This little nugget found its way to the Home based on the clear label Lyon & Healy alone as an odd complement to the Style A permanent residents.
Generally the mandolin is in excellent shape with no cracks and some normal body scuffs. There was a significant issue with deteriorated binding along the fretboard which has been replaced by Steve Morrill.
It has a spruce top, 20 rosewood ribs and (we think) a mahogany neck. The top is decorated with marquetry around the sound-hole and the edge of the top. The instrument is bound ivoroid (except the replacement around the fingerboard). There is a plain steel plate on the back of the headstock — no engraving. The tailpiece is the kind with the wrist indentation. It has the vine and torch pickguard pattern.
Looking throug the Washburn book, it most closely resembled the Washburn 215 from about 1912. Only significant difference is the lack of engraving on the headstock plate.
It could stand to have some adjustment to improve intonation, but it generally sounds like you would expect — with a deep bass and a bell-like top, especially when played dolce.
Has the original case, but all latches are missing.
There is a number stamped on the block but there is some surface damage to the wood making hard to decipher. Could be 280001 or just 80001. Made by Lyon & Healy label affixed to the inside.
$400
