The Loar is a mandolin, archtop guitar, and flattop acoustic brand launched by The Music Link in the mid-2000s, named after Lloyd Loar, the Gibson acoustical engineer whose F-5 mandolins and L-5 archtops from the early 1920s set the template the company draws from. Instruments are designed by luthier Greg Rich — a veteran of Gibson's banjo division and the Recording King line — and built in a hand-carved workshop in China that the company operates directly.

The catalog is organized around faithful recreations of Golden Age Gibson designs. F-style mandolins run from the entry-level LM-110 and LM-220 Performer up through the hand-carved LM-520, LM-590, and the flagship LM-600 and LM-700, which are modeled on original 1920s F5-style instruments with carved and graduated solid tonewoods. The archtop guitar line includes the LH-300, LH-600, and LH-700, while the LO-16 and LO-215 cover smaller-bodied flattops in the style of vintage Gibson L-00 and similar parlor guitars.

The Loar has carved out a reputation for offering hand-carved, vintage-styled bluegrass and old-time instruments at price points well below boutique American builders, which has made the brand a common recommendation on forums like Mandolin Cafe for players moving up from entry-level instruments. The line is carried by specialist retailers including Elderly Instruments, The Acoustic Shoppe, and Folkmusician, as well as larger chains.

The Loar has 38 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Mandolins, Steel-string Acoustic Guitars, and Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 10 artists, with the strongest followings in Folk, World, & Country, Rock, and Blues. Notable users include Shakey Graves, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, and Sara Bareilles. The Loar's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.