WASHBURN WD32

A scrummy looking new acoustic from a well-loved US name

Words: Harry Wylie

What's this one all about then?

Its a wicked new single cutaway dreadnought acoustic from Washburn. This guitar is made in China, but it's got that often elusive American quality stamped all over it.

Stamped? Like where?

Try the faultless neck binding, the tasteful but understated inlays round the soundhold and the US Grove machinehead, for starters. Oh, and don't forget that classy looking Washburn headstock, which looks so much better than the older style of Washburn logo, which lets face it, looks a bit too 80's for comfort now. This Chinese guitar has a real vintage American look and feel to it, trust me.

But it's made in China. Surely that's a bad thing?

Well, tons of guitars come from the Far East nowadays. Judging by this one, they seem to be getting pretty good at making guitars over there.

Sounds fair enough to me. Tell me Abu the woods....

The top is nicely figured bit of solid spruce, seen on many natural acoustics like this one. The standout feature is the groovy soundhole rosette; nice woods that are well treated can look much more classy than
a bit of sham mother of toilet seat. All in all, this is a very Taylor esque design. The back and sides are standard mahogany laminates, but construction is faultless, inside and out.

But it's made in China. Surely that's a bad thing?

Well, tons of guitars come from the Far East nowadays. Judging by this one, they seem to be getting pretty good at making guitars over there.

Sounds fair enough to me. Tell me Abu the woods....

The top is nicely figured bit of solid spruce, seen on many natural acoustics like this one. The standout feature is the groovy soundhole rosette; nice woods that are well treated can look much more classy than
a bit of sham mother of toilet seat. All in all, this is a very Taylor esque design. The back and sides are standard mahogany laminates, but construction is faultless, inside and out.

What about the neck?

That's the most important bit isn't it? Yes, well without a neck you wouldn't be able to play a guitar at all, so it is kinda crucial I suppose. And the WD32 sports a real gem. For the cash it is truly outstanding: it beats the budget Arias and Fenders of this world hands down. Once again, the binding and lowish frets give the guitar a nice Gibsonesque feel; narrow gauge strings help out here too.

How does it play?

The setup straight from the box was spot on- perfect in fact. Although you might want to reconfigure things for some chunky strings, if folk is you main bag, this guitar plays just fine straight out of the box. And no, this model wasn't specially set up for our review; all Washburns get just the same amount of tender loving care.

Projection and resonance from the large dreadnought body were equally impressive; the guitar offers a superb springy tone; loud enough pickers, smooth enough for strummers.

What if I need electronics, though?

Cool you heels, man! This Washburn comes in both flavours: acoustic and electric. The WD32 is yer basic acoustic model while the WD32 SCE offers the latest pre-amp technology for the dead friendly outlay of
WD32. These are scarily reasonable prices.

Latest Technology?

Yeah, it uses the new Equis pre-amp with built in tuner. So simple and so groovy it'll soon be appearing on every guitar at this price. That makes the electro model a really nice purchase at just shy of £300.00. Let me stress this in case you don't quite get it yet. This guitar is going to fly from the music shops.

Why so?

Well, there's nothing really to rival it at the price, although a fair few pretenders may try. Take the American styling, great build and nice playability, the new electrics and classy finish, then the Washburn brandname, which adds a fair bit of kudos to... My favourite also-ran is the slightly pricier Aria Sandpiper ASP 130, which sports a similarly distinctive look and modern playing feel.

What else has Washburn got to offer? What if I cant splash out more than £200.00? Well, how about an equally ace new beginners model? The D8 is a simple satin finish dreadnought at £129.00 perfect for occasional strumalongs or those lamentable campfire sing-songs.

Conclusion

Where you like acoustic or electro-acoustic, the WD32 is a winner. And in the £200-£300 sector of the acoustic market, which is one of the most hotly contested areas in the music business, it's the guitar you should put at the top of your wish list