The Loar Acoustic Archtops

**Geert** · 11-30-2010, 09:20 AM

I'm sure a The Loar is no match for your '49 L5.
I wouldn't know since I've never played a real L5.
Nevertheless I really like my LH-600 (more and more everyday I play it).

**Anandbhat** · 12-04-2010, 06:59 AM

These guitars must be great for Gypsy Jazz.Here's one of my favorite Gypsy Jazz players,Paul Mehling, talking about a Loar archtop:

**Eddie Lang** · 12-04-2010, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by Anandbhat

These guitars must be great for Gypsy Jazz.Here's one of my favorite Gypsy Jazz players,Paul Mehling, talking about a Loar archtop:

Guitarists Doug Martin and Jason Vanderford stopped by The Loar Workshop to play a couple of songs. Martin on an ES-175 copy and Vanderford on an L-5 copy.

**Anandbhat** · 12-05-2010, 09:22 AM

Great videos.Thanks for posting.

**Silly Moustache** · 01-23-2011, 09:41 PM

Hi,he ol' SM here. I sold he 600 - sounded good, but wated the better neck ofth 700 and hopefully a betterneck angle.

Thomans sent me a poor quality 700 bad finish, returned it and - whoops only 8 weeks or so later here is the replacment

Still some finish problems -orange peel on the top, poorly fitted tailpice ad scratches like a punk rocker has tried to ply it. AND NO CASE !

Sould quite nice , or will do after paying some bucks toget frets shot andgeed set up. Dodgy neck angle and low bridge too.

But it looks nice. Deciding whether to return and keep hunting or a Gibson but if I keep it I'll need some discount for the (second) instrument that looks shop soiled and with obvious production faults.

Silly M

**Silly Moustache** · 01-24-2011, 12:17 PM

Well I finally got a second LH-700 VSB. It has been three months since I returned the last one.

It also has a strangely shallow neck angle (Is this common to all Loars?) and finish problems, apparent hard playing scratches, chips under the f-hole finish, not what I'd call AAA woods, AND arrived in a gig bag instead of the promised hard case.

From a distance it looks so great and with a set of EJ17s it sounds pretty good and I really like the neck width and profile (it really needs a good set up, if possible.

I'm debating whether t is a) worth keeping, b) worth trying to get a good one, c) better to get my cash back and look for an old Gibson.

Ah me !

Ol' Andy

**Silly Moustache** · 01-24-2011, 12:37 PM

Just watched Geert playing his blnde version on you tube. Nice.
Also watched the Mehling video again where he plays one nicely and says the finish is great.

Couljd I have sme feedback from Loar owners - esp you Geert,

Are the neck angles always very shallow ?

Are the tongues of the fretboard - over the top always left as unfinished rough wood over sprayed ?

Are the laquers always bubbled or flecked or Orange peeled ?

Am I being over fussy ?

Ol' Andy

**Geert** · 01-24-2011, 03:52 PM

Hi Silly Moustache (love to see it BTW

)

I am very happy with my 600 allthough the finishing issues you mention also appear on my guitar.
The top is indeed left unpainted where the neck meets the body (not very visible due to the natural finish on mine). There are indeed some very small bubbles in the lacquer on 2 or 3 spots. As for the neck angle, I wouldn't know..
This is my first archtop guitar and therefore have no reference to whether the neck angle is unusual.

I guess The Loar have chosen to spend the budget of one guitar on some nice wood (the figuring on the back of mine is very beautifull) and solid hardware rather than on fancy finishing. Resulting in a very resonant guitar.
Allthough I think it is beautifull estheticly, I especially like it's tone.
I can get a really plesant, warm, full tone out of it. Aswell as a barking, percusive tone when played rhythmicly.
I find the guitar not the easiest to play. The thick v-shaped neck can be exhausting when playing full chords or chord melodies.
On the other hand I think the neck feels great when strumming chords (what it was designed for).

Like I said i do not have any experience with other (more expensive) archtops but I think it is a great instrument for the € 800 I paid for it.

BTW I am installing a K&K pure archtop transducer set in the guitar this week. Curious about the new sounds this may produce....

**Silly Moustache** · 01-24-2011, 08:37 PM

Hi Geert, thanks for your comments.

I'm delighted that you seem to have got one of the better ones.

