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View Full Version : Lyon & Healy Style A, #2356 -- Looking for info



Joe Bartl
Sep-25-2019, 4:09pm
Not having access to the Washburn books mentioned in Tim's post, I am wondering if someone can tell me the year for this L&H based on #2356 found on the label:

180132

Sorry for the orientation ... couldn't figure out how to rotate it within this post. Anyway, this is what it looks like:

180129

180130

180131

Took it to my local luthier, Marc Glickman, who said it was in great shape apart from needing some new frets up top and maybe a bit of work on the bridge and fingerboard to get the action "just right" ... It plays well as it is. Nevertheless, I'll leave it with Marc to do his magic following CMSA.

I've wanted one of these forever, so while I'm now without a piggy bank, I'm in pig heaven all the same!

Thanks for any help you can provide regarding the year.

Joe

mrmando
Sep-25-2019, 5:26pm
The label says Style A and not Style 5280, correct? Does it have a pull-out rest?

Joe Bartl
Sep-25-2019, 5:32pm
mrmando, the label says Style A. It does not have the pull-out rest ... which I had to search here in the Cafe to know what you meant.

Joe

sgarrity
Sep-25-2019, 5:49pm
Very nice! Always wanted to play one of these.

mrmando
Sep-25-2019, 8:44pm
Precise serial number dating isn't a thing for L&H mandolins the way it is for Gibson.

According to the Washburn book, that label came into use in 1922 (but the book also says the earlier orange label was in use until 1923, so there's some overlap).

But in 1925 the Style A was renamed the Style 5280.

So we have a range of 1922–24, and a high serial number favors the latter end of the range, as does the absence of the pull-out rest. So, 1923 or 1924.

mrmando
Sep-26-2019, 10:45am
But in 1925 the Style A was renamed the Style 5280.
Sorry, that should be 5283. it's the Style C that became Style 5280.

I don't believe I know of any Style A serial numbers above 3000. No. 2356 is most likely the last year of the run before the renaming happened, so likelier 1924 than 1923.

Joe Bartl
Sep-26-2019, 11:13am
Thanks, mrmando, for your expert help with this. I see you are in Seattle which is a nice coincidence since I purchased this from Thunder Road Guitars in Seattle.

Best,
Joe

ollaimh
Oct-02-2019, 9:28pm
Not having access to the Washburn books mentioned in Tim's post, I am wondering if someone can tell me the year for this L&H based on #2356 found on the label:

180132

Sorry for the orientation ... couldn't figure out how to rotate it within this post. Anyway, this is what it looks like:

180129

180130

180131

Took it to my local luthier, Marc Glickman, who said it was in great shape apart from needing some new frets up top and maybe a bit of work on the bridge and fingerboard to get the action "just right" ... It plays well as it is. Nevertheless, I'll leave it with Marc to do his magic following CMSA.

I've wanted one of these forever, so while I'm now without a piggy bank, I'm in pig heaven all the same!

Thanks for any help you can provide regarding the year.

Joe

better to smash the piggy bank and be in pig heaven than have a nice piggy bank

keef
Oct-09-2019, 4:22pm
Congrats with the instrument - unless someone else has other data, #2356 is the highest serial number I have seen on Styles A before these were renamed to Style 5283 in 1925. Assuming this did not happen on January 1 (YMMV), your mandolin would date to 1925.

Jim Garber
Oct-09-2019, 7:38pm
Hey Hubert and anyone else... so when did L&H start mentioning Washburn on their labels, not just Lyon & Healy and not the number styles for these carved mandolins? It is a bit confusing. I called mine a 5283 but it doesn't say that anywhere on the label, just says style A.

From your book it looks like there was overlap on the labels.

Here's mine:

180469

keef
Oct-12-2019, 3:48pm
Hi Jim - good question. First Washburn labels that I have listed:
Style B #1393 - discontinued shortly thereafter (1486 is highest recorded number for a B)
Style C #1456
Style A #1650
This would mean that the WB labels appeared approximately around the same time for each of these three styles, since they were made in (likely pre-assigned numbered) batches then, which may have been construed somewhat simultaneously. Style A #1650 therefore would not necessarily have been made later in time than Style C #1456.

You rightly said there was an overlap. L&H used up its old labels while already using the WB marked ones. The last L&H label I have seen is on a Style A #1887.

The highest number for the mandos labeled Styles A - C recorded is #2356. This would be around 1925, when the renaming into Styles 5283 and 5282 occurred.