This version is called the “Style A Professional” and it was, indeed, professional in every way possible. From this we can deduce that this mandolin was made between 1925 and mid-1928. Stewart Company, the yellow Washburn label and the “Washburn / Lyon & Healy, Makers stamp are dicontinued. Pleijsier says: under “1925-1930” “After mid-1928, when the Washburn Manufacturing Facilit was sold to the J. However, we are able to pinpoint the date even closer. _ Style _ number and style designations are handwritten on label. Fun fact: Both the scroll and the top loaded tuner arrangement were derived from a patented design by John Brandt.ĭating the mandolin – Starting around 1925 have an oval light yellow label stating “Made and guaranteed by / (Lyon & Healy signature logo) / World’s largest music house / Chicago, USA / Washburn / No. Ours has a nut width of just a hair wider than 1 1/8th" and a bridge string spacing of 1 11/16th". This (later) version has a 13” scale length. In around early 1920s the Style A mandolin received asymmetrical body points, and a 13” scale length. Pleijsier says that the first version of the Lyon &Healy Style A mandolin came out around 1917 – it had symmetrical body points and a 13 ¾” scale.
#Lyon healy mandolin style c plus
Fine 3-ply veneer keratol covered case, with silk plus lining is included in the price of the instrument.” The original price, by the way, was $135.įor more information about this model and brand, we want to refer you to an excellent reference book titled Washburn: Prewar Instrument Styles by Hubert Pleijsier (2008, Centerstream Publishing), which we found invaluable. Reliable tailpiece with artistic nickel-silver cover.
#Lyon healy mandolin style c professional
Fine professional black fibre guard plate. Especially made and improved patent heads, covered with black head plate. Marvelous hand finish throughout, highly polished. Top and back edges, as well as sound hole, inlaid with black and white fiberoid.
![lyon healy mandolin style c lyon healy mandolin style c](http://www.vintagemandolin.com/images/22slyonandhealystylea_1864/backlarge.jpg)
The fingerboard is fine black ebony, extension type with 24 nickel-silver frets and six pearl position dots. The neck is genuine mahogany reinforced and has a hand-carved scroll head. The top is carved out of the best selected tone spruce. Suitable for the most exacting Professional.
![lyon healy mandolin style c lyon healy mandolin style c](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0503/9885/5346/products/01094-10.jpg)
We present to you the description of this model from the Washburn (original) catalog of the time in which this was made(quoted verbatim): “Undoubtedly one of the finest Mandolins made to-day. It is already a legend around these parts if you saw it in person you might just stop breathing. It is literally “as fine an example as one might ever in his or her lifetime see.” This mandolin shows virtually no sign of having been played, no scratches on the pickguard. This is the version having the asymmetrical points and no metal extension on the lower treble side. There are few mandolins made in the 20 th century that are as ingenious or aristocratic as the prewar Lyon & Healy/Washburn Style “A Professional” mandolin.
![lyon healy mandolin style c lyon healy mandolin style c](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0147/9412/9472/products/5_330b709d-8fc5-42d3-84ed-d55b981a7ca5_1500x.jpg)
Quite possibly the finest example of this model mandolin in the whole world! #2217, in near mint plus condition, with original hard shell case in nearly new, condition.