100 Years Ago: Country Music’s Most Iconic Instrument is Born
There are many iconic instruments that just like their players, have gone on to define the very meaning of country music. Most all of them are on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville in a collection they affectionately call the “Precious Jewels.” This includes the Martin D-28 of Hank Williams, the Martin 00-18 of the “Father of Country Music” Jimmie Rodgers, the Gibson L-5 of “Mother” Maybelle Carter, along with the fiddle of Charlie Daniels, the banjo of Earl Scruggs, and other legendary instruments.
But if there was a crown jewel of the Hall of Fame’s “Precious Jewels” collection, it would arguably be the Gibson F-5 mandolin that was owned by the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. Forget country music, it might be one of the most iconic instruments ever, regardless of genre or nationality. The last time the Master F-5 was auctioned in 2001 by Bill Monroe’s son James, it fetched an incredible $1.125 million, which was the highest price ever offered for an American-made instrument at that time. It was purchased by a group of investors who then loaned it indefinitely to the Hall of Fame.
It happens to be that today, July 9th 2023, is the 100-year-old birthday of this iconic, historic instrument. It was on July 9th, 1923 that Gibson master luthier Lloyd Loar singed his name on the tag of the instrument, certifying that it was complete. Now 100 years later, the mandolin is still infinitely cherished by all in bluegrass and country music, along with instrument lovers from around the world.
Bill Monroe did not buy the instrument new, though. And it has enjoyed quite the colorful life to say the least. Beyond accompanying Bill Monroe on his quest to create an entirely new genre of music based off of old-time fiddle and string music, the F-5 mandolin had already been around for over 20 years before Monroe got his fingers on it. He purchased it from a barbershop in Miami, Florida for $150 after seeing it in the window, probably in 1944 or 1945 (Monroe can’t remember, and has quoted multiple years).
The Gibson Loar F-5 played so fine, it immediately became Monroe’s favorite, and basically the one he played all of his life. This one instrument became synonymous with Bill and bluegrass, and that is the reason it is so valued. That’s also the reason that in 1951, Bill Monroe got in a spat with Gibson, pulled out a pocketknife, and whittled the “Gibson” name right out of the head stock, leaving “The” still in tact. The decorative scroll on the head stock was also broken off, though there is a good chance that happened previously.
The story goes that Monroe had sent the mandolin to the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan where it was built for a neck reset, new frets and fingerboard, new tuning pegs, a new bridge, and refinishing. It was a tall order for a mandolin that was already well on the way to becoming iconic, and it took the company four months to return it. But when Monroe finally got it back and found some of the work still unfinished after such a lengthy separation, he swore off Gibson, even if he didn’t swear off his favorite mandolin.
Everything was made right by Gibson later though, and Monroe replaced the head stock with a new one. The old head stock itself sold at auction for $37,500 many years later, beating an estimated value of $7,000. But the self-vandalism of the head stock was the least of the trauma the Bill Monroe Gibson F-5 would suffer.
In November of 1985, Bill Monroe enjoyed a dinner at Mason’s Restaurant near his Goodlettsville, Tennessee ranch with his wife at the time, Della. When they returned home, they found the iconic 1923 mandolin smashed into multiple pieces, with a fireplace poker nearby as the offending weapon. Another mandolin in the house and some photos of Monroe had also been damaged. But no items were missing from the house.
Though the culprit was never caught, it was believed that the attack on the F-5 was perpetrated by a previous Bill Monroe lover who was jilted. She knew what would hurt him the most, and that was destroying the Gibson F-5. But it wasn’t so badly damaged that Gibson wasn’t able to repair it once again, and put it back into commission where the mandolin remained until Bill Monroe passed away on September 9th, 1996 at the age of 84.
Bill Monroe is gone, but the mandolin and the memories he made with it still remain. When you have an instrument such as Bill Monroe’s Gibson F-5 mandolin that acted like an extension of himself in physical form, it helps ensure the memory of the man will never go away.
