Loar forgery / fake Serial # 80263

[Jim Garber]

Yes, I feel sorry for this poor mandolin who is floating around and just wants to be played and loved.

I hope there will be a happy ending for this story.

[Jstring]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. Of course, I had to google Brandon Farley after reading 8 pages of posts - there are quite a few videos of him playing the mandolin in question.

I don't think anyone has posted any examples, so here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khspk8U1dmM

It may not be a real Loar, but it's a great bluegrass mandolin! And he's a talented player. I hope there's a good end of the story for both of them....

[f5loar]

wow! That impressed me! Brandon has got his Monroe chops going on there. Great sounding Fake Loar. I just up my bid to $1200 but only if it comes with a case.

[Gary Hedrick]

This whole story is so depressing... I just hope this mandolin gets back in the hands of someone who will use it for its true purpose again -- making people happy.

Agreed but not after relieving some poor soul of his money in the chase for something that this isn't.

Good mandolin....just not a Loar...

[William Smith]

wow! That impressed me! Brandon has got his Monroe chops going on there. Great sounding Fake Loar. I just up my bid to $1200 but only if it comes with a case.

Yes that Mandolin does sound great! I'll go $1250! The mando don't look the best but sound is whats important anyway. We should hold a café auction for fun and see what it would go for?

[Scott Tichenor]

Brandon isn't on my radar. Maybe someone else's. Can't speak for him and I don't like seeing someone accused of something without proof, even if they have proven to be of questionable character otherwise. Stuart Smith--that isn't a problem.

Facts, not speculation, which is rampant in this thread:

- The same person that has been answering Craig's List ads named Stuart Smith used the same email address with a variation of his name in it from an email provider we all know to answer those CL inquiries.
- That same address appears in an article bearing his name with a picture of him.
- His Facebook page under the name Stuart Smith contains the same photo in the article that contains this same email address.
- That same email address was used to register on this forum and post within this thread back in early July, the post was removed for violating forum guidelines and he was booted because he was representing the instrument's interest but not disclosing he was the seller.
- The IP address of the location used to register here matches the same geographic area where he has authored an article under the name Stuart Smith and the email address already mentioned.

I have no evidence Stuart Smith actually owns this instrument, but it's clear he's acting as the seller of it and I know where he lives... actually, I know his address. How? Not many secrets on the web if you know how to navigate it. One thing is for sure, if he's trying to cloak himself on the web he's unbelievably clumsy and clueless.

I question if Brandon has anything to do with this... or maybe they're pals. Sort of doubt it, but some of the speculation way back stretches things beyond what I can believe. Bottom line is, may be a great instrument. Wouldn't try buying it, and until it's represented honestly he's going to receive a lot of attention for the long haul.

[pefjr]

This whole story is so depressing... I just hope this mandolin gets back in the hands of someone who will use it for its true purpose again -- making people happy.

I don't think it's the mandolin, I think it's Brandon's talent that we hear. That kid can play, we can see this on the utubes, and he would sound good on any mandolin. As he has proven, if that mandolin is a Epiphone.

[Marty Jacobson]

I am not going to say anything about anyone. I am just going to post one screenshot of a comment from this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khspk8U1dmM

[f5loar]

What we do know of Brandon from the above youtube video is under the comments that Brandon told people he had a '24 Loar and has a '34 flathead Gibson banjo, one of 14 his father told others. Speculation rules out it being a real '34 flathead too. Just listened to the video again................ and I'm up to $1325 for the Fake Loar.

[f5loar]

And one more thing, just because you throw in a few dozen hot licks into a Monroe instrumental and call it by Monroe's title does not give you the right to claim you wrote the tune. Son James would be mighty upset over that there! Just saying!

[evanreilly]

Bet Stuart Smith is going to be selling #72214 soon....

[Jim Garber]

For historical purposes, a closeup of Brandon and mandolin. Is this the mandolin in question?

[Marty Jacobson]

Yes, that's the same mandolin. Key features are the color, the scroll which curls around a little more than a Gibson scroll, the pearl truss rod cover, and wear patterns.

[woodwizard]

Well after reading the entire thread... I've come to the conclusion that this is probably a nice mandolin ... It's the owners of it that's not so nice

[Jim Garber]

Yes, that mandolin needs a good home. Maybe we should take up a collection.

[f5loar]

Missing the frets too. Maybe Brandon removed them like Apollon did to hit those special trick notes high up the neck.

[Ken Waltham]

I think I would follow Scott's advice on this one...

[Scott Tichenor]

There's a reason this subject hasn't come up for awhile and the story can now be told.

Someone who wishes to remain anonymous purchased the instrument. Upon receiving it that individual sought expert advice eventually engaging the opinion of two very well known Loar experts. One is a member, the other I don't believe ever engages on any forums for any instrument.

A complaint was subsequently filed with PayPal--that's how intial payment was made. PayPal made a refund to the buyer in full. The State Attorney General of Illinois and local police have decided this is not a criminal case but might be a civil case only if the payment was not returned--it was.

The buyer has opted to return the instrument to the seller.

You read that last sentence right.

Yes, I know all of the arguments and concerns that will be raised. I don't think it has yet been shipped but I'm not going to be surprised to see it for sale online again in the very near future. Don't bother trying to contact me privately for further information as I truly don't have any more. That includes the name of the buyer--I do not know the name.

[Steve Sorensen]

Too bad the instrument wasn't impounded as evidence.

Steve

[Perry Babasin]

Where is that Fireplace poker when you need it!! They could have added just a little more "distressing".

[AlanN]

The fact that the seller was, temporarily, able to sell it as advertised is flabbergasting.

[mandoross]

Well I'll never be duped into buying a fake Loar. I can't afford one in the first place!

[William Smith]

I might've said this before but too bad this "fake" can't just sell for what it is, a GREAT sounding instrument, a lot of mandolins sound good but there are a smaller batch that sound great. I'd play that mandolin with pride if I owned it, there is nothing wrong with it "well the whole Loar issue is a problem"

[almeriastrings]

That is quite unusual, in that Paypal normally require destruction of counterfeits and fakes. I know of two cases personally where they have demanded that. There are newspaper reports that confirm this too:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...unterfeit.html

It sounds to me like the seller agreed to a refund within 10 days, which would have 'bypassed' Paypal enforcing one (and their usual destruction conditions). Quite likely the seller knew (and knows) this... gets a chance to sell it again, even if they lose the $$$ this time around.

[mrmando]

Keeping an eye on Craig's List.