Washburn C-80S

Solid cedar top, laminated rosewood back and sides. My guitar's back and sides are beautiful in terms of their appearance, specifically great bookmatching on the back, beautiful color of wood and finish.

For the guitar features, see a retailer's website or read the reviews below. One interesting feature is the truss rod, which is uncommon for a classical guitar.

I play some classical and a lot of jazz. I don't use a pick with this guitar, just fingers. I read the reviews below and ordered this guitar based only on what the reviewers said (the first five reviews, I believe mine is the sixth). I have purchased some gear before based only on the H-C reviews and this always worked for me. Based on the strong reviews, I ordered the guitar for pick up at the Sam Ash store just west of Chicago. I more or less bought it sight (and sound) unseen, if you will.

Having read some negative comments about the factory strings, I asked the store to put on Pro Artes (as recommended by some below). Sam Ash was kind enough to give me the Pro Artes at no additional cost, thank you Sam Ash.

It took them several days to stabilize, which I guess is normal for nylon strings. I was not really happy with the strings or the sound of the guitar once the strings settled. I mean it was ok, but I had expected better sound based on the opinions below.

The Pro Arte strings felt (and to a certain degree sounded) like rubber bands. Later I had the guitar set-up by one of the top techs in Chicago, and this (along with a string replacement) made aan enormous difference.

After I took the guitar home, I'd wished that i had auditioned many other makes/models before blindly buying this one. I bought it solely on the H-C reviews. I didn't get a bad guitar, I was just expecting more based on what the other reviewers said. One big gripe I had was that the action was so high that the guitar was not really playable much past the sixth or seventh fret. I would estimate the strng height to have been something like 5/8 - 3/4" at the 12th fret. Yuk. I know this is not s shredder's guitar, and I was expecting a high action, but not so high as to be unplayable up the neck. So I had the guitar set-up by a wizard in downtown Chicago. He adjusted the nut, truss rod and saddle, sanded down the saddle and deepened the channels of the nut. He also put on some fancy Flamenco strings (sorry, but I forgot the brand, he said it is a hard-to-find boutique line for flamenco players).

The set-up and string changes made a world of difference. The guitar's playability improved dramatically and the tone really improved. The strings vastly improved the definintion of the low-mids and bass, which were weak and muddy with the Pro Artes. The set up made the guitar play like butter. The new strings play like real strings and not like rubber bands.

I should point out that my background is piano, having played serious recital pieces (Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy) as well as jazz for close to thirty years. I took up guitar four years ago and am studying jazz at a very serious level. This is my first classical guitar, and all of my playing previous to this guitar was flatpicking on steel string guitars, both acoustics and electrics. I say all this so that you can know that I am not a high end classical player (yet) so take my opinions with a grain of salt. Having said all that, I find that the Washburn now sounds very nice (after the set-up and string job) but it just doesn't compare with the sound of guitars on classical recordings. There is no way a great player can make this guitar sound like a John Williams recording, even if the player were Williams himself. It is a really nice sounding guitar, especially for jazz rhythm playing, but it doesn't sound like a high end classical guitar.

The construction and parts seem good, I don't have any concerns about these areas. As I stated above, the woods on mine are close to stunning, especially the rosewood back. I didn't see any manufacturing problems such as excess glue, cracks, misalignments, etc, other than the fact that the frets could be better dressed. They are rough and somewhat irregular.

No opinion.

Ok, so I made some gripes about aspects of the guitar. Having said that, here is my bottom line. I spent $199 ('out the door') for the guitar and another $70 for the flamenco strings and set-up. For $270, this is one hell of a fine guitar. I will repeat that - for less than three hundred dollars, I own a beautiful, fun-to-play instrument that draws me in every time I sit down to practice jazz on my steel string. I am serious, I have not gotten to all of my jazz homework on certain of my weekly lessons because the Washburn seduces me into playing it instead of doing my steel string homework. I absolutely love this guitar for the price I paid for it. It is probably the best instrument value I have every scored. For $270, I love it! I would probably still love it if it had cost me $500.

Nice solid cedar top, rosewood back and sides, roewood bridge and fingerboard, gloss finish, black binding and gold plated hardware, 25 1/2 inch scale, 2 inch nut, nice rosette. Nothing fancy in the looks of this gitar but the materials appear to be of very good quality. The one I bought used came with a hard shell case.

This is where the surprise lies. The sound of the guitar for the price is remarkable. The more I play it, the better it gets. With normal tension D'Adarrio Pro Arte strings, the tone and balance of this Washburn approach that of my La Patre Collection. The La Patrie is a bit louder and warmer but I tend to pick up the Washburn first. Clearly this doesn't compare to a good $3K+ hand made but of all of the factory made classical guitars I have played, this is the best for the money.

This guitar played great just the way I bought it, used but barely. None the less, I had to mess with it. The neck was true enough to let me take out a bit of relief and shave 0.3mm off the saddle bringing the action at the 12th fret to about 3.5mm with no ill effects, even under pretty aggressive attack.

Workmanship on this instrument is excellent, great grain match, near flawless finish and tidy gluing. My only minor complaints are I would have preferred a thinner finish coat and a darker stain on the fingerboard.

Seems tough as nails (as classical guitars go). The upside of the heavier finish is that it improves surface durability.