Yes, there are many other iconic instruments in country music history—the Martin D-28 of Hank Williams, Willie Nelson’s “Trigger.” But there is only one instrument that built and entirely new genre. And that’s Bill Monroe’s Master Loar F-5 mandolin.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ricky Skaggs played the legendary Gibson F-5 for charity.
July 9, 2023 @ 2:32 pm
It’s articles like this gem that make this website at least a two stop a day visit for me.
Thanks for the history lesson!
July 9, 2023 @ 3:18 pm
Great story! Those Lloyd Lloar Gibsons are so heavily sought after. Chris Thile has one of course. Whenever they turn up its always a huge deal. Lloyd only made a limited amount of them. But many agree its the best sounding mandolin Gibson ever made. There’s some interesting articles online about their history and a newly rediscovered one , In fact the one Thile got.
A buddy of mine who reads this site has a 1939 martin 00-18. It’s an amazing guitar, parlor size and rings like a bell. Interesting to know Jimmie played one like it.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:00 pm
Actually Thile has 2 Loars. Life is good with a MacArthur grant.
July 9, 2023 @ 3:48 pm
I share a birthday with the Gibson F5 owned by Bill Monroe. I’ll take that any day over sharing a birthday w OJ Simpson and Courtney Love.
July 10, 2023 @ 4:33 pm
Ed Ames? Lee Hazelwood? Jesse Mc Reynolds? Mitch Mitchell? Bon Scott? Jack White?
July 9, 2023 @ 4:10 pm
Love this! I’m from Kalamazoo originally, and I wrote an article about their factory and its connection to country and rock’n’roll history for my college newspaper. I never heard this story though! Thanks Trigger!
July 9, 2023 @ 4:26 pm
I was reading (well, listening to on audiobook) Charlie Louvin’s “Satan is Real” autobiography, and mentioned how Bill Monroe was part of an attempted reconciliation between him and his brother Ira. After they had broken up, Ernest Tubb (I think? Now I have to go find that part again – a big drawback to audiobooks – can’t do a search) met them backstage at the Opry and asked them to do a show at his record store, but Ira protested he didn’t have a mandolin with him. Bill Monroe was standing nearby, took his off, and said “You can use mine, Ira.”
The reconciliation didn’t work out (though they did a few numbers that night), but Charlie says he was quite surprised because Bill Monroe rarely let anyone else play his mandolin.
July 9, 2023 @ 4:40 pm
nothing like the sound of a mando, and that’s the holy grail right there. thanks, trig- you always the deliver the goodies!!
July 9, 2023 @ 4:41 pm
i need a proofreader.
July 9, 2023 @ 5:58 pm
Great article Trigger, but…
The mandolin is not really a country music instrument, at least not a primary one. Neither is the banjo. The fiddle is I’m thinking a more or less secondary instrument. But really my writing this comment is mostly about the banjo…
Now frankly I’m much more of a singer and song guy than an instrument guy but having listened to tens of thousands of country songs over several decades (recorded over many decades) and almost never hearing a mandolin or banjo, for instance, I feel like I accidentally know somewhat what I speak of. Ok maybe I’ve heard more mandolin that I realize, but like I said I’ve got an ax to grind re the banjo being considered a country music instrument.
I’m not writing this to be pedantic or what not, but more so because I’ve seen so many people bring up specifically the banjo as being a country music instrument and cultural appropriation, etc. and these people never know much about country music and are seemingly just carrying out some sort of, for a lack of better words, agenda.
As I said, I’m no expert on this, but I still know that the banjo is not even a secondary country music instrument. Roy Clark is a legend, but Roy Clark + “The Chicks” does not a country music instrument make.
July 9, 2023 @ 6:18 pm
The Banjo is a uniquely rural American stereotype. That is to say that it was the Banjo in various forms that became of the de facto instrument associated with minstrel shows, travelers, and people from broke rural areas. Part of that is because Banjo’s are a little tougher than Guitar’s and mandolins. They’re simply easier to work on it, easier to take apart and put back together if something gets broken, easier to make, etc.
