Washburn Guitars don't quite have the same name and reputation as giants like Gibson and Fender, but this little company has been around for quite some time and manufacturers a quality product. We're going to take a look at the Washburn company, a little history and some of the guitars that is makes.
What most people don't realize is that Washburn itself has been around since 1883. While it didn't make electric guitars back then, it did manufacture other fine instruments. By the 1920s, Washburn had become a music center by itself. It was considered to be the first place where African-Americans would go to back then. This was in the Mississippi Delta which is where the Delta Blues originated. When the guitar industry started to blossom, Washburn became the main manufacturer of guitars for musicians who were heavily into the blues. This seemed like a perfectly natural progression considering Washburn's roots.
Washburn makes a complete line of electric and acoustic guitars and basses. They also manufacture banjos, mandolins and amplifiers.
As for electric guitars, Washburn offers a wide variety of these. There are the famous Washburn Hollow Body guitars which include the HB35, the HB30, the HB32 DM, the J5, the J4, the J3 and the HB15. Then there is the Scott Ian signature series electric guitars which include the SI 75 and SI 70. The features of these guitars alone are too numerous to even list. And the price tags that go along with them (over $2500) are not for the average musician.
In 1999, Washburn decided it wanted to make a guitar for the 21st century. That's when they came up with the Idol series. These guitars cover a wide spectrum of looks and sounds and include the Aaron Fink, Sonny Mayo, Joe Don Rooney and many others.
Other electric guitars in their line include the Maya series, featuring the Maya Pro, the N series, all numbered from N1 to N6, the X series, which includes the really cool looking flame maple Face Eraser and the Anarchy Graphic series which includes the classic V style WV 16, the X 16 and the WI 16. These are some of the most graphically stunning guitars made.
But we've only scratched the surface here. Aside from the large line of electric guitars, Washburn makes an equally long line of acoustic guitars. These include the USA Acoustics, which run as high as $2400; the Jumbo Acoustics, which feature a big low end and a lot of extra volume; the Dreadnought series, which are all handcrafted from premium woods and materials; the Folk style guitars, which are excellent for recording and feature solid spruce tops; their traditional classical acoustics, which are one of the oldest guitars that they make; the NV guitars, which are for pure professionals and come with price tags as much as $1000 plus and some fine travel guitars ranging in price from about $100 to $500.
Washburn offers a guitar for just about every type of musician. They may not have the same name as Gibson or Fender, but they make one heck of a fine guitar.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars
