For Loar owners…something completely different!

[2bornot2bop]

Having been a Loar owner since the LH-650 was released about 2008 or so, I was under the impression all Loar guitars built in China. I was wrong.

Apparently Greg Rich, the Loar designer, was taking commissions for Loar guitars built in Korea in or around the year 2000.

Here is, a prototype build, the Loar LH-550, built in Korea. It’s one of a very few single humbucker guitars designed by Greg Rich.

This specific guitar was first owned by a guitarist who was formerly in the Dean Martin television series from 1968-1974.

This guitar displays signs of having been played. The guitar was ordered with unfinished wood surrounding the Venetian cutaway unfinished. I ‘spose to create a better grip?

An older style string dampener came with the guitar (see Patent).

Built with Spruce and Maple. The neck, I assume bears a stripe to simulate a 3 piece neck? But oddly the Maple wood grain appears to be different on each side of the stripe. Well, another curiosity.

The neck is straight and true, unlike many of the China built LH-650’s.

I’ve yet to identify the finish. It feels and looks like Nitro, but I’ve yet to see a single Korean built guitar finished in Nitro.

At any rate, adding a new set of George Benson Thomistik’s this guitar plays and sings with all the dynamics of a proper Humbucker based archtop.

The guitar is thinner in depth than the LH650 by 1/2”. And the F holes of this guitar are also not as wide as those found on the LH650.

Outside of the finish, this guitar has all of the build standards I’ve seen of previous Korean built guitars. It feels like a quality build.

[Dennis D]

Jim Hall's Gibson ES-175 up close!

......another TV-guitarist's ' 175 ' w/ a GVE damper.....and worn-to-the-bare-wood spot.....

.........( let's see - ' where to find a duplicate ' Jane ' decal to complete the Loar's look ).......

.......that Loar's story just needs some minor embellishing...' once borrowed from JH's supply of gig-ready instruments, etc etc...'.....

!!

[Rob MacKillop]

Interesting piece of history there, 2B. Thanks for sharing.

[Hammertone]

Looks like the Florentine cutaway was added to a non-cutaway guitar at a later date. Non-original Teller bridge saddle is on backwards. Tailpiece is probably not original.

[jazzshrink]

Looks like the Florentine cutaway was added to a non-cutaway guitar.

And the floating humbucker replaced with a set-in hb as well?

[2bornot2bop]

Good observations. I assumed the tailpiece and bridge weren’t original. The seller suggested it was custom ordered. But after all, it was a prototype. Florentine cutaways weren’t a challenge for Korean guitar manufacturers. And even when production was moved to China they produced the LH650 with a Florentine cutaway. Here’s my LH650 from the China production.

[2bornot2bop]

Looks like the Florentine cutaway was added to a non-cutaway guitar at a later date. Non-original Teller bridge saddle is on backwards. Tailpiece is probably not original.

Where do I find a link to Teller saddles? The only Teller I find is Teller of Germany who produces saddles for Basses and violins.

And the floating humbucker replaced with a set-in hb as well?

I think it’s original. There’s no sign of this guitar ever having had a floating pickup. And the cost of modifying it would be more than the cost of the guitar.

It does have Parallel bracing, not that it matters.

[jazzshrink]

...I think it’s original. There’s no sign of this guitar ever having had a floating pickup. And the cost of modifying it would be more than the cost of the guitar. It does have Parallel bracing, not that it matters.

You're probably right. It's just that I've never seen this model with anything but a floater, and the pickguard looks like it's been modified to accommodate a full hb. Regardless, enjoy!

[Hammertone]

Where do I find a link to Teller saddles? The only Teller I find is Teller of Germany who produces saddles for Basses and violins. ...

Same company. The bridge saddle on the Loar is from a Model 103-6 string bridge, or is a Chinese copy as used on some Höfner Contemporary guitar models.

[2bornot2bop]

You're probably right. It's just that I've never seen this model with anything but a floater, and the pickguard looks like it's been modified to accommodate a full hb. Regardless, enjoy!

lol! No it’s one of my installs. Only because it looks cooler than a Loar pick guard.

[Cunamara]

That string damper looks like it's a Van Eps (three screws- was that before the era of Gibson making these or during? I can't remember whether the originals made by George had 2 screws or 3) and seems like it was sized for 7 string. That's probably worth as much as the rest of the guitar, there are very few of them around. Herb Ellis had one on his old ES-175, as did Jim Hall and of course George himself.

[2bornot2bop]

That string damper looks like it's a Van Eps (three screws- was that before the era of Gibson making these or during? I can't remember whether the originals made by George had 2 screws or 3) and seems like it was sized for 7 string. That's probably worth as much as the rest of the guitar, there are very few of them around. Herb Ellis had one on his old ES-175, as did Jim Hall and of course George himself.

interesting. I’ve no idea about its history other than the guy who installed it was older than me.