Washburn XB-600

My xb-600 is trans red over a figured ash top (i think... certainly not maple graining) with a maple neck and rosewood 24 fret fingerboard. Came with a set of grover tuners as standard, 2x washburn soap bars, vol/balance/bass/treble controls and standard washburn bridge. I paid ??160 secondhand about a year ago.
As with my previous xb-600s (this one is my third!) the bridge has been replaced with a Wilkinson multi adjustable (height/intonation/spacing), the soapbars replaced with EMG-45HZs, the controls replaced with EMG BTS actives (18v) and fitted with a Roland GK-3B midi pickup. Also fitted a set of Dunlop strap locks. The neck is beautiful but getting close to needing a fret dress as she's buzzing a little around the 15th - 19th frets on the treble side.

I use this bass live and in the studio for metal, prog, jazz and pop and she covers all with panache and aplomb! The signal path comes from the bass into the GK-3B, down the 13pin cable into the Roland GI-20 where the midi information is sent to a Roland xv-2020 synth module and the bass goes into a Hartke LH500 head with a TC electronic M300 multi fx in the loop. Cabs are a Hartke XL 210 and XL 115 both with ali cones.
The bass is tight, quiet and incredibly musical. Bell like highs and bowel losening lows. I have the action quite low for tapping but high enough that she doesnt rattle when you dig in with a pick.

She was second hand when I got her so no comment. All I will say is that if the basic construction and materials are good, everything else can be sorted!

The xb-600 is more than capable of delivering live and in the studio. "built like a tank" is a comment that seems to crop up a lot and i'd have to go along with that. The only problem i've ever encountered with any of them has been the stock bridges just not being man enough (both my previous models [early ones with the jazz stlye pickups and 3 way toggle switch] had bridges which had started to lift on the bass side). The stock pickups are ok, but after hearing the EMGs in my Spector NS2000 Q6, they had to go! incidently, great bass tho the spector was, I sold it to fund the purchase of my current xb-600! It's the necks that have me enthusing about the xb-600, they're just... RIGHT! Balance is spot on, so no headstck dive, and I can handle the weight for a 2 hour gig with no problems. WHY OH WHY HAVE WASHBURN STOPPED PRODUCTION??? I've tried the BB-6 (good, but not as balanced), i've tried the Spector (great sound, but too neck heavy), i've tried the ibanez (don't remember the model... shockingly poor for the money!), but the xb-600 beats them all!

I work in a music shop and have had no problems with washburns customer service, always helpfull.

I have been playing for 20+ years and in that time I've had plenty of basses, steinbergers being my favourites untill i got that first xb-600. She's the only bass I own now after having a major clearout a couple of years back. If she was kidnapped, I'd hunt down the offender and do unspeakable things to them! I'm constantly on the search for another xb-600 so i can have thisone purely for tapping and the bass synth, the other being for regular styles. Oh... and another tuned down a couple of semitones for those darker moments... and a fretless one would be handy... i have a red one so only the blue, green, honeyburst and natural to go... unless you know of other colours?

This bit has been done by others. Mine is standard except it has been defretted. Haven't got a clue what year. I'm simply glad to find I'm not the only person with one of these. And yes, it is built like a tank

Like I said, mine is defretted. The action is really low and buzzes a bit when I'm up the neck. But with six strings, I play most stuff in the middle anyway. With it being good and solid, it has good resonance. Yeah the sound isn't the best. I used to just put mine through a BXR 400 Fender duel amp to 2 no name 15 inch cabs with Eminence speakers. It was a bit booooomey. I now put it through a sansamp to the 400 (and I've stopped smiling) and then to an Ashdown 410. Much better. I've got the sound I want and wouldn't change the xb600. With what I've got now I have loads of variety with the sansamp in and out and the variety on the xb adjustments

I got mine second hand from my bass teacher. He had done the defretting and lowered the action. It really is smooth this way. I've tried other factory fretless 6s and they really don't compare.

Now this is really wierd. I noted that someone else has a Spector with EMGs as well as a xb600. The EMGs are good on my Spector and I might try putting EMGs on the xb. Good advice - as we say in Oz good onya mate.

Solid. Good weight. Never been a problem at gigs. I don't bother taking my back-up to gigs anymore.