Old time music, which was the music that people who played country music during the golden age of country music would have grown up on, was primarily played featuring the Banjo.
The reason the Banjo is a bluegrass instrument, and not a country instrument is solely because of Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs. Bill Monroe had a monopoly on hiring the best banjo players in the business for a time. And all of the top banjo players during the golden age of country music were quickly scooped up by Bluegrass band playing Bill Monroes kind of music,
There simply hasn’t been a definitively country style of Banjo playing that wasn’t either based on old time, music, or co-opted by Bluegrass.
And the same has more or less happened with the mandolin. All of the great mandolin players during the golden age of country music were in more demands to play bluegrass than they were to play conventional country music.
July 9, 2023 @ 7:54 pm
Disagree.
The banjo is synonymous with country.
July 10, 2023 @ 4:08 am
Jb
Bluegrass is country music period. You might think of it as a subset or branch. All authoritative compendiums on Country music absolutely include bluegrass as a historical part of Country music. This includes Ken Burns documentary on Country music, in which Burns absolutely covered Bill Monroe. The early years of The Grand Ole Opry were dominated by banjos, fiddles, and mandolins. Monroe was one of the biggest stars of the Opry period, and mainstream country music at that time was dominated by the sounds of those instruments. Spend time researching the early history of the music and you might be surprised. Louvin Brothers, and many others included mandolin and or banjo in their music. Delmore Brothers, Doc Boggs, Gid Tanner, Roy Acuff, Watch the old Hee- Haw reruns and you will discover significant stars like Grandpa Jones, Stringbean, and Ronnie Stoneman and Roy Clark.
It is true that in modern times, bluegrass has become a separate world, but looking at it from a historical aspect, the two are forever linked as integral to each other. You might wanna ask Marty Stuart about mandolin and country music!
July 13, 2023 @ 4:54 pm
Hi Kevin, I’d love to ask Marty Stuart about country music, especially since his wife is my favorite country singer!
I’m fine with people who love bluegrass/country music considering them as one…although, I don’t remember hearing anyone calling Mac Wiseman one of the greatest country singers (there is only one singer I’ve ever heard who made me think, “their voice sounds like a musical instrument”, and that’s Mac Wiseman…)
As for the Louvin Brothers/mandolin, you got me…love the Louvin Brothers.
My gripe against the banjo is predominantly against people who have ignorant/stereotypical/biased ideas about country music. In case you or anyone else reading this isn’t aware, there are academic articles that people on the internet will commonly reference to suggest that banjo=country music=cultural appropriation.
Were I to make a list of my 500 favorite country songs the only one offhand that would feature banjo is Loretta’s “Blue Kentucky Girl”. Maybe Dolly’s “I’m A Drifter”…maybe it’s kinda a Antonia Scalia “I know it when I see it” kinda argument, but frankly, that’ll suffice for me.
July 14, 2023 @ 5:20 am
JB
Yes Trigger has written quite a bit about the “journalists” and academics that write the cultural appropriation articles. I’m very aware of them. For the most part, country fans ignore that tripe. Once you understand the deep-rooted goal of that movement, it becomes clearer why the articles proliferate. A rule of thumb for me in evaluating the merit in controversial opinions, is to ask the big questions such as, what is the end goal of all this. Cultural destruction for political reasons is in this case, that end.
The whole ” you stole the banjo from africa” accusation is laughable. Guitars were not invented in the US either, ever heard of medieval lutes? Steel guitars came from Hawaiians, so the fact that they were co-opted for country music, but then advanced with pedals and multiple necks here, does that mean it’s somehow cultural theft? No. Instruments are working tools for musicians to use as they see fit. Music inspires musicians, they borrow things, adapt them and create new music
Such is the cycle of music. So I say pay no attention to the fools writing the divisive hate articles on Country music. The reality on banjo is that the modern bluegrass banjo is quite an evolution from the earliest ones made of gourds and strings. The Earl Scruggs technique forever changed the way the instrument is played, and in that process has become a legitimate symbol of American rural culture.
