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Regarding Lyle Acoustic Guitars
Submitted by fenderbasher on Sat, 07/30/2005 - 21:15.
[original post]>Most of the Lyle Acoustics are worth around a hundred dollars. They were imported by an Oregon company if memory serves me. They are very decendent guitars builtat the same factory as epiphones! Play em don't sell em!
From what I've been able to find out (as a proud owner of a mint W-415 'Dove' model acoustic), Lyle guitars are actually Gibson seconds, that for whatever reason didn't pass muster to be sold as a Gibson (bad finish, scuff, imperfection in the wood, etc.). The Lyle company was out of Portland, OR (I believe) and was started by former Gibson employees who would fix the flawed Gibsons and resell them under the Lyle name. Made in Japan was because Gibsons were made in Japan at the time(?). A damn fine instrument; considered rare now, I guess. I don't ever want to get rid of mine!
NOTE: I could be wrong on any or all of the above; feel free to respond with the correct info if you want as I'm curious to learn more about Lyles as well...
Portland, OR was probably the place of import, but all the Lyles were 'licensed' copies of Gibson, they weren't seconds. The acoustic guitars were built in Japan, with laminated tops and sides. Over all construction on the guitars was very good for the materials used. I gave my Humminbird copy to my son after playing it for 25 years, and he still plays it today. Unfortunated during that 25 years, I had to have the bridge reset 3 times due to the weakness of the laminated top. My luthier asked me why I didn't just buy a Gibson or a Martin for as much money as I put into repairing that Lyle...I told him the tone was worth the extra expense.
I have a lyle guitar which i purchased in the early 70's. The bridge is starting to come unglued. I wonder how much it would cost to have it repaired?
I Have a '70 lyle hummingbird and its a solid spruce top and mohagony neck back and sides. My guitar luthier fully inspected it. Mine is in near mint condition and sounds identical to the '64 Gibson Hummingbird my luthier has. He was trully freaked out by this.. ha ha He keeps trying to buy it from me but im affraid im hanging on to mine. It seems there is alot of contradictory information on these guitars. It is super hard to get more than a small paragraph of info on these things. One site out there has several catalogs from lyle guitars but they require a payment or paid membership to view them. If you are interested google lyle guitar catalogs. There is one that sold for 600.00 at joes vintage guitars.com Its Identical to mine. If I find any more info Ill post as discovered.
I purchased a Lyle Hummingbird acoustic guitar in 1970 at a Salem, Oregon music store...and still have it and the original case. I haven't really used it that much for the past 35+ years as I transitioned soon after to 12-string guitars...as I prefer the sound qualities.
In 1970, I paid $79.50 for the guitar and the case was $14.25
It appears that this guitar model has appreciated significantly in value over the years due to various factors.
I will likely be selling this guitar in the near future since I rarely use it and I prefer playing 12 strings over 6 strings....the Takamine F-395S 12-string I now have and the Ovation 1598-MEII Adamas Melissa Etheridge acoustic electric 12 string I just ordered.
To answer a previous question on this forum....
The Lyle Hummingbird guitars were distributed exclusively by:
L. D. Heater Music Company
10300 S.W. Allen Blvd.
Beaverton, Oregon 97005
Beaverton is just outside of Portland, Oregon.
I have a 690-DL (Dove knockoff) that I bought in Wichita Falls, TX in 1971 for less than $100 in excellent condition.
Any idea of the value?
Not intending to sell, but curious.
I had a Lyle Dove copy that I bought at a McMinnville, OR music store in the early '70s. I sold it in '78 after buying an Ovation. Still have that Ovation, but really wish I had the Lyle instead. Great tone, and after a pro setup it played as nice as any Gibson I've ever touched.
I've got a Lyle Hummingbird from the 70's original case, it still looks and sounds beautiful. Any more info available about them out there? Current value?
A guitar reseller told me about 6 months ago that a circa 1970 Lyle Hummingbird might sell for between $150 and $250. Not enough for them to bother handling the sale.
Lyle Dove spruce top
I bought mine used in 1989 in a mom and pop music store in the North GA mountains in Cumming GA and have loved it everysence I Know very little about it except that I would not trade it for a new one. The sustain in the body of the overtone note is fantastic and rare to find.I use d'Addario phosphorus bronze strings 11 - 52 and would not change anything about this guitar,fantastic!!! Thanks Victor
Lyle Dove
I purchased my Dove in 1989 in a mom and pop kind of music store in North GA , actually Cumming GA. I have played it ever since and I have owned many other guitars in my 52 Years in the music business but it has always been my come back acoustic for the sound and playability of the neck slim D stile ,but the sound quality is very much as good as any lots more expensive guitars,the way it holds the overtone of the note long after you play the note in the body is just unbelievable ,my hat's off to which either company wants to claim they built it I am just glad they did!! Damn fine Guitar.Thanks,Victor
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