1960s Lyle 680-L Hummingbird Set Neck Vintage Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Japan w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1960's Lyle 680-L dreadnought acoustic guitar in exceptional condition. 100% original and produced in Japan's Matsumoku factory (home of Univox and Ventura among other brands), this guitar clearly takes its cues from the Gibson Hummingbird model, with an X-braced spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and iconic Hummingbird pickguard. The guitar features notably low action, a straight neck, and a bright, cutting acoustic tone with a nice chimey character. This Lyle has been freshly restrung with 11-50 bronze strings and dialed in for optimal playability.

The mahogany neck has a very slender and fast C shaped profile, and the guitar adheres to traditional Gibson specifications with 14 frets clear of the body, a 24 3/4" scale, and 1 11/16" nut width. The original slender frets are intact on the bound rosewood fretboard, and these frets retain their full factory height, with just a touch of uniform wear on the crowns of frets 1-4 and virtually no wear further up the fretboard. The "Made in Japan" sticker is still partially intact on the back of the headstock just north of the stinger, and the original sealed-gear chrome tuning machines with paddle buttons are intact. While these tuners still work as intended and get the job done, they're among the more inexpensive tuners offered on Japanese guitars of this era.

The body features some subset of mahogany for the back and sides, as the grain and figuring is more prominent than one sees with typical South American mahogany. The rosewood bridge sits flush with the top and the height adjustable saddle allows the user to set the action to their desired specifications with ease. Cosmetically and structurally, this guitar is in remarkable shape and crack-free. The finish on the back and sides is very vibrant, with prominent finish checking on the Cherry Sunburst top. There are only a few light finish scuffs and minor nicks on the guitar as a whole.

A case is included.