Price:
Although a $500 guitar, it can be found for around $300 at www.activemusician.com, and www.samash.com. This guitar is a 10/10 value as it sounds and plays much better than the price would suggest. (Rating: 10 out of 10)

Features:

• Maple body & top
• Double cutaway semi-acoustic body
• Chrome hardware Bound f holes
• Multi laminate binding
• Raised black/white pickguard
• Rosewood fingerboard
• Tune-o-matic bridge
• Stop bar tailpiece
• Neck pickup: 621 with open coils
• Bridge pickup: 623 with open coils
• 4 knob/3 way switch
• Grover® 18:1 gear ratio tuners
• Maple neck
• Mahogany neck
• Neck radius: 320mm 24.72"
• Scale 22 frets
• Joined at the 19th fret
• Nut Width: 1 5/8" (43mm)

Sound:
For the price this guitar sounds amazing. First of all the sustain in this thing is awesome for the price, and unlike some competing semi hollow-body guitars does not have any feedback problems. Another thing is the pickups the two pickups sound very different allowing for a broader range of tones. You can get a smoky jazz tone with one, while the other can give you a sharper clearer sound. The neck furthermore is the best I have ever tried allowing for incredible speed, allowing every note to come out fluid... that is with good technique of course. It's a great guitar for anything from Jazz to shred. I bet you readers are probably thinking why a semi hollow body for metal. You have to play it to see why. It has one of the nicest tones for rock and metal when paired with a good distortion, as well as the most comfortable neck in it's price range (or even in comparison to more expensive guitars) to allow for speed playing. (Rating: 9 out of 10)

Build Quality:
With basis on one of the older models I can honestly say that the build quality is top notch. Not only does the guitar feel and look beautiful, but the neck is simply excellent allowing for easy access all the way to the 22nd fret. On most guitars, playing the higher frets requires a different uncomfortable technique, which is not the case with this Washburn. My only complaint however is the fact it could have had 2 more frets to make it the ultimate shred metal guitar. The neck is truly fantastic. (Rating: 9 out of 10)

Reliability:
It is very well built, and in case anything goes wrong the company replies to emails quickly. The company even does upgrades if you send them the parts to upgrade to (they'll charge for the work though, but that way you won't lose the warranty). (Rating: 8 out of 10)

Overall:
An almost perfect guitar. It's biggest problem being that it scratches too easily. (Rating: 9 out of 10)

Total user(s) rating = 9.0 out of 10.

Comments (5)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...

I have a red HB 30. It is a truly superb guitar that I feel is better then my '79 Gibson 335, '83 Epiphone Sheraton and '67 Hofner Thinline 4572/V2 and '02 Gibson Es 135 as far as the other semi hollow bodies I have go. What I play ranges from '30's Blues/Jazz to hard and heavey rock and this particular guitar is the one I choose most ofthe time. It is smooth and easy with 1/16" action at the 12th fret.
The feedback is totally controlable for me and I can make thois sounnd like a LP thru an overdriven amp or a big old 50's jazzbox. I paid $300 with 5 catch canadian hardshell case. If you find one buy it.

Walter Read , March 14, 2010

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...

I just bought this guitar with case for $277.00 . I just ordered a pair of USA made Authentic Gibson Classic '57 pickups and am getting them installed over the weekend. Cant wait to see the difference in sound quality.
PS. for me to invest $300.00 (the cost of the entire guitar) in putting Gibson Classic '57 tells you one thing... either I'm a complete idiot or truly feel good and confident about the quality of the neck adn body of this guitar to do an electrical overhaul.

luis th perez , January 20, 2010

• 
• +0
• 
• 

ASSOCIATE ENGINEER DOLPHIN STUDIOS/VIDEOGRAPHER

I bought a tobacco HB-30 and totally agree with your assessment. I have two other Washburn's and didn't plan it that way. I have worked in recording studios in Texas , Kansas, California and now Hawaii and have had the Gibson's Fenders etc. but just love the build and sound i am getting on the HG-30. and my Idol. I have a cool Washburn acoustic and it has a XLR balanced output. The three are all I need for any project sound account tracks. I also do some scoring for video with my effects rack the 3 Washburns and a MAc Book Pro.

Dennis White , December 11, 2009

• 
• +0
• 
• 

I love this guitar

I bought one of these a while back and i love it. Mines been dropped several times and hasn't got a scratch on it. I've take it to pieces to fix a pick up (a spring broke to thanks to the pre-mentioned incident) and its so easy to do. I just love it! It sounds amazing!

David Roper , October 10, 2009

• 
• +0
• 
• 

I guess the writer is right!...

I got one of these recently, and it's become my main guitar. So far, I haven't found any complain about it.

This beauty goes through blues and jazz perfectly, its clean tone is majestic, but I didn't buy it with the purpose to use only for such styles, as my main style is alternative rock. This guitar goes through high distortion unexpectedly fine, I love its sustain-loaded tone, and actually, it has pefectly suited my sporadical spells into heavy metal and alternative metal; but I don't think it could deal with more extreme and higher gain-loaded tones.

So far, it's got no scratches at all, I'm careful when I hold it...

For the price (you'd get one from $285 to $500, depending on where you buy it), it's very nice.

Marco , August 22, 2009

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Write comment

Name

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment