Washburn Bass Guitars

Got this bass from Musician's Friend as a "Special". $149.00 and it came with a very good soft/hard case. Got it originally for my daughter but she likes guitar better so I ended up with it. I had a Fender Mustang and a Precision - both in the 60's and this Washburn feels better. Well-balanced and the neck is killer! The mahogany body can really resonate and the factory set it up so good for off-the-shelf. The pick-ups are OK but could stand to be better quality but for $149 with a case? A pickguard would be nice to as I do use a pick frequently but . .! Volume knob/potentiometer is kind of wack as it comes on quick with little more gain as you go full tilt. This piece is absolutely well made. No gaps where the neck bolts on. Hardware is superman tough. The finish - I got the black one like everything for my guitars and Harley's- is superb. But I wish I got the natural finish as the black shows fingerprints easier. This is just a darned great buy for the price. I still can't believe it. I got it in my studio/shop but I'm looking seriously at upgrading the pick-ups and using it to gig cuz it feels nice to me and my 54 year-old back. It's fun to play and play with. Get one! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Acquired from Musicians Friend, cost was $249, showed a list price of around $500 This bass had a good feel from the beginning after trying several others in the same or slightly higher price range, felt balanced, liked the weight, neck felt good. My first had some real buzz, it seems it had an inherent internal problem, I returned it after 2 weeks and they replaced it. This second one has been a gem. Tone and volume adjustments seem a little insensitive, but that's about it. This bass has been through a fire and survived, has been durable, and holds tune nicely. Excellent sounding pickups. I saw someone playing the bass I almost bought instead, it was falling to pieces--I won't mention the manufacturer's famous name. Glad I bought this one. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this bass in Greece. While touring with my band, I was looking for something professional and cheap enough, the golden combination, you might think. Well, YES, it is!!! I paid an equivalent to 700 USD for this lovely piece of art. It is a 5-strings and responds to every single touch. This bass a quite a piece. From the moment you see it you literarily cannot take your eyes off it. The personality of the sound is enormous and that B at the top is really potent!!! Many cabs can tell you how they have suffered because of the ultralow frecuency of this babe. The unit should have a separated bridge control for each string to avoid "transmission". This is very solid indeed!!! You feel the real man "wearing this babe. Yet, it is stylish enough to put you as the core of attraction in concerts. My fellow bass players say it is one of the greatest combination of sound and beauty in the market. Give it a try. It is superb!!!! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I BOUGHT THIS BASS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ON EBAY, FROM MUSIC 123.COM. I PAID 165.00 WITH SHIPPING. WANTED A CHEAP 5 STRING. VERY NICE FINISH, MINE IS METAL FLAKE PURPLE. IT HAS A VERY NICE SOUND ALTHOUGH THE OUTPUT ON THE B STRING IS A LITTLE LACKING. THE NECK IS FANTASTIC VERY EASY TO PLAY AND IT CAME SET UP VERY NICE RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. WHEN MINE ARRIVED TWO TUNERS WERE LOOSE AND THE TONE POT WAS LOOSE. MINOR THINGS THAT WERE EASY TO FIX BUT IF YOU WERE JUST STARTING OUT YOU MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX. THE CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITY I THINK ARE VERY NICE I HAVE A FEW AMERICAN FENDERS AND ALTHOUGH NOT QUITE A MATCH IN QUALITY FOR THE PRICE I WAS JUST AS HAPPY. THE FINISH IS VERY THICK AND MAY ACTUALLY HURT THE SOUND BUT IT DOES LOOK NICE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO GET YOUR FIRST 5 STRING OR ARE EVEN LOOKING FOR A PRIMARY INSTRUMENT I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bough this bass at a local music shop to upgrade from a Peavey Patriot, I paid US$270 and I really believe it is worth every penny For starters I love the red see through finish, the neck hasnt warped or moved in the 3 years I have been playing it The electronics are not very good, about a month after I bought it they sounded crackly, but I got that fixed. But you dont have much good tonal variation, you have a really nice deep sound and when you try to ged a little more mids, you end up getting way too much trebble The construccion is really sturdy, like I said have been using it for about 3 years and it has held up playing gigs every week. I believe it is the most reliable bass in its category. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased from Brookmays during a red tag final clearance sale last year for $800...a STEAL (the only model they had in the whole country, and it happened to be in my town)! This bass goes for $1,475 at Musicians Friend as of 9/2002. After having played it for a year, I'd say it's well worth 15 C-Notes. This bass is crafted by Washburn's USA Custom division in Chicago, and it shows. The XB925 is a beautiful J Bass 5 string with special touches throughout. The Flame Maple top over a Swamp Ash body gives great tone through all settings. A two piece maple neck and rosewood fingerboard compliment a jazz neck that is just the right size for a player (like myself) that doesn't have huge hands. Great action and very playable. Then, you've got bartolini pick-ups and electronics, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, a switch to go between active and passive pick-up, 3 band EQ on board...just a well designed and constructed bass. You can set this bass to play just about anything, from a light jazz flavor to a deep groove. It is my favorite bass. While I don't use it much, I find the XB925 more difficult to slap than my Fender American Jazz. I've got to believe it's just me, though, since Bootsy Collins has played this mama! Also it's sustain is not as prevalent as the Fender (but how many are?). Again, well constructed and solid. The XB925 is lighter than my Fender, which is a plus for long sets. I'm very careful with it as I'm not sure how much abuse it can take..but then I love my basses and treat them all well. It keeps tune fairly well but should have a pro set-up done after purchase (like all guitars require). Along with the aforementioned switch to go between active and passive, you've got a single volume control, a phase control to balance volume between the 2 pick-ups, a dual stacked bass/treble control and a mid-range knob. Firm buttons. This is an excellent instrument. Clearly each person has to find the bass that fit's them right and gets you the sound you want. The XB925 must be underated or undiscovered by some people. It's played by Rick Savage (Def Leppard), Michael Bradford, Kenny Ames and others, but that's not why you buy a bass. This instrument is so versatile you can dial in heavy rock, funk, jazz, country, just about any feel you want. The action is crisp. The fretboard is so smooth....! If you have average size hands and want a truly professional bass, give this one a try. Keep it LOW and in the pocket. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

