[boneuphtoner]

As a relative beginner to guitar (but not to music), before I played one in the store last fall, I knew almost nothing about the brand. I had only heard of it because my 10 year old son's teacher had a 1980s nylon string Washburn. Mine is a WCG700SWEK-D with a torrified sitka top/solid ovangkol back/sides, the same Fishman system that you mention, and one of the Taylor style armrests. I thought it blew away everything in this smaller store, including a 000-15 and all of the Martin road series guitars. It isn't as good of a strummer as my Yamaha FG800 or either of my Taylors (although you couldn't really tell from a recording test I did) but it easily surpasses everything I have for fingerstyle except my Taylor 714. I think the Fishman pickup (supposedly it is a blend of a mic as well as a piezo) sounds better than the Taylor ES2 system. The ratio tuners are the best I've ever seen. Overall, For $699, I couldn't be happier. It isn't perfect - it is by far the heaviest guitar I own. And although this is the first guitar I've owned with the armrest, I must say I'm unimpressed - I can hardly tell the difference between all of my other guitars that don't have it. Certainly not the night-and-day difference I had been led to believe.

Part of me likes having something that seems unique because almost no one talks about Washburns, but I have to ask - is there a reason why you never see any of the big channels (e.g., Alamo, Music Villa, etc.) ever talk about Washburns?