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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
An excellent history of Washburn fine stringed instruments, May 22, 2001
Finally! Thanks to the good offices of Amazon's out-of-print and rare books service, I have obtained a copy of this excellent reference book. About nine inches by twelve inches in size, with an attractive 4-color process (full color) photographic cover, it is an eye-catching coffee table type of book. More important is the information on Washburn instruments it provides; John Teagle has done his homework (and his research) well. The book is replete with informative old Washburn ads, beautiful full-color photographs of antique as well as modern Washburn guitars, mandolins, banjos and other instruments. He also confirms my suspicion, which I voiced in another review, that Gorge Washburn's real name was George Washburn Lyon--hence the business name Lyon & Healy. It appears that there was even a George W. Lyon guitar at one point, probably around 1890. Lyon died in 1894, while Patrick J. Healy, the merchandiser of the two partners, lived on until 1905, but between the two of them they had built an instrument manufacturing empire. The Lyon & Healy harp is still the world's finest. The book details many Lyon & Healy triumphs, awards and firsts--including the acknowledged first "Dreadnaught" guitar, decades ahead of the famed Martin D-1 and D-2s. Altogether a book full of information about America's first and leading guitar manufacturer, world-famous for high quality instruments long before Martin and Gibson made the cut. I am particularly interested in this famous old line because I own a fine example of the George Washburn New Model of 1897-a parlor guitar with amazing tone and resonance, with Brazilian rosewood back and sides, spruce top, and ebony fingerboard, ivory nut and saddle on the ebony bridge, with mother-of-pearl position inlays on the fingerboard. Their plainest, smallest model. It probably retailed for $15, when new. I've turned down $500 for it. This is the only book on Washburn I have ever seen. It was published in New York by the Music Sales Company in 1996, and is already out of print. The copy I received is mint, however, and it didn't take Amazon long to locate it for me. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, good luck! Joseph H. Pierre
Author of The Road to Damascus: Our Journey Through Eternity
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