saw it in the store and it was the best bass i ever held and i held alot of basses music man and the rb2000 sound pretty much the same i like the body of the bass the sound is really nice, strong and the pick up is great there is nothing on this bass that can be disliked strong made to last a million years for this bass the price is really a good deal best bass the i have played in my life besides the music man this is number 1 deal This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

(Originally written by Adx star/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Everything has been already said... Very good machine heads, passive ABT JJ Washburn pickups and rosewood fingerboard. Good finish. I like it a lot. UTILIZATION Very pleasant neck and in spite of other opinions I don't find it too thick! Yes, it's thick but not too wide so playing it represents ABSOLUTELY no problem. It's not comparable with Ibanez, Cort and others... The overall manufacturing quality of the instrument is good. The access to upper frets is not a problem. Regarding the sound... simply use good amps... The weight is ok. Try a 5-string Stingray or a BTB 400QM and you'll immediately notice the difference... SOUNDS This bass is not conceived for slapping, that's for sure. There are others bass guitars much better suited for that. But it's good for jazz, rock, ... It's difficult to say which music style fits this instrument better... It depends on the amp, the strings, etc. I decided to put flat wound strings on it. I play it with the following amps: Gallien-Krueger 700RBII, Traynor YBA200 and BASSPOD XT LIVE + QSC USA. I'm impressed by the sound of this bass no matter which amp I use. The frequency control is very accurate and the bass produces a nice and fat low-end. I give it an 8 for the sound!!! It's an ideal bass for solos since you can move pretty easily along the neck. OVERALL OPINION I don't really understand some reviews. It's one of the last instruments of my collection that I would sell... I love the finish and the neck-through body. I know the pickups are no revelation, but considering what other instruments have to offer, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's also a quite rare model and I like its personality. You must play it smoothly to enjoy its neck (and flat wound strings are the perfect complement). I'm a collector so I've tested lots of other bass guitars and there is no need to compare it with a Fender, a Music Man, an Ibanez BTB, a Washburn or a Hondo All Star. Every instrument has its own personality, ergonomics, pickups, etc. The most important thing is to enjoy playing them. I bought it secondhand and I WON'T SELL IT!!!