Washburn archtops
Brad Holstead
I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6. It had a blond
finish, gold hardware, two humbuckers, rosewood bridge, and bound ncek
and headstock. What's the poop on these things? Are they any good? It
looked to be kind of old, and the price was good. Just wondering if
anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
Brad
b.holstead'at'utoronto.ca
Brad Holstead
b.holstead'at'utoronto.ca
Don Mitchell
Brad Holstead wrote:
>
> I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6.
> anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
I have an older J6, and I have to say, except for the fact that it
weighs a ton, it's a helluva guitar. I recently played 3 new Epis: an
Emporer Regent, a Broadway (comparable to my J6), and a Joe Pass. And I
think the finish work, the detailing, and especially the neck on my
guitar were superior to the Epis.
Don
Lawson G. Stone
Brad Holstead wrote:
>
> I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6. It had a blond
> finish, gold hardware, two humbuckers, rosewood bridge, and bound ncek
> and headstock. What's the poop on these things? Are they any good? It
> anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
>
model is manufactured for Washburn by Samick in Korea, who also
manufacture the Epiphone Joe Pass and just about all the other 2 pickup
round-cutaway laminated archtops selling for under $1000. They're all
surprising good for the money, and you can often find them used for
around $400 in great shape.
--
//////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Lawson G. Stone—Asbury Theological Seminary—Wilmore, KY 40390
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////////////////////
"I never practice. I open the case once in a while and throw in a
piece of meat." Wes Montgomery, Jazz Guitarist, told to Jim Hall.
Gary Persons
In article <3426E2...@uky.campus.mci.net>, "Lawson G. Stone"
<lst...@uky.campus.mci.net> wrote:
> These are just as good as the comparable Epiphones, or whatever. That
> model is manufactured for Washburn by Samick in Korea, who also
> manufacture the Epiphone Joe Pass and just about all the other 2
> pickup round-cutaway laminated archtops selling for under $1000.
> They're all surprising good for the money, and you can often find them
> used for around $400 in great shape.
Lawrence is absolutely right, but I want to make one modification. For
some reason (QC?) these instruments vary quite a bit from guitar to
guitar. I played an Epiphone yesterday that was terrible, but have
played others that were very good.
Just play as many as you can.
!^NavFont02F02750008IH97HI765798
--
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Gary Persons
Author of "The Finale Resource"
gper...@earthlink.net
818-841-8140
Now available at Amazon.com!
"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. Then you'll be a mile away from him, and have his shoes, so he can't catch you." Ray Magliozzi, Car Talk, September 6, 1997
Lawson G. Stone
Gary Persons wrote:
>
> In article <3426E2...@uky.campus.mci.net>, "Lawson G. Stone"
> <lst...@uky.campus.mci.net> wrote:
>
> > These are just as good as the comparable Epiphones, or whatever. That
> > model is manufactured for Washburn by Samick in Korea, who also
> > manufacture the Epiphone Joe Pass and just about all the other 2
> > pickup round-cutaway laminated archtops selling for under $1000.
> > They're all surprising good for the money, and you can often find them
> > used for around $400 in great shape.
>
> Lawrence is absolutely right, but I want to make one modification. For
> some reason (QC?) these instruments vary quite a bit from guitar to
> guitar. I played an Epiphone yesterday that was terrible, but have
> played others that were very good.
>
> Just play as many as you can.
I bet it partly set up. Some work with the neck, the right strings,
bridge placement, etc. would probably fix it up. I have heard some shop
owners complain that epiphones can be hard to set up. I haven't
experienced that, but I've heard the complaint.
--
//////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Lawson G. Stone輸sbury Theological Seminary邑ilmore, KY 40390
patrick f.coleman
Lawson G. Stone wrote:
> Brad Holstead wrote:
> >
> > I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6. It had a
> blond
> > finish, gold hardware, two humbuckers, rosewood bridge, and bound
> ncek
> > and headstock. What's the poop on these things? Are they any good?
> It
> > looked to be kind of old, and the price was good. Just wondering if
> > anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
> >
> These are just as good as the comparable Epiphones,.
>
> --
> //////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
> Lawson G. Stone輸sbury Theological Seminary邑ilmore, KY 40390
I have to disagree with this.
I have heard, but don't KNOW that Samick makes the epiphones. But I do
know that comparing an epi to a wahsburn, the washburn pulls up short,
if not lame outright.
For one thing, I had been seeing Washburns turn up as factory seconds
and returned instruments in a number of different places.
These were guitars whose binding came off, necks twisted, braces
cracked, etc. (victor litz music and musicians friend were two places..
I know there were more)
I have no information of this happening with epiphones. so apparently,
even if they are made at the same place, Gibson has held a tight rein on
defects.
