Walter Kaye Bauer. (Photo courtesy Jeff Foxall)
“I had the first one off the line”— Walter Kaye Bauer ‘s comment when asked about the Gibson F-5. Based on conversations with Bauer, we came to understand that, according to his recollection, when he and Arthur William Crookes arrived in Kalamazoo on June 15, 1922, to begin rehearsals for the summer tour, Lloyd Loar presented him with a Gibson F-5. “It wasn’t painted up like a Parisian streetwalker like the rest of those Gibsons.” We have already shown, with dated photographic evidence, that more than one F-5 was in play in the summer of 1922. While it is also clear that Bauer, as a Gibson artist/teacher/agent, had many Loar signed F-5s pass though his hands, the whereabouts of that first F-5 is unknown. What did he mean by “painted?” As these comments were years later, had time eroded his recollection? We have long searched for a “no-burst” F-5. If it is extant, it is possible that it may have suffered a refinish or even a complete face-lift, perhaps even a label from a later date. Did it have a single amber-toned color, like a true Cremona finish? Was it solid dark color, even solid black (as were many lower priced Gibsons)? Has anyone has seen such a mandolin?
Walter Kaye Bauer, detail from the 1922 Gibsonian poster.
According to Walter, he was the first to endorse the Gibson F-5, and Gibson catalogs show him as Gibson artist as early as 1918. There is some confusion about Bauer’s relationship with Gibson and the F-5, because he became such a vocal detractor of all things Gibson—especially Lloyd Loar—in his later years. He often pointed out that the tuners were “just horrible.” We are not exactly sure when the change of attitude happened or what exactly incited the extreme criticism of Loar in particular. We do know that as early as 1929 Walter had become involved with designing mandolin family instruments with Vega, and often mentioned Bill Nelson as his collaborator there. In later years, Walter continued to promote Vega mandolins and banjos to his students and orchestra members. However, we have copies of letters from him dated as late as the 1940s describing a particular F-5 in glowing terms. Bauer also continued to be a Gibson artist/agent, even representing Gibson in the exhibit at the Guild Convention of 1928 held in Hartford, Connecticut (Music Trade Review, May, 1928). We also know that Bauer went through many Gibson mandolin family instruments, several of which were F-5s. He either owned, ordered new for students, or procured them for enthusiasts in the aftermarket. Among the style 5 instruments, we have identified a February 18, 1924, #75697 with Virzi with “Walter Kaye Bauer” engraved on the truss rod cover; March 31, 1924 F-5 #76779 and H-5 (number unknown), both with fern inlays and Virzi Tone Producers, which he sold to his star pupil and teaching assistant Ada Merrifield (F-5 76779 was sold to Bluegrass musician Bennie Cain along with a letter to Mrs. Merrifield from the original acquisition); F-5 76790, also with Virzi and fern; and F-5 # 84682, fern without Virzi. We suspect there may have been more F-5s, as there were many other model Gibsons including F-4s, H-4s and K-4s.
Left: Ada Merrifield, Gibson Catalog “Q.” Right: Crescendo, January, 1926. Bauer arranged for her to own both an F-5 and H-5, both with fern inlay and signed by Lloyd Loar on March 31st, 1924.
Helen Stanton Seely with Loar era Gibson K-4 Mandocello. A star of the Hartford Mandolin Orchestra, Miss Seely became Mrs. Walter Kaye Bauer in 1927. They spent the next 65 years together. (Photo from Johnstone studios, courtesy Jeff Foxall)
Arthur William Crookes with a unique K-5 Mandocello, used with Lloyd Loar on the Chautauqua circuit. (Detail from 1922 Gibsonian poster with Lloyd Loar, foreground, Walter Kaye Bauer, on right).
On the 1922 Gibsonian poster, Arthur William Crookes is shown with another instrument slated to debut on the tour, a K-5 Mandocello. Quite likely, this is the mandocello that he performed the solo on “The Venetian Love Song.” The sounds he created received glowing reviews in the press. Prior to arriving in Kalamazoo on June 15, 1922, Arthur W. Crookes was often photographed with a Gibson K-2 Mandocello.
Arthur William Crookes, first chair Mandocello for the 1922 Gibsonians, but he would not be playing his K-2. (Crescendo, January, 1921)
Like the F-5 Bauer played in 1922, the K-5 used by Crookes raises questions. The unique appointments, especially the peghead, appear identical to those of a famous K-5 used by mandolin great David Grisman on his “Tone Poems” project (Acoustic Disc, 1994). For insight on this instrument, we have expert opinion from our foreign correspondent, eminent luthier Steven Gilchrist:
“I used to own K-5 75255. I bought it…while working for George (Gruhn) in 1980. When I got it, it was strung as a guitar with all original looking Loar era 9th fret dot unbound guitar f'board (no extension), silver plated guitar tuners, t'piece, bridge etc, narrow cello neck, and small mandola size f holes… The original cello t'piece was in the case. (There were)… four plugged holes in the… Loar era varnished headstock. I converted it back to a cello. I can easily see a scenario where that K-5 in those Gibsonian photos (unique h'stock, 10th fret dot f'board w/extension) is an earlier experimental incarnation of 75255 before it was converted to a guitar by installing the unbound f'board and hardware, and labelled (and Virzi-ed by removing the back) in Feb'24.”
“The cello also shares the same style body binding as #70281 (June 1, 1922 F-5) and #70321 mando-viola (ivoroid/black only ), like an A-2Z. On the serial number label, the pencilled-in K5 has been defaced so only the 5 is legible, presumably when it was converted to a guitar.” —Steve Gilchrist, March 6, 2022.
Comparison of two unique pegheads. Left, Gibson K-5 75255 (photo courtesy Darryl Wolfe); Right, Gibson TB trapdoor tenor banjo circa 1919 (Photo Courtesy Greg Earnest).
Labels inside Gibson K-5 75255 with signature date February 11, 1924. (Photos courtesy Steve Gilchrist)
Virzi Tone Producer label number 10122, inside back of K-5 75255. (Photos courtesy Steve Gilchrist)
Gibson K-5 75255, underside of soundboard with Virzi Tone Producer. (Photos courtesy Steve Gilchrist)
The Virzi Tone Producer was a thin spruce soundboard suspended by three “feet” from the underside of the top of an instrument. The brainchild of the Virzi Brothers of Palermo, Italy, and New York City, it was highly recommended by Gibson, as factory installed or retrofit, from 1923 through 1928.
Lloyd Loar’s enthusiastic endorsement of the Virzi Tone Producer has not only been included in the 1922 Virzi Brothers catalog, but in this article in “The Music Trades” published in December, 1922. Loar also wrote a similar piece published in The Crescendo that month.
As a parting shot, we offer a bit of Walter Kaye Bauer humor, published in the December, 1922, issue of “The Crescendo”.
“The Bauer Quintet” Crescendo, December, 1922.
The Bauer Quintet. Walter Kaye Bauer’s sense of humor combined with James “Jazz” Johnstone zany darkroom antics creates this stunning photograph. These appear to be the same instruments used on the summer tour. To create “The Bauer Quintet,” individual photos were most likely taken by Johnstone in Kalamazoo shortly after September 1 right before Bauer left for Connecticut.
Next week: The first style 5 “fern” peghead inlay! Stay tuned!!