Lyon & Healy Mandobass

[exfish]

Holy Cow, have you seen this sucker?!



On sale in NYC for a cool $9,999.

I mean, I know mandobasses are regarded as kind of a failed experiment, but you have to admit this is one wild axe.

[allenhopkins]

Yeah, while almost all the mando-basses you find (and you don't find many) are Gibson "J" models, other companies built a few. I have a Stahl built by the Larsons, and Vega listed one in their catalog, though I can't seem to find a pic on line. Some of the Lyon & Healy ones were labeled "Leland"; I don't see a label on the one that's for sale.

Just to note that I paid less than half that amount for my Larson/Stahl.

[Richard500]

So, does the presence of Lelands invalidate the claim of uniqueness for the one advertised, or is that difference significant to a collector?

[beeelz]

Well, i bought it a few weeks ago (at a reasonable discount).

After talking with Tom Crandall, the only conclusion we could come to is that it was either a prototype or a trade show build which is why it never appeared in the L&H catalogs. It has all the hallmarks of an L&H mandolin, and the the tailpiece is stamped with L&H/Chicago. A friend of Tom's found it in a violin shop in MA sometime in the 70s. As far as I can see, the Lelands were only distributed by L&H.

It sounds a million times better than my Gibson J and my Kalamazoo and it is going to be my go-to bass for mandolin orchestra/ensembles once the large crack on the top is reinforced.

[allenhopkins]

Good Lord, someone actually owns THREE mando-basses!

Wouldn't have believed it possible...

[rcc56]

Last year, George Gruhn showed me a bass Dobro, the only one he had ever seen. It was, by George's own admission, a lousy instrument. But it was a curiosity, and possibly unique, and someone bought it.

I wouldn't be surprised if an L & H mando bass turned out to be a very good instrument. L & H put a lot of care into their carved mandolin family instruments, and they are much more consistent in projection and tone than Gibson instruments from the same period.

[beeelz]

Good Lord, someone actually owns THREE mando-basses!

Wouldn't have believed it possible...

There's not many of us. But we're out there.

[beeelz]

Last year, George Gruhn showed me a bass Dobro, the only one he had ever seen. It was, by George's own admission, a lousy instrument. But it was a curiosity, and possibly unique, and someone bought it.

I wouldn't be surprised if an L & H mando bass turned out to be a very good instrument. L & H put a lot of care into their carved mandolin family instruments, and they are much more consistent in projection and tone than Gibson instruments from the same period.

Like the L&H Mandolin family in specific contexts, it's superior in every way. It will be a perfect fit for the Mando Orchestra.