A. Yes IMO, in the case of Mon (who purchased his Loar in January '45). Not sure about Apollon, AFAIK he kept using any newer F5 Gibson would give him and might not have been so fanatic about the Loar sound.
B. Yes IMO, there are certainly some with the "it" factor. But both, Monteleone and Gilchrist never strove for the Loar sound, except for their earliest efforts. Especially Gilchrist saw a market for mandolins with plenty of volume and a strong bass response. Since 2003 (Mike Compton's #536) Steve, as he told me personally, has put more effort in getting that Monroe sound, which is still typical loarish, but at the same time standing out from all others. Monroe's Loar was very special, Wakefield's, Loar #70281 and perhaps a few others may get close. I'd say some of Gilchrist's later models should have "it", if we refer to Mon's F5.
I'm quite sure Gibson's workers with Loar breathing down their necks occasionally couldn't do magic. Both age and playing time play a role.
Now how about John Reischman's Loar, which sounds quite unlike Monroe's or Apollon's? Does it have "it"? Most mando lovers sure think so.
Nick, you certainly got the bug. I suggests that you drive around and try as many mandos/Loars as possible. If you can't hear and feel a difference, you won't need to dream about Loars anymore and be happy ever after.
Cheers,
Hendrik Ahrend
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