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Washburn J9 "Washington"


Teletypist

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2000 Washburn J9 "Washington" Thinline hollow-body guitar. Excellent condition with the OHSC.

 

Fairly rare issue of the Samick-built Korean thinline jazz box (They no longer offer a similar guitar). Most versions of this model were geared towards the Rockabilly crowd with a Bigsby trem and different pups. It has the full sized 17" body, but 2" deep at the rim. Much more comfortable to play than the full depth body, especially when sitting. It's a hollow-body with a bridge post. Very nice player, and the tone can range from Jazzy to Bluesy. Although the body is quite resonant, as a thinline the feedback is much more controllable.

 

Pictures of mine here:

 

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg46/teletypist/Washburn%20Jazz/J9/

 

And to give you an idea of the Jazz tone there is a Youtube video here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMuos92Xj8Q

 

$700 plus shipping; will consider trades but mostly interested in MIA Telecasters and semi-hollow 335 types.

 

J9caseopensmall.jpg

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I've been asked about the "Washington" moniker (given to this model by Washburn).

 

Not named after a President or location, but rather after the late 19th Century physicist/inventor Isak Washington. It was he who discovered that woven cotton wrapped around a copper conductor not only made a good insulator but also smoothed out the flow of electrons thus producing the "mellow" sound today's Jazz aficionados crave.

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I've been asked some more about Isak Washington, so here is some more cursory info:

 

At the Spring 1914 meeting of the International Jazz Club Isak Washingtong was voted to receive the "Method Achievement Award" for his technical contribution to the art of Jazz performance. Unfortunately the presentation was to take place in August, in Berlin. Obviously the outbreak of hostilities prevented him from collecting the medal and modest stipend.

 

But events took a worse turn for this Jazz pioneer. During one of the many botched Zeppelin Air raids over "London" the ill fated LZ36 missed its targed by more than 150 miles. Even tho fog covered view of the "target", the Commander dropped the airship's bombs on the hamlet of Thurston On Lester. One struck the pub where Isak Washington was holding the Tuesday night Jazz Club meeting killing him, and most of the Jazz fans of the surrounding townships.

 

It was several months later when Washburn heard the devastating news, and they decided to give tribute to this Jazz pioneer.

The pub where he met his fate was called "The Healed Lion" (no pictures survive, but descriptions make it an odd twist of the "Daniel and the Lion" story) , so Washburn established the "Lyon" name for their student instruments, and the "Healy" name for the orchesteral instruments.

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