Members Fstpicker Posted September 3, 2004 Members Share Posted September 3, 2004 I just finished playing for over 2.5 hours straight my newly purchased in brand new condition Washburn WD-18SW that I received today. This is an all-solid wood mahogany guitar that I bought online from a well-established ebay music dealer and boy, am I thrilled with it. The mahogany (or sapele) is beautifully stipped front and back with nice and straight grain-lines and is finished off just right. It has enough of plain or simple elegance that will rival or pass many a Martin D-15 in beauty. The abalone soundhole trim just sets the simplicity off just right. The ebony fretboard (yes it is ebony!) and bridge set it off nicely as well! I'll try to post some pictures later on if I can survive Hurricane Frances! And the tone? Wow...it is every bit as good as I hoped it would be! Nicely balanced with just enough bass, midrange, and sweet trebles to give it a bright, but still mellow tone that sings forever. Great sustain; excellent mahogany overtones with just a right amount of fundamental tone. After playing it straight for almost 3 hours, it seems to already have opened up and become richer in tone. This guitar will be a great bluegrasser and will handle flatpicking leads very nicely. It may not be as much as a boomer like a Martin yet, but give it time to open up and it will do the job nicely. The neck feels just right with just the correct amount of medium-low profile thickness and feels so comfortable to hold. The gold Grover tuners are an improvement over my Martin's Ping tuners for sure and don't seem to have quite the sloppiness my Pings do at times. And they work very smooth. The quality workmanship is excellent with only 2 or 3 minor imperfections noted that you have to pretty much look for. Certainly not up to Martin's standards, but still very decent for a PacRim-made guitar. I really am loving this guitar already and know it will serve me well for years to come. I wanted a guitar that I could "kick around" and take with me outdoors and to jam sessions without worrying about a nick or bang here and there, and one that I could just have fun with. This guitar IS fun to play and exceeds my expectations of the benefits and pleasure I will get out of it! I may possibly pass it on to my daughter down the road someday, IF she continues to learn on her guitar like I hope she will. Thanks for listening. For those of you who haven't had the chance to play one of these (I've never seen one locally either!), you will not be disappointed! Check them out. They are an outstanding value for the money and sound. BTW, I was very fortunate to be able to purchase this Washburn for $209 including shipping and a lovely Washburn imprinted and padded matching gigbag. Jeff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted September 3, 2004 Members Share Posted September 3, 2004 Nothing like...........fallin' in love..........Please keep safe during the hurricane........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fstpicker Posted September 3, 2004 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2004 Thanks a bunch Alan! I appreciate it! Jeff..."ready, borded up, hunkered down, and waitin' for Frances!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orsino Posted September 3, 2004 Members Share Posted September 3, 2004 Great find Jeff. We may need a little acoustic music to calm our nerves in the next couple of days. Have fun with your new instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TaylorFishin' Posted September 3, 2004 Members Share Posted September 3, 2004 Sounds like you found a hidden Gem Jeff. It's always good to find just the right tool for the job. Enjoy and take it everywhere! PS - I hope you Florida guys remain safe and don't take any foolish chances. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fstpicker Posted September 3, 2004 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2004 Thanks Guys for your kind words. Here is a link to the actual ebay listing of my guitar, although I can't be sure 100% that the guitar pictured is indeed mine, as he has sold more than one of these. However, it sure looks like mine as mine has that distinct sapele ribbon pattern to it along with the soft satin finish glow this picture reveals. I'll try to get some real pictures of my guitar after Frances blows over. You're right about that, Ors! This guitar should "fit the bill" very well in doing that! Here it is: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3744239511&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT Take care...all of you! Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seven7 Posted September 4, 2004 Members Share Posted September 4, 2004 congrats! glad you're enjoying it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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