In Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1923, Checker Cabs first arrived on the city's streets, and Gibson completed this F-5 Master Model mandolin. Signed July 9th, this model was made during Loar's last two years at Gibson. This historic mandolin features a carved spruce top with figured maple sides, back, and neck, beautifully paired with an ebony fingerboard and adjustable bridge. The methods refined by Lloyd Loar during this era persist to this day, establishing the industry standards for the F-model mandolin. Early, influential features on this piece include a tuned soundboard, parallel tone-bar bracing, dual F-holes, and an adjustable truss rod. The instrument has been refinished. A Calton hardshell case and Small Dog case cover are included. Gibson and those same Checker Cabs shuttered their Kalamazoo factories in 1982, nearly 6 decades after this mandolin was made. Now, 103 years later, this legendary F-5 has returned home to Michigan, available on consignment at Elderly Instruments.