Herbert Lyle Mayfield

Life & Legacy

Herbert Lyle Mayfield, known generally as Lyle, (March 4, 1929 – March 31, 2012) was an American writer, poet, printer, inventor of musical instruments, and folk musician and composer from Greenville, Illinois. He spent most of his adult life working in the printing trade as a profession, but spent most of his spare time designing and building hybrid folk instruments and performing at live music events with his wife Doris (Mindrup) Mayfield and youngest son, Layne Mayfield. Lyle is notable for his invention of both the guitalin and guinjo, hybrid folk instruments combining features of several traditional folk instruments.