Washburn D-10

No cutaway no electronics dreadnought.
Mhogany neck, back, sides, spurce top

Just a simple yet good looking guitar.

Now, trust me, i tried nearly ALL accoustics in a local music shop. Cheap *** ones, expensive ones (Martins) and for the money i payd ($150) this thing is just unbelieveable.

Very good balanced, rich, deep sound. Just love it.
Sadly, it doesn't have any electronics to amp that beautiful sound.

I mark it 9 just because there were other guitars that sound better, but they cost like 10 times more

Action is a bit higher than I prefer, but nothing you can't fix.
Now, what comes to finish... IDK if it came like that from factory or is it just store didn't take a good care, but finish has numerous flaws, cracks etc.
But, I just didn't care 'cause it sounds awesome

For the price you just can't beat it. I'm not sure of washburn's consistensy, so I doubt all the guitars of this model will sound that good, but at least if you have one in a local store, give it a shot

If you're more of a gearhead please consult the other reviews or go to the Washburn website for those details.

It's just a good old basic acoustic guitar with steel strings. Everything the average guitarist needs right out of the box.

One nice feature is that it came with an extra bridge and one extra peg. That's like finding another condom in your wallet or purse when you thought you were out and now would be a good time to have one handy.

I play blues, rock, pop, folk, classical, jazz, gospel, just about any style. I am not a professional and I don't play for anyone except friends and family. Thus, my demand for sound quality is not that exacting. The D-10 sounds great to my ears. It's a nice round tone. It is not as sweet, clear, or booming as my 2000 Martin DM, but it's in that ballpark. I'm looking forward to trying different string types to see what impact it has on the sound with this one. For around $200 US (2005) the sound quality is amazing.

I lifted it out of the box, tuned it, and immediately got great tone and play out of it. I'm getting some fret buzz when I really bang on it hard and I'm playing a barre cord or fingering on a higher fret. The factory action seems right to me. There might be a little intonation problem about fret 12, but on a standard dreadnought without a cutaway I'm not too good above the twelfth fret on my Martin.

The quality control at the factory has to be pretty good. Everything was what it should be.

I'm amazed at how well built this thing is. It is rather light (especially compared to my 1975 Yamaha FG-100, and almost as light as my 2000 Martin DM), but tight and strong. The tuners look and feel rock solid. I've got to believe this thing will last 30 years with a lot of regular use.

I haven't and probably won't use customer support at Washburn. Assuming I don't use the guitar for self defense, I can't imagine anything this well built will require anything more than normal maintenance.

I ordered this online from zZounds.com in June 2005 and got free shipping. It arrived within 10 days. This was my first buying experience with zZounds.com and it was excellent.

I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and the D-10 has to be the best value I've seen, heard, and played. I would immediately purchase another one if I needed to. If you've ever played older low cost guitars you know how heavy and unreliable they could be. The D-10 is light, well put together, and clean. The tone is pure, it has all the basic features (good tuners, extra saddle, extra peg, tuning bar), and it just feels right in your hands. I also have a Martin DM and the Washburn compares very favorably to it (although I can still feel and hear a significant difference from the Martin that makes the extra cost worth it).

If you are seriously interested in playing the guitar, the D-10 should be the first guitar you get.

Strings/Wood/Plastic/Metal
Grover Tuners

I play all kinds of types of musical styles...(rock/alt/blues/reggae/jazz/folk/bluegrass).
This thing has never let me down and always pulls through almost any song attempted.

In terms of the sound, I really grew into this one and after about 4 years this thing found itself.
My Washburn has the solid spruce top. Chords come out even, full and balanced. Fingerpicking's cool too on it!

I think I got really lucky because no matter what fancy/high grade guitar I want or have...I cannot forget about this thing's playability and unmistakeable tone! I contemplate buying $4,000 to $8,000 guitars all the time but until I can afford one, this Washburn has been a real pleasure to play. I write music all the time with this guitar.

No electronics. I use an insertable Dean Markley sound hole pickup which is ok but I plan on getting a nice internal pickup for it someday soon...it's worth it for this guitar!

I frequently go to guitar stores all over searching for something better and it's had to do (tone wise).

If you want a better tone than the Washburn then get an Olson! Olson definitely has a much better guitar with better tone, but it's about 10 to 15 times the price of the Washburn!!!

I wish it was a cutaway. :(

I play this in my friend's studio up agaist Neumann mics and this thing sounds like a million bucks!

