Doug Unger Lyon & Healy Mandolin
Lyon & Healy and Doug Unger collectively constitute a lot of specialized musical instrument expertise. Let’s consider each in turn.
Lyon & Healy:
Most music enthusiasts are familiar with the Lyon & Healy name, if not the company’s history. Much of what I know about its early days I have learned from John Teagle’s 1996 book, Washburn: Over One Hundred Years of Fine Stringed Instruments, and from catalogs of the period.
The Chicago-based company was an outgrowth of the Oliver Ditson Company of Boston, a multi-faceted concern that published music and distributed instruments. In the 1860s and ‘70s, Ditson realized that he could sell more of the music his company published if there were more retailers around the country. Thus, he encouraged enterprising associates, including two of his sons, to seek opportunities for developing music stores in various cities. Ditson, it seems, helped these associates scout out potential locations and provided encouragement and, no doubt, helpful advice. Two of his proteges from Boston went to Chicago in 1864: George Washburn Lyon and Patrick Joseph Healy.
As the “Second City” (second to New York in size), Chicago had something of an inferiority complex and appears to have resented the elitism of the east coast’s older towns. In the late 1800's – roughly the period at which our story is unfolding – Chicago and New York were competing as host sites for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, commemorating the “discovery” of the New World. Chicagoans traveled up and down the east coast bragging about the merits of their town, prompting the editor of the New York Sun to dismiss their “nonsensical claims of that windy city.” The name, unrelated to meteorology, stuck. On a happier note, Washburn instruments won a bronze medal for excellence at the Exposition.
Perspective View of Chicago's Columbian Exposition
Despite their Boston roots, Lyon and Healy liked what they saw in what would soon be known as the Windy City and set up operations as the Lyon & Healy Co. In the 1870s, Lyon & Healy introduced new lines of high-quality guitars, mandolins, zithers, and later, banjos. They wanted a distinctive name for these top-grade instruments and chose Lyon’s first and middle names: George Washburn, or simply, Washburn. The company soon became a powerhouse, eventually attaining the status of world’s largest music firm. Lyon it appears was the musician and Healy the entrepreneur; in 1889, the former retired and the latter became the company’s president.
In the early years, Lyon & Healy produced primarily guitars and bowl-back mandolins, sold under the Washburn name. Sales of these instruments was bolstered by an aggressive and imaginative advertising campaign and by engaging illustrated catalogs. Cognizant of Gibson’s equally aggressive and effective marketing of mandolin family instruments with carved tops and backs, Lyon & Healy decided to go head-to-head with the Kalamazoo juggernaut. In 1917, the new Lyon & Healy mandolins were introduced. Like Gibson, Lyon & Healy touted the “violin construction” techniques used on these instruments. These mandolins were often referred to in advertising and catalogs as “Own Make” instruments to differentiate them for some of the lesser instruments that the company sold but did not necessarily manufacture. The Washburn name was affixed to these instruments at about the time that the scale length was changed from Gibson’s standard 13 ¾” to the earlier, bowl-back standard of 13". This occurred some time in the early 1920s.
Early Lyon & Healy mandolin advertisement
featuring the Style A
The new mandolins were available in three styles. The least expensive most closely resembled the Gibson A-style instruments. It was called the Style C and featured a pear-shaped body with carved top and back, the former hand-graduated. The top was spruce and the back and sides were curly maple – a wood reserved for Gibson’s top instruments at the time. The headstocks varied somewhat on this model. One especially attractive version had an attractive flat surface topped by a decorative pediment with an art deco look. Unusual features included a very attractive engraved, nickel-plated brass (according to Stan Jay of Mandolin Bros., writing in Frets in May, 1979) tailpiece that damped the strings so that the vibrating length behind the bridge was one quarter the scale length and thus, presumably, created a resonance two octaves above the open strings. This appears to have been more of a clever sales gimmick than an acoustical innovation. Another distinctive appointment was the pickguard, made of vulcanized rubber – a novel choice of material. The smaller details revealed the quality of these instruments: attractive wood grains, binding on front and back, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and a mahogany neck reinforced with a slab of the same vulcanized rubber set perpendicular to the fingerboard and running the full length of the neck. The Style C sold for $97.50.
