Rybka’s Orchestra, circa 1924, with Gibson F5 75709, the last instrument of the legendary February 18, 1924 batch. L to R seated: Joseph F. Rybka; Raymond Day(?); Charles Kreger. Standing, unidentified, O.H. Andreson and Rudy Cipolla.

Monday, February 18, 1924 was an auspicious day for the Gibson F-5 mandolin. Many of the F-5s that have the magic label signed by Lloyd Loar and inscribed with that date are still making music in the hands of brilliant players one hundred years later: Mike Marshall, Chris Thile, John Paul Jones, John Reischman, Gene Johnson, Andrew Marlin, Steve Smith, Bob Knysz and others all appear regularly with February 18, 1924 F-5s. Musicians tuned into the power of the dark tone that characterize these beautiful instruments find it difficult to hit the stage with anything else.

The serial numbers themselves are interesting. Thanks to the work of Darryl Wolfe and Tom Isenhour creating the “F5 Journal” and Dan Beimborn for the searchable website, “mandolin archive,” we can more easily study these mandolins now than we could 50 years ago when we first embarked on this search. Of those Feb 18, 1924 mandolins extant, most appear to be in two distinct sequences: from 75305 to 75329 and 75686 to 75709. Most of the last block of these mandolins have the Virzi Tone Producer installed, a secondary vibrating surface attached to the underside of the top (See Breaking News 1923, Episode 1: The Most Momentous Development). If one accepts the sequential nature of these numbers, F-5s 75308, 75312, 75688, 75705 and 75708 are still missing. In the last few years, recent discoveries have filled in missing numbers, for example 75323 appeared just last year. One hopes that still more may surface. Is there one in your grandmother’s attic?

A century ago, the first to play these mandolins ranged from well known performers like Walter Kaye Bauer and Lloyd Loar himself to hometown heroes like Melvin Deets and Virgil Basagno. For today’s celebration, we begin with the last one known to have been signed that day, 75709, which began its journey with a shipment to Portland, Oregon, where it became the centerpiece of the “Rybka Plectral Orchestra.” Appearing under various names like Rybka’s Orchestra, The Rybka Plectral Orchestra, Rybka’s High Class Orchestra and even The Rybka Imperial Plectral Orchestra, this dedicated musical aggregation began with Professor James Rybka, who was listed as a music teacher at 483 Washington St., Portland, Oregon. He attracted members into the orchestra with ads in the local papers, and had already established the group as a traveling ensemble as early as 1900.

The Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, Oregon; June 21, 1922

We are unclear as to exactly how the transition occurred, but by 1922 the organization came under the auspices of twenty-six year-old Joseph F. Rybka. With his modern-thinking approach, he embraced Gibson instruments heartily. Consequently, he attracted players in his ads: if you were an accomplished stringed instrument player with a desire to travel and perform, you could leave your old bowl-back at home. Once accepted as a member of the Rybka Orchestra, you would be provided with formal wear and a new Gibson instrument!

The Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, Oregon, July 9, 1922.

The Rybka High Class Plectral Orchestra, circa 1921. Members included O. H. Anderson, F4 mandolin; Joseph F. Rybka, K-4 Mandocello; Charles Kreger, harp-guitar; C. Des Georges, H-2 mandola; Thomas Ambrose, A-2 mandolin; and Rudy Cipolla, A mandolin. (Photo appears in many publications including Gibson Catalog N, p. 36)

The mandolin movement in the Northwestern United States had been ignited by African-American virtuoso Silas Seth Weeks when he formed the Tacoma Mandolin Orchestra around 1890 (see Breaking News 1922, Episode 13: “The Spice of Life”). By 1920, the Rybka Orchestra had captured the mandolin audience of the west coast and commanded wide-spread attention with their live radio concerts. Many performances originated on KGW, “The Oregonian,” and were broadcast nationally as part of “Radio Doings” out of Los Angeles. (Cadenza, July, 1923). Articles in Music Reports, Cadenza and Crescendo magazines extolled their accomplishments. Unlike many other mandolin ensembles of the middle to late 1920s, they did not double on banjos or play popular jazz selections. Their public appearances throughout the west coast area specialized in “High Class” venues like Hotel Richelieu in San Francisco (The San Francisco Examiner, September 11, 1921); The Grand Theatre in Salem Oregon (The Capital Journal, May 30, 1924), and The Hotel Carlton, Portland, Oregon, on November 8, 1922 (see concert program, below).

While the Rybka Orchestra was professional in the sense that they took their music very seriously and required remuneration for their performances, all the members were either immigrants or sons of immigrants, and were remarkably industrious. Joesph Rybka himself was a highly sought after sausage maker in Portland; Charles Kreger, a tinsmith; Carmine Tomasso D’Ambrosio (Thomas Ambrose) was at various times a photographer, a ship worker, and finally by 1930 a full time musician; and young Rudolpho Vincenzo “Rudy” Cipolla worked in his father’s barber shop while living in Portland. (Mr. Cipolla deserves a full biography of his own. A much-loved mainstay of the the Bay Area mandolin scene in the 1960s and ‘70s, his unique performance and compositions were recorded by his friend David Grisman on Acoustic Disc: https://acousticdisc.com/product/rudy-cipolla-portrait-of-an-american-original/).

