This is my version of the legendary F-5 style mandolin. Like the old Loars, it has a red spruce top and the finish is oil varnish topped with french polish. The Copperheads are fully bound in genuine celluloid nitrate grained ivoroid and come sidebound like Bill Monroe's July 9th Loar. I arch and graduate my top and back plates to give plenty of that characteristic midrange punch, but also include a little more bass for balance. This is an instrument with surprising sustain. It's responsive enough for all the nuance you can play into a tune, with a deep throaty woof on the chop. My original snake & vine headstock inlay is hand engraved in bronze pearl, pink pearl, and green abalone. The fretboard is unadorned for smooth fast play and the side dots are real black mother of pearl.
