Written by Roger Siminoff with a foreword by George Gruhn, this book is the definitive text on the life and work of Lloyd Allayre Loar, a noted musician, inventor, and acoustic engineer best known for developing iconic instrument designs for the Gibson company in the 1920s. Siminoff’s research spans more than fifty years and includes his interactions with notable resources such as former Gibson historian Julius Bellson, former Gibson president Ted McCarty, and Loar’s wife, Bertha.

Ten special items from Loar’s life and career are on display in the Lloyd Loar exhibit in MIM’s United States / Canada Gallery, including Loar’s personal F-5 Master Model mandolin, a one-of-a-kind 10-string mando-viola, and a prototype electric viola. Many of these fascinating representations of Loar’s work were gifted to MIM by Roger and Rosemary Siminoff, and they are discussed in detail in this book.

200 pages; 11 x 8.5 inches; paperbound