Regards,

The SM

**gianluca** · 01-25-2011, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Geert

...
Like I said i do not have any experience with other (more expensive) archtops but I think it is a great instrument for the € 800 I paid for it.

BTW I am installing a K&K pure archtop transducer set in the guitar this week. Curious about the new sounds this may produce....

grrrrr
I paid it 850 €
;o)
please let us know how does the K&K works.

(my 600 works fine and is fine looking as well)

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-26-2011, 10:24 AM

My Loar LH700 arrived an hour or so ago. It is gorgeous! I can't find a fault with the finish or set up. I'll change the strings, currently roundwounds of an unknown identity.

I ordered from Thommann in Germany on Friday, and it arrived in Scotland today, Tuesday. Excellent service. Great case, too. I'm very happy with it. It is very bright, so I might dull it a little with flatwounds.

I made a quick video - too quick as it is a little dark - and probably not the best piece to show off the guitar, but it's something I started working on yesterday, so is on my mind.

**cjm** · 01-26-2011, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

It is very bright, so I might dull it a little with flatwounds.

It is a bit difficult to judge with the speakers on my laptop, but the sound I heard on your youtube video, seems to be to be very much the "proper sound" of the pre-electric spruce archtops. The Loar is sort of a knockoff of the early X braced 16 inch acoustic L5 and that's about what they sound like.

I think you chose a nice piece to show off the tone and balance.

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-26-2011, 11:29 AM

Thanks. I have just put a set of 13s on, flatwounds by Tomastik-Infeld, and it sounds better, still in the same ballpark, just better quality. Still got the bark and bite when needed, and capable of a warmer sound through plectrum control. I'm very impressed with the guitar for the price, BUT...

When I was taking the old strings off I took the string off the tuner first (obviously) and let the ball-end of the string fall out of the tailpiece. However, the 4th string refused to fall out. On closer inspection I noticed that the tailpiece has defect for that string slot - it is not cut out like the others. Whoever put the strings on must have noticed it, because they had to thread the string through the hole in the tailpiece. It is easy enough to put the string on, so I'm not going to send it back, but I will be writing to Loar to ask them for another tailpiece. Sloppy, on an otherwise superb guitar.

**Silly Moustache** · 01-26-2011, 02:45 PM

Hi Rob,

please, when you get a chance, would you do a couple of things for me ....
1. would you look at the neck angle and the bridge height and tell me what you think - mine is less than 3/4" high above the top, which doesn't give much room for adjustment and the neck angle is almost parallel to the line of the body.

2. Can you have a good look at the finish - are there any "orange peel" effects, or matt parts where it hasn't been finished properly.

3. What kind of case did you get? - was it a hard shell case as described on the Loar website - or a re-enforced canvass gig bag with "the Loar" embroidered on an external pocket /

I am discussing matters with Thoman at present, so I'd really appreciate your comments.

Regards,

Ol' Andy

Nice playing BTW !

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-26-2011, 03:37 PM

The bridge is 7/8'' and the neck angle is not parallel. Seems well set up. Somebody once mention some material under the end of the fingerboard, painted black. That is not present on mine.

No orange peel, although it is apealing :-)

It came with a reinforced gig bag, but it feels like a solid case, but without the added weight.

Hope that helped.

**gianluca** · 01-31-2011, 07:53 AM

about which strings on the loar LH600, well, after the ghs vintage bronze 013-056 I put the d'addario chromes 012-052 and now I'm very happy because it is the tone I desired.
the bronze 013 were very warm but to heavy to me and not the right choice for this the loar.
chromes 012 much better!

now I'm thinking to a pick up for it: any suggestion?

**Silly Moustache** · 02-03-2011, 09:57 AM

I'm disappointed. The German supplier studiously avoids the subject of the proper hard shell case that is supposed to be supplied with this guitar (and is in the USA apparently.

I have told them of the faults on my second 700, and they have offerd me 80 euro, but no case.

I asked for 33% (to start the bidding as it were).

Yesterday I sent them a list of the faults and a chronology of the commuications to them.
They did say in one of their emails that they rely on their suppliers for qulity control so it sems that they are not so much a music store as a box shifting enterprise.

This morning they INSTRUCTED me to return it for refund.

I really think that especially as Eastmans seem to have disappeared there is a market for a good Gibson L-5 style guitar, at a reasonable price.
I suppose that it is possible that the German store gets "B" stock units, as my friends in the USA have had no problems with quality.

