Recording King 00 Bluesmaster Low Gloss Thermo Cured Marmalade Burst

History
Recording King was introduced in 1929 as a house brand for the Montgomery Ward department store and mail order catalog. The premium models of the guitar and banjo lines were made by Gibson, and during the 1930’s the Recording King brand grew quickly due to their accessibility and affordability. They also started offering more entry-level models made in the Kay and Regal instrument factories. Many Recording King flattops, archtops and banjos made in the “Golden Era” by Gibson were virtually identical to the Gibson line and are highly sought after by collectors today.

Recording King instruments were sold by Montgomery Ward until 1943 and remained dormant until registered by The Music Link in 2006. The Music Link worked with Greg Rich, a well-known banjo designer, to bring back many of the classic models. They quickly expanded Recording King to offer guitars and resonators, which as we all know, have been around for the last 20 years and did well in this space until 2025.

The Loar trademark was first registered in 1997 and pays homage to the legendary Gibson instrument designer and musician, Lloyd Loar, who is synonymous with the F5 Mandolin and L5 Archtop guitar. As with Recording King, The Music Link did a good job at capturing the essence of vintage mandolins under The Loar brand and bringing them to market at affordable pricing.

What have we been up to – and why?

• QC and supply chain evaluation
• Aligning our goals and standards to SLM’s approach
• Learning and applying that knowledge
• Market evaluation
• Redesign
• Sampling

Guitars
We are launching with our all-new RK Standard Series. A traditionally styled, all solid series, built with a genuine attention to detail.

• 16 models – familiar to all – with what we believe is a unique level of quality, tonality and value.
• Voicing -
• Finish -
• Build -

Construction

• Top thicknesses are now to 4.5mm in the center and 3.5mm on the perimeter.
• The height/radius has also been increased by 2mm to create a shapelier instrument with more air volume.
• The bridge is more refined, less mass, more response.
• The scroll process has been retooled and a new hand sanding step has been added that makes for a more defined, cleaner aesthetic.

Finish

• We have redesigned the entire sanding process at the factory
• Training & tools
• All the mandolins are now finished in
• Nitrocellulose. Satin, semi-gloss and gloss
• The finish is now UV cured
• These improvements allow us to achieve a thinner, flatter and more refined appearance

The Future
We are very happy these brands are now part of St. Louis Music, and we have long and exciting plans for them.

Recording King and The Loar bring us so much scope with suitable brand identities that will allow us to create one of the most comprehensive acoustic and folk instruments brands in the industry.

General

Body

Neck

Hardware