What an incredible day! Unknown Loar Mandola found

[Tobin]

Dang it, I should have figured that this was too good to be true, considering today's date.

It's a great looking mandola, though! Nice touches with the details, including the part of the label I could see (with accurate and plausible serial number). What did you do for the tuners? Are they vintage, or just made to look aged?

[Spruce]

I was wondering, did you have your calendar set ahead one day?

For whatever reason (I suspect that Mr. Gilchrist's known passion for these instruments might be playing a role), there is a huge interest in Loar-era 'dolas Down Under...
Just sayin'...

Must have been a weird day for high-end G&^%$ns to come out of the closet...
This puppy walked into my door yesterday--a '59 'Burst...

[Darryl Wolfe]

What did you do for the tuners? Are they vintage, or just made to look aged?

The reason for no pics of the tuners from back

[Darryl Wolfe]

Must have been a weird day for high-end G&^%$ns to come out of the closet...
This puppy walked into my door yesterday--a '59 'Burst...

What's the back story there Bruce..awesome looking...Dr. Mojo reigns

[Timbofood]

Still working the hook out! Pretty good Gary!

[Spruce]

What's the back story there Bruce..awesome looking...Dr. Mojo reigns

I don't know much about old Les Pauls...
I bought it at a second-hand store here on the island for 600 bucks--hope I didn't get ripped off...

The reason for no pics of the tuners from back

...or the signature...

[testore]

I do have a set of correct tuner plates from an A model. The F shafts I tried to put on didn't work. The gears were too small. I will get them working at some point and use them on another...........maybe next April!
The ones here are StewMac with pearl buttons.

[zebozi]

Cool!
Just for curious: Which brand/model it actually is?

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Nice work Gary. You had me fooled for sure.

[DataNick]

You're an artist, my man! Oh, and Mark's "Loar", as "real" as it gets!

[Tobin]

The ones here are StewMac with pearl buttons.

But what did you do to them to make them rusty and worn looking? Unless it's just a lighting trick in the photos, it looks like the tuning pegs and bushings are oxidized and aged, as well as the gears.

[testore]

Just simple oxidizers.

[Billgrass]

I knew something was up from the flash angle mismatch on the serial number photo.

You had me till then.

[testore]

Not sure what you mean.

[Timbofood]

I just got the sinker freed! Hook is almost out of the lip! Wise apple!

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Wonderful work, Gary, really fine. As to the tuners, did you shorten the string posts from 1 inch to 23 mms?

[testore]

Nope. Good info though. Thanks

[Jeff Mando]

Great prank, yep, I was fooled! I did think to myself, it sure is clean, almost too clean, but the case went a long way to establish the story, in my mind. (the case took the wear, so the mandola didn't have to) Regardless, beautiful work!

[Bill Snyder]

Cool!
Just for curious: Which brand/model it actually is?

Gary Vessel (testore) built it.

[testore]

Thanks everyone for letting me have some fun.

[Spruce]

Yeah, that holds the record for the longest stretch of foolage I've ever seen, especially considering that you posted it when it was April Fool's day in Australia...

My April Fool's instrument in 2013--Oakie Kamaka's Telecaster--lasted about 6 hours as I remember...

Last year's got about 15 minutes...

[Bertram Henze]

Dang it, I should have figured that this was too good to be true, considering today's date.

I didn't believe it from the start, for exactly that reason, and not just on April 1st. Gupta's Law of Convenient Anomaly works anytime.
Let's be thankful this is an honest forger showing off his work and not an ebay seller.

[testore]

Honest forgery...... Hmmmmmm. I rather look at it as an art student making a study of a masterpiece. The only way to learn is to look and make what you see. It's simply a study of what we find pleasing and valuable. And it's a kick in the pants when it turns out. Hellofa lot of fun too.

[Timbofood]

So, you planned this for some time. The difference between a smart aleck and a wit is........wait for it.......

Timing!
Well played sir!

[testore]

I bought the case over a year ago. Then coincidentally another thread had a discussion about mandola pick guards. Daryl Wolfe said he had one and I bought it. I had no choice but to build it.