Next up the ladder was the Style B. This model differed from the C primarily in its body shape, which included two points placed at the shoulders of the instrument. After Lyon & Healy’s discontinuation of their carved mandolins, this original and very appealing body shape would be imitated by other mandolin manufacturers, such as Martin and even Gibson itself. The pickguard on the Style B was peaked to follow the contour of the body’s treble-side point and was fixed to the point block by a single large screw. Most other features were similar to the Style C. The Style Bs used exceptionally attractive flamed maple for their backs and are very handsome instruments. Lyon & Healy made much of the fact that the spruce and maple used in their instruments was highest-quality and aged in a kiln for up to five years before manufacture. They also bragged that for every foot of lumber they used, 24 were discarded as not up to their exacting standards. The Style Bs had acquired the Washburn name by 1923 but still retained the symmetrical shape . Subsequently, they adopted the asymmetrical silhouette of the “Deluxe” models described below. Their original price was $112.50
The top instrument was the Style A. Its most distinctive feature is a carved scroll headstock resembling that of a violin. The front surface of the headstock had a plate of vulcanized rubber under which were the enclosed tuner mechanisms. The tuner knobs were also black vulcanized rubber. The headstock and two-point silhouette combined to make the appearance of this instrument as distinctive and seductive as any mandolin ever made. It is truly one of the classic designs. The quality and attention to detail, as with the lesser models, were superb. This model sold for $150, the same price Gibson asked for its top-of-the-line F-4 Florentine Artist Model.
According to George Manno, posting to the Mandolin Cafe message board, Joseph Zorzi was the person in charge of Lyon & Healy's mandolin production in the early 1920's. He and Philip Gabriel made the bodies while their colleague, Fritz Brunner, made the necks and carved the lovely scrolls on the Style A's.
In the early 1920s, the Style A's two-point body shape was altered to an asymmetrical configuration with the treble-side point farther from the neck joint than the bass side point. This “lopsided” appearance may have been influenced by Gibson’s asymmetrical, high-end, Florentine instruments which featured a scroll close to the neck joint on the bass side and a point, farther from the neck joint, on the treble side. These asymmetrical Style As were renamed the Washburn “Deluxe.” From 1928, when Tonk Bros. took over Lyon & Healy but continued production of this instrument line, they were referred to as “Washburn by Tonk Bros.” They were finally discontinued in the 1930s, having a run of less than 20 years.
The price increase for each upgrade was for the labor-intensive cosmetic features: body points and scroll peghead. All three models were built to exacting standards and were aimed at professional musicians. Then and now, these instruments have won the admiration of designers and musicians alike for their striking good looks, ease of playing, and beautiful delicate tone.
Patrick J. Healy died in 1905, ending his 16-year reign as company president. His son, Paul J. Healy served in that role from 1911-1915. The last family member at the helm was Marquette A. Healy, president from 1921-1925 when many of the “Own Make” mandolins were made. Later in the 1920s, Lyon & Healy evolved from an instrument builder to a musical wholesaler. In 1928, Tonk Bros. bought the wholesale division. That same year, the J. R. Stewart Co. acquired the machinery and patent rights for the Lyon & Healy fretted instruments. (They did their best to produce instruments built to the same quality standards as Lyon & Healy but were bankrupt by 1930, about five months after the stock market crashed.) Also in 1928, the Holton Co. took over Lyon & Healy’s band instrument production. So, by the end of that year, only harps continued to be made by Lyon & Healy – as they are to this day. The name still commands respect and most of the leading orchestras in the country have Lyon & Healy harps, which list for as much as $45,000!
All three models of “Own Make” or "Washburn" Lyon & Healy mandolins command wide respect and admiration. They are among the favorite American-made instruments for classical mandolinists and are also very popular with players of other musical styles. They are not well suited to bluegrass because their tonal balance favors clarity and delicacy over volume and percussiveness. Although these are not everyone’s favorite variety of mandolin, rarely if ever does one hear derisive comments made about them – no small accomplishment in the highly opinionated world of acoustical instruments. Even people whose musical styles lead them in other directions recognize the superb design, craftsmanship, and musicality of these instruments.
Doug Unger:
Many luthiers (and their loyal customers) claim that their instruments are works of art. In Doug Unger’s case that is literally true. Professor Unger teaches fine arts at Kent State University and is an award-winning artist. His two primary areas of artistic activity are watercolor painting and instrument building. His mandolins have literally hung in art galleries. But he isn’t some sort of abstractionist who is concerned only with how an instrument looks. No five-necked, comma-shaped instruments for Doug! He is also a musician and his instruments are based on distinctive early designs from America’s foremost companies. He is perhaps best known for building presentation-quality banjo necks in the style of early Fairbanks instruments that he fits to original pots.
Despite an obviously deep respect for the designs of classic instruments, Doug Unger isn’t a copyist. Each instrument or neck he produces departs in subtle but distinctive ways from the originals they resemble. Each is a unique and personal expression of his artistry. Doug builds only one or two instruments per year, giving each his most scrupulous attention. Both the esthetic and aural properties of these instruments are of paramount importance.
