Washburn HB35

2003. Black with gold hardware.(only black one i've seen) you know the rest of the description. Korean Made. Hollowbody es335 copy, awesome. Grover tuners. Humbucker

This guitar is perfect for blues,rock n roll, jazz, just a great warm sounding tone. I love this guitar. Been buying and selling guitar after guitar looking for a keeper and I will keep this thing for a long time. The guitar has a wide variety of sounds. It makes me want to play my arse off. It is big now, if you are really small it might be too big and heavy, but not really bad at all. Love the sound on this thing, strong, sounds good distorted also just a good ol guitar sound. barr chords are perfect. kick arse

Bought it used. don't know what the factory set-up was like. great fit and finish. good crafstmanship. some glue and stuff when you look in the f holes but for the most part very nicely executed. Nice tuners(grover). frets look pretty good.

Don't know yet. will soon. It is a hollowbody so i will have to be a little extra carefull with it. Good hardware. nice strap buttons. seems dependable.

don't know

Been playing a couple of years. Have owned several electrics, fender ibanez. schecter, have played all the so called "best guitars" the name brands in other words. Fender, gibson, prs. Which are all well over priced. This is a better instrument than any fender that I've ever played. Maybe not better different JUST AS GOOD as any of the above mentioned. Don't be tricked by name brands. None of these mentioned brands are the best guitars in the world. The best guitars are handmade with care such as ALEMBIC, PHIGA. I love this guitar though. will probably keep it as long as possible. JB from widespread panic plays one of these. Love this just the way it is. I would get another if lost or stolen. If you are thinking about this guitar, don't worry it kicks butt. Not really for metal crap but it can handle it's share of distortion. Just a nice guitar.

This is a 1998 HB35(S) made in Korea semi- hollow body guitar. Essentially this guitar is a take-off of a Gibson 335, two humbuckers, a volume and tone control for each PUP, 3-way switch; 24 3/4" scale; white mahogany centre block. The guitar is equipped with Grover tuners, Tune-o-matic bridge, jumbo frets and a rosewood fretboard. The neck, back, and I believe sides are made of flame Maple. Unlike the current models produced today the top is made of Sycamore wood.

I must qualify this section by saying first that I upgraded the stock pickups and put a Gibson '57 Classic in the neck and a Gibson '57 Classic Plus in the bridge. When I roll the tone back on the neck PUP I get lovely sweet Jazz tones. The bridge PUP is great at straight up rock n' roll. It?s a great blues guitar. The HB35 works well with sound modulation effects (chorus, vibrato, tremolo, spacey delays, or panning). For gear I use a Mesa Boogie F-30 head with a Boss GT-6 in the loop, combined with a Marshall 30th anniversary 1X12 cabinet.

I purchased this guitar new old stock. The guitar has a nice, comfortable neck. It was setup well, however there was one flaw, the nut was 1/16th inch inside the edge of the neck. This doesn?t affect the playability but it may show a lack of quality control lacking in perhaps an offshore plant?

Hey it?s a semi-hollowbody you have to be gentle with it. I also had issues with the 3-way switch which I eventually replaced.

I have had no dealings with Washburn but the service where I purchased it from was poor.

This was my first electric guitar, it?s a lot of fun to play. For strings I like use Gibson B.B. Kings (10- 54?s) The tiger stripe top on ?Wally Washburn? is absolutely outstanding! I?m not kidding, this guitar is better looking then the one featured on Washburn?s web site! Combined with the wine red finish, the gold hardware, cream coloured trim with fine black pin striping and block inlays, this is hands down my best looking guitar! It?s not the most versatile guitar but it is a total blast to play in the style(s) that it's suited for.

I was skeptical about buying a Korean guitar after ownining a U.S. made Gibson Les Paul Classic. That has all changed now. This 2004 model has 23 frets with a semi hollow body laminated top. The two volume and two tone controls along with the three way selector give me all the sound configurations I could ask for. The two HH pickups are warm and creamy. The neck and body are quite comfortable. I got mine in a beautiful natural finish which adds beauty to my living room where I keep it on a stand. The Buzz Feitin system is easy to tune and stays in tune day after day. I've never had a guitar that needa so little attention. The neck is nice and thi with jumbo frets. The hard shell case could be a little sturdier.

