Ever played a Washburn guitar?

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: kendall
Date: 16 Sep 10 - 06:45 AM

Looking for good and reasonably priced? Larrivee.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: banjoman
Date: 16 Sep 10 - 05:54 AM

Perhaps your playing different washburns from me as I have never had a problem with mine. Hoever, I did take apart the first one as the truss rod was broken and had damaged one of the internal struts. After repair I did a complete set up and had no problems since. Perhaps its the set up thats wrong in a lot of the instruments mentioned and this is easily cured by a bit of TLC. I would accept that they generally dont compare to Gibsons, Martins etc but they are fine instruments at the cheaper end of the scale and well worth a look.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 03:28 PM

Japanese manufactured Washburn solid body electrics from the early to mid 80's
are excellent 'pro' quality instruments.

I've got 3 of the "Stage Series" "A" models
for a fraction of the cost of a mediocre new Gibson.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 02:34 PM

Yes. it was a pretty piece of shit.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: Nick
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 02:30 PM

When I was looking to buy a new guitar some years back a 'friend' lent me a Washburn that he wanted to sell. It was perhaps the mostly horribly set up guitar I have ever picked up in my life. I'm sure all the other Washburns are/were great but it was a horrible experience

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 01:22 PM

To be fair they fairly recently did some made out of some bits of very very old wood that they had turned up - I think some was from church pews and more from a sunken riverboat. Not an obvious avenue but probably interesting.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: banjoman
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 09:52 AM

I have two Washburn 12 strings -one is an old very thin acoustic electric with a cutaway - currently on loan teaching some autistic kids - and the other is a more modern acoustic dreadnought 12 string with built in pre amp and tuner.
Both great sounding guitars and I wouldn't want to swap either -except for a Gibson Mastertone banjo perhaps-

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: Zen
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 04:49 AM

I play a Washburn 125th anniversary parlour guitar (modelled on an 1883 instrument) which I like very much.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Sep 10 - 02:43 AM

I had a Washburn D10 once. It was pretty horrid. I know someone else with a D10. It is horrid too. I know one man with a nice sounding one but I can't remember the model number.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Sep 10 - 11:45 PM

My Washburn in Oregon gets played in my absence by several people down there; the odd thing is that every time I get to Oregon I find that the strings have not been changed at all since I last as there a couple of years before. And sometimes the strings are downright thunky. Don't know how they can stand it.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Sep 10 - 10:53 PM

Brandon Noyes

I own a Washburn Cumberland. It has a solid spruce top, maple back and sides and the neck is out of this world. It was priced right, too for a new guitar at the time.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 01:45 PM

I played a Washburn dreadnought a few years ago,when ,travelling light,I found myself guitarless (apart from a Yamaha "baby") in Germany.My new female companion,a native German,had several guitars,including the Washburn,which she got from a well-known German guitar teacher.It had had a lot of use,and the frets were quite worn down,but I loved playing it----it went down very well busking on Hanover Station ! It was a shame to leave it behind when I "left" ( she kept the Yamaha ,too !!).But I have always hankered after another Washburn....good make (the older ones).

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 18 Jan 09 - 01:02 PM

Anyone tried a Washburn D5? Wondering what they are like?

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn guitar?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 03:13 PM

My son-in-law just bought a Washburn semi-acoustic. He deigned to let me have a go. Nice action.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 03:03 PM

thanks Ebbie... good idea.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Ebbie
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 01:54 PM

VT. some of my favorite places to find instruments is in pawnshops. You may have to haunt two or three for awhile but eventually you either find what you want or you decide you want something else.

When I visit family and friends in Oregon I leave my Martin at home in Alaska, leaving me without a decent instrument while I'm gone. My brother - a non-player - bought a couple of guitars at garage sales over the years but, much as I hated to tell him, they were junk.

A few years ago I went to a pawnshop there and bought a Washburn with a nice sound, for $100. I leave it down there for anybody to play but when I visit, I am outfitted.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Jan 09 - 08:50 AM

I am broken hearted.

I was outbid on beautiful Washburn D 12BR with dark finish. Anyone know where I can search for previously owned guitars online in UK other than Ebay?

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: GUEST,Owain
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 09:38 PM

Saw Andy M. Stewart recently and was surprised to see 'he' played a Washburn. Not that they aren't perfectly fine instruments. I just expected him to have something hand-made by a little known, but brilliant luthier. Or, at least a Lowden, Martin or a pre-war Gibson, but no just a store bought everyday Washburn dreadnaught.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Kim C
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 10:34 AM

Mister has a lovely Washburn dreadnought that he bought, oh, 20+ years ago. It has a wonderfully big sound. When I first started to learn to play, I had trouble with this guitar, because of its size. It was hard to get my arms around it! So I got a smaller guitar, an Alvarez, that I really like. After I got some experience, the Washburn wasn't so hard to play anymore, and once in awhile I'll get it out. I'd sure recommend them to anyone. :-)

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 03:19 AM

At least the back of your head is completely covered in hair, Julie!

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Julie B
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 05:51 AM

Re. pic 2 - glad to see the back of my head looking lovely as ever! :-)

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 03:42 AM

Here are a couple of photos of my trusty Washburn 12-string: pic 1, pic 2. If you're interested ...

