The Loar LM-700-VS has landed

[Folkmusician.com]

Hi Bill,

The LM-700-VS in question is in fact your mandolin. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. It is going to be a long 3 day weekend waiting for Tuesday to come.

I didn't get a chance to get any good pictures of it. Just a couple of quick snapshots while it was on the bench. They did not turn out great.



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Tobin,

It sounds like you are already afflicted with MAS. It may be too late for you!
I hope the FSE is serving you well.

[clarksavage]

Been playing mine all day now. Brought it home this morning. It is really a lot of fun. I've been an oval hole mandolin guy, this is really different. AND it has that long fingerboard extension, now I understand cutting it off or scooping it, I keep hitting the darned thing. I have found a smaller pick that does better, and maybe my technique needs tuning....

This is a very fine little mandolin. I like it alot. It has a deep "throaty" sound and gives me something to work with on a couple of songs I've been working on (almost like a flatpicking melody on some guitar tunes, but I do it on the mandolin....) it is just a whole lot of fun exploring its range.

The action is quite fine, the bridge is waaa...y up on the little threaded brass to put the action just where it should be. The angle of the strings over the bridge is substantial (compared to my other mandolins). The "feel" of the larger neck and the fretboard are faster than my others. It is easy to move around, I like that.

Played it down on the dock of the bay this evening. Nothing like playing to the ocean. Sounds like applause.

Clark

[Michael Gowell]

Couldn't agree more about playing to the ocean...I've been going to a quiet undeveloped North Atlantic beach in the mornings since the cold weather eased. It's fun to just noodle & see what the environment leads you to do.

[clarksavage]

Playing to the ocean.... thanks for the comment Michael. Kittery, eh? I lived up in Portland for a number of years but went to the left coast and took a girl I met there with me :-) Love, just another reason to play more mandolin.

To stay on topic: this 700 mandolin is still a whole lot of fun. I really need to solve the fingerboard extension problem, though, I keep "clicking" against it with my pick. I need to learn not to dig in, get a shorter pick, scoop it or take the darned thing off!

Clark

[clarksavage]

Well, this mandolin certainly makes me happy. I'm having a whole lot of fun playing it and showing it around. I've grown to love the neck and it continues to sound wonderful to my ears. Here's how it looks:





Played it next to some other (more expensive and very nice) mandolins and I was pleased to have this one. Way cool.

Anyone else with a 700 out there yet?

Clark

[Chris Keth]

That's great looking! Interested in making us a sound clip?

[Soupy1957]

I noted that Musiciansfriend.com is selling the LM-600-VS with a "featherweight case with embroidered logo." I realize that this is a thread about the "700" but since the "600" is also another "the loar" instrument, I figure that some of you might have bought the 600 and know about the case in question.

I prefer hardshell cases, ESPECIALLY when having something shipped long distance. Anyone have any experience with the "case" that they speak of? Is it a cloth "gig bag" essentially?

[Folkmusician.com]

The Featherweight case works well. This is made from foam and is more protective than a wooden case.

[Michael Eck]

Indeed, the lightweight Loar cases are very sturdy and protective; and easy to carry with straps, too. Only downside is they are a mite large. I would have no worries about an instrument being shipped in one.

[Rob Powell]

Played it next to some other (more expensive and very nice) mandolins and I was pleased to have this one. Way cool.

Anyone else with a 700 out there yet?

Clark

Yep....had mine since February and I agree that it holds its own next to some much more expensive mandos.

[Fretbear]

That is a really nicely executed scroll, regardless of price or pedigree;
The rest of it looks good as well....

[clarksavage]

Made a cheap MP3 sample of my new 700 from my voice recorder and a little condenser mike. I'll attach it here (never tried that before, hope it works!) Don't expect too much from it.... though I find the "character" of the 700 comes through. I'm going to put my good mike back up and try to get a real recording later this weekend. Oh, I used a Golden Gate pick and the strings are fairly new.

Overall, I am very, very pleased with the LM-700 VS. The Guardian case is a bit heavy to lug around (but strong and well fitted!) so I'm using a gig bag that fits it well, but the Guardian will work well for road trips.

Clark

[Folkmusician.com]

Clark,

Thanks for the post. I am already looking forward to the next version.

[clarksavage]

OK, a better clip, this one is mono and recorded with a decent mike. It sounds better through my amp, hope it works out well for others. Again, I don't have a good acoustic setup here, so the recording won't be professional, but should give a good account of the basic "character" of the LM-700VS.

Clark

[clarksavage]

Hey Soupy -

I have pictures of the Guardian hard shell case that came with my LM-700VS here. Nice case, plenty sturdy, very fine fit, lots of compartments. Heavy to carry very far. I want to land one of those featherweights now. Here's the photos -

[Soupy1957]

There is a video on YouTube about the 600 that I looked at.......stating that it had a bigger neck (apparently fatter, not wider), and that it had the tone bars inside the top wood.

The person in the video mentioned Nitrocellulose Lacquer was used, (done by hand apparently) and I happened to stumble on yet another video that stated that you could make that type of lacquer yourself, out of ping-pong balls and Acetone. Interesting.