My favorite band is the Allman Brother,s Band and the guitar suits this music just fine. I play through a Fender Princeton 65 Amp. No problems there either. I am partial to rich full sounds and that is exactly what I get. I can get a wide range of sounds considering the pu's are humbuckers. If you like Tele twang you won't be happy. That is why I also have a Tele. This is on of the best sounding guitars I have ever played, even with the standard pu's. Look out Gibson.

Niece low action and perfect factory set up. Beautiful bookmatched front and back. Not one proble with quality control, tuners finish binding etc. Perfect binding on the neck and top and back.

Guitar is new so I can't answer hoe it will hold up, but it seems to be pretty sturdy.

No experience with customer support. The one thing I don't like is there is no phone number to call. I guess I would have to bring it back to the store where I bought it if a problem develops

I have been playing a few years. If lost I would get another one ASAP.I love the look and the creamy sound. I am sorry but there is nothing I hate about the instrument. In fact I am also going to order the Washburn Idol series wi 67 as a back up for a guitar with a smaller scale. Th hb 35 kicked the hell out of the Gibson 333, Epiphone Sheraton and Ibanex As 73 in terms of craftmanship and sound.Just ge on , play and be happy.

Bought new in 1990, Sunburst finish, gold hardware, box inlays, set neck, volume and tone per pickup. Not sure where it was manufactured. More of a es-335 clone than the modern spec hb-35, in terms of body shape and location of pickup selector switch.

When I bought this I'd been playing about 2 years and was getting into blues, I wanted a es-335 but couldn't justify the expense for a mere 2 years of playing. When I saw the HB-35 it was the image and looks I fell in love with, not being much of a tone nut at that stage. 14 years on, still primarily playing blues, and as profficient as I am now I still can't justify an es-355 while I've got this guitar, I've been through a few Strats (my primary instrument and I love single coils), but I believe the HB-35's probably there to stay now. Just a great typical semi-hollow tone, great balance of resonance and sustain, and I think the pickups are great.

Was set up perfectly from the showroom, and other than a set up change for going to slightly heavier gauge strings there's hardly been a thing to do with it. The general finish is really good, it looks a much more expensive guitar than it is and I consider it a more authentic instrument than epiphone or yamaha equivalents, would sit quite proudly next to the genuine article (es-335).

I've had it 14 odd years now and it still looks a beauty. The gold plating has worn on the pickups a bit, but it looks more aged and authentic because of it. Has been very dependable over the years, I considered trading it once, but when it came to the crunch just couldn't see it go!

Never been required

I've been playing about 16 years and owned this one 14 years.
I'm just too fond of this guitar to let it go now, it's a keeper for me. It has stunning semi-hollow looks, nice grain and burst finish, even if I was to get my dream es-335, I'd keep hold of this old faithful. If you're looking for a semi-hollow but can't afford es-335, look no further than this guitar, much better than Epiphone or Yamaha equivalents. Glad to see others value this instrument also. I prefer the looks of my older spec model, and would find great difficulty replacing it, which i'd have to do if the worst happened.

1985 HB-35 natural finish w/gold tuners, bridge, mother of pearl inlays in neck and headstock - made in Japan - semi-hollow body.
2 humbuckers. 2 dark wood inlay stripes down back of neck.
Japanese models of 1980's superior in build to current Korean versions.
Would rate it a 10, but stock pick-ups are so-so. Replaced pick-ups with Seymour Duncan '59s. Now it is a definite 10.

Once I relaced pick-ups with SD 59's, sound is beautiful. Play classic rock, blues.
Current amps - Behringer AC112, Fender Frontman 25R and Marshall AVT20.

Again once SD's were in place - a 10 for sure. Every luthier who checks out this guitar says it is a solid, beautiful guitar - 0ne of the best made by Washburn.