If you're going to play live, get a good internal pick-up. (fishman)

Beautiful action after a few visits to different guitar stores.

Fit and finish is good quality.
No Flaws. Get bone/mamoth/ivory nuts/bridges/pins!

I've been playing live for 4 years and never any problems.
Use without a backup no problem.

For over 10 years - I've taken this thing all over the states throughout Europe too!

Never needed it.

It's a simple no frills guitar and does not have the nicest of woods however the one I picked will stay with me for life no matter how much I upgrade! Take your time and find 'that one'.
I love the Tone - can't be beat.
I love the quality craftmanship.

I want an expensive Martin or the like but I can't help myself from loving this guitar! It's so simple. It's so cheap. Yet it's so good.

Don't let any sales man talk you into anything! (However when I got this guitar I didn't know squat about them or what made them good or bad...I just got really lucky) I've played other washburns since and I have not been impressed.

I love this guitar, for a long time I thought that other guitars would sound much better. Since I am really ready to record my first instrumental album, I hesitated with choosing this guitar. Then I began a search for more expensive guitar so I tried Martin D-28, D-18, D16, Gibson SongbirdDeluxe. I thought these guitars had it all, the sound, the brand and the price. Well 2 years later and I am still without a purchase and I decided to go with my Washburn D-10. 2 years ago I wouldn't think it would come to this but I made up my mind. THe guitar is well balanced in my opinion, not too loud, sometimes too dry but bass and treble are not fighting with each other when I fingerpick. I came up with a lot of fine tunes on this guitar. I think I got a little lucky with this particular model, the setup is great, now I learned not to make a lot of noises. Recently I tried another Washburn D-10 in a store and it sounded nothing like mine. It had to be a good pick. I am happy with it. After all, for me it was not about money because I was ready to buy Martin D-28, what I was looking was the right sound for my CD and I am going with Washburn D-10.

I bought this guitar in 1991, when I was first learning to play the guitar. It features a laminated top with a very glossy finish. It came with a carboard case, strap, and a handful of picks. Very basic no-frills guitar, which is expected since this is a lower-end model.

I sold this guitar in 1996, after picking up a new Simon&Patrick.

Rating of 5. There are not any special features, but it serves it's purpose well: a student/beginner guitar that has room to grow on until you are ready to move onto something more suited to your development.

My style (at the time I owned this guitar) was mostly rhythm (gotta learn those chords) and getting into fingerstyle later on. The sound was very deep and surprisingly rich. The construction of the guitar (i'm guessing) lent itself to being somewhat muted as well, so the sound isn't particularly crisp or clean.

This is also not the best guitar to amplify, especially on a good sound system. Since you're starting with only decent sound, amp'ing it only enhances the "flaws", although fiddling with the levels does help.

The action was high. I didn't know at the time that this could (and should) be adjusted, so my fingers got strong and calloused in a hurry! The medium gauge strings didn't help my cause ;)

The finish was clean. There were no flaws that I can recall, although it's been a while since I've had it. There were no imperfections in the lacquer finish and the top/back were put together evenly. The tuners were solid and never gave me any problems tuning, or staying in tune.

All in all, better than many budget-priced guitars i've seen (low-end Takamines come to mind).

This guitar is built VERY solidly, as another reviewer put it, a tank. Over the 5 years I owned this guitar, it stood up to a beating. A few drops, dings, and lots of hacking and it just kept on playing. If the sound wasn't the greatest, the durability of it surely is.

I have never had to deal with customer support.

For what it is, it is great. If you're a beginner looking for a guitar without breaking the bank, this is a good choice. The price is right and it will grow with you, at least until you either are ready for a better instrument or decide that you're not serious enough to warrant a better, pricier instrument.

If you are intermediate level or better, I would encourage you to look elsewhere, even for a backup "beater" guitar. Assuming you already have a decent instrument, this probably won't satisfy your ear. Spend the extra $100-200 bucks for something nicer.

hrrrmmmmm.........6 strings?

hrrrmm...........sound quaity isnt bad.......tho it tends to slip out of tune when u least expect it........is has a nice sound tho with new strings..........

