I have an old Washburn from around the turn of the century that I've been playing for 40 years--my folks actually gave it to me for my 16th birthday. I recently got a Bart Reiter and I'm not too fond of it, to be candid--there's a "klangy" sound to it that I've tried to warm up a bit by loosening the head, switching to a 1/2" bridge, etc. Still kind of klangy though. . . the Washburn is bright and warm at the same time--a dream.