Washburn Guitars doesn’t have the same name and reputation as giants like Gibson and Fender, but this small company has been around for quite some time and makes a quality product. Let’s take a look at the Washburn company, a bit of history, and some of the guitars they make.

What most people don’t realize is that Washburn has been around since 1883. While they didn’t make electric guitars back then, they did make other great instruments. By the 1920s, Washburn had become a musical center in its own right. It was considered to be the first place African Americans would go back then. This was in the Mississippi Delta, which is where Delta Blues originated. As the guitar industry began to flourish, Washburn became the leading manufacturer of guitars for musicians who were heavily into the blues. This seemed like a perfectly natural progression considering Washburn’s roots.

Washburn manufactures a full line of electric and acoustic guitars and basses. They also make banjos, mandolins and amplifiers.

As for electric guitars, Washburn offers a wide variety of these. There are the famous Washburn Hollow Body guitars including the HB35, HB30, HB32 DM, J5, J4, J3 and HB15. Then there are Scott Ian’s Signature Series electric guitars, which include the SI 75 and SI 70. The features of these guitars alone are too numerous to list. And the price tags that come with them ($2,500+) aren’t for the average musician.

In 1999 Washburn decided that he wanted to make a guitar for the 21st century. That’s when they came up with the idol series. These guitars cover a wide spectrum of styles and sounds, including Aaron Fink, Sonny Mayo, Joe Don Rooney, and many others.

Other electric guitars in their line include the Maya series, featuring the Maya Pro, the N series, all numbered N1 through N6, the X series, which includes the really cool flame maple Face Eraser, and the Anarchy Graphic series which includes the classic V. WV 16 style, the X 16 and the WI 16. These are some of the most graphically impressive guitars ever made.

But we’ve only scratched the surface here. In addition to the great line of electric guitars, Washburn makes an equally long line of acoustic guitars. These include USA Acoustics, which cost up to $2,400; the Jumbo Acoustics, which feature a big low end and lots of extra volume; the Dreadnought series, which is handcrafted from top quality woods and materials; Folk-style guitars, excellent for recording and with solid spruce tops; their traditional classical acoustic, which is one of the oldest guitars they make; the NV guitars, which are for pure professionals and come with price tags well over $1000 and some fine travel guitars that range in price from $100 to $500.

Washburn offers a guitar for just about every type of player. They may not have the same name as Gibson or Fender, but they are a great guitar.