Only have had it for a few months, but again it seems real solid. Replaced strap buttons with gold Dunlop straplocks.

Absolutely love this guitar - current Korean versions are very good, but if you can find an 80's Japanese version, go for it, you won't be disappointed. I compared this to Gibson 335 and Ibanez AS 80 (Artstar). With SD 59 pick-ups, this guitar sings. For the buck, best electric semi-hollow under $1K.
Other guitars - Garrison G-35 acoustic and DeArmond M77-T electric.

MY GUITAR IS A HOLLOW BODY WASHBURN HB35 FROM 1988 JAPANESE, AND I BUYED BY $320 DLLS, THE FINISHED ARE GREAT AND AMAZING BODY

THE SOUND IS VERY VERY NICE, CLEAN IS THE BEST SOUND , AND WITH DISTORION IS GOOD, NO IS PERFECT, BUT WHAT YOU WANT OF A HOLLOW BODY GUITAR?

THIS GUITAR IS VERY PLAYABLE AND THE HUMBUCKERS INCREDIBLES, IS A GUITAR DELUXE THE MULTIPLY BINDING IN THE BODY, IN THE FRETBOARD, AND IN THE F HOLES ARE INCREDIBLE, THIS PRICE IS THE BEST FOR THIS GUITAR

WITH 16 YEARS OLD THIS GUITAR IS BETTER WITH THE TIME, THE LAQUER FINISH IS A MIRROR AND IS VERY BEAUTIFUL

THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS VERY NICE, BECAUSE I SEND AN EMAIL TO FIND INFORMATION OF THIS GUITAR, AND THE SAME DAY I HAD THE INFORMATION WITH PICTURES,AND ALL THE MATERIALS OF THIS GUITAR

I DONT HAVE MANY EXPERIENCE IN THE ARTISTIC WORLD, BUT I KNOW I WANT, AND THIS GUITAR IS PERFECT, I HAVE A GIBSON CUSTOM LES PAUL 68 , A JACKSON WARRIOR, AND A EPIPHONE ELECTROACOUSTIC GUITAR, THE DIFERENCE OF THIS GUITARS AND THE WASHBURN WAS THE PRICE

Exelent finish, beautiful wood, Groover gold tuners, laminated top and back, gold hardware, amazing! It really doesnt compare at all with an ES-335.

WOOFFF!! jajajaja, it has an amazing sound, Ive been playing for 8 years now and it is by far the best sounding guitar ever, even with my tube screamer on, the open chords sound natural and well balanced, and if I set it up clean, choosing the neck pickup and bringing my tone 3/4 down, I can get the best acoustic sound ever!... I play oasis, beatles, rolling stones (sounds wonderful with open G tunning), yardbirds, coldplay, radiohead, and the blues, this just fits amazingly to all my preferences.

The action is a little low, but its alright, one thing that concerned me was that since the begining the paint from the hardware started to fall (exept from the tuners), but my experience with gold hardware is that it happens fairly often. It is really like heaven to play this guitar because I havnt changed anything since it arrived, (except that i putted some .12 strings), and it just plays exelent.

the first day i had it on my stand my cat jumped over it and it fell................ I coudnt breath...... I joined forces with my brother to pick it up and there it was,, affortunately nothing had happened... It is well structured I guess but I would be really careful

never tried it,, lifetime warranty.

Damn good guitar, if you are thinking of buying it Im happy to tell you to do it now! you wont regret

My HB-35 was built in Korea in 1997 to a very high standard and is a variant of the 335. It is a semi-hollow body with two humbuckers, a 3-way selector switch, a volume and tone control for each pickup and the scale is a typical 24 3/4.

The guitar is made from flamed sycamore and flamed maple for the body, a maple neck with a lot of birdseye character and a rosewood fretboard with 22 med.jumbo frets. It has a stop tailpiece and a "Nashville"-type bridge. All the harware is gold including Grover branded tuners.