Haven't bothered

Same old story. Some mates, a couple of years ago, started a band and, yes you guessed it, didn't have bass player. So I got the job (as Homer says, the best 2 words in the world "de fault") It felt a bit weird only having 4 strings so when my bass teacher was selling the xb600, I jumped at it. Never looked back. I love this bass. And it is a bit of a head-turner because it is short and doesn't look quite like a bass or a guitar. I like it when people ask "is that a bass?". Lot of fun for $400 (Australian). And I love being a bass player - the xb makes it even more fun

Made in Korea
34" scale
Bolt-on neck
24 frets
Rosewood fretboard
Two active humbucking soapbar pickups
4 Knobs: volume, blend, bass, and treble
Natural oil finish

Sounds good. Not as good as some of the 6-strings I have tried, but it works. Some people really grilled this thing on sound, and I must disagree with them. It may not have the best range of sounds, but the sound that does comeout is warm, yet powerful.

I got the action pretty low and its easy to play. The fingertapping sounds good and I dont get fret or string buzz. It fits my lap perfectly when I play sitting down. and I like the look of the finish.

Its tough. Mine only has a few nicks and scratches, and I've been playing it for a couple years. The hardware is in good order and seems like it will last forever.

I just foundout the Washburn website doesnt list this model...

I've been playing bass for seven years, and this is overall pretty good. It was a great 6-string bass to begin with.

I'm sure somebody else listed the specs

it plays well. the B string needed higher tension, so it is slightly higher than the other strings, but now it doesnt rattle at all and it isn't a problem. the sound itself is ringy, which I like. with good strings, the sound really comes out. I am running it through a really cheap bass and it sounds better than you might expect.

the action is a tad high. if you replace the bridge, I'm sure this thing could get a low action. right now though, it still plays and sounds good, but fingertapping is going to be difficult.

this thing lasts. barely any scratches or dings. feels tough, too. the pickups have string grooves, but it still sounds the same as new.

after 4 years of six strings, I'd say this this is above average for the price. I got a case for it too and it is still cheap. it might not be for everyone though, as it requires maybe $30 in adjustments to make it sound really good (by replacing bridge ... maybe pickups, too. I haven't though)

napravljen u koreji,,24 polja,,2 sopbarpickupa,,2bend aktivna elektronika,pan kontrola,,treble,i bass,,

u odnosu na cijenu,,mogu reči da je zvuk zadovoljavajuč,,malo prejaki visoki,,fali srednjih tonova,,tipičan zvuk aktivnih sopbara"humbackera",,,s ovim basom se nemo?e dobit fenderov grov,,"djenk,djenk",,dajem 10 zato jer je zvuk u odnosu na cijenu bassa prilično dobar,,,dobro se pona?a kad se snima direktno u terateck

uz sitne korekcije "bru?enje mosta",iz ovog drva mo?e se napravit stvarno upotrebljiv bass,,,pickupovi se moraju izvadit van i podlo?it tako da budu veoma blizu zice,,,tad je sound ok

za razliku od warvicka,mogu reči da se washburnovi basevi puno bolje pona?aju prilikom sviranja,,,masa tijela je pravilno usklađena s masom vrata,,

po?to nevolim warvicke,,,svoj sam zamjenil za xb-600,,,i nije mi ?ao

MY name is KRE?IMIR SU?EC,,i play in virtuoso progresive fusion bend why?!,,use zoom506 II,boss limiter,,my other axe is hohner "bartolini,kent armstrong",,i made my ovn solo albu"sounds of felings",,,i ply like brandon viers,,stuart hamm,billy sheehan,,

This is a Washburn bantam XB-600 6 strings made in 1999 in Korea, 34" scale, bolt-on with 6 bolts, 24 frets, rosewood fretboard, 2 soapbar pickup, active preamp with volume, pickups blending, treble and bass controls. Mine has a very nice natural transparent finish.

This is the part where the bass is unique : The sound of the bass is incredibly versatile in its own kind of way. The preamp alows to turn the things into a high frequencies monster with the treble at the maximum setting. I used this feature in certain processed sound with my digitech Bp-8 pedal to create some weird and interesting songs. But in order to achieve decent regular bass sound, a mid controls would have helped the bass. Still, a good very bright sound for the money.

