Washburn (full name: Washburn Guitars) is one of the oldest music instruments manufacturer. It was established in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois. Washburn is known for many innovations in guitar building and marketing: for example, it was the first guitar manufacturer to use artist endorsements and build a large-bodied acoustic guitar. They are all hand built (some in Indonesia however) and are usually low in price.

Washburn is a part of U.S. Music Corporation.

Notable Washburn innovations

Over the years, Washburn designed (patented and trademarked) several prominent guitar construction features:

• Buzz Feiten Tuning System — a corrected temperation tuning formula, which uses a compensated nut and saddle to correct the inherent intonation problems of the Western tuning formula. This system comes standard on all USA made Washburn guitars and basses and is featured on select imported models.

• Stephen's Extended Cutaway — special modification of bolt-on neck joint, allowing very smooth and easy top fret access, which comes useful while playing fast leads.

Endorsers

Washburn was the first company to use mechanism of endorsements: instrument manufacturer and famous artist secure a contract that states:

• Manufacturer provides custom-shop instrument that suits artist best for him for free (or even paying artist).
• Artists promotes his usage of that instrument and advertises manufacturer company.

Such process greatly promotes whole industry. Beginner artists often try to copy the sound of their favourite artists and thus try to use the same equipment. Endorsements help both sides: beginner artists get to know what kind of equipment their idol uses and copies his sound easier and companies raise sales.

The whole list of Washburn endorsers is very lengthy, most notable artists that have signature models are listed here:

• Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme, Mourning Widows and solo) — N series
• Nick Catanese (Black Label Society)
• Roger Waters (Pink Floyd and solo) - RW 300
• Jonathan Donais (Shadows Fall) — X81FE Face Eraser
• Steve Kaftal (Etoufee, San Diego blues guitarist)
• Dan Donegan (Disturbed)
• Scott Ian (Anthrax)
• The late Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
• Bakithi Kumalo (bassist to Paul Simon's Graceland album)
• John Bell of Widespread Panic plays a HB35 electric and a NV100 acoustic
• Bootsy Collins

The fictional character Wayne Campbell (played by Mike Myers) in the Saturday Night Live skit Wayne's World also played a Washburn.

Product lineup

Signature models

• Nuno Bettencourt models are flagshipped by the American hand-made N4. The N4 guitar is a small reverse headstock super-strat which features the unique Stephen's Extended Cutaway neck joint for easy access to the higher frets. It also contains Bill Lawrence and Seymour Duncan pickups, and a Floyd Rose licensed tremolo. The production budget model of this guitar which was machine built in Korea is known as the N2 and features a standard bolt-on neck. The N3 is a single coil based guitar also built for Nuno. Nuno has also endorsed several Washburn acoustic models.

• Nick Catanese Signature Model (1999) Idol Series for Nick Catanese.

• Dan Donegan Signature Model (2003): Maya Series for Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan, named after his daughter. There are currently two models of this guitar, both using Seymour Duncan pickups.

• Bootsy Collins Space bass (2006): Signature model for Bootsy Collins. Features Fender Jazz Bass pickups.

External links

• Washburn Guitars

Guitar manufacturers