Washburn EA-20 Festival Series Acoustic Electric

This guitar was made in 1998 I believe, USA model. I bought it used from a lady that had just purchased it. If it were a car it would've had less than 1,000 miles on it when I bought it. It has a 3 band equalizer & active electronics. It also has a volume control. It has Grover machine heads that do an amazing job! I have never, in over 25 years of playing & 50+ guitars owned, had a guitar to stay in tune so well. Words can't describe how well it does in this area. It has a rosewood neck, no pickguard, & a hardshell case, cut-away body style which I really like. I'm giving the features a rating of 8, deducting 1 point for the horrible location of the equalizer/volume controls (on top of the guitar, one can very easily move the knobs, etc. while strumming accidently, but also have trouble adjusting when needed). I'll deduct 2 points due to the absence of a strap button on the front of the guitar. What was Washburn thinking on this matter?! I have to tie my strap around the headstock in order to stand up & play. I'll also deduct 1 point due to the hardshell case. It's a very, very nice case, but it won't open all the way back. You have to hold the case open with one hand & get the guitar out or put it back with the other or else the case will fall towards you. Talk about an inconvienence! I've put 2 noticeable dents on the face of the guitar when my hand slipped & the case closed on the guitar before I had it put back. The chrome locking pieces from the case hit the guitar, I was so angry! Now, I've done my math & I realize that's 4 points deducted for a total of 6. However, I'm adding 1 point extra for the Grover machine heads (yes, they're that impressive!), & another point for the sheer beauty & comfort of the guitar. It is slim, sleek, & very comfortable to play. I've played it for hours & never gotten tired of holding it, etc.

I mostly play praise music these days, lots of strong rhythms & nice mellow fingerstyle. Therefore, different tones are required, & this guitar fully delivers. I occassionly use a chorus and/or delay pedal, & I play through a Marshall amp. I've never heard hum or hiss from the pickup, and the sound is rich, full, bright, & very balanced. I use Dean Markley phosper bronze strings, & I'm very pleased with the sounds/tones I get.

The action/set up on this guitar is very good, it was a big selling point for me. There are no visible flaws on the guitar except the 2 I mentioned earlier in reference to the case closing on it.

I can best describe the durability on this guitar as delicately tough. I do no think it would take much abuse, I treat it with care! But, it does take some beatings. The finish is top notch, but the electronics may be a bit fragile. I currently gig without a back up, but I'm no longer playing on the road, just local gigs. I would defintely have a back up if I were going on the road. I believe it to be pretty dependable, but a bit fragile.

I've owned several Washburn guitars, both acoustic & electric. They have alwasy treated me very well, I like dealing with them.

I've been playing about 25 years now, I've played everything from Mozart to Metallica. I currently play praise music at a local church (wonderful gig!). This is my main guitar for this current gig. I'm very very demanding on an instrument, I expect very much from a guitar. My friends say I'm too demanding, but I don't think so. I expect versatility more than anything. I don't like having 6-7 guitars lined up to do a gig, I prefer to stick with 1. If I don't like a guitar I won't buy it. If I do buy it & don't like it (very rare instance), I'll quickly get rid of it. This Washburn does the trick for me. It plays as well, sounds as good, & looks as good as guitars I've played at twice the price. The playability & comfort is my favorite feature on this guitar, I simply love playing it. I would go nuts if it were lost or stolen, I don't really know what I would do. I don't think Washburn even makes the Festival series anymore (perhaps they do, I really don't know), but I would try to find another like it if something did happen to the one I have. However, I would also take a good hard look at some Yamahas, Martins, & Takamine before deciding. The Washburn EA-20 is a very nice guitar.