My "600" was ordered on Thursday morning, and I paid $22.00 extra for "Next Day" receipt of it, but here it is "Saturday," and UPS shows a delivery date of Monday the 1st. So I called up the company I ordered it from (Music123.com) and stated that I would appreciate a refund of my $22.00 since it would be three days before I actually received the product, and they agreed to do that.

The reports I've read in this thread, played a significant role in my choice of "The Loar LM-600-VS" and I wanted to thank all of you who took the time to play both the 600 and the 700, and make open and honest review statements about what you thought.

By the way, in terms of availability, I didn't run across any sources that were "on hold" for the 600's, as was apparently the case for a while.

One question I still have not found an answer to, and those of you who have played the 600 can probably answer for me: Is the fingerboard "radius'd?"

[Folkmusician.com]

The Fret board is flat with Banjo wire.

I have had the 600 on back order for quite a while now. There were some Blems going around, but other than that I have not had access to any lately. It is very possible that Guitar Center sucked them all up. Guitar Center, Musicians friend, Music 123, WWBW, musician.com.. all the same company.

[Soupy1957]

All the same company source, yes........but Music123.com where I ordered the 600 from, seemed to have some "ready to ship." I DID look at the 700, but don't recall right now what THAT availability was.

[clarksavage]

Hi again, Soupy -

Let us know when you get yours. My local dealer (a fairly small guy in Arroyo Grande, CA.) just got a couple of the first 700's two weeks ago and he called me to tell me he just got a 600 this last week (he had them on order for a long time now, I had been bugging him for one, but the 700 showed up first and stole my .... well, I think I stole it since it is far beyond my expectations for the money....)

My fingers are hurting every day. A good thing.

Clark

[Soupy1957]

Lemme put it THIS way.......I've been "tracking" it from Missouri, and it's in NY right now.

Got my $22.00 back for "Next Day" shipment yesterday. Called em and complained that it was ordered on Thursday and only shipped on Friday. They told me they'd credit me.

I have to tell you that I was amazed this morning. I just checked Music123.com and MusiciansFriend.com, and Elderly and they are now backlogged on the 600 and 700.

Here's a link to a site that apparently HAS a "600" in stock:


http://www.instrumentalley.com/The-L.../lm-600-vs.htm

Geez........I musta just got in under the wire on THIS purchase!

[Rob Powell]

OK, a better clip, this one is mono and recorded with a decent mike. It sounds better through my amp, hope it works out well for others. Again, I don't have a good acoustic setup here, so the recording won't be professional, but should give a good account of the basic "character" of the LM-700VS.

Clark

Clark, I think they are both pretty accurate representations of what the mando sounds like live as it sounds a lot like mine. These are pretty amazing at any price. I'm not sure why but the featherweight case actually came with mine. I know when I asked Big Joe about it he said that they wouldn't even have the replica cases until around now. It's a great case to carry around and everyone I know has said how sturdy it is.

Interesting to note that the case it comes with (a Loar Replica) has a street price around $185 and yet the featherweight is more protective and half the price

I'm with you on the sound of this mandolin. I recently played a few higher end mandolins which had the same tonal characteristics and this mandolin was their equal or better IMHO. The price on those was 3-5 times the price of the LM-700...

[clarksavage]

Hey Rob - That lightweight case sure looks good to me. I'm going to head down to my dealer and check out his LM 600 (just arrived) and see if he has one of those cases to look at. Now, to get back to playing the thing.... its a nice instrument.

Clark

[Mike Zika]

Clark, I saw your review of the LM700 and am responding. I am buying another mandolin soon. I am considering the Collings. I own a LM500. I have been very curious to play the LM700. Would you extend the offer to play it to me. I live in Goleta. I notice you are a Ham radio guy. I worked from ice camps in the Arctic ocean in the 90's and did some HF from the North Pole one year. It would be fun to meet you. I don't know many mandolin players. Mike Zika

[jim simpson]

My student received his LM-700 last Wed. from Mandolin Bros. and brought it tonight to his lesson. He is delighted and well should he be. It has everything everyone has been saying about it: Great bottom, clear highs, and good up the neck. I didn't notice any pick click even though it has its Florida.
The prominent feature that some may not like is the neck profile. I'm used to the skinny neck on my Daley as well as the larger v-neck on my Collings. The Loar was more like the necks on my old Gibson A's. I think I could get used to it as it didn't seem uncomfortable. It reminded me of an early Japanese Kentucky KM-1000 that I used to own.
The case is gorgeous. It must be made specifically for the Loar as my Daley wouldn't fit in it.
Fit and finish was great with a nice sunburst.

[backwoodsborn10]

for anyone looking for a 600 and if you can't find one from someone you know and trust,there's a co.in indiana that i think may have em. i'm not in any way affiliated with them and couldn't vouch fom them, and didn't want to mention their name in case this was against any conduct codes.i don't know if they had 700s but if anyone's interested i can try to help you find one. jeff