action is good.........for the proce range that is........compared to some other beginer guitars iv played this is very nice, howoever...... for the price u could go to mandalay.com and get a nice johnson electric accousic that is worth much more than the price suggests............finish is good........havent seen anything wrong with it, and it doesnt look like its made of cardboars, which is good

very durable for a beginer guiar..........iv dropped it many times and the sound quality hasnt changed (tho nasty dings apear)...............o, and watch the strap nut thingy, it doesnt stay in, which is why i dropped it........the one thing is that the tuner heads are very weird, they stay in tune pretty well for the price range but tuning it is weird......once again, buy a johnson

??

been playing for a year and a half and this is the only guitar iv had, pity me, i am getting a new johnson, they really are great guitars, 150 for an electric accousic and a case........so yeah, its good compared to my friends beginer guitars, but..........johnson...........lol

This guitar was made in China, no certain of the year. Purchased in 2001. 20 Frets. This is technically a D-10S, which does have a solid spruce top. The back and sides are, as best I can tell, mahogany laminates. The fingerboard is some kind of rosewood called Sonokelin. The tuners are chrome plated Grover tuners. No accessories.

This was my first guitar, so I bought it to learn basic technique. It has been great for that purpose. The sound is nice and bright.

The action on my guitar is rather high. The tuning pegs scratch easily, and the fingerboard is a little scratchy. However, the guitar is a beauty to look at-- very nice appointments for such a simple guitar. It could stand less lacquer, though.

This guitar is not meant for live playing. The tuners don't really hold their tune well and have loosened a little after only 8 months of playing. If you're playing live, you've definitely outgrown the Washburn D-10S. Still, I don't want to mislead-- this is not a guitar that will fall apart. It's built like a tank, so if durability si your concern, don't worry. (Of course, durability should only be a subsidiary concern if you are subjecting others to the sound of your axe. The darn thing should sound good first and foremost. And that is where a D-10S is not going to measure up even against models that only cost two to three hundred more.)

Never had to deal with them. If anything goes wrong, I'll just get a new guitar.

I've been playing for less than a year. My other guitar is a stratocaster clone made by Rogue, so my Washburn is my "high-end" guitar.

If it were stolen I'd buy something more refined.

Features a laminated mahogany body and laminated spruce top. My D-10 has a piezo pickup that makes it sound really bright, but if you turn the tone all the way down it's sounds pretty good. It has good hardeware, but my D-10's neck is starting to buzz and i've tried messing with the truss rod and doesn't help. The saddle is buzzing pretty bad too.
That's probably just my guitar though so don't pay attention to that.
To warn you about my choosing of words:

It sucks= 3 or lower

Not to good= 4

alright= 5

Good= 6 to 7

Pretty good= 8

Really good= 9

Awesome= 10

The sound is alright. I've heard alot better, but i've heard alot worse too.I use Elixir strings and that really helps the tone. It's not very loud and not balanced very well. You hear more treble than bass. That's a shame too because the bass sounds really good on this guitar. When you are playing through sound system or an amp with an EQ
than you can balance it out. The bass though is really good sounding and I love bassy sounds. It's not full sounded in way that it sounds like a bunch of notes were put together.You hear every note really clear.It's bright unless you can mix it with an amp or soundboard. I give it a 7 because it doesn't sound that good without elixir strings,(trust me i've tried every string out there.)and without it being mixed. It does sound like a good guitar with elxir strings. It doesn't compare to a Martin, Taylor or Larrivee at all. I don't like mahogany it's way to bright for my taste.(and most Taylors and Larrivees i've heard are to bright too.)

All pretty good.

Pretty good all around.(can withstand a really good bump)

It's a really good beginner's guitar, which is why should get rid of it. Besides beginners don't think about it. The overall rating is for a beginner.

Got it for the equivalent of $200
Made in Korea 1993. I had a Fishman-pick-up put in under the bridge in 1995. The pick-up has no pre-amp or Volume control.

I play in the band at Church. We play very up-to date stuff with a lot of varying styles.
In terms of the sound, any guitar really comes into it's own after being 5 years old. Then your wood is set in and dry and your tone continues to improve(in the first 5 years) with age (even if only sligtly from 5 years on).
This means that if you want to compare guitars you actually have to compare guitars that are 5 years or older to compare the ultimate sound.
Electronics aside, pick up and old(5 years or more) Washburn D10 and compare it stand alone without amps or PA's to old Yamaha's, Epiphones, Cort's, Martin's, Takamane's ect. (the list goes on).
You'll find that Tone wise none can beat the Washburn.
If you want a better tone than the Washburn then get a Taylor. The Taylor definately has better tone, but it's probably 4 or 5 times the price of the Washburn.
If you need electronics, get a washburn with the pick-up already installed, maybe even with a cut-away Nothing in the same price range can beat it for quality of workmanship and quality of sound.