I cannot imagine why a washburn, (HB35) would be a better guitar or an
equal guitar to an Epiphone Sheraton. The Sheraton is made to Gibson
specs, and the Washburn is made of sycamore?
Model for model, in fact, I think the same would be true.
I suggest you call 1 800 348 5003 for a free catalog and avoid the
washburns.
If the washburn you were looking at was the J6 jazz box, I think you'd
be better off with an Epiphone broadway for sure.
Current issue of either guitar world or guitar player has reviews of
jazz boxes in this price range, comparing them to a vintage Gibson...
and epi scored high.
happy picking.
twang!
patrick f. coleman
Lawson G. Stone
BillWynne2 wrote:
>
> In article <3427BB...@uky.campus.mci.net>, "Lawson G. Stone"
> <lst...@uky.campus.mci.net> writes:
>
> > For
> >> some reason (QC?) these instruments vary quite a bit from guitar to
> >> guitar. I played an Epiphone yesterday that was terrible, but have
> >> played others that were very good.
> >>
> >> Just play as many as you can.
> >
> >I bet it partly set up. Some work with the neck, the right strings,
> >bridge placement, etc. would probably fix it up. I have heard some shop
> >owners complain that epiphones can be hard to set up. I haven't
> >experienced that, but I've heard the complaint.
>
> which the bridge was so off line, the high E-string wasn't even on the
> fretboard.
>
> This is a QC problem.
>
Exactly--"right out of the carton" means "not set up" in my book. I
never assume a guitar is set up correctly out of the carton. Some
dealers set up guitars before they ship, but other dealers just pick a
box from the factory and send it out.
That Samick makes nearly all the under-$1000 2 humbucker/rounded cutaway
plywood archtops is widely known and well documented. Samick has been an
OEM provider for ages and ages. They also probably have varying levels
of inspection grading, and it's possible Epiphone, for examples, goes
for a higher cut while Washburn goes lower, maybe because of that custom
tailpiece; to cover that cost and stay competitive, they might need to
go a shade lower in the QC pile.
About the manufacturing, though, there is no doubt. More people make
music on Samicks than even realise it!
--
//////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Lawson G. Stone輸sbury Theological Seminary邑ilmore, KY 40390
BillWynne2
> For
>> some reason (QC?) these instruments vary quite a bit from guitar to
>> guitar. I played an Epiphone yesterday that was terrible, but have
>> played others that were very good.
>>
>> Just play as many as you can.
>
>I bet it partly set up. Some work with the neck, the right strings,
>bridge placement, etc. would probably fix it up. I have heard some shop
>owners complain that epiphones can be hard to set up. I haven't
>experienced that, but I've heard the complaint.
Sometimes it's more than that. I played one right out of the carton on
which the bridge was so off line, the high E-string wasn't even on the
fretboard.
This is a QC problem.
Bill Wynne
Guitarist
Philadelphia
.
.
.
.
.
Bill Wynne Philadelphia, PA
So much Hawaiian music. So little time...
OASYSCO
>Sometimes it's more than that. I played one right out of the carton on
>which the bridge was so off line, the high E-string wasn't even on the
>fretboard.
>
>This is a QC problem
I assume that the Washburn Montgomery and New Orleans archtops are made by
Samick in Korea. If so, then when you have a single manufacturer turning
out dozens of brands, any deficiencies in that mfr's processes - raw mat'l
selection, pre-manufacturing processing, manufacturing, and QA (or QC) -
will become apparent.
I prefer American (or more precisely pro manufacturer -> consumer) guitars
over brand distribution like so many guitar brands have become.
I wonder... are the Samick brand guitars a cut above Epis, Cort, etc? They
make a pretty jazz guitar, but the troubles with QA that are making their
way into this NG are disturbing. How about Gibson? do they have the same
percentage of QA problems? Keep in mind that Samick probably turns out 10
times as many guitars as Gibson per year.
Any opinions?
Regards,
Greg
Brad Holstead
On 25 Sep 1997 23:08:17 GMT, oas...@aol.com (OASYSCO) wrote:
>
>I wonder... are the Samick brand guitars a cut above Epis, Cort, etc? They
>make a pretty jazz guitar, but the troubles with QA that are making their
>way into this NG are disturbing. How about Gibson? do they have the same
>percentage of QA problems? Keep in mind that Samick probably turns out 10
>times as many guitars as Gibson per year.
>
>Any opinions?
>
>Regards,
>Greg
I just got a new Gibson - a Chet Atkins Tennesean - and it was far
from perfect. It was mainly cosmetics: pickup switch backwards; frets
not polished at all, with grey, clay-like crap where frets meet wood
(BTW, anyone know what this is?); lots of orange peel in the finish.
But I got it for less than half of list, so I can't _really_ complain.
It seems all the big companies have QC problems, tho Gibson could
_never_ sink as low as their '70s output. I must say, however, that I
have seen very few QC problems on Yamaha guitars in any price bracket.
I am the one who originally posted about the Washburn J-6. I went to
see it again. I originally thought it was old, but a closer look
proved I was wrong. The sticker inside the f-hole says 'George
Washburn Company' or something like that. But nowhere on the guitar
does it say where it was made. The neck feels very similar to the Epi
Joe Pass, so I would guess Korea. Anyway, the Yamaha AES L-5 copy
beside it blew it away. Now that is a nice guitar, for about 10% of
the price of a 'real' one!
Later,
Brad
Karl G. Helmer
Lawson and others were discussing the relative merits of Epiphone/Washburn
/Samick guitars:
Just to add some fuel to the anecdotal fire, I bought a J10 (archtop,
single pickup, Washburn) that needed no setup right out of the box.
Played and
sounded great. I was actually taking a chance with this guitar since
the one in the store didn't sound very good. It was what I was looking
for though and the price (~1000) was good. It's a nice guitar, but I
would
make sure to more than one before deciding that the guitars were not
good.
Karl
Mark Cleary
Gives this guy the skinny ( I stole this word from Clay) on the orange
peel and frets. You could do a much better job than me.
--
Mark Cleary makes music in the finest tools available.
"HOLLENBECK GUITARS" handmade arch-top guitars for the
player after the ultimate in tone and playability.
BillWynne2
In article <342ACC...@uky.campus.mci.net>, "Lawson G. Stone"
<lst...@uky.campus.mci.net> writes:
>Exactly--"right out of the carton" means "not set up" in my book. I
>never assume a guitar is set up correctly out of the carton. Some
>dealers set up guitars before they ship, but other dealers just pick a
>box from the factory and send it out.
What I meant to imply was that no amount of time spent setting up the
guitar would have remedied this gross misalignment. The whole bridge
needed to be removed and shifted, and I don't think this is considered part
of routine set-up procedures.
However, I agree with you that, if the dealer had opened up the carton to
set-up the piece before trying to sell it to me, he would have saved
himself and Washburn some embarassment by discovering this alignment
problem before the potential customer did.
Bill Wynne
Guitarist
Philadelphia
.
.
.
.
Bill Wynne Philadelphia, PA
R & A Whitaker
> >
> > I just got a new Gibson - a Chet Atkins Tennesean - and it was far
> > from perfect. It was mainly cosmetics: pickup switch backwards;
> frets
> > not polished at all, with grey, clay-like crap where frets meet wood
>
> > (BTW, anyone know what this is?); lots of orange peel in the finish.
>
> > But I got it for less than half of list, so I can't _really_
> complain.
> >
>
> Mark Cleary wrote:
> Ray,
>
> Gives this guy the skinny ( I stole this word from Clay) on the orange
>
> peel and frets. You could do a much better job than me.
> --
> Mark Cleary makes music in the finest tools available.
> "HOLLENBECK GUITARS" handmade arch-top guitars for the
> player after the ultimate in tone and playability.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the vote of confidence! I can't say for sure but I would
think that the grey, clay like crap on the wood is buffing compound, but
then again he said the frets weren't polished so who knows? As far as I
know Gibson hasn't started gluing frets in so it shouldn't be glue.
Sometimes places in the finish aren't leveled in the wet sanding (or dry
sanding ) process and these places will resemble what is called orange
peel. Without seeing it I can't be sure about that either. It may very
well be orange peel. If the finish is think enough and cured out
properly even most orange peel can be leveled out and not present much
problem. The same cannot be said for fisheyes though, which have to be
sanded back to bare wood to get out of the finish. Well Mark I guess I
wasn't that much help.<G>
Ray Whitaker
Lawson G. Stone
OASYSCO wrote:
>
> >Sometimes it's more than that. I played one right out of the carton on
> >which the bridge was so off line, the high E-string wasn't even on the
> >fretboard.
> >
> >This is a QC problem
>
> I assume that the Washburn Montgomery and New Orleans archtops are made by
> Samick in Korea. If so, then when you have a single manufacturer turning
> out dozens of brands, any deficiencies in that mfr's processes - raw mat'l
> selection, pre-manufacturing processing, manufacturing, and QA (or QC) -
> will become apparent.
>
and graded. Each manufacturer than has a particularly grade range within
which they order, often to compensate for deviations from standard
Samick appointments, such as the Washburn "W" bridge or the Epiphone Joe
Pass signature pickguards. If, theoretically, Aria orders at a lower
level of inspection grade than Epiphone, then Ephiphone's will be nicer
even though they both come from Samick.
According to an article I read sometime back, Samick is actually quite
proud of their instruments and, though factory made, they are serious
about making good instruments. I have heard, however, of either possible
or pending bankruptcy.
> I prefer American (or more precisely pro manufacturer -> consumer) guitars
> over brand distribution like so many guitar brands have become.
>
> I wonder... are the Samick brand guitars a cut above Epis, Cort, etc? They
> make a pretty jazz guitar, but the troubles with QA that are making their
> way into this NG are disturbing. How about Gibson? do they have the same
> percentage of QA problems? Keep in mind that Samick probably turns out 10
> times as many guitars as Gibson per year.
>
> Any opinions?
>
> Regards,
> Greg
--
Lawson G. Stone
BillWynne2 wrote:
>
> In article <342ACC...@uky.campus.mci.net>, "Lawson G. Stone"
> <lst...@uky.campus.mci.net> writes:
>
> >Exactly--"right out of the carton" means "not set up" in my book. I
> >never assume a guitar is set up correctly out of the carton. Some
> >dealers set up guitars before they ship, but other dealers just pick a
> >box from the factory and send it out.
>
> What I meant to imply was that no amount of time spent setting up the
> guitar would have remedied this gross misalignment. The whole bridge
> needed to be removed and shifted, and I don't think this is considered part
> of routine set-up procedures.
>
just sits on the guitar held in place by string pressure. It's routine
set-up on an archtop to slide the bridge around, some even slant it a
bit. Others like to remove it, tape some sandpaper onto the guitar where
the bridge sits--grit up--and grind the bottom of the bridge a bit to
fit more closely. That un-glued bridge is a normal feature of archtop
setup.
> However, I agree with you that, if the dealer had opened up the carton to
> set-up the piece before trying to sell it to me, he would have saved
> himself and Washburn some embarassment by discovering this alignment
> problem before the potential customer did.
>
> Bill Wynne
> Guitarist
> Philadelphia
> .
> .
> .
> .
>
> Bill Wynne Philadelphia, PA
> So much Hawaiian music. So little time...
--
//////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Lawson G. Stone—Asbury Theological Seminary—Wilmore, KY 40390
Jose Paulo Xavier Pires
patrick f.coleman wrote:
> =
> Lawson G. Stone wrote:
> =
> > Brad Holstead wrote:
> > >
> > > I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6. It had a
> > blond
> > > finish, gold hardware, two humbuckers, rosewood bridge, and bound
> > ncek
> > > and headstock. What's the poop on these things? Are they any good?
> > It
> > > looked to be kind of old, and the price was good. Just wondering if
> > > anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
> > >
> > These are just as good as the comparable Epiphones,.
> >
> > --
> > //////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
> > Lawson G. Stone=97Asbury Theological Seminary=97Wilmore, KY 40390
> =
I remember the Guitar Player review of the archtops in 1996 and the J6
scored higher then the Epis Joe Pass/Emperor. Also, the J6 was mentioned
as
"Hall of Fame" in the "100 best buys" issue (1996).
I own one and have no complains about it. Great tone and low price.
I agree with Don mitchell: IMHO, the finish work, the detailing, and the
neck on the J6 are superior to the Epis. =
J. Paulo Pires
patrick f.coleman
Jose Paulo Xavier Pires wrote:
> patrick f.coleman wrote:
> >
> > Lawson G. Stone wrote:
> >
> > > Brad Holstead wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6. It had a
> > > blond
> > > > finish, gold hardware, two humbuckers, rosewood bridge, and
> bound
> > > ncek
> > > > and headstock. What's the poop on these things? Are they any
> good?
> > > It
> > > > looked to be kind of old, and the price was good. Just wondering
> if
> > > > anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
> > > >
> > > These are just as good as the comparable Epiphones,.
> > >
> > > --
> > > //////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
> > > Lawson G. Stone—Asbury Theological Seminary—Wilmore, KY 40390
> >
> J. Paulo Pires
And I have no disagreement so long as we're talking about the Joe
Pass epiphone. They pretty much get universally spammed in here.
Perhaps the Washburn J6 is the best of the Washburns and the Joe Pass is
the worst of the epis, I dont know.
what I do know is this, the epiphone emperor regent has been on that 100
best buy list for at least two years. The Joe Pass doesnt seem to pass
muster with anyone, no washburn that I've seen compares well to any
other epiphones in a like style or price range.
I know the epiphone emperor scored higher on this years jazz box test in
either guitar player or guitar world magazine than washburn.
