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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2498.0. "Washburn Nylon String" by NEST::CONROY (Watch out! U might get what u're after.) Thu Apr 09 1992 14:33

    
    
          Found a nylon string electric! I don't know whether anyone's
interested in these but I'll tell you about it anyway. ;)

I had been calling around and these are very hard to find.
The Washburn is a solid body and looks just like the
Gibson Chet Atkins model. I have a friend who has a Chet Atkins
and I'll compare them side by side when I get a chance.

I guess Washburn no longer makes these. They now make a regular
acoustic/electric classical, but that's not what I was looking
for.

One big difference is in price. The Gibson is twice as much money.
The Washburn has a sort of Les Paul shaped body. Single cutaway.
Has a volume and tone control up near the neck. 

Likes: Has a good wide neck. About 1/8th narrower than my Alvarez
       classical. The neck is also thinner but not too thin. Plays
       like a dream. It's ridiculously easy to play. Seems to be well
       made. The sound hole is fake like the Gibson but I think it's 
       a bit deeper and the wood overlaps more so it's not quite as
       fake looking from a few feet away. I think the Washburn has
       an acoustic chamber in the body. It's very light.

       After fiddling with my amp a bit, I can get a really nice
       sound out of it. Still doesn't have the resonance of the acoustic
       but I didn't expect that.

Nits: Cheap tuners, but these can eventually be replaced.
      Tone control doesn't vary the sound as much as I would like,
      but that along with the amp still gives plenty of variation.
      With this guitar you just set it and leave it anyway.

Overall I love it.

bob
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
2498.1NEST::CONROYWatch out! U might get what u're after.Mon Apr 13 1992 13:1930
More info on this fascinating topic which I am sure is captivating 
you all. ;)

I had a chance this weekend to compare the Washburn nylon string electric to 
the Gibson Chet Atkins model.

They do look very similar. Body shapes are almost identical. The headstock
on the Washburn is a bit chunkier. The Gibson is a lot heavier.

The neck is thinner and wider than the Gibson, and the string spacing is
closer to a normal classical guitar. I liked the neck on the Washburn
a lot better.

Soundwise, I was surprised. The Washburn had a thinner but much better
balanced sound. The Gibson was very bass heavy. The bass strings had
a nice deep resonance but the trebles were weaker and relatively thin 
sounding. They didn't balance together as well.

The sound hole on the Gibson is different as I remembered. The plastic
insert overlaps the wood top and has rounded edges that stick up above
the top. The wood top on the Washburn overlaps the plastic insert in the
sound hole, so it looks like a normal sound hole from just a few
feet away.

If anybody's interested in one of these I would recommend the Washburn.
I'm still happy I got it, even after comparing it to the Gibson.

Cheers,
    
Bob
2498.2quality control?ROYALT::BUSENBARKMon Apr 13 1992 15:208
    Thats interesting Bob,the last time I tried a Gibson Chet Atkins in the 
    steel string flavor,I found the frets needed to be touched up. So
    much so that I lost interest in the purchase,because the dealer
    wouldn't setup the guitar. 
    
    
    							Rick
2498.3Not Gibson...DREAMN::MELENDEZ_MMon Apr 13 1992 19:103
    I have tried these guitars Gibson, Washburn and I also tried
    a Hohner (sp?). I like the Washburn the best.
2498.4NEST::CONROYWatch out! U might get what u're after.Tue Apr 14 1992 12:018
    
    I played 2 or 3 of the Gibsons in different places (all nylon strings)
    and I didn't set any fret problems with them.
    
    However, I did like the Washburn better overall and I'm glad I found
    it.
    
    Bob
2498.5Model number?ESKIMO::CHANISFri May 08 1992 10:565
    I've been sampling quite a few acoustic guitars over the past two weeks
    and found that Washburn's line is the best/most for the money......
    Especially the new Equis pick-up unit. Has anyone tried these yet?
    Regarding the aforementioned nylon string Washburn....Can you give us
    the model number?..........Thanks, Jim.
2498.6Had to look at homeNEST::CONROYLet's not be L7,come + learn to danceMon May 11 1992 15:372
    
    The Washburn nylon string electric is model: SBC-20