I've played all kinds of guitars:
Yamaha's - none come close except the SPX(or something?)4A (Cut- away Half-body)
But then get a cut-away Washburn for cheaper
Martin - theyre over-rated 'They don't make 'em like they used to'
Cort - Crappy sound alone - get's better through an amp or PA
Epiphone - a friend has one. My D10 sounds better
Takamane - Don't come close
Ovation - Sounds like a hollow stump on it's own but very good through amps and PA
Then there are Arial and others but none come close.

I'm now using a POD with the Pre-Amp setting and Chorus(set at 9 O'Clock and I can actualy get the exact tone the D10 gives on it's own. Everyone is quite impressed.

If you're going to play Live, get a Washburn with Pick-up.

I like that for even three times the price nothing can beat it for tone. Taylor get a 10 for this category.

Beautiful action. I can play rythim without fret buzz and put in a lice lick without fetching the string from Taiwan.
The set-up was perfect from the factory.
Fit and finish is good quality.
No Flaws

I've been playing live for 5 years and never any hassel except the string broke onece - but hey stuff happens.
Solid strap buttons I've allways depended on it.
Use without a backup no problemo.

Never needed it!

I've been playing 10 years. I also own a Washburn Lyon electric.
I wish I'd asked for one with a pickup.
If it were lost I'd get another Washburn, Cut-away with Pick-up.
I love the Tone - can't be beat.
I love the quality craftmanship.

Don't let any salesman make a sucker out of you by selling you a guitar that sounds good through an amp. Switch the amp off and compare that guitar on it's own with a washburn.

I'm about to sell this after two years, so though in my last week of having it, I'd give it a thorough review. It's got mahogany back, sides, and neck, rosewood fretboard, and spruce top. 20 frets, playable to 14/15. 5-ply binding on the top. Pickguard. The finish on the back, headstock, and neck is a rich cranberry red, and the top has a natural finish. Stock tuners were okay, but I replaced them with Grovers and the tuning stability improved noticably. No electronics, but I used a Dean Markley Pro Mag in the soundhole, and it worked great.

The sound is actually quite rich. It has good overtones due to the mahogany back and a nice upper-midrange bite from the spruce. With the soundhole pickup, it came across as bright and shimmery, and can even handle a bit of fuzzy overdrive with class. I was very happy with this guitar for two years, and even though I upgraded to an Ovation Specialty, it's gonna be hard to let go. I play praise, jazz, blues, and acoustic rock, and have recorded with this guitar several times with an old Sunn tube amp and a touch of compression--it sounded very rich on tape.

Very good action for a guitar in this price range. I rank it at 6.5 on a scale of 1-10, a $5,500 Tayor Custom-shop being 10 and an unplayable, buzzing Epiphone basic being the 1. The fit is tight, and the finish is great.

Always served well. After two years, one of the frets (14) began to buzz. One of the tuners also broke off at one point, but replaced it with Grovers, haven't had a problem since.

Never called them.

For the price, it's exceptional. Tried a $500 Dean Exotica RSE, wasn't any better in playability or tone, though it sure was attractive. Like I said, despite my upgrade to a really beutiful Ovation Special (CS257 wih quilt-top, pro-setup, and cherryburst finish) it will be hard letting go. For the price, I give it a 10--great value.

This is a new guitar I assume it was made in 2000. It was made in China. My guitar is actually a D10S which is the solid (spruce) top version. The fretboard is made of rosewood. It has Grover tuners and a natural gloss finish. Both the body and neck are bound in cream ABS. All the features are basic and simple but they do not appear to be cheap. I also purchased one for my mother that has a plywood top and a vintage sunburst finish with black binding.

Both of the nwe D10s I have had in the last sever moths sounded horrible with the factory strings. With a set of Martin Phospher Bronse Custom Lights they both have a very nice full sound. It gives a solid chunky sound when played down low and the highs can be brought out as well. Chords come out even, full and balanced. The guitar is fairly flexible. I have no real experience with very high end instruments, but this sounds as good or better than anything I have played. I give my guitar this rating based on my limited experience. My mothers is truely a great instrument and deserves a 10.

The guitar plays beautifully. The action is fairly low but shows no sign of fret buzz. I have read in other reviews that the bridge can be lowered. I may try that at the next string change just to see how it works. The body and neck have an attractive cream colored binding. There is decorative wood inlays around the sound hole and more on the back. There are a few minor cosmetic flaws, but you have to look very hard to find them. My "7" means very good but not perfect.The sunburst one with the plywood top was nearly flawless and rates a 9+.

My D10 is new but my sister's has survived nearly 5 years without any problems. I bought mine partly because of the durability of my sister's (plywood) D10 standard.

Washburn claims a lifetime warranty. I will have to take their word for it.

I am a fairly new player who has recently started to find the limitations of my $15 garage sale Sigma DM3. My sister and I pitched in to buy a new D10 for my mother for christmas. It lived at my house for almost two months. I played it every night and I hated to finally wrap it up and give it away. That particular D10 was a work of art. There was not a flaw on the whole guitar. It had a stunning sound and a beautiful action. I bought my D10S only a week after giving that guitar up. My new Washburn is a great instrument for the money, but not a great as the one I handed off to my mother. It is marginaly better though, than my sister's. It is such a step above my Sigma that it is hard to describe. I doubt that my playing will ever truely surpass what this guitar has to offer. If it were lost or stolen I would almost certainly buy another Washburn. I give my guitar a 9, my sister's gets an 8 and the one I gave my mother gets a 10. For the money I don't think the Washburn D line can be beat.

IT HAS A MOHAGONY BACK AND SIDES AND A NICE SPRUCE TOP. GROVER TUNERS WHICH SHOULD BE ON EVERY GUITAR, AND A ROSEWOOD FRETBOARD.

THE SOUND, HOW CAN I EXPLAIN LETS JUST SAY IT SOUNDS GREAT. iVE NEVER PLAYED A GIBSON OR MARTIN, BUT WHY SHOULD I IF THIS SOUNDS SO GREAT.

THE GLOSS IS GREAT, THE WOOD GRAIN IS BEAUTIFUL. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THE FRETBOARD NEEDS TO BE AJUSTED. THE PLAYABILITY IS ABOVE AVERAGE, BUT LIKE I SAID THE BRIDE NEEDS TO BE AJUSTED TO MAKE THE PLAYABILTY BETTER, BUT FOR THE PRICE WHOS COMPLAINING.

DO THE WORDS SHERMAN TANK MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU.

ABOVE AVERAGE GUITAR WITH A BEAUTIFUL SOUND AND A BELOW AVERAGE PRICE.GREAT VALUE.

read some of the other reviews if you want to know the woods. the tunners are nice and smooth, they hold a tune for a long time and they look good. the bridge and saddle is nice but it's set up high when you buy it so to fix it pull off the strings and lift the saddle out of the slot. there should be two spacers under it so take out one and string it back up, for me it made a big difference. bottom line it sounds great. if your a good player you can tell it isn't a taylor or a martin but it's damn close. if you into strumming or casual play it'll be fine but if you want to play some solos consider a guitar with a cutaway. if it had a cutaway i would give it 9. i also had to put my own strap button in by the neck heel, they don't come w/ em

it sounds nice and bassy. when your strumming you can hear its full tone without overpowering brightness, yet when your picking strings you get a nice bright sound out of it. it also depends a lot on your strings. 80/20, vintage, ect. great sound but don't buy it for fingerpicking only, get a taylor or the like

the top is shiny whick i don't like, i have a bubble in my pickguard, and a hair sized chip in the back of my bridge. other than that it great, the neck feels nice and full, and once you lower the action it fells nice and easy. the frets are layed well but the ends arn't crowned exactily the some, it's not noticible unless your really staring at those frets but it's something to point out

my end strap button came out once when i was pulling a realy crappy (leater belt quality) strap off it, but i just smacked it back in and it hasn't come out since. i'm glad it isn't glued in there because it will make it 10 times eaiser to put a pickup in if i chose to. this thing is well built. i've taken to multiple campfires and summer camp confrences where it has been used by 4th and 5th grades extensivly. usually murder on your guitar and it has stood up great. this guitar will handle anything you throw at it.

never had a problem, i think it's a limited lifetime warranty. buy a good case for it and you'll never have to worry about it

if it had a cutaway and a pickup without the laquer on top i'd consider it the ideal guitar for anyone who don't want to spend over $600 on a guitar. overall it will be the best price on the best sound you'll find in a new guitar.