A lot of washburn acoustics have been turning up as factory seconds and
returns. (a lot to me, anyway, meaning too many for me to feel
comfortable about buying one)
The J6 has an arched spruce top while the joe pass has maple according
to every catalog and brochure Ive got on it.
So if you want to compare an epi to the J6 which has a spruce top, try
the broadway which I bet would kick its butt. :-)
and that's all on this,for me.
by the way.. has anyone got any info on what the top of the joe pass is
made of? even in epis catalog it lists only maple.. all other models
that say maple body, mean maple top as well, but the joe pass top doesnt
look like maple...
the emperor regent has spruce.. the broadway has spruce...
hmmmm?
You should note that I've never played a J6, so take that into account.
But by all means compare them all.
twang!
patrick f. coleman
Randall Zywicki
"Select spruce" does NOT mean solid spruce. To the best of my knowledge,
all of these Samick guitars are laminates. Not to degrade them, as they
are a great value in most cases. But there is probably no real acoustic
difference between laminate spruve and laminate maple.
--
Randy Zywicki, Systems Engineer
Raytheon TI Systems
(972) 952-6293
zyw...@rtis.ray.com
Michael L Kankiewicz
I recently was able to compare the Epi and WB full body single floating
pickup models side by side. I don't know how consistant each model is
from piece to piece, but the WB was *way* better tone wise. The Epi was
very thin and tinny. However, I've played on two of the WB's, and on both
action was a bit high with the bridge already lowered all the way.
Michael K.
Harry Avant
Randall Zywicki <zyw...@ti.com> wrote:
>patrick f.coleman wrote:
>>
>> And I have no disagreement so long as we're talking about the Joe
>> Pass epiphone. They pretty much get universally spammed in here.
>> Perhaps the Washburn J6 is the best of the Washburns and the Joe Pass is
>> the worst of the epis, I dont know.
>> what I do know is this, the epiphone emperor regent has been on that 100
>> best buy list for at least two years. The Joe Pass doesnt seem to pass
>> muster with anyone, no washburn that I've seen compares well to any
>> other epiphones in a like style or price range.
(snip)
> twang!
>> patrick f. coleman
Last night I heard Frank Potenza and John Pisano playing solos and
duets, and both were using Epiphone Joe Pass models. Now I didn't
examine the guitars for defects and so on, but I gotta tell ya there
was nothing wrong with the sound of either one. Maybe it's the
player? Frank was using an old Bassman head into a 12 inch speaker
and Pisano was going through a Centaur keyboard amp. For a couple of
hours the club was jumping and the sound was mighty fine.
Harry
Lawson G. Stone
patrick f.coleman wrote:
>
>
> And I have no disagreement so long as we're talking about the Joe
> Pass epiphone. They pretty much get universally spammed in here.
> Perhaps the Washburn J6 is the best of the Washburns and the Joe Pass is
> the worst of the epis, I dont know.
A search of posts on this group about the Joe Pass shows that most
owners of this model are surprised and happy with its performance
relative to price. There is no way the J6 is the "best" of the Washburns
when they also have Orleans J10 which sells for a bit more. Also the J6
is laminated. Washburn's description simply says "arched" and "spruce"
but the operative word you need to see is "solid" or "carved." The
review of this instrument along with other budget archtops by Andy
McKenzie in "Just Jazz Guitar" a few issues back indicated this guitar
was laminated. The J6, like the Joe Pass and a boatload of others, is
almost certainly a Korean made Samick, selected from the quality control
continuum and appointed to Washburn's specifications.
> what I do know is this, the epiphone emperor regent has been on that 100
> best buy list for at least two years. The Joe Pass doesnt seem to pass
> muster with anyone, no washburn that I've seen compares well to any
> other epiphones in a like style or price range.
I have the Emperor Regent and can compare it also to my Heritage Golden
Eagle. ER is a fine guitar, but also has a laminated top. Note even the
Washburn Orleans J10 doesn't claim to be "solid" or "carved" but only
says "arched" "tuned" and "voiced bracing" none of which really means
unambiguously "SOLID CARVED." We have to be very careful with ad copy. I
can't say for certain the J10 is laminated, but if it is, its the only
archtop I know anywhere near that price range to have a carved, solid
top.
> I know the epiphone emperor scored higher on this years jazz box test in
> either guitar player or guitar world magazine than washburn.
> A lot of washburn acoustics have been turning up as factory seconds and
> returns. (a lot to me, anyway, meaning too many for me to feel
> comfortable about buying one)
> The J6 has an arched spruce top while the joe pass has maple according
> to every catalog and brochure Ive got on it.
