Re: The Improved Loar LM 600 VS
Hello Out There,
I played a LM-500 for about a year. I liked its raspy tone very much. There were construction details that were not faithful to original Gibsons, though. Recently, a LM-600 became available and I decided to trade up.
My enduring problem with the 500 was that I could not hear myself playing during jam sessions. My other mandolin, a 1986 Flatiron A-5 Artist is not shy about talking back to me. The LM-600 is much better in this regard.
The other feature that swayed me was that the 600 came with a robust V shaped neck like the old Gibsons. The Flatiron is stout, too, but more rounded on the backside. I did not realize how much the thinner LM-500 neck was tiring me out. The 600 rests perfectly against the web of my fretting hand. It is just great! I don't like overly thick necks on my guitars. But the mando is a different story.
Lastly, the designer guys at The Loar made a bunch of detail improvements to make my new instrument much more like the old ones. Aside from the neck, the most impressive change is that the scroll area is wider and the junction of the curves of the scroll volute points to 4PM just like a Gibson.
Lovely,
Ed Taylor
aka Uncle B.