The Loar LH-600

[mr. beaumont]

10 months later I'm coming back to this guitar...why? I'm not sure really.

I liked it when I got it...the honeymoon, of course, ended, particularly when I decided I wanted to set this guitar up to play the way I like...putting on lighter strings (PB .12's instead of .13s) revealed a host of issues that required a good deal of work on my part...after a nut fill/reslot and hammering down two high frets (as well as filing some sharp fret ends) I was left with a very playable, loud, good sounding guitar.

That for some reason, I just didn't play. Too many guitars in the house really, and this one always took a backseat.

And so in the meantime I acquired the Heritage 575 you've all seen, and in the 5 months I've had that guitar my electric archtop GAS has been zero.But I played it all the time, even not plugged in...and the Loar sat in it's case...I even tried to sell the Loar a few months ago, but I didn't get any bites...I guess things happen for a reason.

So the other day, the house was quiet, something made me open the LH-600's case...I brought the Loar out, restrung it, tuned it up, and played...and wouldn't you know it...it's still a loud, very playable, good sounding guitar.

So maybe I'm keeping it after all...it's been living in the family room the last few days, as an encouragement for me to pick it up...and pick it up I have...

Is it a fine, luthier grade instrument? Not by a long shot...way too many issues out of the box for me to recommend them even...but if you're a tinkerer, it's a damn good slab of raw materials that just might have a guitar in there

So anyway, I thought I'd post my findings...sometimes you gotta hang onto a guitar for a while to see if it really works for you...you don't always know what's gonna float your boat...and when.

Do I still want a '30's L5 some day? You bet. But for now, The Loar isn't a bad "starter."

[Geert]

Is it a fine, luthier grade instrument? Not by a long shot...way too many issues out of the box for me to recommend them even...but if you're a tinkerer, it's a damn good slab of raw materials that just might have a guitar in there

]

I guess I love my LH-600 for just that. It's my only archtop, but I like working on it (I installed a ttransducer system, removed it, put on a benedetto floater and a pickguard, removed it also. I put on a K Armstrong single coil this week) I love draging it around playing at jam sessions, I play it at home all the time.
It has countless dings, and scratches from all these adventures.
I guess I would be scared to do all this with an expensive, vintage instrument (if I could afford one) Like you say, it is a good sounding, nice looking guitar. It's far from perfect I guess but it serves my needs perfectly.

G

[kris]

Is it working?

No, maybe just a personal reaction to something I've been guilty of and I know a lot of folks do here too...not hanging on to something long enough to see if they really like it, or, hanging on to something past the honeymoon phase, falling out of love, ditching it and regretting it later...

But yeah, if anybody wants to trade for that L5...

Too many guitars.
My colection was 13 guitars few years ago.
Now I have 4 boxes.
I think 2 of them will be OK.
I mean vintage Ibanez As-200 and nylon strings Frameworks.
Anyway L5 is great!

[BillyBenBilly]

It's refreshing to have an initial reaction/review and a follow-up. How often do we see reviewers who state, "I've had this guitar for a half an hour and I love it...." Love at first sight may turn into something altogether different as familiarity grows. Relationships mature sometimes and don't wear well. Sometimes they blossom. Kudos on posting your ongoing impressions and relationship with the Loar!

[mr. beaumont]

Much louder, better acoustic tone with the Loar. The Godin beats it by a mile when it comes to setup/ playability/ quality control.

I don't really "get" the all acoustic fifth ave...too small coupled with laminate to really sound good as an acoustic...but the kingpin is absolutely a top notch electric archtop.

[Julyain]

@Mr. Beaumont, when you say "The Godin beats the Loarlh600 by a mile when it comes to setup/ playability/" do you mean that the action is higher, compares to the Godin? And how's the neck?

[mr. beaumont]

@Mr. Beaumont, when you say "The Godin beats the Loarlh600 by a mile when it comes to setup/ playability/" do you mean that the action is higher, compares to the Godin? And how's the neck?

The neck on the Loar is a "V" shape. Took a little getting used to, but I actually like it quite a bit.

The action was too low on the Loar when it arrived...I raised it, but the nut slots were cut too low and the open strings buzzed. I filled the nut slots with a bone dust and superglue mixture, then refiled them, and the playing was buzz free. The guitar also had several finish blemishes, a few sharp fret ends, and two high frets. So it needed some work out of the box to make it enjoyable to play.

The Godin had none of these issues...the frets were perfectly filed, the nut was cut properly, and the guitar was well set up. The Godin isn't much of an acoustic guitar (still don't get the idea of the acoustic fifth ave., outside of a novelty item) but the single pickup Kingpin is about the best value in an archtop out there. A very different guitar than the Loar, though.

[Julyain]

Thanks, Jeff. Really nice standards tunes in your website btw.