July 14, 2023 @ 7:23 am
There is no doubt that the instrument that we know today as the banjo originated in West Africa. But nobody has ever said any different. Ever. Every country history book says it. “The Sources of Country Music” painting that hangs in the Country Music Hall of Fame rotunda and was commissioned over 50 years ago has a Black guy playing a banjo in it. But they try to erase this history to portray country music as racist and regressive. If anything, it was things like the film “Deliverance” and the show “The Beverley Hillbillies” that portray negative rural white stereotypes that has some believing the banjo is a white instrument. I’ve been meaning to write an article about this for a while.
July 14, 2023 @ 9:37 am
Trig, you and I are on the same page. To clarify my point, of course the African origins of banjos are not in dispute. No argument there. Gourds with a stick and strings is what they were. Animal skins stretched over the gourd to make a resonator. Yep, slaves had them. Thomas Jefferson mentioned slaves playing a ” banjar”. And prior to the Civil War the banjo was the cultural instrument of blacks in America.
My giant point on this is literally, the argument that country music is illegitimate because of that is wrong. Guitars, fiddles, mandolins, upright bass, steel, dobro etc all have other geographical and cultural origins. But so what. The instruments are just the tools. As to the banjo in bluegrass, the instrument has had so many innovations such as tuning pegs, frets, flat neck, a modern frame for the resonator, inlay work and 5 strings. Earls three finger roll changed the sound as well, bringing a more precise, sharp rapid fire virtuosity to the instrument, as opposed to the old timey frailing technique or the tin pan alley strumming jazz style. The instrument and the style are legitimately part of what has defined a segment of Country music and there’s no need for anyone to have to argue against that. Country music and its rural culture are as legit as any other music and culture. But I know we agree on all that. Sorry for being so chatty, JB brought this up and the subject resonated with me.
July 15, 2023 @ 6:39 pm
Thanks Kevin.
You mention how most country fans just dismiss this sort of chatter/discourse (discourse in “quotes”?). Great to hear, although personally I am surrounded by that sort of thing. Not just in terms of country music, but all things cultural (ie old movies…and literature, thank goodness my favorite Flannery O’Connor story isn’t THAT one).
On a related note, regarding bluegrass, most people I know who like bluegrass would only hesitantly admit that they like country music, and they would qualify it. That definitely creates some separation for me in how I see bluegrass and country.
Finally, to both you and Trig, just wanted to refer to the article Trig wrote about this (horrendous; I thought Trig was quite generous) documentary about contemporary black mainstream country artists. There was a part in the documentary/promo video where the banjo appeared on the screen for a few seconds…it wasn’t quite subliminal and there was little to no explanation. I dunno, maybe just as an example of how seeped in this banjo idea is.
I’ve “converted” too many people to country music mostly just out of my genuine love for it to see some half arse reversion to ’60s era attitudes towards it, like refighting a war that’s long over (sound familiar?). I wrote this whole long thing that I didn’t intend to get into, but…I remember when I visited the STAX museum in Memphis and in the intro video they talked (joyfully) about what a huge influence country music was on soul music. Can’t we be adults and take that as a positive while still mourning what could have been? (I don’t think she was on STAX, but I’d kill for a Bear Family set full of just Candi Staton country songs).
July 10, 2023 @ 4:52 am
“I’ve got an ax to grind re the banjo being considered a country music instrument.” Grandpa Jones would like a word.
July 10, 2023 @ 8:30 am
So would the entire cast of Hee Haw, I guess.a
I’m a pickin’ – and I’m a grinnin’!
July 10, 2023 @ 9:43 am
We went to Marty Stuart last night. No banjo or fiddle on the stage, but a ton of mandolin. He shredded the mandolin on spirited solo rendition of Orange Blossom Special.
