Wade, you had it right. The Lyon and Healy company made several "brands" of guitar including Washburn, Lakewood, Thornward, and several others. The modern Washburn company just resurrected the Washburn name but has no real connection with the original Chicago firm.
The guitar in question I believe is one of their budget models with a grain painted finish (probably on poplar or birch - not laminated) The "ebonized" bridge looks original, the tail piece does not. The guitar was probably intended for gut strings and the tail piece added to support steel (I would remove the tail piece and string it in nylon) It looks like a guitar that would have been sold through the catalog stores - probably 1920's. Not a high end guitar, but it is a 100 year old antique and appears to be in good condition, and is also a family heirloom.
The modern Washburn company acquired the name and then contracted other companies to manufacture the guitars for them - kind of the reverse business model from the original company that died out in the 1940's.
|