Inexpensive all solid wood guitar

[Jim Tozier]

Follow-up . . .

I sent the Washburn back and picked up a used Takamine EG280C (a nice-sounding all-laminate) for $25. Perfect.

[Gear_Junky]

Well, I had to put my $0.02 in. I saw a Brownsville dreadnought at SamAsh (it's their brand). It's very well made and is pretty and it's a solid spruce top (albeit a low grade spruce). It's $149.99. It sounds pretty good. Better than all the acoustic Carlo Robelli knockoffs and other plywoods in the $100-400 range.
Don't remember the model, but you can actually see the wood grain in it. It's a natural color guitar with mahogany colored back and sides, very pretty and glossy.
Don't buy it online, try it first.

[gteague]

Originally Posted by cpmusic

I don't own a Washburn, but it seems that there are more and more low-cost, solid-wood guitars coming out of China, and the reports on them are good to excellent. Blueridge currently has the corner on that market, but I recently saw one of the new Guild GADs that was impressive

before i traded it in towards my taylor, i ordered a guild gad50 from an internet outfit (nextdaymusic? samedaymusic?). i just couldn't believe i could get a copy of a fondly remembered d50 made with basically all the same materials and to the same specs for one-fourth the price of an american d50--a corona d50 that is, not a 'real' rhode island one.

as i've said before, i still think it insanity to purchase a musical instrument w/o hearing or playing it, but i just couldn't resist.

i even corresponded with fender before i purchased who said this model was so new (line started production in late february) that they weren't yet listed on their website, but they emailed me a spec sheet. the one i got was serial number 194, so it was one of the first batch to make it over here, i'll bet.

i guess i can't post what i paid, but you can probably find a price on the internet (they've gone up $50 since i bought mine), but the quality was absolutely stunning for the price. i couldn't find even one small build problem or any evidence of sloppy workmanship. it came with a very nice hard case with an 'antique' look to it.

i'd have no way to predict the durability and the action was too high for my liking, but after a setup and some minor adjustments i probably would have been happy with it before i played the taylor. and to confirm my impression of the quality, guitar center gave me the full amount i'd paid for it even though they were unable to locate it in their 'blue book' or whatever they use.

so next time someone says they have a chinese guitar, i'm not going to dismiss them out of hand. not that i was ever that snobbish! right [g]

/guy

[WashburnGuy]

Originally Posted by Chicago Sandy

........ And I wouldn't necessarily sneer at those Carlos, either--the guy who split an evening with us in Naperville a couple of weeks ago was playing one and it sounded surprisingly good.

Agreed!

I bought a $99 Carlo Robelli J-220-VS (J45 copy). It sounds surprisingly good for a $99 guitar.

If you're on a budget, check 'em out!

[GearJunky]

Yep, Carlo Robelli are not necessarily all bad, but very inconsistent and would take a lot of effort to find a good one. But of course the same goes for Brownsville.

I actually went and bought that Brownsville I talked about earlier, even got it cheaper than the tag. I like it so much that I can now sell my Martin D-15 (I wouldn't, but I need money).

It's a solid-top, laminate sides and back, Gibson rip-off headstock with nice color and finish. I'll post the model when I find it. Maybe even a pic...

I've wanted a guitar I wouldn't be afraid to take to the campfire and yet sounding good. Now I don't know if I want to take this one to the campfire Well, I'm kidding.

[Brookie]

I guess the thread is moot now, but for what it's worth I looked hard at a Washburn rarewoods model and a Blueridge BR-143 before buying my first decent (non-classical) accoustic in December. Loved them both. I bought the Blueridge, but at the end of the day it was probably a toss-up.

[Fstpicker]

For the price, quality looks/sound, and workmanship, you can't beat a Washburn WD-18SW that I have. All-solid Sapele top, back, and sides. It looks somewhat similar to a Martin D-15, but with a little nicer appointments actually: black body binding, abalone soundhole rosette, nice quality gold Grover tuners, ebony fingerboard and bridge, etc.

All for under $300 w/quality Washburn gigbag. Or around $200 on Ebay regularly.

Jeff