross tune like Last Days on Earth? Or was that the Rinzler Fern?
Been awhile since I've seen that video. I am 100% sure the other Feb. '23 Loar did not have a Virzi and never had one. Monroe had a '78 F5L Fern. Is that the one you are thinking about? He used that one a lot while the two Loars were being repaired.

[dan in va]

Tom, i did my best to research the second mandolin. There were a number of references that confirmed your Feb '23 info, but zero to back up the notion of a '24 Fern. And it looks like you may also have guessed right that i was thinking about the '78F5L Fern...the mandolin Bill was playing the last time i saw him play live in a little dive in nearby Ruckersville VA, sometime in the early '90's.

Thanks for setting the facts straight and being so nice about it, too. Now that i look back at that post, it defies logic...Bill choosing a Fern and all. i appreciate your posts very much. (one more thing - somehow my PM's didn't get through to you about the mandolin i chose after considering your thoughtful advice...a Stanley A that is has more tone and power than i could imagine)

[grassrootphilosopher]

I thought he played the other Loar in the video too on another cross tune like Last Days on Earth? Or was that the Rinzler Fern?
Been awhile since I've seen that video. I am 100% sure the other Feb. '23 Loar did not have a Virzi and never had one. Monroe had a '78 F5L Fern. Is that the one you are thinking about? He used that one a lot while the two Loars were being repaired.

The Homespun Bill Monroe videos show Bill Monroe playing his famous mandolin tuned "straight" and the Rinzler Fern in the cross tunings. There is some footage of Bill Monroe in the White House playing what I think is the Siminoff 1978 newly designed Gibson F-5L.