View Full Version : 1922 Loar #71055 heel cap
carleshicks
Dec-28-2009, 7:37am
Is there any other Loars that have an ubound heel cap like http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/show_mando.pl?2 71055.
Darryl Wolfe
Dec-28-2009, 8:39am
It is the only one I have seen. It appears perfectly original
carleshicks
Dec-28-2009, 8:48am
is it an ebony or ebonized maple heel cap? Or is there no cap and it is just stained darker?
Darryl Wolfe
Dec-28-2009, 9:50am
I dont know. There is a cap and it appears to be ebony
evanreilly
Dec-28-2009, 10:58am
Ahhh... The 'Parrot' Loar...
carleshicks
Dec-28-2009, 11:10am
Otehr than the Parrot she is a beauty
Skip Kelley
Dec-28-2009, 12:13pm
"Polly want a Loar"! :grin: Other than the parrot, that is one sweet looking F5!
allenhopkins
Dec-28-2009, 2:22pm
Hey, I like the parrot. Totally unique, like the "Flamingo" Stradivarius...
carleshicks
Dec-28-2009, 2:32pm
Hey, I like the parrot. Totally unique, like the "Flamingo" Stradivarius...
Ha Ha
Ahhh... The 'Parrot' Loar...
Oh yeah, I remember that bird! It came into Mando Bros. must be 12 years ago. It was a good one. I think Gilchrist may have de-feathered it.
Darryl Wolfe
Dec-28-2009, 2:46pm
Oh yeah, I remember that bird! It came into Mando Bros. must be 12 years ago. It was a good one. I think Gilchrist may have de-feathered it.
I was thinking it may have gotten defeathered too. The front feathers are missing in some of the archive photos
Glassweb
Dec-28-2009, 2:57pm
front feathers removed, rear parrot preserved... owned by The Dawg I believe...
Goodin
Dec-28-2009, 3:17pm
were the fretboard inlays filled in or removed at some point too? Or perhaps a new fretboard?
I like the parrot! I think i will get a copy of it on the back of my mando build coming up;).
MikeEdgerton
Dec-28-2009, 5:07pm
front feathers removed, rear parrot preserved... owned by The Dawg I believe...
You believe correctly although I'm not totally sure if he still has it. The front birds were decals, the back bird was painted on.
I've contemplated having that bird painted on mine many times.
MikeEdgerton
Dec-28-2009, 5:10pm
were the fretboard inlays filled in or removed at some point too? Or perhaps a new fretboard?
I'm going to guess the fretboard was replaced. It certainly looks better in the after pics than it did in the before pics.
Ken Waltham
Dec-28-2009, 10:52pm
That is probably the one Loar that I regret not buying when I had the opportunity. It was cheap enough at the time, compared to other Loars, but, the Parrots, etc kind of threw me off. Hindsight, I wish I'd bought it. Had it in my hands, and it was quite available.
I personally believe that is the first Production Loar.
The heel cap is just like an A4, but, I am not 100% sure if it is original or not. It is, however, Gibson factory work, and from the twenties, so, I think it's a moot point.
My reasoning is, the back has been off, and a Virzi retrofitted, ( backwards) in that F5, so, I am not sure about the heelcap.
I would most certainly remove the Virzi, and the parrot from that F5. The Virzi definately holds that one back, and does not function as intended because of the backwards installation.
The Parrot.... well, for me, it's just a little gaudy, and Loars are so elegantly understated by design.
Notice how that Loar is darker than most ( or all ) of that period? Very cool mandolin.
Ken
Goodin
Dec-29-2009, 9:24am
I would most certainly remove the Virzi, and the parrot from that F5.
But then it would no longer be "The Parrot Loar"!
Darryl Wolfe
Dec-29-2009, 10:17am
I agree with Ken. This is likely the first production Loar and as such bears some anomolies
MikeEdgerton
Dec-29-2009, 10:21am
Darryl, which fretboard inlay pattern do you think was the original?
Darryl Wolfe
Dec-29-2009, 11:48am
The one picture on the archive is from Mandolin Bros when the instrument had elaborate inlays long ago. Those were most assuredely added with the Parrot dress up. The instrument was later returned to a more stock appearance
Spruce
Dec-29-2009, 12:28pm
I agree with Ken. This is likely the first production Loar and as such bears some anomolies
Glad they switched over to the maple extending over the cap....
Structurally, mucho better, no??
MikeEdgerton
Dec-29-2009, 12:40pm
The one picture on the archive is from Mandolin Bros when the instrument had elaborate inlays long ago. Those were most assuredely added with the Parrot dress up. The instrument was later returned to a more stock appearance
I figured it had to be added someplace along the line. Thanks.
Mike Black
Dec-29-2009, 12:55pm
Glad they switched over to the maple extending over the cap....
Structurally, mucho better, no??
And it's a lot easier to do than trying to fit the cap to match the back perfectly.
carleshicks
Dec-29-2009, 12:56pm
A question for anyone that has held 71055. In the picturs of the parrot Loar it appears to have a darker finish with a redder tint than most 22 f-5's. Is this just the lighting? Or is colored similarly to the other 22's such as this other November 22 http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/show_mando.pl?5?
Ken Waltham
Dec-29-2009, 1:23pm
Carl; note in my post how I said it was darker....
I even wonder if it was a 1923/1924 refin, after Virzi retrofit? Who knows. And, it would be Gibson work, from the period, and in my mind would make difference whatsoever. I think that's likely, given it looks distinctly 1923ish...
But, it is darker, and I much prefer that colour to the typical 1922, early 23 colour.
I think I remember, but am not at all sure, that it had a steeper neck angle.
I could be entirely wrong on that point, so don't take it as truth.
Darryl Wolfe
Dec-29-2009, 1:35pm
I have it noted as steep neck angle
Ken Waltham
Dec-29-2009, 3:09pm
OK.
Well, I guess that could go a way on the neck heel cap idea... an add on, I mean.
Ken
carleshicks
Dec-30-2009, 4:40am
I think that when they took the back off to install the Virzi, the maple heel button that was attached to the back board broke off. so they replace that end piece of binding and the ebony heel cap as installed while putting her back together. I don't know, just spit balling here.