> So if you want to compare an epi to the J6 which has a spruce top, try
> the broadway which I bet would kick its butt. :-)
> and that's all on this,for me.
>
> by the way.. has anyone got any info on what the top of the joe pass is
> made of? even in epis catalog it lists only maple.. all other models
> that say maple body, mean maple top as well, but the joe pass top doesnt
> look like maple...
> the emperor regent has spruce.. the broadway has spruce...
> hmmmm?
>
When it's laminated, it really doesn't matter. The topwood is just
cosmetic. May be maple laminate with a spruce veneer.
> You should note that I've never played a J6, so take that into account.
> But by all means compare them all.
> twang!
> patrick f. coleman
--
//////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Lawson G. Stone—Asbury Theological Seminary—Wilmore, KY 40390
Clay M Moore
Michael L Kankiewicz wrote:
I played a Washburn for the first time yesterday at a music store. It
felt like a pawn shop special, and I concur that the action was way
high. I'm glad in a way that I'm not in the market for an axe, because
it sure seems like you have to lay out a lot of cash to get something
decent. When I graduated from high school in '74 I moved to Fla. and saw
an ad for an ES-175, one that dated from around '54 or so. The owner
wanted $475 for it, which was a fortune I didn't have. I've often
wondered about that guitar and if it would have made a big difference on
my career.........naaaah.
--
Clay Moore
Charlie Christian influenced my approach to the trumpet and Dizzy
Gillespie's and Chet Baker's, and also influenced the phrasing of Frank
Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole. --Miles Davis
Kurt Rohde
Clay M Moore (cmm...@ibm.net) wrote:
> I played a Washburn for the first time yesterday at a music store. It
> felt like a pawn shop special, and I concur that the action was way
> high. I'm glad in a way that I'm not in the market for an axe, because
> it sure seems like you have to lay out a lot of cash to get something
> decent. When I graduated from high school in '74 I moved to Fla. and saw
Washburn make such a wide variety, some are crap, and some are awesome.
You dont need to spend a fortune. Theres guitars made by The Heritage,
Washburn, Yamaha, and Ibanez which are better quality, yet cheaper than
the Gibsons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Rohde
Carleton University
"Born to lose.....Live to win."
Motorhead
Email address: kro...@chat.carleton.ca
----------------------------------------------------------------------
tomb...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
In article <60uj43$b...@argentina.earthlink.net> hav...@earthlink.net (Harry Avant) writes:
>
>Last night I heard Frank Potenza and John Pisano playing solos and
>duets, and both were using Epiphone Joe Pass models. Now I didn't
>examine the guitars for defects and so on, but I gotta tell ya there
>was nothing wrong with the sound of either one. Maybe it's the
>player?
Is there only one JP Epi model? I checked a few out maybe five
years ago. They were pretty junky, but they were going for only
around $450 new so I thought it was a reasonable deal. But more
recently I have heard folks raving about JPs, and so I assumed
that there might be another model or maybe he signed with another
company or something.
Dan Stanley
Lawson G. Stone wrote:
>
> patrick f.coleman wrote:
> >
> >
> > And I have no disagreement so long as we're talking about the Joe
> > Pass epiphone. They pretty much get universally spammed in here.
> > Perhaps the Washburn J6 is the best of the Washburns and the Joe Pass is
> > the worst of the epis, I dont know.
>
> A search of posts on this group about the Joe Pass shows that most
> owners of this model are surprised and happy with its performance
> relative to price. There is no way the J6 is the "best" of the Washburns
> when they also have Orleans J10 which sells for a bit more.
I've played a bunch of Joe Pass Epiphones, and wasn't really very
impressed (not a slam on Epiphone. I like ALOT of recent Epiphones). But
I did play a Washburn Orleans and was VERY impressed. Very high in the
bang for the buck evaluation so important here in guitar hack heaven.
Dan Stanley
--
Send me your tired, your hungry, your spam...
- joyce...@oates.com
Nothing is better, nothing is best
Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest.
-Bob Dylan
reply to stanley1 "at" tiac "dot" net
Lawren Daltroy
Lawson G. Stone <lst...@uky.campus.mci.net> wrote in article
<343250...@uky.campus.mci.net>...
> patrick f.coleman wrote:
> >
> >
> > And I have no disagreement so long as we're talking about the Joe
> > Pass epiphone. They pretty much get universally spammed in here.
> > Perhaps the Washburn J6 is the best of the Washburns and the Joe Pass
is
> > the worst of the epis, I dont know.
>
> A search of posts on this group about the Joe Pass shows that most
> owners of this model are surprised and happy with its performance
> relative to price.
