Lyle F520

OM body, solid spruce top, laminated rosewood sides and back, rosewood fingerboard, lovely sound hole rosette, decent tuners (slot-top headstock) and zero fret.

Excellent sound. Balanced, crisp, great sustain, and the adjustable bridge gives you the option of very low action for quieter playing or slightly higher action for solid, loud bluegrass sound.

i sold a nice little OM Martin in order to afford a fret job with bracing repair and intonation adjustment. I will never get rid of this guitar, no matter what else comes my way. I have been playing for almost fifty years, and this little Lyle is the sweetest sounding and easiest playing guitar i have ever owned.

Not many. Its an F500 parlor guitar. Smaller than the D body and pretty standard looking but really nice spruce top. Looks like rosewood sides. Not sure.

Just bought this F-500 Lyle parlor size guitar for $35 with a beat up case. I bought it to strap on my BMW GS and camp this spring and summer. Got it home and what a surprise. It sounds absolutely amazing, incredibly rich and warm. I never trust these reviews since they all say "best guitar ever made" sort of stuff. I have a D76 Bicentennial Martin and a custom Sheppard to compare it to and I gotta tell ya it rocks.

Arrow straight neck and decent playability.

The thing could be 60's vintage. Its still totally durable. I see one small crack coming off the neck in the directon of the neck, where it mounts to the body. Don't know if its serious or not, but I'd probably get it repaired it it turns out to be given the sound of this guitar.

For the money ($35) its an amazing guitar. It sounds beter than any $250 guitar you would find int he stores nowadays. Rings like a bell.

I know very little about Lyle, but I have heard them referred to as "the Japanese Gibson". From what I have gathered here and there, the Matsumoku (Japan) factory that these came from made some pretty great stuff before it burnt down in 1988. The F520 is no exception.

OM body, zero fret (which I had never seen before), beautiful mosaic pattern around soundhole, adjustable bridge, a rich amber color to the (I believe) Spruce top, and (I believe) solid Rosewood sides and back.

If I am not mistaken, this 520 was made sometime in the mid-to-late 60's.

Oh, my word. This guitar sings. The forty-or-so years this thing has been aging has given it such a rich tone, through-and-through. Powerful lows, clear mids, and crisp highs. I'm sure I have played better guitars than the 520, but never have I played a better sounding one.

I mostly play folk style, but am trying my hand at fingerstyle (in the vein of Andy McKee, Don Ross, etc). The sound of the 520 is great for both.

The action is just a little high on the 520. (Honestly, only a little)
I have not yet tried the adjustable bridge, so it may not be a problem at all...

Again, it is a beautiful guitar. I was lucky enough to find one in virtually immaculate condition, and could hardly be happier with it.

If this guitar had stayed in such excellent condition over twenty years, let alone forty, I would still give it a ten rating. Time has hardly taken a toll on this thing. The face is not bulging, the neck is not bowing, the tuners are not slipping. The fourteenth fret needs work done, and that's it. Amazing.

N/A. Not for twenty years now.

I have played a decent amount of guitars - Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Breedlove - in the ten years I have been playing and I can honestly say that the 520 is a real treasure. The sound alone makes it among the better I've played.

Ok- this is my 2nd post about my old Lyles, and this one I've never seen before or after purchase.
It is a model F520, slotted headstock, 14 frets clear, OM stlyle body, solid spruce top and SOLID Indian Rosewood back and sides.
Gloss finish, top has toned to a very rich golden color.

I've mentioned previously about the 70s model Lyles having the MOP LYLE on the headstock, this one has the gold painted logo. So, I would date this guitar as mid to late 60s.

When I first got it (off Ebay) it was a bit of a basket case, no tuners, no saddle, no bridge pins, bridge pulling up slightly, and the neck was bowed up! So, purchased some slotted Grovers (StewMac), and a JLD bridge doctor for the bridge pull. Managed to "peg" the neck back straight, installed the tuners, carved a bone saddle, nice bridge pins, strung it up,and OH MY!

Knew then all the work was well worth it- this is the very best sounding Lyle I've ever had. Piano like lows, singing highs, the OM body and woods produce a sound so sweet- I couldn't believe it.

I'll never ever sell this one- just is too good!

Like to hear from other F520 owners out there- if there are any left!

As mentioned, plays very well, string height just right.
Great for every style music, fingerpicking, bluegrass, country, you name it!

All is in place now- when I first got it, it was a bit rough, but all it needed was a good cleaning, waxing, and some (lots) of TLC.

All the work paid off, though, as it's just a great old Lyle.

Very Dependable, I pull it out almost every night to play it, along with my old Lyle F500, the 500 has a bit lower action, but not quite as good a tone as the 520.

No support- Lyle no longer in business- I'm kind of an amatuer luthier, and like to work on my own guitars.

Again, overall rating 10++++!!! This is one of the best of the best, and would love to hear from other 520 owners.
I wouldn't ever trade this or sell it, naturally I'd love to have a J41 Martin, just can't afford one!