I got tired of making a Gibson product, a product that had been left in its tracks in 1924 without growth or improvement. The instrument was abandoned before it had a chance to become a success, an instrument with incredible potential, one that is still being discovered. Right away I saw that certainly it was possible to bring the mandolin forward and improve. I started to rethink the mandolin, using the F-5 as the basis to redraw the entire instrument. As John continued to build Loar copies, he was making changes to the instrument, including a less massive scroll area and subtle aesthetic improvements.
Music is the driving force underlying any instrument.
Music and musicians change, evolve and grow and so should the instrument. I wanted tonal changes and aesthetic changes too. It was pretty risky. Nothing was accepted at that time except an F-5 or Gibson copy. I didn't know if people would accept it.