1885 style 'A'

[ordavgguy]

Greetings one and all,
I need all of your help (especially the gurus).  I have been researching my parlor style acoustic for years and although I have found out some things, I have hit the dead end, (damn those early factory fires!).  I have a Washburn/Lyon&Healy parlor-style acoustic marked: 1885 style A, with great gold 'vine & floral' all over the top. It was given to me by my grandfather who told me it was his uncle's. It is in it's original coffin case, [which I found out is a Maulbetsch & Whittemore; tm #23375 1893]. It is all original with some 'rash' on back finish, a piece of the really nice deep inlay on the head missing and the bridge cracked from gramps putting a set of metal Black Diamond strings on it before I was born, (I still have the paper envelopes with some extra strings in the case).
From everything I've found out, I'm thinking this might be the holy grail of Washburn acoustics, but I don't know ~ Please help me with any info you may have.   Thank You

[YerDugliness]

Try posting this in the Acoustic Guitar Players Post Comments and Questions, area:

http://forums.washburn.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=8

Early parlors get quite a bit of attention there.

Cheers from.....

Dugly [8D]

YerDugliness, Esq./Post No Bills
Guitar Playin' FOOL, retired & attempting to age disgracefully!!
Washburns: WD32SW, D61SW, and C124SW
Other fine acoustic guitars by Breedlove (custom shop Revival Series 000), Darren Hippner (#506), Takamini (2005 LTD), Epiphone (Masterbilt AJ500RC), and Yamaha (G231-II)

[norfolkngood]

Think we'd all welcome some photos please.

Sounds like you've got a real museum piece there.