I go mandolin and steel pedal as the two instruments synonymous with country music.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:31 pm
Oh, Too, 2, Cool!
Did you hear Wipeout banged out on the upright bass?
Certainly hope so.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:42 pm
Yes. What was Handsome Harry playing during that bit? We were too far from the stage to make out what was making that noise.
They played a few Surf Rock songs, a few Westerns, and 3 songs from The Byrds-like album. I like it best when they straight up play country, but the other stuff is entertaining.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:57 pm
“Also, “Wipeout” was played by Scruggs solo on the upright bass, with Stinson slapping out the drum solo on the cheeks of his face.”
From: THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION.
To be honest, wasn’t paying attention to anyone but Chris Scruggs once he started pounding out Wipeout.
Couldn’t stop laughing.
One of the coolest things have ever seen at a concert.
July 9, 2023 @ 6:25 pm
The golden years of Gibson were about 1905 to about 1935. And I would make that later year a little liberal. In truth, it was probably closer to 1930.
As far as mandolins go.
Now, I have to say this, because I’m a Gibson man. Once you go Gibson, you never go back.
But almost any Gibson dated after the turn of the century, but before the depression is bound to be a masterpiece. Lloyd was a perfectionist among perfectionist, and probably called 90% of that field is being subpar for his standards, but the truth is that all of them were brilliant and his signature on them is just as much for prestige as for the actual quality of the instrument anymore.
Sure, Llaplant and Highlander Are probably the best mandolin lines of the modern era, and highlander has completely ceased making mandolins after the line they made for Jeff White.
But between Lloyd Lloar and Lloyd Llaplant They’re probably hasn’t been a big time mandolin maker, who has made a meaningful impact. That’s the reason that as far as mandolins go, Gibson remains the cream of the crop, even as their competitors bite into their share of the Guitar market.
Even the budget Gibson line of mandolins from the 20s like the A junior, Sound better than the higher end, lines of some major mandolin makers.
But ‘the lloar’ Mandolins are just disgraceful.
Bill was a highly discerning man. He only hired some of the best musicians he could get to work for him, and he only played the best instruments when possible.
July 10, 2023 @ 4:57 am
I disagree about the golden years, Fuzzy. Read about the war time Kalamazoo girls. Models from that time are highly sought after.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:01 am
Jp, I agree with you. 40s era Gibson guitars are also highly sought after. In particular, LG-2, LOO, L5 and J-45 guitars are considered to be great in that era. The ” banner” logo era. Mandolins were great too, but nothing beats the Lloyd Loar era mandolins. They are the Stradivarious of the mandolin.
July 10, 2023 @ 8:17 am
As far as Gibson guitars go, I’m partial to what they were doing in the 60s. I have a late 60s Gibson long neck Banjo that is as nice as any Banjo I’ve ever played. But I’m not a bluegrass banjo player. I am an old time Banjo player.
But as far as Gibson mandolins go, the stuff they were doing in the tens and 20s is their best work.
I can’t speak for the quality of their electric instruments at all. I’ve never owned one.
July 10, 2023 @ 10:49 am
Can’t argue with you on the Loars being the cream of the crop. I’ve always heard the guitars are prone to vary from model to model more so than vintage Martins but in my experience, a “good” one is nigh impossible to beat. I’ve also been advised to avoid the Norlin years like the plague.
July 9, 2023 @ 6:38 pm
Telecaster>Mandolin
July 10, 2023 @ 3:33 am
Found something, a link to a interview with the guy who put it back together, a Mr. Charlie Derrington:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/content/368?postid=1904573#comments_1904573
July 10, 2023 @ 4:57 am
Of all the cool things at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bill’s mandolin and Hank’s guitar were the items that most made me in awe of seeing them. (Maybe Willie’s Trigger will join them one day.) Many thanks to the folks who ponied up over a million bucks to buy the mandolin so that we can have that experience.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:01 am
Maybe in the future Clarence White’s Telecaster?
