Distressed washburn mandos

[Scotti Adams]

May be of some interest to some

http://www.washburn.com/products/bluegrass/mandolins/m118sw.aspx

[mando.player]

I think the A model is pretty sharp looking:
http://www.washburn.com/products/bluegrass/mandolins/m116sw.aspx

[Jim Garber]

I guess buying the rights to a name allows a company to celebrate a 125th anniversary:

In conjunction with Washburn's 125th anniversary we proudly introduce our new vintage styled mandolins.

Well these certainly do look like decent instruments, however, I would also love to see them make some copies of their carved mandolins from the teens/twenties. Those in my mind are the exceptional Washburns. The old original company never really made Gibson clones back then.

[Ken Olmstead]

From Musician's Friend Web site:
"Customers who shopped for the Washburn M6SW Jethro Burns F-Style Mandolin w/case Sunburst ultimately bought
Gibson Bluegrass F-5 Distressed Master Model Mandolin - $22,999.99"

I wanna know who while shopping for a $600-700 mandolin, changed thier mind and went for the upgrade?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Anyway those new Washburns are pretty sharp looking with the H-bone binding and flame sides and back. Be interesting to hear how folks like them once they hit the street.

[Super400]

They certainly do like nice. That herringbobne is pretty cool. However, pop always told me not to judge a book by it's cover. Looking forward to playing one, though.

[Dan Adams]

The corporation that owns Washburn is in the US, but by whom and where are these mandolins constructed? Dan

[allenhopkins]

The corporation that owns Washburn is in the US, but by whom and where are these mandolins constructed? #Dan
Quite a question; the US Music Corp. website (http://www.usmusiccorp.com/)is pretty coy about where its different product lines are built. #Spending a little time on a Washburn forum, which mostly dealt with acoustic guitars, I drew the inference that the less expensive Washburns may be made in Indonesia, the more expensive in China, but there's a high percentage of inference and speculation in those conclusions.

Maybe someone in the Washburn sales business can set me straight. #I am a little bit put off, however, by the invocation on the Washburn "history" page of the distinguished Chicago history of the old Washburn Co. #As far as I can see, the only link between those vintage instruments, and the new product lines, is the "Washburn" nameplate to which US Music has acquired the rights.

But, as in my previous diatribes about the "exporting" of Flatiron, Guild, Fender, Epiphone, Regal, Recording King, and other former US labels, well, don't get me started...

[Nick Triesch]

There are a ton of makers out there, from food (Kraft) to Gibson to a ton of other American companys who have bought and sold , some multi times. And if they own the company they get to use all trade marks and history if it was in the sale. I believe Gibson has had several owners. It's the American way. I really don't care if "Cream Of Wheat" has had a ton of owners. I still love the stuff.

[allenhopkins]

There are a ton of makers out there, #from food (Kraft) to Gibson to a ton of other American companys who have bought and sold , some multi times. And if they own the company they get to use all trade marks and history if it was in the sale. #I believe Gibson has had several owners. #It's the American way. # #I really don't care if "Cream Of Wheat" has had a ton of owners. #I still love the stuff.
This is starting to be [1] a hijack, and [2] battery of a dead equine, but I can't restrain myself. #You are 100% right; the new owners do get to use the trademark and to invoke the history of the company that used to own it.

But if the new product they make has nothing to do with the old product (other than the fact that both products are generically "instruments"), and if -- not that I'm saying this is the case -- the new product is nowhere near as good as the old product, I find this marginally fraudulent.

Taking your example: if the new company that bought the Cream Of Wheat trademark, started selling an amalgamated slurry of sawdust and bird droppings under that label -- while simultaneously talking glowingly of the long and distinguished history of Cream Of Wheat -- well, doubt you'd love it so much. #You'd think they were trying to puff up their current undistinguished product, by invoking a glorious past which they were doing their best not to live up to.

I promise this will be the last I'll say (in this thread) on the subject. #I'm old, crabby, and get quite tiresome sometimes.

[Nick Triesch]

Sorry to make you upset Allen. Many of the American products that we know and love have changed owners many times over the years. For the most part, most of the brands that Kraft has bought up are still as good as when I was a kid. Winchester guns is another good example. Over the years they have really beefed up their long repeating arms heritage. They have been bought and sold many times. Lamborghini is owned by Audi which is owned by VW. But man, it sure is still a Lambo!!! As far as a hijack goes, gosh you got to say how you feel. I'm old too. Nick:)

[mandoboy07]

Ok back to the mando thing I am now playing a Washburn M120 and have been for almost a year. Paid almost 900 for it new the sound is big nice woody chop and the looks are great . If the new ones are even close to mine they are well worth it.