Bought it used and have had no need to contact the manufacturer.

I've been playing for 40 years, to this point mainly classic rock and a bit of bluegrass. In the past year I have begun studying clasical guitar with some vigor and have developed a new appreciation for the tone of gitars. This Washburn is one of my six guitars including a 1998 La Patrie Collection, a 1980 Sigma D28H and a 1960 Gretsch 6119. This is a great entry level classical guitar and a good one for a more accomplished player who needs one to knock around with. I rate it a 9 based on quality, sound and value but have to tell you, of the guitars I have played in the price range, this is the best.

Solid cedar top, rosewood fretboard, rosewood back/sides, gold hardware....This is according to the Washburn website, and indeed it's true, because I see it..I have the guitar here with me. Washburn needs to put out the correct image, because you can be fooled into thinking its a spruce top by the picture ad, and a few website descriptions, that actually call it a 'solid spruce top'. I think the finish is satin, rather than gloss.

The sound is what you would expect from a solid cedar: warmer and more mellow than spruce. Also, you can't judge it right out of the box. You'll get a muted sound until you change the strings, and play it for a while. Obviously, it doesn't have a concert guitar like projection, but once you open up the top a little, you get that warm cedar sound that's pleasant, and satisfying where you sit in your room. Great for playing w/out disturbing the rest of the house, or your neighbors, if you will. Also, you CAN pay three times as much for the same sound/projection, so i'm, giving this section high marks.

The action is where it should be. Again, don't judge it right out of the box. Change the string set, and play it a couple of days, and it becomes more and even more playable. There are very minor cosmetic flaws on mine..small file marks on the fretboard binding, tiny pot marks in the finish just below the bridge, and a glue glob below the sound whole. I'm not crying because it gives it character, and the overall built quality is excellent, especially for the price. You have to REALLY be looking to find fault with this guitar.

It's built well, my friends. Trust me.

Don't know, therefore, gets a neutral rating of 5.

Price/performance..a no-brainer 10. I would recommend the Yamaha cg111c, for those who don't mind chrome hardware, and want a slightly better cosmetically built and sounding guitar that costs a little more for the privilege. But this Washburn is an outstanding bargain, on its own..a fantastic bargain rating, for sure.

2007 Washburn C-80S Standard CLASSICAL body, Gloss finish, solid CEDAR top, ROSEWOOD back n sides, mahogany neck, bound rosewood fretboard, rosewood veneer headstock. (not sure what the other reviewers had?) Nice, COMPENSATED saddle! GIANT neck! No pickup, Made in China

Sounds unbelieveable for the price, especially with better strings. When it came in I couldn't put it down for two weeks! seriously, I played this thing for at least 4 hours a day for a month, getting blown away by its quality to price ratio!

The action was a little high, but that's okay, since the saddle had plenty of room for sanding to bring it down to MY taste, which is up a little bit, compared to most other players' I know.

It seems to be put together well, and neatly at that. No sloppy glue or binding boobs. I think its made with thinner woods than your typical classical, making it LIGHTWEIGHT, RESONANT, and A JOY TO PLAY!

N?A

I began playing guitar in 1980 or so, and have achieved a reputation in the south as a versatile studio callup, after playing and learning with some pretty legendary guys at a prestigious music school. woop ta toot toot :).
I got this as a knockabout classical, within a few weeks, immediatley used it in a live on-air FM broadcast performance in front of about 400 people! It's killer! I love the lightweight, resonance, looks, quality, tone, and overall vibe of this one. It got even better with a little TLC on the saddle and strings.

2004 Washburn C80s classical. It has a solid spruce top, quilted ash back and sides and rosewood fretboard. Gold tuning machines, and pretty much your standard classical guitar neck profile.

Great warm tone. It sounds just as nice as some of the classicals from other makers that cost 3 times as much.

Nice finish! The action is a little high for my tastes, but still very playable.

This guitar has been solid for 2 years now, and I've now got a much higher opinion of Washburn's acoustic guitars in general. It stays in tune as long as my Martin DM, and its finish seems very durable as well.

Never had to deal with Washburn, so I honestly can't comment on their customer support

I've been playing guitar for about 13 years, and I usually play electric guitars(I play PRS's & strats) or steel string acoustic guitars(Guilds & Martins). I picked up this Washburn C80s to get some different sounds/tones. I really like the warm sound and feel of the nylon strings. I compared this guitar to various entry level classicals from Ibanez, Fender, epiphone, Yamaha, Alvarez, and the Washburn was the best value. I chose it because it sounded nice, looked nice, had relatively low action, and had a solid top(I couldn't find any other manufacturer that offered a solid top classical for under $200). I highly recommend this guitar. It's awesome for the $.

The C80S is a classical solid spruce top guitar made in Japan I think. There are no electronics. Body is dreadnought.

I use this to play Jazz, blues, and classical. It has great tone and good volume. I may put a pickup in someday. The more I play it the more I like it.

The factory set-up is great. The action is more than I could have hoped for. This is a very good looking guitar.

I dont know.

Dont know. I have asked waht kind of pickup to use but have not heard yet.

I have been playing for about 9yrs. I have a steel string. I like this one better. I would buy this guitar again.