July 10, 2023 @ 8:02 am
A lot of what you see at the Country Music Hall of Fame belongs to Marty Stuart because he either rescued or bought it for preservation, especially in the revolving exhibits. If Clarence White’s B-Bender doesn’t end up in the Precious Jewels, it will certainly be forever preserved at Marty Stuart’s “Congress of Country Music” in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:41 am
I’ve heard that 1923-24 were pinnacle years for Gibson mandolins; the wood they used, the skills of the luthiers, etc. Chris Thiele has talked about a “batch” of mandolins from this era-his, Monroe’s, David Grisman’s, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin’s (think “Battle of Evermore”), as products of this time frame.
July 10, 2023 @ 8:17 am
As far as Gibson guitars go, I’m partial to what they were doing in the 60s. I have a late 60s Gibson long neck Banjo that is as nice as any Banjo I’ve ever played. But I’m not a bluegrass banjo player. I am an old time Banjo player.
But as far as Gibson mandolins go, the stuff they were doing in the tens and 20s is their best work.
I can’t speak for the quality of their electric instruments at all. I’ve never owned one
July 10, 2023 @ 4:17 pm
Hear, hear. I have had a 1967 Epiphone Texan N (same thing as a J-50) for 25 years now, and I haven’t been able to find anything that matches its tone. And it was a LOT more affordable than the Buddy Holly J-45 I was looking at at the time.
July 10, 2023 @ 8:21 am
Can confirm!
I have a 1924 Gibson mandolin. I gotta say, I play a Highlander as my daily player. And I have played mandolins from almost every major maker, and I put him down disgusted in about 30 seconds after playing that Highlander. I never thought I’d buy another mandolin. But somebody local posted a 1924 Gibson A
I felt like I kicked myself if I let the opportunity pass but I didn’t actually plan on buying it. I just wanted to go out and try it. It was the first mandolin I’ve ever come across that kept up with my Highlander.
But there wasn’t some magic batch of mandolins that came out just in 23 and 24 that put the rest to shame. Really, almost everything. They turned out at their professional level between 1900 n 19 35 as far as mandolins go was a killer.
July 10, 2023 @ 2:58 pm
Also Ricky Skaggs. He said in in his biography, when he finally found the Loar he owns, the guy tried to back out of the deal. The seller’s daughter happened to be there and reminded him he had told Mama he was going to sell that mandolin and buy a new washer and dryer. I hope it lasted for as long as Ricky has had the mandolin.
July 10, 2023 @ 7:02 am
A great piece about a storied instrument. Bill Monroe grew up singing and performing songs with his brothers. The eldest brother Birch chose the fiddle, Charlie, the second in line, got the guitar, and Bill, the youngest, was “stuck” with the mandolin. The brothers moved to Indiana from Kentucky to work at an oil refinery and began playing local square dances. At some point Birch dropped out and Bill and Charlie began recording and touring professionally. Even if Bill never formed bluegrass, his contribution to country music would have been more than a footnote just based on the records he made with Charlie. Lots of people are partial to those early Monroe Brothers recordings and recognize that Bill was using the mandolin as a lead instrument even before his formation of the Bluegrass Boys. Bob Dylan tells an interesting story: when he was young his family moved into a house and there was a record player left in the basement with an 78 record on the turntable. He played it and had a “mystical” experience, he felt he was perhaps born into the wrong family and he was meant to be somewhere else, doing something different, at some other time. The record was “Drifting Too Far from the Shore” by the Monroe Brothers. Later in his adult life, Dylan said he would rather listen to the Monroe Brothers than anything else being recorded at that time. Anyway, the story of Bill Monroe and the mandolin begins with his brothers, and those recordings he made with Charlie.
July 10, 2023 @ 10:15 am
Another influential peson was Arnold Shultz who hired BIll Monroe to play dances.
https://bluegrasswest.com/wordpress/arnold-shultz-black-fiddling-bluegrass-music/
July 10, 2023 @ 8:05 am
Pedal/lap steel > telecaster > electric bass > mandolin.