[10course]

So, after endless reading, asking opinions, Youtube videos, and sifting through the subjectivity, I ordered the LH-600 today. What allowed me to make the decision with confidence is probably going to cause some to bristle, but a side by side comparison removed all subjectivity and showed the performance where the rubber hits the road.

The Loar demo was actually a 650 cutaway model with floating pickup. The 2 Gibsons and pre-war Epi were no-cutaway. The Loar was louder than the 3 old nobles! The strings on the Loar were terrible, but the action was set up very nicely. The deep V neck on the 600, which I experienced on the 300 a few days ago(not on the 650), is no less comfortable to me than the thick necks on the Gibsons.

There was a pleasant mellow resonance on all 3 old nobles that the Loar did not have, but might in 70 years. So, here is my conclusion: if you want to make a modern digital recording accompanying a singer, the vintage titans win as far as tone. However, if you want to be heard in a swing band on a live stage, you are no worse off with the Loar----and have more money left in your bank account.

I think I might have set my expectations for the vintage titans too high as far as volume goes. Speaks well for the Loar though.

[Silentwiz]

What's that loar neck profile like?

[10course]

On the LH-650 cutaway, it was a modern shallow "D". It was very comfortable and felt much like my Gretsch Syncromatic G100CE. --Probably a bit shallower than a modern 335.

On the LH-600 no-cutaway model, it is a very pronounced deep "V". -- Which I assume is period appropriate and tradition for an old school style rhythm machine? ....I can't think of another reason for it.

The deep V felt ok to me when chunking out chords quickly. The tip of my thumb just sort of glided along the top of the ridge. In a full chord like a 13, the ridge comfortably slipped into joints of my thumb.

I'm certainly NOT an experienced jazz solo player, but I suppose that neck might bother some when soloing in the modern style. I honestly don't have the experience to say how it might compromise advanced playing, but it is less awkward to me than old Gibson, Kay, or other pre-adjustable truss rod necks.

[SamBooka]

I would be on board with one just so I could have something comparable to an L4C without the guilt when I start drilling holes.

The deal breaker has always been the neck angle.

[jazz.fred]

Congrats on your new guitar! Enjoy!

[kamlapati]

I got an LH-700 back in June from Musicians Friend, bought sight unseen. The initial setup was terrible, only playable with difficulty, but the tone was very good and made it worth being patient and investing a bit more to make it a good guitar.

When it arrived the bridge was screwed down all the way, set to minimum height, yet the action was still very high. IMO the bridge design is inconsistent with the neck angle. Since I'm fortunate enough to live near Gryphon Stringed Instruments / Frank Ford, I had them modify the bridge to

1.Make it look like an early L-5. The stock base is totally clunky looking and is one part of the design that is not taken from the L-5. IMO they totally flubbed it
2. Lower the total height of the bridge and base. Only the base was thinned on the first pass.

Now the guitar is much more playable, but I can see the possibility of lowering it again in the future via the same path (i.e. removing wood from base and saddle.) I'm not the only one with this experience; there was a whole thread here a while back with one of our members having a very similar story.

I'm happy with my Loar, and would buy it again as I think the tone is remarkable for the price, but I would also budget the time and money to get it right.

[Woody Sound]

On the LH-650 cutaway, it was a modern shallow "D". It was very comfortable and felt much like my Gretsch Syncromatic G100CE. --Probably a bit shallower than a modern 335.

On the LH-600 no-cutaway model, it is a very pronounced deep "V". -- Which I assume is period appropriate and tradition for an old school style rhythm machine? ....I can't think of another reason for it.

The deep V felt ok to me when chunking out chords quickly. The tip of my thumb just sort of glided along the top of the ridge. In a full chord like a 13, the ridge comfortably slipped into joints of my thumb.

I'm certainly NOT an experienced jazz solo player, but I suppose that neck might bother some when soloing in the modern style. I honestly don't have the experience to say how it might compromise advanced playing, but it is less awkward to me than old Gibson, Kay, or other pre-adjustable truss rod necks.

I HATE V-necks. Not that it matters...

[mr. beaumont]

It's important to note not all V necks are the same...the Loar is a pretty hard V...ultimately, I found myself playing that guitar less and less because I just wasn't loving that neck and recently sold it...but it was a great looking, great sounding instrument.

I have a very large "soft-V" neck on my telecaster, and it's one of the best feeling necks I've ever played. It's definitely a V, but it doesn't feel weird when you put your thumb on the back of the neck...

[lumena]

Totally agree with BtB. Loars have a great potential and when you get one dialed in they are super.

I have been playing an lh350 on an off for several months. I kept putting it down and picking it back up. After the initial get acquainted period I really realized that I love the shape and sound. So much so that when Thomann ran a sale on the Lh650 last week, I bought one. It's in the mail and I can't wait to see it. Yes I know all the potential downsides and also know that most of them are simple fixes that only require a trip down the block to get things cleaned up by a tech. Frankly even if I had to do a complete refret it would still be a bargain as I can't see any other model that is less than 2k that has the 16" prewar sound - barring a lucky accident and I find some older piece that has not been through the ringer.

Getting the lh350 was the best idea. I got to know what I was getting into and really experienced over time what I liked and did not like about it. Neck angle wasn't perfect but the sound was really something, I am not sure if it is the bracing or what but I liked it more than either of the eastmans I owned. Somehow the acoustic sound is more like the sound I imagine in my mind what an archtop should sound like.

My only wish now is to find a pickup that really brings out the sound. I have listened to a lot of them and the closest to what I think the sound is that I am looking for is a dearmond or maybe a gold foil. I expect go through quite a few of them before I get the right one. Any suggestions are welcome.

[2bornot2bop]

My only wish now is to find a pickup that really brings out the sound. I have listened to a lot of them and the closest to what I think the sound is that I am looking for is a dearmond or maybe a gold foil. I expect go through quite a few of them before I get the right one. Any suggestions are welcome.

I've had 2 LH650's that arrived with aftermarket Bartolini 5J's...ideal for that archtop, IMO. Tossed the bridge on each guitar and installed a replacement bridge created by Bill Gagnon. That '650 needs nothing else...good luck with yours.

[10course]

Neck angle? @SamBooka and Lumena: i'm curious now. I know that any archtop instrument is affected by downward pressure on the bridge caused by arching height and neck angle, but this usually is a volume issue (also tone, but primarily volume). If the Loar doesn't lack volume, is it that the bridge won't go low enough for a good action or a tone issue?

[10course]

It's important to note not all V necks are the same...the Loar is a pretty hard V...ultimately, I found myself playing that guitar less and less because I just wasn't loving that neck and recently sold it...but it was a great looking, great sounding instrument.

I have a very large "soft-V" neck on my telecaster, and it's one of the best feeling necks I've ever played. It's definitely a V, but it doesn't feel weird when you put your thumb on the back of the neck...

I hope I don't hate it over time. It has crossed my mind. However, I do my own guitar work.---- It's nothing a Lie-Nielsen spoke shave, radius gauge, 2" scraper, and 150-400 grit paper can't fix .-----as a very last resort.

[Silentwiz]

So the 650 is slim like an Ibby? Now that works for me...!

[Rob_B]

I wouldn't say the lh650 neck is slim; I think it's closer to a Les Paul R8 than an Ibanez, which in my experience are wayyy slim.

So, I also have a 650, and was initially going to return it due to the weird bridge and shallow neck angle, plus I wasn't happy with the pick guard mounting at all. However...

The guitar itself, the body and the neck, were just too sweet to let go of, plus I really dig the ebony fretboard.

So, I ended up adjusting the bridge, giving the truss rod a good twist to get the neck (fretboard) just shy of flat and what do you know? I got the action perfect for me (low-ish) and yep, it's a keeper.

Now, to do something about that pick-guard... anyone have any ideas? I'd prefer to replace it; it's that bound fake tortoise shell; I'd prefer something black...

So not to derail the thread; congrats on the guitar; I hope you like it!

[Geert]

I love my LH 600. I've had mine for about 6 years now. I play it every day. Took it to lots of jam sessions and gigs, played it through many different amps, and it always souds great with my K Armstrong floating pickup.
Great guitar.
Enjoy yours!

G

[SamBooka]

Neck Angle: I have NOT played the 650 (or maybe I did and just dont remember) but I did play the es125 style guitar.

Even with the saddle bottomed out the action was a little high. If I got the guitar for a super deal I could prob. take a mil or two off the bottom and be find but a new guitar should be able to get the action too low or too high.. not just ok.

[10course]

I wouldn't say the lh650 neck is slim; I think it's closer to a Les Paul R8 than an Ibanez, which in my experience are wayyy slim.

So, I also have a 650, and was initially going to return it due to the weird bridge and shallow neck angle, plus I wasn't happy with the pick guard mounting at all. However...

The guitar itself, the body and the neck, were just too sweet to let go of, plus I really dig the ebony fretboard.

So, I ended up adjusting the bridge, giving the truss rod a good twist to get the neck (fretboard) just shy of flat and what do you know? I got the action perfect for me (low-ish) and yep, it's a keeper.

Now, to do something about that pick-guard... anyone have any ideas? I'd prefer to replace it; it's that bound fake tortoise shell; I'd prefer something black...

So not to derail the thread; congrats on the guitar; I hope you like it!

I can make you a black/ white/ Black L-50 style or anything I have a template for. This was for a Gretsch G5120 using the original as a template. I might have other colors, but they are buried deep in storage until the 17th. This is the thick material and not the Strat/Tele thin plastic. I'm going to make one for my new LH-600 when it arrives. Note: this one in the pic is old, used, and has even been dropped on the floor. They start out perfect with the protective plastic still on them when I ship.