dreadnought, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fret board, laminated, chrome tuners, natural top with a stained transparent wine on the back and sides (as simplistic as it is, it is very pretty), 20 frets, no electronics, no cutaway... it comes with dean markly strings that i happen to enjoy, although their not my personal favorite. i've had it for a few years, since '97. as far as i know it was brand new when i bought it.

well, it's a dreadnought so obviously it has a nice full bassy tone. i enjoy it for lead rhythms and even finger picking. i play progressive rock, acoustic metal, and chick type music. The D10 works well with that variety of sounds as well as blues (which i don't really play that much).
i gave it an "8" simply because it isn't the best that i've played on, sound wise. BUT, it is exceptionaly well for what it is (the lamination) and for the price.

there wasn't anything asthetically wrong with it when i bought it. the strings aren't set very close to the frets, but if it bothers you, you probably could easily get it fixed by going to your local guitar shop. just make sure they handle and deal with washburns.
over the years of playing it, i've found that the "g" string sticks when tuning and often sounds out of tune when i play. i sometimes get a slight buzz with it when playing, not always. i change strings every few months, when needed, and it doesn't seem to help or change the situation. i'm needing to get it check out for any adjustments it might need, because it probably needs one.

this is no travel guitar, but i've taken this clunker just about everywhere with me. on youth retreats, to friends houses, vactions, across state and country, etc... it's been through plenty and received it's far share of nicks and dings. BUT, it's still together and playable with sound and tone up to standard quality.
durabilty sometimes can be determined on how you handle and take care of it. i'm personally protective of it, even if it isn't some fancy solid wood guitar in the thousand dollar price range.
as i said before the bracing is good. the fact that it's a mahogany guitar means it can probably withstand some beating.
the strap button keeps coming out and i've taken to just lap playing because of it.

i haven't actually dealt with the company.

i've been playing for about 4 years. i don't own any other acoustic, but have played on many friends guitars among others while browsing in music stores. this is the best selling washburn, or so i hear, not because it's THE best wasburn, but because it's a good buy, price vs. quality, for a beginner or early intermediate player, which is who i'd recomend this too. it is in no way a crappy guitar, but it is in no way top of the line either.
i personally find it very comfortable. although i had to get use to the body and over all size of it, it wasn't hard at all. i find it visually pleasing and the tonal quality is good. it isn't my personal fav as of now, but it was a good guitar to learn on. i'm rather glad i had it as my first guitar, but for me, it's about time to move on to something different.

Washburn has supposedly sold more D10s than any other acoustic guitar ever made. The one I have is a 1998 model, 20 frets, laminate, no electronics, dreadnaught body style, natural finish; in short, just yer basic acoustic guitar. It's well built (I don't know where it was made), although the string pegs in the bridge were a major bitch to get out the first time i changed the strings. I only paid $200 for it, so you won't hear me complain.

It has a decent tone, bright with good strings. I would like a little more low end, but it's not like I dropped a grand on the thing. I mainly play originals, with lots of open strings droning, chords high on the neck, not much single-string stuff. For what I do, it sounds fine. I put one of those Dean Markley wood-brick pickups in the sound hole, and it sounds decent with a little compression and noise reduction. Once again, great for the price

The action is probably a bit low for some, but I kind of like just a hint of buzz when I play, so it doesn't bug me. Again, the bridge pegs were really crammed in there, but I'd rather have them snug than loose. No noticeable flaws. It's just a plain jane guitar. Obviously, if you're looking for a thing of beauty, this guitar is not for you. If you're like me, and mainly want it for songwriting and practice, it's a gem.

It only came with one strap peg, which kinda sucked (but Martin has this cool little loop thing with a strap peg you can get for the neck, so you don't have to screw with shoestrings anymore). I wouldn't suggest this guitar for heavy gigging; if you're using it to record or practice, or for sit-down acoustic sessions, it should be just fine. I've had it a year and have had no problems, but I haven't gigged with it.

haven't dealt with 'em

Bottom Line: you probably can't beat it for $200, unless you buy something used off a crackhead. I've been playing for 15 years, but I'm not a gearhead or rich, so I'm not into paying a ton o' cash for my instruments. I like simple, cheap gear that sounds good and gives me no guff, and this guitar fits the bill. I would be wary of playing this thing at a gig, but for songwriting and such, it suits me fine. If it got stolen, I'd defintely look at Washburns, but I'd probably go for a different model.