Steve

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: 53
Date: 15 Apr 02 - 09:46 PM

I don't think so Vectis.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: vectis
Date: 15 Apr 02 - 07:39 PM

I've played a washboard but it's not the same thing at all.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: 53
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 10:54 PM

See John, you have some nice company out here in Mudville. Bob.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Hyperabid
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 05:11 PM

Played a Washburn - nice - bit of a gibson sound here and there - however currently in love with my Fender Jazz 5-string - one h*ll of a guitar

Hyp

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 05:07 PM

I've been Playing a washburn for six years, now. It's the the best guitar I've had so far in thirty years of playing.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Lanfranc
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 01:21 PM

I have three Washburns, a Woodstock 6-string Electro-Acoustic, a EA20-12 12-string Electro-Acoustic and a J200 copy. All great guitars for the money, as have been all the other Washburns I have owned, played or supplied to pupils over the years.

That great British guitarist Chris Newman used to play a vintage Washburn similar to Claire's guitar above.

Nowadays they are made in the Far East, but the quality control is usually good, and IMHO, they are somewhat underrated by the so-called guitar cognoscenti. That said, my first loves are my Martins, but they were a lot more expensive.

Happy picking, John!

Alan

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Don Firth
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 12:35 PM

I have, but I think it was only very loosely related to yours.

I first started playing the guitar in 1952. While at the University of Washington, I was going with a lovely young woman named Claire. She had recently heard a singer named Walt Robertson sing at a party, and his singing sparked an avid interest in folk songs. She mentioned to her grandmother that she planned to buy a guitar, and her grandmother said she had a guitar that she hadn't played for years—it was in its case in a closet—and Claire could have it. It was a parlor guitar: spruce soundboard, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, and ebony bridge and fingerboard. It was stamped inside (under the sound-hole) "Made by George Washburn," with another stamp that said "Ladies' Model." Claire's grandmother said that her husband bought it for her around 1900, and commented, "I'm sure it's very good. He paid fifty dollars for it" (which, in 1900 was a lot of money!). The bridge had to be re-glued and reinforced, but other than that, it was in excellent condition. Fitted with a set of light-gauge silk and steel strings, the little guitar sang out again, sweet and mellow. Beautiful little guitar! Claire showed me how to play G, C, and D7, and a few days later I bought a very cheap but halfway decent plywood guitar and set about learning to play it. But Claire's guitar felt and sounded so nice, I knew it was real quality. A month or so later, I heard Walt Robertson in concert, and that changed my life.

Claire's guitar looked exactly like THIS, except that hers didn't have a pick-guard.

I wonder where Claire is now. I wonder where the guitar is now.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Llanfair
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 12:14 PM

My guitar is a Washburn, John, and I wouldn't change it, it suits me fine.

Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: GUEST,Pixie
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 10:11 AM

My husband gave me a Washburn about 6-7 year ago, and I absolutely love it. It has the matte finish on the top, and a narrow neck that allowed me to venture into the world of barre chords (not too far, mind you). But I love the tone, and it gets better with age (if only I did too) but my one complaint is that the bridge has had to be replace a couple of times now as it has split. I had the last replacement done a couple of months ago. The lifetime warranty is also handy!

Enjoy it!!!

Pixie

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 11:27 PM

Hi John

My friend Pat Kane plays a Washburn model like yours. Has for sometime. The times I've played it I was pleased with all aspects of it except it sounded a little thin accoustically. But Pat uses his powered up and it has all the dynamic it needs there. Nive buy.

Don

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: 53
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 10:45 PM

Thats alright John you learn more and more about the guitar world as you mingle and talk about them. It is a wonderful instrument to study and to play. Glad to have you as a guitarist. Bob

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 10:42 PM

Thanks Bob, I didnt know washburn made electric guitars, but then again I don't know much about guitars!

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: 53
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 10:29 PM

Looks like you've made a nice investment. I've never owned a Washburn but I've played some nice ones, acoustic and electric. Good luck and good playing. Bob

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 10:13 PM

Hello little hawk thanks for repliying, I thought nobodt would (nearly 2 hours) I only had my guitar 2 welks,, so in am still learning it, I am very rubbish , but enjoying it, my guitar was 80 ebglish pounds because the man was moving abroad for a new job, ( it is 200 pounds in the sop) so i think I was lucky, he was selling a telly TV set) as well but I could not afford it (300 pounds), I like my giutar , I am getting lessons off harpmaker, he is a guitar teacher, and used to make harps, but he stopped making harps because people dont pay ebough money and he dosent make much so he is teaching music instead.

Subject: RE: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 10:02 PM

Yes, I had a small-body Washburn once, with a pickup. It was a wonderful guitar. I like them a lot. I think I saw Buffy Sainte-Marie playing a white Washburn a while back...also a small-body one. Yours is more the standard dreadnought, from the looks of it.

- LH

Subject: Ever played a Washburn ?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 13 Apr 02 - 08:42 PM

Have you played a Washburn guitar? I have recently bought one (about 2 weeks ago) Here is a photo of my guitar cliclk here