The Loar
The Loar takes its name from Lloyd Loar, the acoustic engineer whose work at Gibson in the early 1920s produced the F-5 mandolin and the L-5 archtop guitar, the instruments that still define bluegrass and jazz tone a century later. The brand builds its whole catalog around that Golden Age blueprint: hand-carved, historically faithful reproductions of the mandolins and archtops collectors chase, at prices working players can actually reach.
The line centers on carved-top mandolins in both the ornate F-style and the workhorse A-style, alongside hand-carved archtop guitars built for jazz and Western swing. Every instrument leans on the idea Lloyd Loar pioneered: a graduated, hand-carved solid top with violin-style f-holes, a floating fingerboard and bracing tuned for projection and cut. The result is the woody bark and quick response ensemble players want, whether you are chopping rhythm in a bluegrass jam or comping behind a vocalist.
What sets The Loar apart in its price class is the carving. Where most affordable mandolins press or laminate their tops, The Loar hand-carves and graduates solid spruce and figured maple, the labor-intensive process that lets a top vibrate freely and open up over time. Fit-and-finish touches usually reserved for boutique instruments, ivoroid binding, Florentine headstock inlays and nitrocellulose lacquer on the flagship models, show up well below the price you would expect.
The instruments are designed by luthier Greg Rich, a veteran of Gibson’s banjo shop and the Recording King line, and hand-carved in the brand’s own workshop. Since August 2025 The Loar has been managed and distributed worldwide by St. Louis Music, the long-established American company behind Alvarez and Alvarez-Yairi, which is steadily bringing the catalog back to dealers.
Banjo Warehouse is a proud authorized dealer for The Loar. Whether you are stepping up to your first all-solid mandolin, adding an F-style to your bluegrass rig, or after a hand-carved archtop with real Golden Age voice, browse our Mandolins and Archtop Guitars below.
The Loar LH-600-VS professional archtop acoustic guitar, hand-carved solid graduated spruce top over figured maple back and sides, for classic 1920s bark and projection.
The Loar LH-700-VS deluxe archtop guitar, hand-carved solid AAA spruce over AAA flamed maple, an accurate reproduction of the pre-war L-5 style, with hardshell case included.
The Loar Honey Creek A-style mandolin with a hand-carved solid spruce top and maple back and sides, built for authentic 1920s chop in a clean, unadorned package.
The Loar Honey Creek F-style mandolin with a hand-carved solid spruce top and maple back and sides, voiced for authentic 1920s bark and bluegrass chop.
The Loar Performer F-style mandolin, an all-solid hand-carved instrument built for professional-grade tone without ornate decoration.
The Loar's Contemporary F-style mandolin in satin black over a vintage burgundy back, all-solid with a hand-carved spruce top and figured maple back and sides for authentic bluegrass chop.
The Loar Contemporary F-style mandolin, an all-solid hand-carved instrument with a resonant satin finish and a modern, minimalist look.
The Loar Professional F-style mandolin, an all-solid Golden Age replica hand-carved and graduated for authentic pre-war bark and projection.