July 10, 2023 @ 12:48 pm
Speaking of unique instruments, did Junior Brown’s stolen guit-steel guitar ever get recovered? I can’t find anything online about him ever getting it back.
July 10, 2023 @ 1:07 pm
I don’t believe it has been recovered.
July 10, 2023 @ 5:52 pm
Certified mandolin nerd entering the chat.
I think what we’re seeing in this thread is the distinction between “country” and “western,” which were lumped together at some point but have distinct roots. I mean, compare Bill Monroe or Roy Acuff to Ernest Tubb or other cowboy style musicians- they’re sharing the stage on the Opry or on package tours but are coming out of very different cultures. Ditto in the recent past: compare say Patty Loveless to George Strait, very different sounds.
In the hillbilly music that became “country,” mandolin was absolutely part of it in the beginning. Maybelle Carter played the mandolin, Roy Acuff sometimes had a mandolin player, the Louvin Brothers, etc. Bill Monroe changed the world of mandolin playing forever, but let’s not forget there’s also a tradition of Western mandolin. Tiny Moore played with Bob Wills and Johnny Gimble played with just about everybody, but these latter two- who were “Western” musicians, mostly played electric mandolin rather than F-5’s.
So while I agree that mandolin has never been huge in “country and western,” I think it’s always had a historic place in both though more in the “country” than the “western” side of things.
Re: modern mandolins. Laplant was great, no doubt, but there are musicians who can afford Lloyd Loar Gibsons but choose modern instruments. If you’re outside the scene, you wouldn’t know this, but this is the greatest age of modern mandolin building since the 20’s. Gilchrist, McClanahan, Ellis, and Heiden are builders whose instruments fetch 15-20K or more, and are considered just about the equal of Loars, except for being 100 years old and the mojo you get with that. Other builders are doing amazing work worthy of any professional musician, including Northfield, Weber, Weinman (mando guy in Billy Strings band plays a Weinman IIRC), Aleyas (Andy Statman had one for a while), Hinde, and dozens more. These typically cost 7-10K for an F model. It’s an amazing time to be a mandolin player.
July 10, 2023 @ 6:39 pm
Great comments Joseph! I’m not a mando player, guitar is my thing, but I love all this stuff. Interesting that there are great boutique builders out there. I am aware of Jerry Rosa, he’s got a great YouTube channel and he builds some amazing mandolins. In fact, notoriously he’s the guy who once took apart a Loar and measured every piece in detail! He has since built 40 or so replicas of F5s, though he puts his own inlay designs on them and the name Rosa on the headstock. In general I agree on your assessment, I was aware of Tiny Moore, but never too deep into Homer and Jethro, aside from their silly stuff. My favorite mandolin player modern era may be Ronnie McCoury, though I admit Thile smokes everybody in sheer virtuosity.
July 10, 2023 @ 5:58 pm
Oh, one more thing. Let’s not forget Jethro Burns who was Bill Monroe’s contemporary and equally famous but in a different part of the musical scene. Homer and Jethro were comedians who were also world-class musicians. Don’t get thrown off by the cornflakes commercials or silly novelty songs, but go to Youtube and find them playing straight swing or western style fiddle tunes with mandolin and guitar. They played the Opry and all the famous radio and TV programs that featured country music, and among modern mandolinists who aren’t very strict bluegrass purists I’d say Jethro is equally revered along with Bill Monroe.
I met Jethro a few times when I was in college in the 80’s. Nicest guy in the world and a mind-blowing musician- go forth and find his stuff on youtube.
July 11, 2023 @ 6:12 pm
Two record albums to look out for: “Playing It Straight” and “It Ain’t Necessarily Square”. I think Victor of Japan may have reissued them on CD a few years ago.
July 22, 2023 @ 8:09 pm
Nice article, though I would argue that the Fiddle is the real crown jewel of country music. I have it on good authority that if you play in Texas, you have to have one.