Loar F5s and the Pros

[f5loar]

It has been 66 years since the founding father of bluegrass music decided the Lloyd Loar signed Gibson F5 was the best mandolin out there to make his brand of music. Since then 1000's of Pro Bluegrass mandolin pickers have chosen the Gibson F5 or a copy of the F5 style as their instrument of choice but how many Pros still believe in the mystic of the Loar F5 and continue to use one either regularly on stage or in the studio? It's no secret who they are since many are seen with them on CD covers or on stage with their Loars so I thought it would be fun to make a list of those pros that believe in the Loar F5 even if they may not pick one all the time. I will start the list as they come to my mind and if you know of any pros that still play or record with Loars then add them to the list. Please list only publicly known pro owners with real Loars not fake Loars or DMM or MM models. (A Pro would be someone who gets paid to perform either full time or part time and records CDs listed in the top 5000 Bluegrass recordings)

Ricky Skaggs
David Grisman
Alan Bibey
Ronnie McCoury
Tony Williamson
Gene Johnson
Chris Thile
Bobby Osborne
Frank Wakefield
Doyle Lawson
Herschel Sizemore
Ron Thomason
Byron Berline
David McLaughlin
Ronnie Reno
Frank Ray
Butch Waller
John Reischman
Mike Marshall
Larry Sledge
Chris Hillman
Danny Roberts

[Fretbear]

Norman Blake

[sgarrity]

Caleb Roberts
Tom Mindte
Vince Gill
Tom Rozum
Nancy Blake......it's pretty well documented that Norman prefers the old oval holes
Steve Smith

It's also interesting to look at what else all of these Loar owners are playing on a regular basis

[Ivan Kelsall]

Interesting to read that Byron Berline owns one,although,considering he's a pretty good picker,it's maybe not too surprising. Chris Hillman's a surprising Loar owner as well - very interesting listing there f5,many thanks,
Ivan

[Scotti Adams]

Interesting to read that Byron Berline owns one,although,considering he's a pretty good picker,it's maybe not too surprising. Chris Hillman's a surprising Loar owner as well - very interesting listing there f5,many thanks,
Ivan

Stephen Stills gave Chris his Loar as a gift

[f5loar]

I've been trying to "buddy up" to Stephen for years! We should all have friends like that. I was going to list Nancy Blake but was unsure as to who in that family actually owns that Loar. Berline has had his for decades and I remember seeing him with it during the early days of Country Gazzette. And who is Tom Mindte playing with these days?

[evanreilly]

Tom Mindte runs his own recording/record company out of, I beleive, Maryland. It is Patuxent Records. His band is the Patuxent Partners.

Now, don't be forgetting the mandolin player who played a Loar-signed F-5 long before Bill Monroe ever found his:

[f5loar]

True but I never heard Dave whip into "Rawhide" on his so he don't count in this survey but in all fairness his Loar is now making wonderful "Monroe" music today but not in the hands of a Top 5000 Bluegrass CD picker.

[Mike Romkey]

Please post a link to the Top 5,000 Bluegrass CD list.

[Fretbear]

I was going to list Nancy Blake but was unsure as to who in that family actually owns that Loar.

Norman owns it, and Nancy used to babysit it for him when he was on the road, and said it was the first mandolin that she ever played(!)

[sgarrity]

That brings up an interesting question.....has Norman recorded with his Loar?

[Scotti Adams]

And Im not so sure Vince Gill owns an actual Loar..I know he owns one of the Gibson Monroe Models that Bill personanly owned. His wife Amy Grant bought at the auction of all of Bills wares.

[sgarrity]

http://www.fretboardjournal.com/maga...9s-always-been

I've got this issue hidden away in a box somewhere. I'm assuming he still has this one.

[f5loar]

It seems I recall some years ago Norman and Nancy separated and divorced and she got the Loar in the divorce settlement. Then they got back together finding they were inseparatable. That's why I'm not sure who actually owns it. Vince Gil had one but not sure he still has it. I'm thinking he and Marty Stuart sold their Loars to buy other things.
Link to the top 5000 is www.best5000bluegrasscds.com

[mtucker]

Vince Gil had one but not sure he still has it. I'm thinking he and Marty Stuart sold their Loars to buy other things.

i think i remember hearing that Steve Gil did some work on Vince Gil's Loar just a few years back. No idea about Stuart. What about Butch B's Loar?

[AlanN]

And Im not so sure Vince Gill owns an actual Loar..I know he owns one of the Gibson Monroe Models that Bill personanly owned. His wife Amy Grant bought at the auction of all of Bills wares.

Vince had/has a beautiful '29 fern. I played it once. What a mandolin.

[mtucker]

maybe i got it wrong, i know Steve did some work on an old one of his a few years back.

[dcoventry]

f5,

That link appears not to work. Or is it lodged in one of those sub-links?

dave

[bobbyburns]

When Norman showed me that loar, (a very good one by the way) he said it was Nancy's.

[Trey Young]

Shaun,
The Blake's Loar is pictured with them and James Bryan and a handful of other instruments on the back of the Full Moon On The Farm album. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean they used it, but seems to indicate such. Also, Nancy is pictured holding it on the back of her solo album as well.

[ll144]

How many actual F-5 Loars were made and how many are not accounted for.

[Mike Snyder]

Frank Ray, Cedar Hill bgrass band from Missouri. He used to have his choice of more than one.

[f5loar]

there quite a few mulit-Loar owners on my original list. I think it's Nancy's too but don't tell Norman that. You can go to archives here on the cafe and check under the F5 Journal to find how many they should have made and how many are accounted for to date.
From that you can figure about how many are still left to be discovered and it's not many when you take out the ones destroyed by acts of God and Ex-Spouses. Hard telling how many were lost in yesterday's Rapture around the world.

[Willie Poole]

Brian Aldridge owned two but I don`t know what he has now....Although he primarily plays guitar with Bry Branch he does play mandolin on some shows

[jim simpson]

I met Bob Artis of the Allegheny Drifters at a show a couple of years ago here locally. He was playing his Lloyd Loar at the show. He played previously with Benny Martin. Located in Western Pa, I believe.

Played Anthony Hannigan's (1999 National Mandolin Champion) father's Lloyd Loar. I met his father at his campsite at WindGap Bluegrass Festival at which he offered it up to me to play. I believe Anthony was using it in concert but not sure of current status.