The year 1924 was a fabulous year for Rybka’s Orchestra. Not only were they riding high on the response to their performances, they were affluent enough to make two large purchases. In May, Joseph Rybka, for the staggering sum of $1485, became the proud owner of a 1924 Studebaker Special Six touring car. The Oregon Daily Journal published an article entitled “Gives Up Pullman for Motor Car.”

The Rybka Orchestra poses in the showroom of John K. Leander Automobiles at Broad North and Everett St in Portland Oregon on May 6, 1924 with their brand new Studebaker Special Six touring car. Rybka himself sits behind the steering wheel, and Charles Kreger and Raymond Day are on the Running Board.

Of course, for our purposes, an even more important acquisition for Rybka’s Orchestra was also made in 1924: a new Gibson F-5, signed by Lloyd Loar and dated February 18, 1924!

Gibson F-5 75709 (Virzi Tone Producer 10022 has been removed): unique figure in the back, extraordinary sound, remarkable condition.

A similar mandolin, and probably the most famous of all the February 18, 1924 F-5s, began life as part of Howard Fisher’s Gibson Orchestra of Eldorado, Kansas in the hands of 18-year-old Virgil Augustino Basagno. Today, that mandolin has had more Carnegie Hall appearances than any other in the hands of modern mandolin master Chris Thile. The story is beautifully profiled in a Mandolin Cafe interview by Dan Beimborn: https://www.mandolincafe.com/news/publish/mandolins_001436.shtml

Virgil Basagno, standing, third from left with F5 75316; leader, Howard D. Fisher, standing left with H5 mandola. (Gibson catalog P, p 8)

An extremely interesting F-5 for the purposes of our study is Lloyd Loar’s personal instrument, 75315. It is currently on display as part of the “Acoustic America” exhibit in the Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix and can be heard on occasion in their concert hall played by a master musician.

Gibson F-5 75315, formerly owned by Lloyd Loar.

We feel that this mandolin holds many clues that may shed light on Lloyd Loar himself. One observation we have made, based on interior examination with an endoscope, is that the Virzi Tone Producer, #10310, was added later by removal of the back. If the numbers are even remotely sequential, Virzi 10310 was most likely added toward the end of 1924.

Photo (view from back of the mandolin) showing the placement of the Virzi Tone Producer by three feet to the underside of the top.

In addition, we have also found a very curious “doodle” in ink on the foot of the Virzi 10301 installed in 75315. What, if anything, does this mean?!!

A lesser known but equally great sounding F-5, 75329, was purchased by Melvin William Deets (formerly Deeto) while he was employed by the Hershey Chocolate Company in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He, on mandolin, and his brother Ray W. Deets, a printer for Lebanon Offset Press who was profiled in the 1921 Gibson banjo catalog, played with the Phil Fisher Orchestra in Hershey.

Gibson F5 75329 (Virzi # 10165). Today, it can be heard in the hands of Bob Knysz of the Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra. (1990 Mandolin Central catalog; Photo by Trip Savery)

Gibson F-5 75696 (Virzi 10150 removed) can now be heard on stage and recordings as Andrew Marlin, of WatchHouse and Mighty Poplar, forges a new tradition of soulful mandolin music.

Pittsburg Mandolin Orchestra, William Hanna Sweeney; Based on the information we have, the lady in the center directly behind Mr. Sweeney may well have been the orignal owner of Gibson F5 75696. The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. June 27, 1924.

Another favorite February F-5, Gibson 75702 (Virzi 10167) surfaced in Michigan with a one-of-a kind blue-lined Geib and Schaefer case.

These last two mandolins make for an interesting comparison concerning the Virzi Tone Producer. Following, here are two studio recordings featuring solo performances by Tony Williamson on two F-5s just a few numbers apart, one with Virzi and one without. First, “All Of Me” on 75696, with Virzi removed; and second, “What Is This Thing Called Love” on 75702, Virzi intact.

Another comparison with which we are deeply involved is a study of the labels. Readers of Breaking News will recall that we did a study of the handwriting of Gibson employees in an effort to theorize who might have been the author of the serial numbers (Breaking News 1923, Episode 6: “Darkening Tones.”) In February 18, 1924, we see many examples of a familiar cursive in pencil, but on a few labels, a new author appears. We will report on this in greater detail as more examples appear and our research continues. For now, here are some samples.

On left, Gibson 75315; on right 75323. Both have the familiar penmanship of Lloyd Loar and the flowing pencil that we have ascribed to woodworker Gene Weed.

On left Gibson F5 75694; on right 75699. 75694 has a new author. Who could that be?

There are certainly many more mandolins from the February 18, 1924 batch that deserve celebration on this centennial anniversary, and we hope to hear from our many friends and colleagues about their instruments.

There is no greater joy than actually playing one of these great mandolins. As a parting shot, here is one of our favorites, Gibson F-5 #75309 and Tony Williamson having just that great joy!