I bought mine used and it came with a TKL HSC. The pickups are Washburns' own and they are good, especially the bridge. This guitar is a lot heavier than the Chinese-crafted Tursers, Ibanez's and Aslin-Dane's.

The guitar has a very full sound, but it can chime when called upon. I have used it with a 59 Bassman I constructed, a Vibro-Champ, a Custom Vibrolux Reverb, V-series 5212 and a Laney VC30 2x10.

It sounds best throught the Champ and the Bassman. The neck pickup can get muddy and overbearing with some amps and depending on control settings. I plan to change the neck pickup to a "57" Classic and may try Seth Lover's from Duncan in the near future.
The stock bridge pickup gets a "9", while the neck gets a "7" and overall it rates and "8" for now. I expect new pickups to get this guitar close to a "10" rating.

The guitar was purchased used, so I can't speak to the original set-up. I adjusted the pickup heigth by ear. The gold finish on the hardware is tarnished as expected.

The top is perfectly bookmatched, the finish and binding are excellent and the ornate MOP inlays on the neck and fretboard are fantastic as well.

This guitar is very giggable, although I would never go with out a backup. The hardware is very well made and will last, but the gold will not. I have not seen a guitar with gold hardware that has been used that has remained free of tarnish and probably never will.

The finish is a poly and will last beyond my years. I have added Dunlop straplocks as I am doing to all my guitars. I never want to see the result of a set neck hollow/semi-hollow guitar after a fall!!

I purchased from Third-Eye Music from Tom and he deserves a big thanks. He has been more than accomodating when I stop by to play his new arrivals. It's used so no warranty to deal with, but I did send e-mail for a copy of the manual and warranty and got them within a few weeks. Thanks Washburn. Rating here is for the dealer and Wasburn combined.

I have been playing more off than on for 30 years. I used to play only Strats a only played as a back-up rythym guitarist since I was the vocalist. As a rythym guitarist I am more than decent. But I have been working on fills, leads and alternative chord voicings. SOON I hope to be a complete player.

I love the woody warmth of tone this guitar brings with it. The neck is a V shape and may be the most comfortable I have ever played, although it took a little time to adjust.

I grew up playing Strats or Strat copies and later played a RIC 12. I did not realize how many different guitars and tones were out there. The RIC was limiting my ability to expand and learn. I am now getting close to finding my "tone". The HB-35 is an excellent instrument and is just beautiful to look at and I can't wait to see what new pickups do for her. I think this guitar was the first to fully exploit the Koreans' ability to make a world class instrument.

My HB-35 is a newer 2002 Korean made model, with the Buzz Feiten tuning system and high ratio Grover tuners. I bought it used from an acoustic player who thought he wanted to try electric. He played it twice and decided it wasn't for him, so I got it virtually new. As the other reviewers have noted, this guitar is a sycamore and maple bodied 335 style guitar, with mahogany neck, rosewood 22-fret fretboard, dual "generic" gold covered humbuckers, gold hardware, tune-o-matic bridge and tail piece, 2 vol/2 tone controls, and ornate inlays. The flame striping on the natural finished Sycamore is very nice. Not as dramatic as AAAA topped maple perhaps, but stylish and striking. It is a classic ES-335 type instrument. The only feature it could have stock that would add value for this type of guitar is push/pull coil taps. (See discussion in Sound, below, as to the pickup and switching mods I made to the guitar). However, since very few 335-style guitars come with this feature, it has everything that this model/style of guitar should have. Considering it is the only production 335 semi-hollow style guitar to come with Buzz Feiten system, I am giving it a 10 for this added feature.

My main guitar is a custom designed Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic with H/S/S wiring. My other electric is a McInturff Royale. I play through a Mesa Boogie Road King head and a pair of 2x12 Avatar cabinets loaded with Celestions. My small rack includes a Korg digital tuner in one FX loop and a Lexicon MPX-200 in the other FX loop. I sometimes will use a Dunlop Wah pedal and/or a Samson Airline wireless unit. I currently play in a cover band and have to cop a wide range of styles and tones, from 80's rock to No Doubt, to Motown and occasionally the smoky jazz torch song. While the Anderson covers the Strat and Tele tones perfectly, I need a dual hum guitar for more rock and thicker tones. I have tried a variety of guitars trying to find a sound between Les Paul and ES-335, including PRS, Baker and McInturff, but hadn't found enough air and open-ness, so I wanted a traditional semi-hollow 335-style guitar.

