Register To ReplyCongrats! Solid guitar for cheap is never bad!
1st impressions - Washburn Idol
Just wanted to let everyone know about this.
I caved on the deal posted in the Great Deals thread:
This is the link:
http://www.worldmusicsupply.com/Wash...ic-Guitar.html
Very busy right now so I have not plugged it in and no pics but I spent a good half-hour or more playing unplugged and checking out the fit and finish.
Pros:
Maybe I got lucky but this guitar is one great value. Unpacked it and tuned it up.
Playable right out of the box with nice neck feel and no buzzing. Frets are fine, no sharp ends and looks like I won't have to do any work on them.
Nut is about perfect, especially the slot height. Very surprised at that. No need to work on it.
Played up and down the neck and Intonation seems fine to my ear, nothing sounded out of tune, but I'll check that with a tuner later.
I don't know if the strings are 9's or 10's but they feel like 9's and I use 10's so I'll probably put 10's on it at some point. The action is good but I might lower it. It would only need small adjustment (maybe 2/32 or so) and honestly you could leave it as it came and be happy playing.
Cons:
The paint on the neck has a small imperfection by the binding near the nut at the first fret where your thumb would rest. So small that I wouldn't attempt to fix it. Think hairline width and a pen point would cover it completely. It's really almost nothing.
One tone knob needs to be pulled and reseated so the numbers are in the proper spot.
Some cons huh? I've gotten many bargain axes over the years, ranging from "you get what you pay for" to "with a little work it's a fine guitar". Very few were this good out of the box.
Gotta say this is one of the best "cheapos" I've ever latched on to. Perhaps it will turn out that I don't like the pickups (easy fix) or for some reason the axe just doesn't resonate when plugged in (doubtful since it responds nicely unplugged).
Seems like an LP killer to me at that price.
Congrats! Solid guitar for cheap is never bad!
Thats pretty sweet. I worked for a Washburn dealer for a while and we never got guitars into the shop in nearly as good of shape as you describe.
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I love a good cheapie.
Sent from my iPwn using Tapaho.
Originally Posted by B Valley
HNGD
HNGD! Holy cow that was a deal...
As I said, thinking I go a bit lucky with this particular one. I'm not very familiar with the washburn line. Seems like they went from made in usa to korean to this one which I assume is made in china but there's no indication of where it was made. Their acoustics seem to get a lot of love on the net iirc.
I don't know about that. I have considered a Washburn acoustic and got all kinds of warnings. Of course, mostly fro folks who buy boutique guitars because Martins and Taylors are junk.
Glad that worked out. I am still tempted by it.
Considering you can find any of the Godin branded acoustics or a Yamaha for not much more, a Washburn acoustic *is* junk.I don't know about that. I have considered a Washburn acoustic and got all kinds of warnings. Of course, mostly fro folks who buy boutique guitars because Martins and Taylors are junk.
Glad that worked out. I am still tempted by it.
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See.
Disagreed. A buddy collects acoustics like I collect electrics and I think he favors his Washburn over his high priced Taylor, let alone his Yammy.
Congrats to the OP, I've got a couple of Washburn electrics I'm very fond of.
HNGD!
I had a pretty nice Washburn Idol WI-66. It played well and sounded great, but I gave it to a deserving friend who had to sell all of his vintage gear.
They've got acoustics all over the map price and quality wise.... Heck, Dana Bourgeois even built some washburn acoustics.
I don't know about that. I have considered a Washburn acoustic and got all kinds of warnings. Of course, mostly fro folks who buy boutique guitars because Martins and Taylors are junk.
Glad that worked out. I am still tempted by it.
If you can find a Washburn from the 70's they are in some cases as good or better than Martins from that era.
All of the video lessons are being moved here:http://markweinguitarlessons.com/
Check out my blog LoveHateGuitar.com and my page: http://markwein.com/
Buy Foundations for Guitar on Amazon.com
Alot of people don't realize that Washburn has been an instrument maker since the lat 1800's.
A guitarist I play with has a crazy nice Washburn acoustic, I think mid 90's import. Flamed/pearl everything, best sounding maple acoustic i've ever heard.
+1. I wish I'd never sold my Timber Ridge Custom. That was an awesome guitar, really first rate.
Washburn is a name. They did make guitars in the 1880's and they probably stopped production long long ago. The name was revived (or maybe purchased) in the 1970's and they started making guitars in Japan, then Korea, then who knows where. They has a short run of American made acoustic guitars. Those were made by Tacoma and others. Washburn also had a custom shop in suburban Chicago. Maybe it's still there.
I had an Idol WI64. It was a great guitar. MIK (later they made them in Indonesia). The neck was too think for my tastes, otherwise I would still have it
And this is my 1982 D26S.
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