Tag: Portland

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Lyle C-600 Acoustic Guitar

Lyle C-600, 000-size Acoustic Guitar

Say hello to Lyle

The Lyle C-600 is an excellent 1970’s reproduction of the Martin 000-18 guitar. The C-600 was made in Japan at the Matsumoku factory and sold in the United States by L.D. Heater Music Company of Portland Oregon.

This particular guitar came to me as a gift from my family last Christmas. My son found this Lyle online at a Goodwill Store in Seattle. When the guitar finally arrived, it looked a bit rough: with a few scuffs, marks, dings, and plenty of scratches. Not to mention a few decades of dust!

The passing of time had not been kind to this Lyle, which resulted in a bowed neck. Poor Lyle. Here’s a picture of Lyle the day he arrived in his original chipboard case.

A New Life

Lyle spent quite a bit of time earlier this year at Barrett Coughlin’s repair shop. Barrett straightened Lyle’s bowed neck, lowered the bridge saddle, treated the fingerboard, filed and polished the frets, and generally brought this old instrument back to life.

A Good Build

  • Crafted in Japan, in the Matsumoku factory.
  • Imported and sold by the L.D. Heater Co. of Portland, Oregon.
  • 000 size.
  • Solid Spruce top.
  • Martin X-bracing.
  • Laminated Mahogany sides and back.
  • Mahogany neck.
  • Rosewood fingerboard and fixed bridge.
  • Simple Dot inlay markers.
  • Inlay headstock.
  • Black (vinyl?) pickguard.
  • Cheap tuners.
  • Unknown (plastic?) nut.
  • Chipboard case.
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Vintage 1970’s Lyle Strat Guitar

1970's Lyle Strat made in Japan

1970’s Lyle ‘Strat-Like’ Electric Guitar, white solid body, 3 pickups

Here’s an interesting vintage 1970’s Lyle guitar currently offered on eBay. This Strat-like 3-pickup solid body is dressed nicely in an aged and relic white finish, tremolo bridge (the arm is missing), with a Japanese bolt-on Mahogany neck, an adjustable truss rod, and Rosewood fingerboard. Mostly known for its less expensive copies of famous guitars, Lyle actually sold some decent gear—in addition to a lot of low end beginner’s trash! This one appears to be of higher quality as suggested by the three-ply pickguard, the sliding switchgear, and the closed back tuning machines. Most Lyle guitars were built in the Matsumoku factory in Japan, however the Mahogany neck and the pickups suggest it could have been built elsewhere in Japan? Lyle guitars were sold by the L.D. Heater Music Co. of Portland Oregon during the 1960’s and 70’s. The seller says this guitar plays and sounds great with low action and no fret buzz. We have not tested to confirm. Seller is asking $279.95 plus shipping.

 

Here is the link to the eBay* auction: Vintage 1970”s Lyle Electric Guitar Made In Japan

*DISCLAIMER*: Buy at your own risk! Although we like to point out interesting buys on eBay, craigslist.com, and other sites, Tone Gems has not tested this guitar and does not endorse or recommend this product, nor this seller.

1970's Lyle Strat made in Japan