George Washburn (unmarked) 5-string banjo Circa 1892
This early Washburn banjo, from Lyon & Healy's first catalogued banjo offerings, is similar in construction to the Lyon & Healy Professional line offered at the same time. One way of distinguishing between the Washburn banjos and the L&H Professional banjos was in the rim hardware. Only the Washburn banjos had the globe-shaped "Imperial" brackets. This lovely example has a beautifully engraved rim, a 1/4" thick ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay, and a heavy, thick German Silver covered wood rim. These banjos, along with the L&H Professional banjos, were much more substantial in their construction than were other banjos from the same period.
