Lloyd Loar
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Lloyd Allayre Loar (1886–1943) was an American musician, instrument designer and sound engineer. He is best known for his design work with the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd. in the early 20th century, including the F-5 model mandolin and L-5 guitar. In his later years he worked on electric amplification of stringed instruments, and demonstrated them around the country. One example, played in public in 1938 was an electric viola that used electric coils beneath the bridge, with no back, able to "drown out the loudest trumpet."
1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin (played by Bill Monroe)
1924 Gibson F-5 (serial #75846)
Gibson L-5 guitar (played by Maybelle Carter), "the most important single guitar in the entire history of country music," according to George Gruhn. There is controversy about its date. Commonly said to be a 1928 instrument, but researcher Joe Spann concluded, it couldn't have left the factory earlier than April 1929, and was shipped January, 1930.
Gibson Brands
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Gibson Brands Inc. is an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company was formerly known as Gibson Guitar Corporation and renamed Gibson Brands Inc. on June 11, 2013.
Gibson Guitar Factory in Memphis, pictured in May 2009
Orville Gibson, founder
Gibson line of Mandolin orchestra instruments, early 1900s.
Harp guitar (c. 1912).