the loar lm-500 vs. the world

[Violasaur]

howdy forum;

after weeks of shop touring, penny pinching, forum reading, and mandolin picking, i think i've narrowed my "mandohunt" down to the new and improved "the loar" lm-500 hand carved mandolin. i've played all of the loar f's and most of the kentucky f's, as well as one of the jbovier's (they're hard to find, those ones), the eastman 500's, and the morgan monroe's. the eastman's were great and looked STUNNING, as they always do, but the brightness of the loar 500, 600, and dazzling 700 sung out to me. the 700 is just beyond my price range, but to me, the loar line mandolins all sounded the same and felt the same (the same great chop and the same big ol' necks). after some money setbacks this week, i think (by george) that i've come to settle on the loar lm-500. the jbovier's for all their price and style couldn't beat it, nor could the monroe's by a longshot. of course, eastman makes great stuff, but the 515 and 514 are just too much cash to spit out. steve perry of gianna violins has a lm-500 on order that i plan to snatch up (apparently the new and improved 500's fly!). is there ANY other mandolin or issue i should consider before sealing the deal?and old pal is providing me an f-style eastman shaped case like the ones that come with their 500 series (the loar lightweight case didn't look very good, and steve doesn't carry it anyway, rather an access gigbag).

thanks all!

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/im...andosmiley.gif

~the violasaur

[f5loar]

to me the top end of all those makers is always way better then a few levels down. If it were me I would hold out for the top end models as once you get those you would likely not need to upgrade for a long, long time. When starting out I made the mistake of buying a lessor model because it was all the money I had. If I had waited for that better model I might have postponed my MAS by a decade or two. I like the KM1000 or KM1500. The Loar 700 would be next and then the Eastman 815 or 915. Sure they cost more but there is much more quality and better sound in those top end models. Don't forget the old saying you pay for what you get.
The better case can come later.

[billkilpatrick]

buying the best is good advise ... but if you're happy with the one you've selected, i'd go for it. the ravages of MAS have more or less passed me by (gasp ...pant-pant) and while there may be slight differences between makes and models, the LM600 i have is all i'll ever need in an "F" model mandolin. i'm learning to love it and not keep looking over the fence, as it were, searching for something else. that can be an expensive operation and ultimately (as i've learned) not all that satisfying.

by way of explanation, the old, banged-up mandolin being played here (gibson, i think) belonged to someone in her family - probably the main reason why she loves it. if there was no family attachment and she saw it hanging on a wall with a bunch of other mandolins, she may or may not have chosen it but it's what we feel about the instrument that makes it special - what we bring to it - not what others say:



hope you get your loar - hope you enjoy it as much as i do mine

[Stephen Perry]

The LM500 models I've been getting have been better than seems reasonable. The last one was snagged by a local top notch player for his son - had just the bark he wanted. It sounded great in his hands. We were both very surprised. His budget was a good deal higher.

[SincereCorgi]

If money's a big concern, you always get more instrument if you buy used. Nice high end pac-rim models come up in the classifieds here pretty often. Or, if you save a couple hundred dollars, you could get a used A-style Breedlove, which I think are a big cut above in sound and finish. (I personally haven't tried a The Loar yet that I've liked, but a lot of well-respected people here have been giving them a lot of praise so take my opinion with a grain of salt.)

[Glassweb]

It kills me how many people buy a mandolin judged by its "bark". The sonic capabilities of a good mandolin go way beyond bark. Man, if I want a good bark I'll go buy a dog...

[billkilpatrick]

nice mandolin ... goes "woof!"

[Stephen Perry]

It kills me how many people buy a mandolin judged by its "bark". The sonic capabilities of a good mandolin go way beyond bark. Man, if I want a good bark I'll go buy a dog...

If you had heard this particular player you would no doubt 1) understand what he was talking about 2) respect his playing and 3) respect his terminology. He doesn't tour and play professionally because touring is horrible. He has a regular job, a family, and could hold his own in most bluegrass settings without comment, professionally or non-professionally. I see no reason to make fun of someone's particular terminology.

[Kbone]

If you had heard this particular player you would no doubt 1) understand what he was talking about 2) respect his playing and 3) respect his terminology. He doesn't tour and play professionally because touring is horrible. He has a regular job, a family, and could hold his own in most bluegrass settings without comment, professionally or non-professionally. I see no reason to make fun of someone's particular terminology.

