Innovation is a rare commodity among lower-cost guitars, but Washburn has raised the bar significantly with its WI-64DL . Besides being extremely light, this handsome ax incorporates two features that are unique to the group-the Buzz Feiten Tuning System and VCC (Voice Contour Control) tone knobs. The former allows the 64DL to intonate sweetly in all registers, while the passive VCC system lets you morph between single-coil and humbucker sounds. Want kick-ass distortion punch? Sweep the bridge pickup control all the way up. Need some Strat color from the neck pickup? Turn the respective VCC control all the way down. Unlike traditional coil-cutting functions, the VCC circuit lets you tailor each pickup for just the right amount of clarity or crunch.

Ergonomically the DL is a delight. The medium-thick neck and smooth fretwork provide a silky playing feel and the controls are perfectly positioned. Though its output isn't super high, the DL delivers rich, authoritative distortion tones though almost any amp. You get mondo chunk in full humbucker mode, and amazingly airy clean tones-especially in dual pickup mode-by simply rolling the VCC knobs toward single-coil land.

Pros: A great sounding, easy-to-play guitar with above-average tonal flexibility.
Cons: Volume controls create excessive treble rolloff when turned down.

Final Cut
The overall quality and performance of these guitars made it more difficult to pick clear winners this time than in any shootout in GP history. However, after a couple of weeks of playing and comparing each instrument, a few managed to steal our hearts. The WI64DL is particularly special in both its ability to intonate more sweetly than any guitar of the group and deliver varying shades of humbucker and single-coil tones.