Read this on the Acoustic Guitar Forum

[Memphis Soul]

“The Music Link Corporation, the parent company of Recording King, Guardian (cases), The Loar, among other brands, is going to cease operations”. This was confirmed by one of its employees on another forum The Banjo Hangout. He was a designer for their guitars and banjos. I figured after the mandolin post some of you might be interested in this. I have had a Loar mandolin and a Recording King guitar. Both were quality instruments. I have been wanting one of the RD-318s. Their version of the Martin D18. I went ahead and ordered one from Sweetwater as I don’t have the cash left for a D18 after all the buying I’ve done lately. They only had two left(one now). Don’t know how long these will be available now. $699 for an all solid wood guitar with Adirondack spruce top, African mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge and bone nut and saddle. These are some pretty good specs at a sweet price. Of course doesn’t come with a case so I picked up one of those too. The guitar I had before this one was a RD-328. A D28 copy but since I already will have two guitars with rosewood back and sides. I went with mahogany for this one. Anyone else own a RK guitar or Loar mandolin or guitar? What do you think of their quality? What do you think about this news? I think it’s sad. Not everyone can afford a Martin. I could only buy the guitars I have lately because I got some money from an inheritance and I told my wife I was using $10,000 to buy what I wanted. The rest is hers to do as she fits so it will probably go into savings.

 

[maxvintage]

Possibly tariff related?

 

[Memphis Soul]

Possibly tariff related?

Maybe. I saw a video of a YouTuber who buys guitars made for the Japanese market and resells them here and he stated he would no longer be importing any more guitars from Japan basically because of that. But I think the guitar market has slowed down so much some of these brands aren’t bringing enough in to stay afloat.

 

[runstendt]

I've been a fan of the Music Link for years, and their catalog has been getting smaller for a long time. That's a shame because they made some really interesting instruments and amps, but if that wasn't paying the bills then that's the end of the story. I still think that the VHT Special 6 is a great, simple, low-power tube amp, and mine always had enough power for smaller gigs, even with a drummer who bore more than a slight resemblance to Donkey Kong.

 

[Peegoo]

What do you think about this news?

Someone will buy the Recording King brand. The other stuff? It's just not been that big in the market.

I have two Loar acoustics that are about 20 years old now; they were made before ML acquired the brand. They're pretty nice for imports of the time.

 

[bottlenecker]

That's too bad. I want a loar archtop. I really don't know of any alternative to the lh-600/700. I don't even see them on sweetwater now.

 

[bumnote]

Just a thought. The tariffs aren't going to last long, at least in their present form, they're normally adjusted to make everyone less angry at some point.
So could this simply be primarily due to declining sales?
Seems ridiculously rash to cease operations due to tariffs when they've been recently introduced...in a current environment where the next day or week they've been modified or eliminated on a whim.

 

[RLangham98]

That’s sad, especially from a banjo standpoint but I have to be honest, none of those brands really ever impressed me that much. I’ve played a lot of recording king stuff in stores and my buddy has a The Loar F style mandolin. It’s definitely a good value mandolin but would you really look at one if it had a blank headstock and say “this should be the mandolin that carries forward the Loar name”?

(Although I will readily disclaim that I know very little about mandolins… I’ve owned an almost unplayable little Rogue and I own a janky old Washburn bowlback from the 1880’s, nothing a real mandolinist would look twice at.)

It’s just like, sure, these brands have been pretty good value especially when first introduced, but the market isn’t going to stay excited about them when they’re frankly pretty unexciting instruments.

 

[bottlenecker]

Just a thought. The tariffs aren't going to last long, at least in their present form, they're normally adjusted to make everyone less angry at some point.
So could this simply be primarily due to declining sales?
Seems ridiculously rash to cease operations due to tariffs when they've been recently introduced...in a current environment where the next day or week they've been modified or eliminated on a whim.

I don't know about their whole operation, but I know that the shop that built the archtops was a small shop, carving tops, and building these acoustic archtops that there's very little market for, even with no competition. They didn't have a big margin, and people like me are lucky they built them at all. It's worth asking- why did they? Maybe someone cared more about what was made than the profit.
If the other products are anything like the archtops, they are not going to be able to wait. Not everything is made with huge margins by people who only care about getting richer.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I visit Acoustic Guitar Forum a lot, but I don't read long posts with no paragraph breaks.

Bargain hunters might mourn, but all in all, the closure of those companies is good news. Their business models are based on driving quality-driven companies out of business, relying on poor labor practices, low environmental standard, inferior-grade woods, and copycat designs.

This is not a loss to the industry or to music. Far from it.

 

[bumnote]

people like me are lucky they built them at all

I'm not the type to spend a few thousand to buy an acoustic. I really love the Recording King models...and have been dragging my feet for a few years on buying one. I keep bouncing between the RO 328 & 342...I really should decide soon if they're going to close down.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I'm not the type to spend a few thousand to buy an acoustic. I really love the Recording King models...and have been dragging my feet for a few years on buying one. I keep bouncing between the RO 328 & 342...I really should decide soon if they're going to close down.

I've never played one
( always a budget buyer),
but I think I would like the RK G6 000 ( not sure of model name) that is similar to an 000-18 ( solid top, lam body) that has both the short scale, and wide fingerboard. It's 'simple beautiful' and affordable

 

[SlideGuy123]

This explains why I can’t seem to find an arch top hardshell case for my banjo. Everyone is out of stock on Guardian cases (and Superior brand is in short supply, too). Whoever makes Crossrock seems to be taking over the mid to low end

 

[Papanate]

You got to build stuff people will buy - they didn’t - they had a very small niche market and it has shrank even more since Covid -
A lot of gear is falling off these days - people aren’t looking for unique much anymore.

 

[Texicaster]

I visit Acoustic Guitar Forum a lot, but I don't read long posts with no paragraph breaks.

Bargain hunters might mourn, but all in all, the closure of those companies is good news. Their business models are based on driving quality-driven companies out of business, relying on poor labor practices, low environmental standard, inferior-grade woods, and copycat designs.

This is not a loss to the industry or to music. Far from it.

YEP!

 

[bumnote]

Do they face any competition like we do with the "Chibson" problem with the electric guitar market?
I don't follow the acoustic market, is there a chance the problem the counterfeiting issue would be hurting their own legitimate export production?

 

[bottlenecker]

I visit Acoustic Guitar Forum a lot, but I don't read long posts with no paragraph breaks.

Bargain hunters might mourn, but all in all, the closure of those companies is good news. Their business models are based on driving quality-driven companies out of business, relying on poor labor practices, low environmental standard, inferior-grade woods, and copycat designs.

This is not a loss to the industry or to music. Far from it.

Yeah, but I care more about musicians than guitar companies. I don't normally get excited about cheap guitars, especially all the generic solidbodies people seem to love around here.
But Sierra Ferrell is still playing her Blueridge.

And how ridiculous are archtops?
They're some kind of holy high standard for luthiers, but who plays them? Even in the category of "jazz guitarist", (which I don't think archtops should be limited to, but they are the only category you can usually expect them in), some of today's best are playing telecasters. Mary Halverson plays a Guild Artist, and that's a great guitar, but they're not made now, and it's price is far below a custom luthier built archtop. People don't play archtops because they can't buy them. Or even try them. Loar was the only one I know of made today that was really made for sound, not just looks, and was affordable for a musician.

I make things for a living and I care about making things, but guitars are pointless if they don't get played by musicians.

I generally don't care about Martin copies, because I think Martin is great at getting guitars in the hands of musicians, but these companies make a lot of other stuff. And I don't blame any musician for needing to save money on a decent acoustic.

I still want a Blueridge like Sierra's.

 

[Musekatcher]

SLM has already picked them up.

The Acoustic Shoppe

St. Louis Music acquired Recoding King! Learn more about Recording King and Alvarez and how they are being revitalized and restored under new ownership!

theacousticshoppe.com

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . I don't blame any musician for needing to save money on a decent acoustic. . . .

Fer sher! Players who are stretched can buy used. I always am, and I always do.

When players buy used in the U.S., all of the money stays here, regardless of the guitar's provenence. There's no trans-Pacific carbon footprint, either.

I used to visit the United Autoworkers offices in Connecticut in my old Datsun beater. Same schtick every time:

"You can't park here. Only U.S. cars. You can park up the road."

"I bought this used right here in Hartford. Ever dollar stayed in the US — unlike that new Taurus over there."

"Heh heh. I know. You still can't park here."

Lucky they liked me.

 

[Geoff738]

I have a Recording King that I picked up as NOS for $200 Canuck. I believe it is all solid woods (spruce and hog) based on a Nick Lucas model maybe. I don’t have a case for it so it stays out year round. Refuses to go out of tune despite the extreme changes in humidity here. It isn’t as “nice” as my other acoustics, but it’s a good guitar.

Cheers,
Geoff