Gibson F-5 1923 Lloyd Loar Signed 1923, Sunburst

This lovely F-5 mandolin, serial number 72204, was signed and dated by Lloyd Loar on February 26, 2023, and it features typical Loar-era appointments: carved Adirondack spruce top, parallel tone bar construction, one-piece curly maple neck, abalone flowerpot headstock inlay, original hand-engraved tailpiece, a large pickguard following the body points,  silver-plated hardware, and a Cremona sunburst varnish finish. This batch of mandolins includes F-5s played by Doyle Lawson and Bill Monroe, among others, and it has the volume and tone you would expect from a Loar-signed instrument.

The mandolin is in original condition but for new Waverly tuners (we do not have the original tuners), a period-correct truss rod cover, a re-fret done by Charlie Derrington, and a top crack repair by Stephen Gilchrist, (as noted by the shop that sold it to our current owner). The previous (and second) owner of the mandolin removed the finish from the back of the neck during his 45 years of owning the instrument. Included are the original hardshell case (with leather cover) and a newer Hoffee case.