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#1
03-12-2005, 11:25 PM
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Washburn guitars history?
I've been looking on the web and haven't had any luck ascertaining exactly when the revived Washburn guitar brand moved overseas. Anybody know the history or know of a site that details it?
Thanks!
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Andrew Wright Indianapolis, IN Rockbridge Slope D Martin America 1 Woolson Soundcraft Sig 
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#2
03-13-2005, 07:39 AM
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Fiestad's Blue Book Of Guitars says that when the trademark was revived in 1964 the initial production of acoustic guitars came from Japan. It wasn't until 1979 that their electric guitars were introduced. Then production of the entry level models was switched to Korea in the mid to late 80's. Hope that's helpful. They still make some high end models in the U.S.
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#3
03-13-2005, 08:32 PM
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Thanks for the help...it's a start. I'm specifically looking to find info on the "Harvest" series. For a name that's been around awhile and for a company that's put out thousands and thousands of instruments, they sure are hard to find information about!
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Andrew Wright Indianapolis, IN Rockbridge Slope D Martin America 1 Woolson Soundcraft Sig
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#4
03-13-2005, 09:05 PM
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Quote:
Complete Listing: D68 S W Harvest - dreadnought style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, rosewood pickguard, maple/rosewood binding and rosette, rosewood b/s, 5 piece mahogany/rosewood neck, 14/20 fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, ebony bridge with pearl dot black pins, rosewood veneered maple bound peghead with abalone Washburn inlay, 3 per side chrome diecast tuners with perloid buttons, available in natural finish, disc. 1994 Last MSRP - $1500 Excellant - $800 Average - $500 D70 S W Harvest Deluxe - dreadnought style, solid spruce top, round soundhole, rosewood pickguard, maple/rosewood bound body, abalone inlay rosette , 3 piece rosewood b/s, 5 piece mahogany/rosewood neck, 14/20 fret ebony fingerboard with abalone eye inlay, ebony bridge with abalone box inlay and Washburn inlay, 3 per side chrome diecast tuners with perloid buttons, available in natural finish, mfg 1990 - 1994 Last MSRP - $2000 Excellant - $1200 Average - $750 whew... Hope that helps, cause thats all there is...
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Ken Why can't we just get along
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#5
03-13-2005, 11:09 PM
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Very helpful - thanks immensely! I had the opportunity to play with a guy the other night who owned a late 70's Washburn Timber Ridge (don't know the D-whatever model number). I was absolutely blown away by the sound. I would still have taken my Bourgeois over it, of course, but I was amazed at the tone coming out of that relatively inexpensive instrument. I've just started looking for something similar as a good 2nd dread/beater guitar type thing.
Once again, I appreciate the help.
__________________
Andrew Wright Indianapolis, IN Rockbridge Slope D Martin America 1 Woolson Soundcraft Sig
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#6
03-14-2005, 12:15 AM
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Washburn made some decent guitars in the past. They are starting to make some really decent sounding ones the past few years coming from the Pac-Rim now. As a second-string (sorry for the pun!
 ) kick-around guitar, my WD-18SW is a decent sounding instrument. Okay, its no Martin, but I wasn't looking for another "Martin-clone" anyway as I wanted something that sounded different to compliment my Martin. And for $206, I couldn't be happier! Jeff
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#7
03-14-2005, 08:29 AM
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Its a long story, but i was there!
Ok, you want history, ill give you history.
In the late 50s, early 60s In Chicago, there was a violin shop owned by two German immigrants,, Eric Prager and Wolfgang Ritter. They delt in sales and restoration of Violins... At the beginning of the great folk music boom (or folk scare, take your pick) around the time the Kingston trio became popular etc, generating a big increase in guitar sales,,, the two German violin entrepeneurs opened most of their floor space for guitars,, keeping the violin business in a small but guarded area.... it was renamed "The Chicago Guitar Gallery". The place was really something,,, if you wanted to try one of the Martins, Gibsons, Ramirez or any high end guitar you were greeted by Eric Prager who would ask "you got money?" if you said no, he would respond,, "you bring money" than you try guitar" (he was really a nice man, but in business, he made Ed Roman look like Mahatma Gandi) They hired a young German Violin builder to become their repair man since he knew something about fretted instruments his name was Rudy Schlacher... Rudy worked for Prager and Ritter for a few years, building a few guitars and being the main repairman (for you luthier history buffs, this was about the same time Bozo Podunivac opened his first shop in downtown Chicago...) Rudy Schlacher saw the potential in guitar sales,, left Prager and Ritter and opened his own retail shop, called the Sound Post, in Evanston ILL. Eventually Rudy Decided retail music would make a liveing,, but wholesale music might provide a fortune. thus Rudy started importing guitars, first reproducing his own designs, than copying others. Looking for a marketing hook,,, Rudy knew the name Washburn was attached to a company whose products were now vintage, sought after, and unlike C.F. Martin, were no longer available...... Any rights to the name "Washburn" were long expired, and no one had attempted to copyright or reuse the name. Thus Rudy took the name Washburn for his line of imported guitars. Washburn was so successful, Rudy sold the retail store and concentrated entirely on his wholesale company ,, Washburn. End of story (at least what i know of it) Rick Last edited by rgregg48; 03-14-2005 at 07:49 PM.
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#8
03-14-2005, 11:41 AM
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Great stuff - thanks!
__________________
Andrew Wright Indianapolis, IN Rockbridge Slope D Martin America 1 Woolson Soundcraft Sig
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#10
03-20-2005, 10:03 AM
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From the looks of things at the Washburn web-site (?), they've apparently discontinued two of their best models, the J6 & the J9, in favor of some other considerably less expensive archtops. I kinda hate to see that, as I've owned & loved both models & have always thought very highly of their workmanship & great playability. Guess I'll hold onto my JGV9 Washington; maybe it'll be a collector's item someday &, when I'm gone, go for a price more closely akin to what it's really worth.
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