Double Stop Fiddle Shop Lost to Fire

[ABrown]

I guess I’m buying a Calton

[Mandolin Cafe]

Hang, you HAVE to watch this. Click the image to start video. Fast forward to 3:00 mark if you just can't stand it. I'd say if Calton Cases were a public stock the price would be rising at the moment.

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[Aehle]

Glad to see his Loar survived. Calton cases are fine cases but it looks like a Leaf Case to me.

[Loudloar]

Sure looks like a Mark Leaf case to me.

Steve

[Mandolin Cafe]

Think Mark Leaf is right. I was told Calton from 80s over phone.

[sgarrity]

To heck wth the case, tell me about that safe! So happy it survived. That’s my favorite Loar that I’ve played!

[William Smith]

To heck wth the case, tell me about that safe! So happy it survived. That’s my favorite Loar that I’ve played!

Yes I need a safe myself for my old F-5's! What Loar is his? Date? So happy it survived!

[Gary Leonard]

Where those bows that he took out along with that mandolin case? In the long thin boxes? Wonder what was in those.

[brunello97]

Great news about the Loar.

That rack of toasted fiddles in the background is devastating to see. Like it came out of a forno or kiln.

Any ideas what caused the fire?

While we're all feeling good about this recovery, there's something unsettling about this whole story. A lot of lessons to be (re) learned, here.

i don't mean to be a grump but....

Mick

[Northwest Steve]

A little divine intervention? Maybe he can get an endorsement deal from which ever case mfg.

[Dave Wrede]

Goodness! I had the pleasure of meeting Byron at his store a few years ago. He's sittin' behind the counter swattin' flies and I'm just in total awe! Wonderful store, full of wonderful instruments and, I'm sure, stories to go along with them.
Such a loss.

[EvanElk]

Holy cow...

[Charles E.]

Great news about the Loar.

That rack of toasted fiddles in the background is devastating to see. Like it came out of a forno or kiln.

Any ideas what caused the fire?

While we're all feeling good about this recovery, there's something unsettling about this whole story. A lot of lessons to be (re) learned, here.

i don't mean to be a grump but....

Mick

According to the news report in post #10, the fire started next door on the back porch in the alley. Many years ago in Raleigh NC, one of our favorite restaurants was heavily fire damaged by a worker flinging a cigarette butt into a trash can, on the back porch, in the alley, while on break.
I hope that is not the case here.

[Fretbear]

That case not only kept it initially unburnt, and secondly dry, but then also protected it inside that safe during it's violent fall into the basement.

[Julia LaBella]

Reminds me of Feb. 25, 1986 when Bill Monroe got his Loar back from Gibson after it had been brutally destroyed by some vandal & was brought back to life! Byron Berline, I was praying so hard for a miracle that you too, would find your Loar saved! I was visualizing a safe in prayer. Hallelujah! 🎶♥️🙏🏻 tears of joy again, this time for Byron.

[Doc Ivory]

Wow!

[Paul Statman]

What a relief, and thanks for the update. That case, though.. doesn't look very Calton-ey. More Mark Leaf-ey to my eye..
Maybe I just never saw one that looked like that. I stand to be corrected.

[Bogle]

Heavy as they get, but what protection! I'm definitely hanging on to my Mark Leaf dread case!

I'm so sad for Byron's losses in the fire, but certainly happy for his Loar being unharmed.

Oh.....and welcome to Julia.

[William Smith]

On You tube there was a better Video, of two big ole safes being opened, and close ups of the Loar, there is a bit of water damage as you can see the cloudin on the Loar and he said the label was wet, but that'll all dry! I can't even imagine! So happy the F-5 was saved!

[Hendrik Ahrend]

I feel so sorry for Byron, and I'm glad nobody got hurt. He is such a fine fellow and wonderful fiddle player. I'm proud to have toured, played and shared the room with him for 4 weeks in 1994 in Europe. John Hickman was on banjo; also a really fine fellow and player. Imagine standing next to them and being part of the (almost) original Sally Goodin and Gold Rush in 28 concerts during 27 days - fond memories for sure. At that time, he was about to move from LA to Guthrie to open his fiddle shop and, of course, was all excited about it. Byron and I not only shared a common interest in music, but also in instruments, especially fiddles and mandolins; we went fiddle hunting in Italy, a wonderful adventure. Back then, when Byron arrived in Europe, he and his family just experienced an earth quake in LA, which, if I remember correctly, didn't destroy his house, but was strong enough to make the cups and saucers fly out of the cupboard.
I'm glad nothing happened to his Loar now. (BTW it's #73007 ) Back then, I believe Byron also owned a fine H5 and a pre war D28. I wonder what became of those. I'm still thankful to Byron for how he treated me, what I learned from him and for selling me two fine mandolins (a '93 F5 and a '23 F4) in later years.

Hendrik

[William Smith]

Its a miracle that the Loar was saved! On the youtube video, it looked like a lot of other guitar/cases were pulled out of another big ole safe, none was opened like the Loar though. I emailed Byron and mentioned that even damaged instruments have an appeal to some and he should let us all know on the café if anything can be saved and he should put them up here on this great site and try and get something out of them? I'd be interested in something perhaps to help him out in his time of need? I imagine that some would buy to help him out? Just a thought?

[Jan Skovajsa]

The case doesn't seem to be the Calton: neither the new one made in the US nor the old Canadian or the one that was used to make in the UK.

As I long term user of Calton cases I have to say that they are not water resistant nor water proof. The water gets in around the hinges if the case is exposed to the heavy rain in a bad angle or even if you wash it closed in the shower or if you hose it down. I have long experience with the old UK cases made by Keith, the Canadian Caltons as well to the new ones made in the US.

Hang on to your hats for this bit of news. What I'm told is Byron and his crew are going to post and confirm this on the web as well, where I don't know but I'd guess on Facebook:

Byron's Loar was in a safe on the second floor of the building. By the time the fire was out the safe was in the basement with most of the rest of the building, under several feet of water totally submerged. They talked the fire department into pumping the basement dry from the water used to put out the fire. The safe was opened, everything in the safe was totally wet and ruined, but the Loar was in a Calton case, always said to be waterproof. They opened the case, the mandolin was dry and still in tune.

That's the story as it was told to me just on the phone with Jim Triggs a few minutes. Jim is a close friend of Byron's, said Byron was crying when he pulled it out of the case and saw it was undamaged. This information literally came to me just now in this fashion. I'd say that's pretty damn good news as part of an otherwise tragic story.

EDIT: the video, click the image to start:

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[Hendrik Ahrend]

The case doesn't seem to be the Calton: neither the new one made in the US nor the old Canadian or the one that was used to make in the UK.

As I long term user of Calton cases I have to say that they are not water resistant nor water proof. The water gets in around the hinges if the case is exposed to the heavy rain in a bad angle or even if you wash it closed in the shower or if you hose it down. I have long experience with the old UK cases made by Keith, the Canadian Caltons as well to the new ones made in the US.

Since it's mentioned in post #43, what Byron has looks like a Mark Leaf case, no?.

[AlanN]

Since it's mentioned in post #43, what Byron has looks like a Mark Leaf case, no?.

Yes, has been fairly confirmed. And I did not know the Leaf is watertight like that.

[Bob Buckingham]

There just may be a run on Calton cases now.