Washburn Guitars has a storied history that started in Chicago in 1883. Each type of Washburn guitar has a model number, which is used to identify the guitar on websites and in catalogs. Understanding these numbers can be difficult, because they seem to hold no information about the guitar. In reality, you can get an idea of the type of Washburn from its model number if you know the basics of how the numbers are arranged.
Electric
Check the beginning of the model number. This will tell you what series your guitar is in, and is the most important piece of information in the model number. The series of guitars will all have similar qualities to yours, and the remainder of the model number differentiates the guitar in more detail.
Find “WI” at the beginning of your model number to verify that you have an “Original Idol” series guitar. “WIN” means you have a new “Idol” series guitar. “WMI” indicated “Mighty Idol Series” and “XM” indicates the “XM” Series of guitars. Nuno Bettencourt model numbers start with an “N” and Paul Stanley ones with “PS.” “HB” also stands for “Hollow Body,” and is found at the beginning of the model name for all hollow-bodied guitars.
Find “74” in your model name to indicate a single-cut, bolt-on neck. Most other necks are single-cut set necks, but any other variations will be evident when looking into your specific series.
Acoustic
Check the beginning of the model number to find your guitar’s series. The name is generally the first four or five characters of the model number, which makes identifying acoustic guitars easier.
Find “WD10” to identify your guitar as part of the series of the same name. These guitars feature spruce or cedar tops and rosewood bridges and fingerboards. The electro-acoustic models in this series have Fishman preamps. “WD7S” is another series name that occupies the first four digits of the model number of its guitars. These acoustics have cherry or tobacco burst designs and catalpa sides and backs. These also have rosewood fretboards, but the electro-acoustic models have MET-A07 preamps.
Find a “D” in the model number to verify that the guitar has a “dreadnought”-style body, which are standard, large acoustic guitar bodies. As well as this, if there is a “12” in the model name, it indicates that the guitar is a 12-string model.
References
Writer Bio
Lee Johnson has written for various publications and websites since 2005, covering science, music and a wide range of topics. He studies physics at the Open University, with a particular interest in quantum physics and cosmology. He's based in the UK and drinks too much tea.
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