To join a long conversation here, I've owned about 20 guitars in my 36
years of playing, including 4 Martins, a Heritage Custom Eagle, and the Joe
Pass Epiphone, and I used to teach in a stringed instrument repair shop
where I had lots of instruments to play. I've also owned three pianos. My
opinion is that it's very hard to compare any wood/handmade instruments by
line, because there is so much variation. A given line may be better on
average, but you'll often find a lot of overlap, unless you're going for
something custom like a Benedetto. In fact, that's very useful, because if
you have a price range and style you like, and a bit of patience, you can
play a lot of guitars and suddenly you'll find one out of 20 just like it
that is clearly superior in tone, playability, etc -- just normal random
variation. Buy that one and you've got a bargain!
After a lot of comparison shopping, I bought a Joe Pass Epiphone that was
outstanding for tone and playability and had it for a few years. Then the
frets came loose and the music store sent it back to the factory under
warranty. Because, on average, these are cheap archtops, I guess the
factory people thought it was easier to send me an 'identical' replacement
than to fix the one I sent them and that's what they did! The new one
sucked, and I was really steamed. I got rid of it and got my Heritage
instead (again, after listening to many).
Dan Stanley
Ummm...I'd be surprised to find he signed with another company. He's
dead. Then again, his estate may have asked Gibson/Epiphone to make some
changes.
Gary Persons
In article <3431D552...@earthlink.nospamnet>, "patrick f.coleman"
<twa...@earthlink.nospamnet> wrote:
> The Joe Pass doesnt seem to pass
> muster with anyone, no washburn that I've seen compares well to any
> other epiphones in a like style or price range.
But here in LA, the Joe Pass seems to be the "second" instrument of
choice with a number of pros, including John Pisano and Barry Zweig.
Part of it is probably the setup.
It's a playable box that won't kill you if someone steps on it!
!^NavFont02F019E0008IGE2HH9FB8D4
Gary Persons
In article <60v1tt$7...@news.jhu.edu>, tomb...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu ()
wrote:
> Is there only one JP Epi model? I checked a few out maybe five
> years ago. They were pretty junky, but they were going for only
> around $450 new so I thought it was a reasonable deal. But more
> recently I have heard folks raving about JPs, and so I assumed
> that there might be another model or maybe he signed with another
> company or something.
Nope - same one. $400 - $500 is typical, but the instruments vary
enormously!
!^NavFont02F01A00008IH61HHA1623D
Larry Otis
I have a 1994 Washburn J-6 which I consider a decent working guitar. I
have it strung with 13's and have had the frets reworked by Tom Doyle.
At the time, Tom was doing sound for Les Paul at Fat Tuesdays and when I
brought the guitar in I showed to Les Paul, who tapped the top and made
a few funny remarks about plywood. I was a little disappointed that he
didn't beg me to let him play it that night but I got over it. :-) The
only real problems I've had with the J-6 were the fret work, the lousy
gold plating job on the pickup covers and tuning keys (within a month
wherever my hands touched the gold plating it literally disappeared) ,
the rattling and buzzing 3-way toggle and a hard to find buzz between
the neck pickup and its mounting ring. These problems were annoying but
they were fixable. On a gig the differences between my J-6 and most
other medium priced guitars (say, Heritage or Gibson) are so slight that
the only real issue is how well I can play (which has been an issue!:-)
Larry
Samuel Lim
Sounds like there are a lot of Epiphone Joe Pass Players out there.
It also sounds like there are a lot of mixed opinions about this guitar.
I am currently playing a Epi Les Paul and like it a lot but lately I've
been craving a more "jazzed up"... hollowbody sound. The Joe Pass
caught me eye instantly and I am seriously considering buying. IS there
any advice out there for me? I.e. is this guitar considered good for
its price? Are there better ones (aside from the Washburn?) How does
the Epi compare with an equivalent Gibson which costs many times more?
I've seen 2 different colors (vintage... kinda light brown/yellow and a
brown sunburst) Is the difference merely cosmetic or are there
differences in materials too? Are these guitars prone to warping,
flexing when compared with the Gibsons. In terms of quality, should I
buy the Epi now, or should I wait and save up for the Gibson?
Sorry for all the questions. I know this subject has probably been
beaten to death. ITs just that at my current level of playing, this
is a really big step for me. :)
thanks a lot!
sam
ps.. Does Joe Pass actually play this guitar? I've seen albums where
it says that he plays Ibanez.
RDS
I hate to change the subject guys, but what about Yamaha archtops in
comparison with Washburns. They have a reasonable price, and I think a
more professional sound. Have you heard any of Martin Taylor's recordings?
patrick f.coleman <twa...@earthlink.nospamnet> wrote in article
<3431D552...@earthlink.nospamnet>...