I think most players understand the term "bark" Glassweb -

[Skip]

I heard K-Bone bark once !! He sounded like a Stella

[martin77]

I got one of those new lm500s from Steve earlier this month, and although I only gave it a quick play through (it's a birthday present from my wife) I can say I am very satisfied with the purchase. I've heard they are very consistant in quality too, so I'm sure you won't be dissapointed. Great playability and great sound. Can't wait for my birthday...

[Violasaur]

@steve perry - it's me the violasaur, we've been emailing. i don't think i prior mentioned that i *have* tried the 500 and (this may be because i've been killing myself with a poorly set up kentucky km-150 for 2 years) it is, in my eyes, stunning. today at my fiddle camp i was lucky enough to play an eastman 805 (2 pointer), an old gibson a-1 (as MINT as they come, this thing had not a single scratch on it) and the eastman md-615. none of them, for the $800-$1300 range, seemed to be all that better than the loars, be it the 220 or the 700. i'm confident with my coming purchase. contact me when the 500 coms to your shop steve! :D

[GardenEngineer]

@Steve - Just what would one of those 500s with an upgraded Cumberland bridge and a mandovodoo (or whatever adjustment you think best) cost a lowly and humble newbee like myself? If a response breaks forum rules, could you email me? Thanks in advance.
GE
sthopper@bellsouth.net

[dcoventry]

It kills me how many people buy a mandolin judged by its "bark". The sonic capabilities of a good mandolin go way beyond bark. Man, if I want a good bark I'll go buy a dog...

Glass,

Seriously man? Lighten up..... a lot...please.....thank you.

And as we learned in kindergarten, please is the magic word!

[Kbone]

I heard K-Bone bark once !! He sounded like a Stella

a Stella ! how bout a 'Grey Eagle, or Gilchrist"

[allenhopkins]

People should buy the mandolins that they like, and can afford. Some like mandolins I can't stand; others can't stand the ones I like. I have given up telling people what sound/feel/appearance they ought to like. We can discuss materials, what's hand-carved and what's machine-pressed, what's solid wood and what's laminated, who has thin or thick finishes, who has a wider/deeper/narrower/slimmer neck, a radius fingerboard, more expensive hardware.

But what sound you prefer? That's you. Bark vs. trill, woody vs. chimey, growl vs. ring, whatever. You pick. As Fox News says (do they mean it?), "we report, you decide."

[dcoventry]

"Bark" is a commonly used descriptor. We all have an idea what it means even though it may mean something slightly different to some of us.

And Allen, if I only bought the mandos I could afford, I wouldn't haver either of the ones I do!! HHAhahahahahhhhhahaaaahahah!

[pjlama]

To the op, get the one you like, sounds like you found it.

Go easy on the web all, it gets old hearing about bark and woof and so forth. There is a lot more than just a nasily, loud sound coming from a small box. There's a whole world of shimmering highs, balanced lows and just good tone. I too prefer to not have my instrument compared to an animal sound.

[Marty Henrickson]

I love my dogs, but I'd much rather hear my mandolin bark (or chime, or trill, or whatever descriptive term anyone happens to prefer). I say, "go for it", Violasaur. Sounds like you've done your research.

[billkilpatrick]

veering ever so slightly away from canismorphic sound effects, does anyone else find it strange that "the loar" company didn't give the new, improved LM500 a new id? - something to distinguish it from the old (and greatly inferior, by all accounts) LM500?

[Stephen Perry]

Saves on time/energy in redoing accounting, printing catalogs, etc. Only causes confusion outside the company.

[hedgehog]

The numbering sequence does seem to allow for some confusion though.

The 700 is the most expensive, some think the best, others like the different sound

The 600 is the next lower item price wise, but has tone bars and a sound many like, some like it better than the 700.

The 520 is by all accounts a bare bones 600, but less expensive than the 500.

The 500 is fancier to look at with a less expensive finish, more expensive than the 520.

The "A" style mandolins have a similar price structure. If you were to ask me, it's a confusing pricing arrangement.

[Folkmusician.com]

The 500 and 520 both have the poly finish.

[hedgehog]

Yep - Forgot that one, but now that you mention it........

[Marty Henrickson]

Clear as mud.

Violasaur, have you pulled the trigger on a mandolin yet?