Washburn RB2002

You know the features by now; 24 frets, 4 strings, humbucker and s/c pickups, solid wood body, grover machineheads (retains tuning excellently), relatively narrow neck - makes for easier fingering.

I've played this through a Hartke stack and a Fender Bassman valve amp both live and in the studio. The Washburn has a naturally warm tone and this can be complimented by the punchier Hartke or enhanced by the warmth of a valve amp. On odd occasions live it has also been DI'd or used on other amps and I can honestly say that every time it has sounded fantastic and I have always received compliments on the sound. So far this bass sounds great through anything and I'm yet to be proven wrong! Always warm, the EQ can be adjusted to give the top end extra brightness. I've played my Washburn in blues bands, folk bands, rock bands and it just always sounds great, it's the one thing I cannot fault it for - sounds really great using a little light overdrive from a Boss OverDrive pedal too!

The action was a little high when I bought it but it was easily adjustable. The soft wood body means that it picks up marks and scratches really easily and this is probably the biggest problem, other than that it looks great and the neck feels really good to play on.

This bass has been played live extensively and I haven't had a problem yet - it's always reliable in terms of sound, the strap buttons are sold and even with a few nicks it still looks great. However, this is okay so long as you don't mind the slightly worn look. If I'm honest I don't always keep it in its case around the house so it's always bound to pick up light damage. Heavy strings will pull on the neck in time so I'd recommend something lighter. Luckily this is of no detriment to the sound as stated previously, unless you only want to play death metal, in which case this is not the bass for you. If you're the kind of player who takes decent care of your instruments then this should hold out fine. Even with a few knocks mine is still in visibly good condition, as this is with A LOT of live playing, and I have dropped it LOADS of times.

Can't say I've ever had any reason to contact customer support so I have no opinion.

I bought this bass at about ??390 about 3 years ago now. In terms of a mid-price range bass this is superb value for money. I'm not a fan of Washburn's other basses and I stumbled upon this one by happy accident, but within the ??350 - ??650 midrange market it definitely stands apart from the crowd. No doubt I will buy other, better basses in the future, and I certainly wouldn't claim it could be the bass to stop your buying spree, but I can't see myself selling this one on in a hurry even when I do decide to upgrade. The only thing I can really fault it on is the softness of the wood in terms of picking up light (aesthetic) damage and the incompatibility with heavy gauge strings. However, these are matters of care and style. The different shades of wood compliment each other nicely so it always looks great, and although I wasn't initially sure about the scratchplate, it's definitely saved the bass a fair bit of wear.

The best thing about the Washburn RB2002 HAS to be the sound. It's warm and rich, works well with a little overdrive, and has excellent range, complimenting a variety of styles. At literally every gig I have had a bassist from another band compliment me on the sound and ask what model it is. This bass will suit a broad base of players from more typical rhythm playing to more complex fingerwork, making its mark upon each song for all the right reasons.

I'm not quite sure why Washburn discontinued this particular model, but I feel that if anything this adds to its charm. It has become a rare gem, set apart from other 'standard' looking basses such as the Fender or Gibson shapes, with a genuinely surprising and deceptively brilliant sound that makes me proud to own an RB2002.

And at ??390! I mean, come on!

String-thru 34" 4-string was made in Korea year 2000. Maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 24 frets, large pole J and MM pickups, active eq; (volume, low, high, pan), beautiful metallic white with gold hardware, grover brand tuners, Buzz Feiten tuning system, i believe the body is ash but not certain

All it lacks is a mid pot but based on the sound control I'm getting out of this bass its not necessary.

The MM humbucker is extremely powerful. If you have a smaller amp you'll need to back off on the lows because it has serious punch. The J pickup is a bit noisy and dull by itself but if you keep it blended with the MM it pretty much disappears and cuts the rough edge of the humbucker just a little.

Boosting the high/treble control will also cause a little bit of hiss but that is normal for active eq's. The eq has excellent range and you can dial in exactly what you're looking for. Smooth to growl it does it all but is definitely on the bright side with roundwounds, which I like. Awesome slapper, incredible harmonics and Buzz Feiten tuning reveals beautiful chording.

I bought it used and the action was high. A heavier guage string was causing harsh pull on the neck. I removed these, adjusted the neck and let it rest for a couple days. Then I put on some D'addario XL Lights and adjusted the neck, string height and broke in the strings. Once the strings were stable I re-intonated the bass according to Buzz Feiten specs. Get a good tuner and be VERY patient! It takes work but the results are awesome. The action is comfortably low now and the neck curvature is back to what it should be.

Based on my observations with this bass it is apparent that the necks on these are a little soft. I prefer light strings so this doesn't bother me at all. The paint is solid but the string through holes have paint all caked up in them and it gunks up the strings when stringing the bass. Gold coating on the bridge is not as durable as on the tuners or knobs. Strap buttons are not very secure and need to be lightly glued.

If you like heavy strings you'll destroy the neck. It is just too soft.

I have not yet called them, but plan to in order to find out the body wood. Their spec sheets don't show for this model.

I took a gamble when I bought this bass because there wasn't many reviews of this model to base a decision on. I'd be singing a different tune if I paid $650 for it back in 2000 like what they sold for. But for under $200 its an absolute steal. Intonating the Buzz Feiten system can be challenging and test your patience unless you own a Peterson tuner but finished product is rewarding.

1 hb 1 sc p/ups volume, bass, trebble, rotary pickup selector, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, really usefull controlls, great bridge, nice groover tuners, all good really

I play through a Vox escort 50 bass amp, which is simple and smooth sounding
With the single coil i can get a relatively powerfull sound which can fit in well with an overall sound. the Humbucker produces a fat, crunchy, meaty and frankly plain wicked sound when you turn the bass controll up the eq controlls are some of the most responsive i've ever used. Just great overall!

When i got it the action was very low and buzzy, this was easily sorted with a quick adjustment to the truss rod and now it plays fine, natural finish chips and gets marked a bit but that jsut makes it look more mine i think ;)

this bass has been used live (not by me) and it stood up to it as well as you could expect anything to the strap buttons are good and it doesnt look like its gonna fall apart any time soon, but i wouldnt know, my brother nicks it for his band

not a clue

i'm a guitarist really and i bought a bass and bass amp purely for fun and this suits that perfectly, really flat nect and nice weight (lighter than a p-bass by a long way)