On February 18, 2024, Fretboard Journal readers and friends are invited to attend a very special meetup at Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum (MIM).

Participation is simple: Simply show up on February 18 and buy a ticket to MIM and the new Acoustic America exhibit (listen to our podcast with MIM’s Rich Walter to get a sense of the scope of this vast exhibit).

At 2 p.m. in the MIM Founder’s Room, famed instrument historian Roger Siminoff will be talking to us. He’ll discuss the magic and mystique of Lloyd Loar, the engineer and instrument designer behind famed 1920s Gibson F-5 “Master Model” mandolins and so much more. Roger will have copies of his new Loar biography available and, time permitting, will field questions from attendees.

Around 3:30, we’ll walk over to the gallery, where Rich will give us a tour and field even more questions about particular instruments, etc. Among the many instruments on display are dozens owned by David Grisman.

Added bonus: Later that night, Mike Marshall & Caterina Lichtenberg are performing at MIM, as part of Loar’s Centennial. Tickets are available for that here.

All-told, it should be a fun and informative afternoon of fretted instrument history. We hope to see you there.