So now, I either send this back (the thrid one I've tried), or I keep it and pay to get a proper case, the neck reset, and a decent set-up.

This has taken a very ong time and with no satisfaction. Perhaps I'll stic with my '60s Harmony !

Anybody else had problems with the German company and/or Loar products ?
Tired and disapointed ol' Andy

**Rob MacKillop** · 02-03-2011, 10:27 AM

That's an incredible shame. I've been very lucky or you have been very unlucky. I feel for you and hope you get satisfation soon!

**Silly Moustache** · 02-03-2011, 11:22 AM

Hi Rob,
Yes , I guess I am fussy but I'm confronting the problems with buying instruments from a box-shifting outfit. Quality s neither monitored or part of the philosophy.

Enjoy yours,

Andy

**Drifter** · 02-03-2011, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Anybody else had problems with the German company and/or Loar products ?

I've bought a guitar from them once but had to return it. No problems, easy refund. You're right, they don't do setups, they don't even open the original boxes for quality control. They just forward the boxes to the customer, even the expensive Gibson archtops.

I don't think that those Loars are sold with a proper case in Europe. From all pictures that I've seen it's some kind of luxurious gigbag. I wouldn't blame Thomann for this, they just forward what they get from the distributor / factory.

If I were you I'd take the refund and be very disappointed by The Loar. Thomann may not be a recommendable seller but the QC issues are clearly a Loar problem. Maybe Europe gets the B-stock with gigbags, although it's hard to believe. But who knows, it's really outrageous what you've gone through, the LH700 should be their showpiece. Good luck, whatever you decide.

By the way, if you buy at woodbrass.com from France, they are a box shifting company, too. I guess it's the only way to do it for those superstores.

**gianluca** · 02-04-2011, 05:22 AM

I bought a the loar LH600 in italy from my abitual dealer (who ordered it from the italian distributor, I suppose).
850,00 eur and the (light) hard shell, original by the loar, was regularly supplied.
if you watch it carefully you can easily discover some finish lack but I accepted it in the low-cost L5 copy phylosophy: the tone is ok, the general look is amazing, the neck is ok, the woods seems to be really solid, the playability is good enough, it doesn't seem to need big set uo reset...

**Silly Moustache** · 02-12-2011, 07:05 PM

Well , the saga continues, albeit delayed as my desk top was attacked by a virus thingy on Tuesday and only got it back on Friday evening.

Thomans are seemingly firm on their options 80 euro compensation for sending me "B" stock instruments, w/o case, or return for refund. The 80 euro refund wil pay for a proper case, but I'll have to pay about £150 to get the neck properly resent and set up.

I guess I'll have to decide by Monday. Been comparing it to my '66 Hsatmony which is far better made with a better neck set/setup, but it has a pressed top and so doesn't have the bark of the Loar.

I'm now wondering whether to keep the Loar and have it corrected by a luthier, or to save my pennies, sell all my other gear and get a '30s-'40s Gibson.

I have to say that whilst I accept that I may be a demanding customer, my experiences with Th-mans have been most disappointing.

I looked at the French box shifter site - and I note that they own up to selling "B" Stock gear.

It is feasible that Loars might be distributed properly in the Uk later in the year, and although I'm sure they'll cost a lot more they might be first quality.
Jaded ol' Andy

**spiral** · 04-17-2011, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Still some finish problems -orange peel on the top, poorly fitted tailpice ad scratches like a punk rocker has tried to ply it

I don't own a Loar but wanted to say that the orange peel i've read about under the neck extension is also on my Gibson L7C reissue (including other debris). This is probably just a result of how they are sprayed and buffed after assembly.

I'm so close to ordering a Loar LH-700 to try out (no one carries them around here for miles). Can anyone add additional thoughts? After Rob MacKillop's review / samples i'm pretty convinced.

**Jabberwocky** · 04-17-2011, 11:20 PM

Spiral, I think you'd be better off with a vintage Gibson L-50.

**spiral** · 04-18-2011, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Spiral, I think you'd be better off with a vintage Gibson L-50.

Possibly. I like the 1.75" nut width and ebony fretboard on the Loar. The few L-50's i've played were pretty hit or miss both in condition and sound. Finding one with both of those things good, and under $980, will be tough.