REVIEW > RESONATOR ROUNDUP
WASHBURN
to hear audio clips of the guitars at
premierguitar.com/aug2012
CLICKHere…
The Washburn brand has been a presence
in the guitar industry off and on for more
than 120 years. Given that the company
was originally based in Chicago—a hotbed
of blues since the late 1920s—and
remains in Illinois to this day, it’s
appropriate that Washburn designs
and manufactures instruments with
an eye towards vintage blues vibes.
With its single f-hole and cutaway,
the Washburn R15RCE has a way of
beckoning you to play. It’s a lovely reso-
nator, and a shimmering tobacco sunburst
adds a hint of sophistication to the down
With its single f-hole and cutaway, the
Washburn R15RCE has a way of beckoning
you to play. It’s a lovely resonator, and a
shimmering tobacco sunburst adds a hint of
sophistication to the down home retro look.
home retro look. The lipstick tube-style
pickup fits right in from a styling
perspective—sitting right between
the chrome-plated spider-cone
resonator and the end of the
fretboard—and it’s controlled
via two knurled knobs for
volume and tone. Grover-style
enclosed tuners help complete
the marriage of modern and vin-
tage touches.
The Washburn has a slightly
chunky U-shaped neck that
helps offset the cramped
feeling of the narrow string
spacing at the nut. The
neck is designed for aver-
aged sized hands, and
I had a little difficulty
fretting cleanly with
larger hands. Like most
of the guitars it was setup
with light gauge strings
and low action. And the
frets are neatly dressed and
without rough edges or snags.
Playing slide proved both rewarding and
frustrating. The setup on the low strings is
a bit higher than the treble strings, so much
that my slide kept striking the frets on the
treble strings for using a less-flat slide angle.
Like most guitars with spider-cone
resonators, the Washburn has a noticeably
nasal honk, albeit with more accents on
the low-mid side of things. This produces
a punchy tone that is ripe for bluesy slide
excursions. Cruising through classic lines
in open A and open E highlighted the clarity of the single string runs, as well as fully
barred chords. In standard tuning, the bass
was a bit muddy for fingerpicked blues
and strumming. Instead the Washburn
is more responsive to a lighter touch and
lighter attack evens the response. This can
be a drawback if you tend to be a spirited
picker who likes to pound the strings—
and many blues players are. But for a
songwriter with a more sensitive style that’s
looking for a bluesy vibe this could be just
the ticket.
RATINGS
Pros: Very affordable and handsome entry-level resonator.
Washburn R15RCE, $449 street, washburn.com
Cons: Muddy tones when played hard.
Tones
Value
