History/timeline of The Loar Models

[Dcarey]

Hi All!

Relative newbie here and the proud owner of a The Loar LM500VS model that has no serial number. What I do know about it is that it belonged to a gentleman named Sam Thibodeau (his son, Billy, is my mando/banjo instructor) who owned a music business at the time and got a very early model for himself. When he passed, his son sold it to me.

It's definitely a poly finish and does have an inside label that states the model number, LM500/VS and "Made in China" nothing else. Are any of you familiar with the history of "The Loar" mandolins or can you point me to any sources? I've been looking here & there quite often but haven't really found a reliable history...yet!

Meanwhile, I've been keeping myself busy with this:
http://s49.photobucket.com/user/dcarey69/story/10803

Thanks,
Dan

[pfox14]

Unfortunately "The Loar" website has no information about the history of the company. I believe they started in the 90s or early 2000s, but not absolutely sure.

[Folkmusician.com]

Hi Dan,

Welcome to the Cafe!


The LM-500 was the first production model for The Loar and was first introduced in 2007. The newer LM-500 hit the market in May 2011. These two models are entirely different.

[Dcarey]

Thanks Robert,


Can you expound a bit on the differences? I have no idea what they are. All I know for certain is that my label states LM500/VS.


But now that I've spent some time poking around on your site, I see that mine is definitely a pre-2011 model: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/dcarey69/Mandolin/IMG_1567.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/dcarey69/media/Mandolin/IMG_1567.jpg.html)

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/dcarey69/Mandolin/IMG_1571.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/dcarey69/media/Mandolin/IMG_1571.jpg.html)


Thanks for lettin' me pick your brain,
Dan

[Folkmusician.com]

HI Dan,

It will be easier to tell you what is the same, which would be the tuners. :)

Your mandolin was made at a third party factory called Dae Won (who makes a good portion of the world's mandolins). The Loar later moved production over to a shop that was setup specifically to make The Loar mandolins and archtop guitars. So we have a case where everything changed including the source of woods, the bone used for the nut, the screws.

I do have an archived page for the older version here:
http://www.folkmusician.com/The-Loar-Golden-Age-Mandolin/productinfo/LM%2D500/

[dcoventry]

I don't know about the sound, but interesting it has that big "Loaresque" pickguard and a really stunning headstock inlay/decal.

[Dcarey]

Thank you Robert, That page is now in my information archive. And thank you for the history lesson!.
dcoventry, it's definitely an inlay, not a decal. The sound beat out an equivalent Kentucky model at the shop where I bought it, but I've definitely been thinking about thinning the finish a little bit...I'm certain it will improve the sound. I've thinned the finish on a Larrivee satin finished guitar by polishing it and it made a big difference. I just have to figure out how to measure the finish thickness on this one. It's definitely on the thick side.
Here's s pic of the guitar finish that started off as satin: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/dcarey69/OM-03R/IMG_0021-1.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/dcarey69/media/OM-03R/IMG_0021-1.jpg.html)

[almeriastrings]

Your mandolin was made at a third party factory called Dae Won (who makes a good portion of the world's mandolins)

Best known as the source of the "Rally" brand...or your own label!

http://www.straus.co.kr/mandolins.htm

Dan, if you check really carefully you will see that there is no routing outline at all around the fancy inlay. Hold it up at different angles in good light. If you do the same, even on Gibson, you will see the slight indents/outline from the routed channel. On these imported mandolins they use a technique that involves overlaying an ultra-thin 'slice' of real pearl/abalone onto the surface, which is then 'flatted' by the finish. It is sometimes called "thinlay" but is best described as an overlay. It looks very good and allows for intricate designs at very low cost per unit. To produce those patterns from standard thickness materials and inlay them is expensive and time consuming, even today. Here's how it is done these days, using CNC at PRS guitars:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAZb5--In3Y

[Perry Babasin]

I had one of these that I purchased from an ebay dealer who represented it as solid-carved. Turned out to be solid-pressed with a carved volute. I actually really liked the mandolin, it had sweet tone and was very playable just a little quiet. The newer fully carved models, particularly the nitrocellulose models are considerably better. You can tell at a glance by the pick-guard and the Fern-Urn headstock inlay. As far as history of The Loar, no one has mentioned the few fabulous Weber built prototypes that are floating around out there.

[Dcarey]

Thanks Everyone.
All input, good or not so good is welcome. Like I said, I'm a newbie (at 62) and still learning!