1980s Washburn copy of L&H Style A

[mrmando]

I have never seen one of these (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150313963068) before. Asymmetrical Style A-type body with Style B headstock. Looks nice. Anyone ever played one? Are they any good?

http://i16.ebayimg.com/07/i/001/21/a6/c35b_1.JPG

P.S. It figures: there's an old thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10241).

[Martin Jonas]

P.S. It figures: there's an old thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10241).

Two old threads in fact: here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37689&highlight=M7SW) is the other one.

Martin

[sumibuilt]

Hi Guys, I was " Roachcoach" in the old threads. I had the m7sw. Was a nice mandolin. From what I remember, it had nice mids and highs, just a little lacking on the bottom. It was all solid woods and had a flamed maple back. I think production dates were between 80 and 82. Any more questions I'll try to answer

[violmando]

I'm the one who got the one just listed on eBay; I'll let you know how I like it when it comes. I have a friend who had one as a substitute for her L&H A style; she loaned it to someone who ran over it with his pickup. Now she has a L&H C for her sub. She says she liked the Washburn better for those sub gigs---you know, where she's got it on a stand and the audience is a little too close for comfort? I'm hoping it will be fine for me; I'm a mandocellist first; I'll leave those vintage lovelies to those who play them all the time, but I wanted something with a little better sound and all I had was a Johnson with the neck coming out...Yvonne

[Bruce Clausen]

I had in the early eighties a Washburn with the same head style, but a regular teardrop body-- copy of an L & H model C, I guess, though I never realized that till now. I think the finish was like the one above. It had a very loud and bright sound, but I never quite got comfortable on it. Hacked my way through one film-score session on it, then traded it off for an old Weymann mandolute.

BC

[Eddie Sheehy]

Yvonne, I was the guy you outbid. I was in mid-Atlantic when the auction closed....
I'd really like to know how it sounds.
Eddie.

[Phil Hopkins]

I think I was the first bidder, but only up to about $450, if I remember correctly. Do post a report on it when you have a chance to play it a bit. I'm very curious.

[violmando]

I will but give me a few days; I got it Sat and promptly got the BUG! I'm just starting to feel human. We had a DMO and mando qtet gig last night that I was going to (I found I could manage my mandocello, but was wobbly on walking) but we were ice stormed out! So I'm hoping to play today! Sorry about outbidding you Eddie, but my only other mandolin is a Johnson F that I started on and the neck is coming out; I wanted something good without taking a vintage player off the market. Of course, now I'm drooling over the L&H B in the classifieds....Yvonne

[mrmando]

I had in the early eighties a Washburn with the same head style, but a regular teardrop body-- copy of an L & H model C, I guess, though I never realized that till now.

Here (http://www.finemusicalinstruments.com/item182825.ctlg) is a photo of one of those. Did yours have all that schmancy inlay?
http://web.iwebcenters.com/music/images/WashBurnMandolinM3SDLFront.jpg

[Bruce Clausen]

Hey, that is fancy! If I remember right, Martin, mine had the same inlays and finish as the two point you posted originally. But it's a long time ago and I only had the instrument a couple of years or so. It was quite well built and sounded good to me, but I never got used to the neck. In those days I was a guitarist that doubled occasionally on mandolin; I'd probably appreciate it more now that I actually play mandolin.

BC