Price Paid: $695 USD
Description: Electric. The Wasburn WMS [$1169.00 list w/case] is a USA made set-neck,original design Mahogony body/neck guitar with a nice satin finish.Seymour Duncan pickups come standard.A Custom Custom at the bridge and a '59 at the neck position.I replaced the Custom Custom with a '59 to give the guitar more of a ""vintage"" tone,as the CC was rather ""dark"" for my taste.The WMS has a Tune-o-Matic bridge and Grover tuners.All hardware is nickel.The guitar is a 2000 model and has the Buzzy Fieten tuning system.
Tone:
Comments: Tone is quite like a ""good"" Gibson SG,sweet and ""woody"" with nice upper midrange cut.The neck '59 is great for blues and for getting the ""woman tone"" when overdriven.The bridge '59 sounds killer under light or heavy overdrive,especially through my MesaBoogie MKIIC+.The in-between tones are really happening...great for clean chord comping and stinging Chicago blues.Other amps I play the WMS through are a Fender Prosonic combo,a 1-12"" ValveTech combo,A Crate VC30,a Tech21 Trademark 10 and an early 60's Supro 1-8"",Class A 8 watt combo.
Quality:
Comments: The wood grain of the Mahogony is beautiful,with a wonderful satin finish that is great to touch.The action on the Rosewood fingerboard is fast and silky.The frets are smooth and even and the Grover tuners keep the WMS in tune extremely well.This guitar looks and feels superb,and at around $700.00,was a real bargain.
Overall:
Pros: Great value in a quality USA made axe.This beauty stands tall with my other guitars,and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.My other guitars include a '95 Fender American Standard Strat w/matching color headstock [Auqua Marine],pearl guard and Fender CS '54 p/ups,a Swamp Ash Carvin Bolt-T w/Duncan Alnico II p/ups,a USA Hamer Studio Archtop,a USA Hamer 25th Anniverary Artist,a USA Hamer P-90 Special,a USA Washburn WM200 w/Duncan Antiquity p/ups,a USA Fender Fat Tele w/Duncans,a Martin DM w/Fishman p/up and a Warwick Streamer Standard bass.
Cons: Not really a negative,but the satin finish can be damaged more easily than a gloss or poly finish.Also can't do Fender ""cluck & shimmer"",but that's what I have my Fenders for.There is not much I don't like about the Washburn WMS Maverick Studio.

Submitted by:
Edward Sousa (esousa@skybiz.com)
Playing Experience:
over ten years
Musical Tastes:
blues classic rock pop

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