> Jose Paulo Xavier Pires wrote:
>
> > patrick f.coleman wrote:
> > >
> > > Lawson G. Stone wrote:
> > >
> > > > Brad Holstead wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I recently saw in my local music store a Washburn C-6. It had a
> > > > blond
> > > > > finish, gold hardware, two humbuckers, rosewood bridge, and
> > bound
> > > > ncek
> > > > > and headstock. What's the poop on these things? Are they any
> > good?
> > > > It
> > > > > looked to be kind of old, and the price was good. Just wondering
> > if
> > > > > anyone had any experiences with these guitars.
> > > > >
> > > > These are just as good as the comparable Epiphones,.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > //////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
> > >
> > > I have to disagree with this.
> > > I have heard, but don't KNOW that Samick makes the epiphones. But I
> > do
> > > know that comparing an epi to a wahsburn, the washburn pulls up
> > short,
> > > if not lame outright.
> > seconds
> Pass epiphone. They pretty much get universally spammed in here.
> Perhaps the Washburn J6 is the best of the Washburns and the Joe Pass is
> the worst of the epis, I dont know.
> muster with anyone, no washburn that I've seen compares well to any
> other epiphones in a like style or price range.
> either guitar player or guitar world magazine than washburn.
> A lot of washburn acoustics have been turning up as factory seconds and
> returns. (a lot to me, anyway, meaning too many for me to feel
> comfortable about buying one)
> The J6 has an arched spruce top while the joe pass has maple according
> to every catalog and brochure Ive got on it.
> So if you want to compare an epi to the J6 which has a spruce top, try
> the broadway which I bet would kick its butt. :-)
> and that's all on this,for me.
>
> by the way.. has anyone got any info on what the top of the joe pass is
> made of? even in epis catalog it lists only maple.. all other models
> that say maple body, mean maple top as well, but the joe pass top doesnt
> look like maple...
> the emperor regent has spruce.. the broadway has spruce...
> hmmmm?
>
David C. Stephens
RDS wrote:
>
> I hate to change the subject guys, but what about Yamaha archtops in
> comparison with Washburns. They have a reasonable price, and I think a
> more professional sound. Have you heard any of Martin Taylor's recordings?
I've been trying to find one of these Yamahas to audition for over a
year now. The concept of mixing a magnetic with a piezo pickup sounds
intriguing to me. It sure sounds good on Martin Taylor's albums. I've
called Brook Mays and Guitar Center at least a dozen times. I supposedly
am on a list to play the first one in, but the guitar never arrives. Has
anyone played one?
Dave
Michael L Kankiewicz
On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Clay M Moore wrote:
> Michael L Kankiewicz wrote:
>
> > I recently was able to compare the Epi and WB full body single
> > floating
> > pickup models side by side. I don't know how consistant each model is
> >
> > from piece to piece, but the WB was *way* better tone wise. The Epi
> > was
> > very thin and tinny. However, I've played on two of the WB's, and on
> > both
> > action was a bit high with the bridge already lowered all the way.
> >
>
> I played a Washburn for the first time yesterday at a music store. It
> felt like a pawn shop special, and I concur that the action was way
> high. I'm glad in a way that I'm not in the market for an axe, because
> it sure seems like you have to lay out a lot of cash to get something
> decent. When I graduated from high school in '74 I moved to Fla. and saw
> an ad for an ES-175, one that dated from around '54 or so. The owner
> wanted $475 for it, which was a fortune I didn't have. I've often
> wondered about that guitar and if it would have made a big difference on
> my career.........naaaah.
Yea, that's life. When I paid $399 for a new ES-335 in 1975 I thought it
was a huge amount. Several years later I thought the $900 for my 1961
Johnny Smith was a fortune - my parents thought I had gone nuts. Today
I'm sure glad I was that crazy! :) I think if one could get the action
down a bit on the Washburn, it would be a darn good buy - I thought the
tone was remarkable.
Michael K..
Gary Chvatal
"RDS" <clif...@telusplanet.net> wrote:
>I hate to change the subject guys, but what about Yamaha archtops in
>comparison with Washburns. They have a reasonable price, and I think a
>more professional sound. Have you heard any of Martin Taylor's recordings?
I saw the Martin Taylor model Yamaha and gave it a spin....I didn't
care for it at all. It had a terrible acoustic sound which didn't
even inspire me to plug it in. I think they wanted $1200 (add case).
A shop down the road has a Washburn J6 for a bout $600 and I think
thats the beter buy of the two (although I'd rather have a Heritage
Eagle than either of those two).
---------
"I really didn't say everything I said" Yogi Berra (Although I hate to quote a Yankee despite the big Tribe playoff win !!