So, how did Doug Unger and Lyon & Healy come to cross paths in the history of this instrument? Originally, this mandolin was built as a Style B with the simpler headstock and fancy, pointed body. Its original owner passed it on to a family member but at some point in its life, the neck was irreparably damaged. A dealer took it in trade and passed it onto Doug to work on. True to form, the work he performed was part restoration and part innovation. Most obviously, Doug fashioned a magnificent Style-A, fiddle-scroll neck.
Front, back and side views of Doug Unger's magnificent fiddle-scroll headstock
Replacement necks are one of the things for which Doug Unger is famous and looking at this one, it is very easy to see why. The craftsmanship and artistry are superb. In overall appearance, the neck is true to the Lyon & Healy design. The classic headstock scroll, with its detailed carving on the back, is very much there. But, whereas original Lyon & Healy necks were made of mahogany with a reinforcing center strip of – once again – vulcanized rubber, this neck is highly figured curly maple. Its headstock face is ebony rather than the seemingly ubiquitous vulcanized rubber used on the Lyon & Healy necks. The original black tuner buttons (there’s that rubber again) have been replaced by beautiful inlaid Handel tuners that other manufacturers such as Gibson used on their finest instruments during that period. The neck’s finish is a transparent walnut that perfectly matches the mandolin’s back. The bridge is one of Doug’s own design, hand carved from ebony. It features a compensated top and three rectangular “windows” between the top edge and the bottom surface making contact with the top. The purpose of these is to reduce bridge mass, giving the instrument greater volume. Doug is both a “Fine Artist” and a fine artist – an artist by profession and a master at shaping wood to match his creative vision. He is also an accomplished musician and builder of unique, presentation-grade instruments. All of these talents are evident in the transformation he has worked on this mandolin.
Better or Worse than All-Original?: This is a very tough question to answer and depends on each individual’s subjective values and preferences. Perhaps the most important point is that it is different from all-original. Frankly, If I could have found (and afforded) a mint, completely original Lyon & Healy Style A, I would have preferred it. This is because I greatly respect the integrity of original instruments. I doubt, though, that such an instrument would look, play, or sound better than this one. Also, I’m very glad that the original body, with all that lovingly carved spruce and maple, wasn’t thrown out just because the original neck couldn’t be salvaged. Although I haven’t heard of problems with Lyon & Healy necks, I’ve always been a bit concerned about a three-piece neck that counts on a slab of vulcanized rubber for its integrity. There are a couple of wedges of maple in the original necks, but it’s the rubber that travels all the way to the back surface of the fingerboard and really holds the whole thing together. The stuff seems to last for ever, but I take some comfort in knowing that if it starts to deteriorate, all I’ll be out is a pickguard.
Patent drawing for Lyon & Healy pickguard (finger rest) design (above).
Below is a similar-looking elevated finger rest design on what appears to be a
two-pointed Lyon & Healy Style A or B instrument, right?
Wrong. Actually, it's a 1909 patent for an elevated finger rest
awarded to Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Co. co-founder Lewis A. Williams!
The design of these instruments is sufficiently impressive to have inspired copies made by both Rigel, Sullivan, and Woodley. Interestingly, all have taken their inspiration from the later, short-scale, asymmetrical-body version of the Style A. The Rigel is about as close to an original as current building practices and materials can make it. The Sullivan was made to order for a customer and incorporates some departures from an original. The Woodley shares the body shape and many features of the originals but has a different neck, headstock, tailpiece, tuners, and other small details. It is the Marilynn Mair Signature Model and is based on an instrument Ms. Mair requested as a backup for her 1920s Style A in the event of damage or loss. So, even among serious fans of originals, there is a recognition that the best of the old instruments can be recreated by skilled craftsmen.
I believe that my instrument is an example of that philosophy. In some ways, short of an all-original in perfect shape, this instrument is nearly ideal. The sound box is original old wood and old construction. the neck, which adds far less to tone than does the body but greatly affects playability, is new, beautiful, rock solid, and straight as an arrow. The slightly radiused fingerboard and frets are pristine. I wouldn’t suggest to anyone that this instrument is a better balance of features than an original, but the combination works for me! I think of it as a new instrument in the manner of the Style A more than as either a Style A or Style B. The difference, compared to other Lyon & Healy copies, is that the sound box is old wood shaped by the original craftsmen building the top-notch Washburn-label instruments.