The bass is build like a tank with its 6 body-neck joint bolts. The factory setting was ok but I successufully turned the action in a fantastically close to the fingerboard action. It plays very easy without any effort and without any buzzing fret (and I never had to touch the truss rod in 6 years neither). The only thing I dont like about it is the poor access to the highest frets.

Like I said the neck is very steady ; never had to adjust the truss rod in 6 years. The tuners old in tune perfectly also. This bass is a sure thing for reliability.

n/a

The XB-600 is not a high end bass guitar : that's for sure when you hear its decent but somehow lacking pop and mids sound ; but for the price paid, it' a very good value. As for the mid frequencies I recommend some nickel strings : I use D'addario's and it helps a lot. I've been rellying on this bass for 6 years now and I still love it for its low action I gave it and the high frequencies it can produce. But I guess that if it were stolen I'd get a Peavey Grind for the woods involve in its construction and would change the electronics for Bartolini's instead.

Standard 6-string, 3-piece laminate neck-through, 2 J-style pickups, rosewood fretboard. Active electronics. I assume this bass was made in '94/'95, but Washburn is unsure. It's a pretty basic, solid bass. Standard tone controls, not much on the gadgets.

Crisp, clean, with a good response from the low B to the upper frets on the high C. The tone is superb dry, and I expect it to perform well when I plug it into my gig rig. The sustain is decent, the tone is fine with the knobs set to the middle. I can sweep across the frequency range pretty impressivly with the tone controls.

The action's tight and a tad high for my tastes, but that's an easy adjustment. I got this baby used, so it needs a little TLC. Everything seems really solid on it, despite its age and obvious use. I've played quite a few 6's and this one's pretty easy to play.

It feels rock-solid; I bought it as a backup for my gig 6, but it may end up being the primary. The strap buttons seem a little cheap, but I'm going to replace those with straplocks anyway. The jack is rock solid - you'll break your cord before you rip this thing out of the bass.

I called Washburn for a positive ID on the bass (it lacked a truss-rod cover) and it only took about 5 minutes. However, email support seems a bit sluggish....

I dig this bass - sure, it's not top-of-the-line, but it sounds better than some of the more expensive basses I've played, and I'm extremely picky about my tone. It was a steal for what I payed, and I'd rue the day it left my setup.

The neck on the bass is very easy to play on. and the pick ups are very active on this bass too. its not the greatest 6 string bass in the world but its good for what you paid for.

The sound is very warm. I think with one more nob on the bass it would make the bass much better.

The frets where put on poorly so i took them off. The bass has a great Transparent red finish to it.

This nass is very durable. This bass is going to last a while.

The people where very nice.

This bass is great!

I have an xb-400 and it looks pretty cool and pro. Its active but is not a fat sound like my gibson epiphone(its a cheap beast the old gibbo).Washburn pickups that seem to be so trebley it is frustrating.
Natural with a dark green stain, as i said it looks cool and it is a good brand but this is clearly an entry level model.H/H config.

It has to much treble and is seemingly unversitile. Works o.k in the recording studio or with a big P.A using D.I but there is no amp that will do this axe justice.

It was set up alright. But there is way to much treble for my liking, I dont know if there is something i am doing wrong.

Very dependable. String break with a lot of slapping, that may be tecnique or bad design but i always break strings slaping. I even broke the A string a few times. It is expected to break D or G but not A.
Looks good on stage and the finish does it a lot of justice but for a serious gig i bring a backup. Most pros would anyway.

It is not fat enough. Would not replace it if it were stolen. I have seen so many mid ranged Ibanez and Yamaha with killer tones that i would have to try one of them.

My Washburn is a six string, 24 fret bolt-on neck with rosewood fingerboard. It had two Washburn humbucker pickups, bass and treble tone knobs, 3-way toggle switch and master volume. The pickups and electronics were active. It has an alder body with a black finish.

Not a very functional sound. Muddy and unfocused tone. I tried this bass with many different amps and could never get the tone that I wanted. I had to change the pickups and electronics with EMGs and the bridge with a Hishot aluminum bridge. Washburn basses are well constructed but, has the crappiest electronics and hardware that I've ever seen or heard. When I took out the internal Preamp to change it, it looked like some kind of high school science project. If you don't want to spend the time or money on upgrading the electronics and hardware avoid this bass.

