lyon & healy
EST. 1864 | usa
Acoustic Guitars
lyon & healy
Founded in 1864 in Chicago by George Washburn Lyon and Patrick Joseph Healy
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Their catalog spanned everything from student-level parlor guitars to ornate auditorium models that rivaled Martin in quality and refinement. Many of their instruments featured solid spruce tops, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, and advanced X-bracing decades before it became standard elsewhere. Lyon & Healy guitars stood apart with bold ornamentation—colored wood purfling, intricate pearl inlays, and presentation-grade finishes—bringing a striking visual artistry to their sonic innovations.
Beyond their own name, Lyon & Healy created and distributed the Washburn line, a brand that would carry forward their influence even after the company was absorbed by the Tonk Brothers in the late 1920s. Today, Lyon & Healy lives on as a Chicago-based maker of world-class harps, but their guitars remain a hidden chapter of American luthiery, quietly cherished by collectors and players who know their legacy.
boutique guitar showcase entour | 2025