This image shows the elegantly-carved bridge and also the slightly-radiused fingerboard
Massachusetts Connection: As a native of the Boston area (now living in the South), I am pleased, and often surprised, to find Massachusetts connections to instruments that I don’t necessarily associate with that part of the country. I have owned several Fairbanks/Vega banjo-family instruments and a Vega mandola, all built within a few miles of where I was born. Part of my original attraction to them was an admiration of the remarkable skills that Boston instrument builders had in the first two decades of the 20th century. But I also have a Martin Style 5 bowl-back mandolin – a product of Nazareth, PA – that was originally sold to a documented Martin dealer/distributor based north of Boston. I didn’t discover the stamping revealing this fact, barely legible on the head block, until several days after I had purchased the instrument. All Lyon & Healy instruments have a tenuous Boston connection because of Ditson’s role in stimulating his proteges to consider the possibilities of doing business in Chicago. But, as it happens, the other branch of this instrument’s lineage also has a Massachusetts link. Doug Unger won a scholarship to the Cape Cod School of Art early in his career, periodically returns to the Cape, and has had his watercolors exhibited in galleries there. Yet another unanticipated connection to places I knew as a kid.
Further Description: The scale length (presumably unchanged when a new neck was fashioned), symmetrical shape, and “Washburn” label suggest a date for this instrument of about 1922. Unfortunately, good information about Lyon & Healy serial numbers has not been collected. Thus, the serial number – 1470 – is less informative regarding date than are the features just mentioned. The top is made of straight, even grained spruce with noticeable, and very attractive, “silking.” The two-piece back is book matched, highly flamed, curly maple, as are the sides and neck.
This detail of the top shows the quality of the workmanship.
Note the patent date on the top edge of the pickguard, at the extreme left.
The body looks nearly like new; it was hard to tell at first whether it has remained in excellent condition or, at some point, received an absolutely superb refinishing. It has just enough blemishes to suggest that it hasn’t been refinished and a very close inspection of the neck-body joint suggests that the neck was finished after attachment – a cumbersome way to approach the task if refinishing were done when the neck was replaced. Also, the finish on the binding looks too even to have been refinished. Typically, ivoroid binding reveals finish build-up as a darkening. This instrument generally does not display that tell-tale sign. The only place it can be seen is where the heel cap joins the back binding. This is consistent with a touch-up at the time of replacing the neck, further suggesting that the body’s finish is original. Also, the finish on the body smells old, whereas the neck finish does not. Finally, with the pickguard removed, there is a visibly lighter spot directly under it, evidence of differential darkening of the wood exposed to light over time. If, as it seems, the body’s finish is 80 years old, it is in remarkably good condition and may have been the justification for the cost and labor involved in building and installing a new neck. The finish on the neck is a perfect match to the back and sides of the instrument – perhaps a less remarkable achievement for a professional artist than for the typical repairperson.
Above, note the lighter area where
pickguard blocked
exposure to sunlight, thus preventing the wood there from darkening.
The bookmatched maple back is nicely flamed.
Internal inspection reveals extremely neat, clean workmanship. The serial number is ink-stamped on the block supporting the treble-side point. There is a graduated transverse brace below the soundhole. Mahogany supports about 1 1/2" wide, their edges neatly beveled, run from back to top interrupting the kerfed lining in the area where the body is widest. These add strength to the structure both as supportive members and as somewhat enlarged gluing surfaces assuring integrity at the "cheeks" of the body. The label, mentioned earlier and partially visible in the following images, is intact and legible.
As part of my inspection, I peaked under the ebony headstock plate and was pleasantly surprised to see an ebony rod. So, although not visible from an external rear view, there is a reinforcing component integrated into the neck.
I replaced the medium-gauge strings that were on the instrument when I received it, with extra-light, classical-gauge strings. I wasn’t sure if the lighter loading on the top would diminish volume or impair tone. Neither seems to have happened, to my surprise. Plus, the light gauge makes playing exceptionally easy.
Tone is notoriously difficult to describe verbally. These old Lyon & Healys are usually described as sounding like bowl back mandolins. That’s a fair description. I compared it to a few other mandolins that are roughly its contemporaries. It was less “effervescent” (for want of a better word) than a Martin Style 5 (which has a complex, ringing, bell-like voice) but noticeably brighter – with more high-frequency overtones – than a Martin flat back from roughly the same period. The latter mandolin has a more even balance between deep and high overtones. A Gibson F-4, by comparison, was markedly “smokier” and mellower sounding, with overtones more from the low- than high-frequency range. So, I would describe the Lyon & Healy as bright, with a lot of sparkle and lots of ringing overtones, but not as bright as the bowl back to which I compared it. All of these instruments sound great, but in noticeably different (if not easily describable) ways. With the obligatory bluegrass disclaimer, I’d say that this is a fairly versatile instrument whose tone would work well in a variety of musical styles, but I have to admit, I tend not to regard certain styles of instrument as narrowly suited to certain genres of music. Any melody line played on this instrument is going to sound clean, clear, and resplendent.
Contact me: devellis@directvinternet.com Last updated 11/17/02
