View Full Version : David McLaughlin's mando(s)
msh_mando
Jul-12-2006, 2:16pm
Hello, does anyone know what kind of mandolin(s) David McLaughlin used with the Johnson Mountain Boys in the studio and on the road?
kudzugypsy
Jul-12-2006, 2:23pm
Gibson F-5 circa 1923
I think he had a Pag too.
msh_mando
Jul-12-2006, 3:00pm
The JMB recordings are a members of a long list of testimony supporting the idea that those are pretty good mandolins. Are they expensive? Maybe I will buy one.....
Danny Clark
Jul-12-2006, 3:27pm
he did have a Pag ,sold it a couple of years ago hear on the cafe ,he said it was real close to his Loar .
kudzugypsy
Jul-12-2006, 6:45pm
yeap, its mine now - and as close as you can get to an LL without an extra $150K laying around...so this one will have to do. it has that Loar *knock* to it - very midrangey, not to bass heavy and with that sparkle on the trebles. its a keeper.
seriously, DM said that all of the JMB stuff was the loar - he used the Pag on some of the Cracker Barrel stuff and with his recent group, cant recall the name off the top of my head. he also has a great A2Z snakehead, his first mando - thats it - so that goes to show you dont need to own em all - just a trio of the best of the litter.
David was a very nice guy to deal with, and it was only thru the graces of his wife that i got the mando and it didnt go out to CA as part of a non-players collection-, even though he was willing (and financially able) to pay quite a bit more that I could - so i am forever greatful to her! that just shows what kind of great folks they are - they were willing to help a young guy out and werent thinking about the money.
many thanks to them as i have made a bunch of good music on that mando and its been a really great inspiritation pushing me to another level.
i didnt get to play the Loar when i went up, so i cant vouch for the comparison - Charlie Darrington had it in Nashville for a fret job, but Dave said it was the only mando he ever felt stood head to head with his Loar in all areas - the right *feel* - the throaty sound - the tonal character - etc.
sunburst
Jul-12-2006, 7:18pm
David let me keep his Loar for a couple of weeks, about 15 years ago, to study and measure. I learned much of what I know about F5s from David and that mandolin. It's a wonderful instrument, and was my favorite of the Loars I had seen and played until I saw John Reishman's, and more recently, another that I believe is my favorite of them all.
I also know the guy who had it before David, and it was in near mint condition when David got it, by both or their accounts.
Jeff Hoelter
Jul-12-2006, 9:01pm
I was lucky enough to play David's Loar at a small mando-pickin party a couple years ago. It was quite nice - definitely an excellent mandolin. A nice guy and an excellent picker as well.
I got the impression that he had another one too - that he had two Loars total. Maybe I'm wrong...
Jeff
msh_mando
Jul-13-2006, 9:54am
I found this great interview with DM. http://mandozine.com/resources/CGOW/mclaughlin.php
In it he discusses the Loar and other mandos, along with this quote that I love:
"I always have a mandolin accessible, and I play it frequently. Just pick it up and play, even when you're called to dinner, or told to do your homework, or when you should be mowing the grass...play the mandolin. You may not do too well at more important things in life, but you'll certainly develop into a great mandolin player. "
Im going to show that one to my wife....
8STRINGR
Jul-13-2006, 10:27pm
David doesn't live far from me, unless he has moved. I had my first mandolin lesson from him, as well as purchasing one of his mandolin instructional videos that had Murphy Henry playing guitar with him, as he would start off with running through the tune before breaking it down.
If I remember correctly, since I no longer have that video, David talked about his mandolin on the video and had stated that he uses (or used) "LaBella" strings on that particular mandolin (the 1923) at that time. I always loved his style of picking. JMB's "Request" was one of my favorite album projects that they recorded as well as "Live at the Old School House" in Lucketts, VA.
Willie Poole
Jul-13-2006, 10:42pm
I would have bet money that he played an F-5L (fern) at one of the gigs that my band did with them when he first played mando with JMB...But I wouldn`t bet anything now after reading all of the comments on here...It is a nice axe for sure....I just didn`t take a good look at it...Willie
sunburst
Jul-13-2006, 11:16pm
He had/has an F-5L, made in about 1980, I think.