I do the setups on my own bass, so I really don't remember how it was originally setup. The tuners cnstantly slipped out of tune (attributed to the crappy hardware). I haven't had the frets checked yet but, I will very soon. The factory bridge was horrible. I couldn't intonate the C string. The electronics were noisy and the treble was harsh and un-usable.

The construction of this bass was very solid. I have used it many times without a backup. Finish is very durable. I changed the strap buttons to strap locks. I only have to adjust the truss rods when I change string gauges.

Customer support was friendly but not very helpful. I called to find out whether the pickups were low impedence or hi impedence and they said they had no specs on the pickups.

Washburn needs to stop skimping on electronics. I installed an EMG BQC preamp @18-volts with EMG pickups it totally changed the sound of this bass. I also changed the bridge to a Hipshot bridge and it drastically changed the sustain and intonation. The tuners are the next to go. I know that Washburn uses Bartolinis on their higher line instruments but if you are not going to make your lower line functional then why make a lower line?

I purchaced this unstrument new back in '93. It's Korean made and, like the newer ones, done fairly well. This 6-string had a translucent black finish that looked absolutely fantastic onstage(dark purple!). At the time, this model came w/2 "jazz" pickups. The active electronics worked fine for the first couple of years but started making noise afterward. I highly reccomend replacing ALL the electronics if you decide this one's a keeper. Standard electronics are all Washburn and include Vol, Bass, and Treble with a 3-way switch for pickup selection. This setup was nice onstage but I wish the pots were more firm with center detents(remember electronic replacement!) The bridge worked fine as well but I would have much prefered a tonier one.

Besides the look and feel, sound was the 3rd and final hook that wrapped up my decision to purchace this instrument. Using strings from various manufacturers resulted in consistent "piano -like" tone.
Tone begins with your fingers. It's an indiviual thing-unreplicatable. That being said, I got one rave about my tone after another using this bass as my main ax for several years.

For an assembly-line made instrument, I have no complaints. I played 3(THREE!!!) at 3 different music shops and each was consistent in look, feel and tone. More specifically, the action was perfect as was the rest of the set-up.

I consistently used this instrument without backups. As good a quality bass as any for a live situation. Just make sure your active electronics are in good working order!

I purchaced this instrument after playing bass only a year. I wasn't interested in a 6, but couldn't find a descent 5 at that time on my $$ range. I played trombone in school band and took piano lessons earlier and was writing a lot of music prior to being forced into the role as bottom dweller. Jumping into that role and into the 6 turned out to be a great blessing.
I played it thru a GK 200rb head the whole time I had it. The tone was georgeous.
After 3 months of bustin' my tail getting comfortable with a whole new instrument, it became an extention of myself that I could only dream about playing piano or anything else(yeah, I learned guitar an' drums).
After running into 3 in 3 different shops and each consistent in looks, tone and feel, the choice was obvious-ROUGH-but obvious. I HAD to jump from a 4 to a 6.
Just remember to watch those electronics and try to find a replacement bridge. You'll have a real monster on your hands!
I'm playing a Carvin Bunny-5 w/a Bartolini harness installed righ now and thinking of going to a fretless 5(passive).

So this was a natural finish 6-string. Made in korea i believe...I cam just imagine the poor bastard working in the factory that made this thing. Wood looked very nice -oil finish felt good. Heavy bass. Active electronics, passive pickups...two of 'em -J-bass bar kind of things.

Muddy. I tried it through a few amps...solid state, bassmans, some others stuff. All sounded pretty darn uninspiring. I've sold the bass, but when I think back to its tone things that come to mind are 'cardboardlike','dry','aluminum', 'I'm an asshole and I will always be an asshole'. Its a fine bass for just using every now and then for a change or a different sound but nothing that makes you want to play interesting or exciting music.

High string tension. The neck on the thing had a hellufa string spacing so playing chords and articulating things was difficult.

Thing seemed pretty well bolted together. Wood was good I suppose. Heavy and hard which can be good characteristics for a bass. It looked better than it played -or was fun to play. It made me a bit nevous because the qualtiy of all the elctronics looked a bit cheezy but I never had a problem...but I bought it new and sold it after about 4 months.

n/a

Just get a good used p-bass. Something with a soul. It was something to experiment with and now I know even better what I don't like.