Washburn Guitars article
Washburn Guitars for Beginners: A Complete Guide
140 years of history and a dozen unfamiliar model names. Here's the gentle, honest starting point for total beginners.
Right, someone's mentioned Washburn to you, you've done a quick search, and now you've got 140 years of history and a dozen unfamiliar model names swimming in front of you. Ignore almost all of it for now. You need one sensible instrument type and a handful of checks — the history is genuinely interesting later, not essential today.
Work Out the Washburn Type First
Before buying a Washburn, decide roughly what you're actually playing: an acoustic for strumming and singing along, or an electric for riffs and leads. Washburn makes both properly, but they're aimed at different jobs, and a beginner-friendly dreadnought acoustic and a beginner-friendly electric are entirely different purchases with different things to check.
Don't Chase the Flagship Names Yet
The USA-made N4, built for Nuno Bettencourt, is a genuinely impressive instrument — and completely unnecessary for a first purchase. A simpler, more affordable Washburn in the same electric family, or a straightforward dreadnought acoustic, will teach you everything you need for the first year or two of playing. Save the flagship for once you actually know what you're missing.
Checking Your First Washburn Guitar Properly
- Play the exact instrument in the shop rather than assuming it matches the same model online.
- Check the neck for obvious warping by sighting down it from the headstock toward the body.
- Press each string down at a few frets and listen for buzzing or dead notes.
- On an acoustic, check the bridge and top for lifting, doming or visible cracks.
- On an electric, plug in and test every control, including the pickup selector and tone knobs.
- Ask whether the guitar is new or used, and if used, ask for the model name and any known history.
Washburn Words You'll Bump Into
| Term | What it actually means |
|---|---|
| Dreadnought | A large acoustic body shape with strong bass and projection |
| Auditorium | A more balanced, smaller acoustic body shape |
| HSH | A pickup layout: humbucker, single coil, humbucker |
| Extended Cutaway | A neck-joint design giving easier access to high frets |
| Serial number | A code identifying the exact model, and often the year and factory |
None of this needs memorising right away — it settles in naturally the first few times you actually hear each term used in context.
You Don't Need to Know the Whole History Yet
Washburn's story runs back to 1883 Chicago, through mandolins, the Lakeside Jumbo dreadnought and the unplugged-era Festival series, all the way to Nuno Bettencourt's modern N4. It's a genuinely good story, and worth reading once you're settled in — but none of it changes how you should shop for your first guitar today. Buy the instrument that suits how you'll actually play, not the one with the best backstory.
New Beats Used for a First Guitar
A used Washburn can be excellent value later, once you know how to properly assess one, but there's real merit in a new guitar for your very first purchase — a clear warranty, no guesswork about hidden repairs, and one less thing to worry about while you're still learning what "good" actually feels like under your fingers. Our piece on common mistakes to avoid covers a few of the traps that catch newer buyers most often, particularly around used instruments.
When to Explore the Rest of the Washburn Range
Once you've got a season or two of playing behind you and a genuine sense of what you're missing, that's the time to look at the Festival series for stage work, the C40 for classical technique, or the USA N4 if high-gain lead playing is where you're heading. Our full guide covers the whole history and range once you're ready for it.
The Bottom Line
Pick the instrument type that matches how you'll actually play, check it properly in the shop, and don't let 140 years of history talk you into a purchase you're not ready for yet. Get that first Washburn right, and the rest of the range will make far more sense once you've actually got some hours on the instrument.
Comments