1920s Lyon & Healy Washburn 1652 (Style A) Carved-Top Mandolin

These asymmetrical, high-quality, two-point Lyon & Healy mandolins are sometimes hard to find out there in the market. Style As like this are the epitome -- to me -- of a perfect "classical" mandolin from the time. They're clearly meant to do tremolo playing way up the neck with ease and their voices are clear, sweet, refined, and rich. If the desire is to use them for old time stylings, they do a nice poppy "chop" a lot like a Gibson A but they're more nuanced and have a flatter response so fiddle tunes and Celtic-style picking also sounds excellent on them.

This one arrived here almost ready to go but it did need a glorified setup to play its best -- which it does, now. It's strung-up with the heaviest strings I'd suggest -- 10s -- and sounds like a champ. It also doesn't hurt that its simply drop-dead pretty with the figured back and very sculptural carving of the top and details.

Repairs included: a fret level/dress, extra bridge compensation, setup.

Weight: 1 lb 14 oz

Scale length: 13"

Nut width: 1 1/16"

Neck shape: deep medium-soft V

Board radius: 9 1/2"

Body width: 9 3/4"

Body depth: 1 3/4" + arching

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid figured maple

Bracing type: ladder

Bridge: ebony

Fretboard: ebony

Neck wood: maple

Action height at 12th fret: hair under 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 36w-10

Truss rod: non-adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: low/small

Condition notes: it's in very good condition save that it has an old (well done) headstock crack repair (pictured) and a hairline crack (repaired) to the upper bout near the fretboard extension. There's minor wear and tear via finish scratching and checking here and there throughout the body but overall it's quite clean for its age. Everything is original to the instrument.

It comes with: a good hard case.