Well here’s something you don’t see every day. This Loar (one of roughly 10 known K-5 mandocellos) spent about 90 years as a guitar conversion, but has since been meticulously restored back to its former glory. It’s an incredible thing to hold in your hands.
Here are the details on the originality:
- Tuners - Original silver plated pearl button (Loar Style) A style mandolin tuners
- Bridge - Original 1920s adjustable mandocello bridge base with stamped patent date. Brother’s Music made a newer ebony bridge top for it, as the original had cracked/failed
- Tailpiece - Original and unique to this model silver plated K-5 tailpiece, with a reproduction Loar cover piece made by Stephen Gilchrist
- Pickguard - Replaced slightly later 1930 vintage L-5 patent stamped long guard
- Back - The original (likely birch) back was replaced with a 30s maple back. The back binding was also replaced at this time. The original interior label is gone.
- Finish - The finish appears to be all original
- Case - Period correct green lined case