The HB-35 is a great sounding guitar- once you install better pickups. The stock pickups are fair, but lifeless. The neck pickup is muddy and doesn't have that rich resonance I crave for either clean jazz tones or overdriven "Santana-esque" sounds. From reading the reviews here, I knew going in that I would want different pickups. I installed a Duncan '59 in the neck position and a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage PAF in he bridge position. The guitar came to life and sounds simply amazing!!! I also had my tech install push/pull taps on the tone controls, for series/parallel switching of the pickups. While the cut may not be quite as slinky as single/dual taps, it is silent and there is no single coil hum. I prefer that trade off. So, the pickups are essentially silent. The guitar has a rich full neck tone- exactly what you want and expect from a 335. The bridge position is tight, clear adn strong, but not brittle. With the coils tapped, it is somewhat slinky adn looser feeling, giving a nice set of additional sounds. This added set of sounds is very usable and gives the guitar and added dimension.

At lead settings, I can get amazing sustain and controlled rollover into feedback. The guitar doesn't tend to howl or have uncontrolled feedback unless I use really high Recto gain settings, which I don't generally do.

Simply put, the key to great sound with this guitar is changing out the pickups. I found the exact sounds I wanted. Even my band members commented on the great tone of the guitar. Heck, when a drummer notices your tone, it must be working! So, if I were rating this guitar with stock pickups, it would be a 5 or a 6. With upgraded pickups, it is a 10. Since I am reviewing the guitar, I will go with the 6 rating as a stock instrument. However, I highly recommend this guitar with upgraded pickups as a complete bargain and a totally great instrument.

I was skeptical of the quality of a Korean instrument initially before I bought this guitar. My standards are fairly high and my guitars have mostly been high end, American guitars for the past 10 years, including Anderson, PRS, Baker and McInturff. However, I wasn't in a position to spend 2 grand on another guitar and went looking for something under $1000, expecting to compromise on quality.

I admit to being suprised. The quality of construction is very very good on this guitar. The neck joint is excellent, the frets are wonderful, the action is low, with no buzzing or bottoming out. It is a bender's dream. The finish is gorgeous. It feels great in your hands, very comfortable, like a well worn friend. The only construction flaw I can find is in the fretboard inlays. Some of the block inlays are not inlaid parallel to the frets or to each other. From a few feet away you can't tell, but if you look closely, they aren't aligned quite parallel. Considering this guitar lists for about $1,000 and I paid $500 for it, the quality of construction is amazing. My tech says that the bridge and tailpiece aren't of the best construction, and I will upgrade to Tonepros. Also, the three way switch came apart in shipment, but my tech put it back together. Again, considering this is a mid-priced instrument, they saved their money on the quality of the pickups and parts. However, they invested wisely in high quality Grover tuners and Buzz Feiten royalties for the nut/intonation "system", which I prefer. I have played Gibsons costing nearly triple which were not built as well. Considering the price point of this instrument, I was very suprised and pleased with the high quality of fit and finish. In my experience, this guitar is built as well or better than the high end 335's from Hamer, Gibson, etc... at a much lower price. So, considering value for cost, this is a 9.

I have used the guitar in 3 rehearsals and am gigging with it this weekend. I have nearly 30 years of stage experience and think I have a pretty good sense of "reliability." This guitar is reliable and durable. The finish will last. The gold hardware will last as well as any others out there, which means it will wear eventually in my sweaty palms. I replaced the strap buttons with Strap-Locks which I do on all my guitars as a cheap form of insurance. This is especially important on this guitar. Regardless of the quality of the button, the location of the strap button on the neck heel makes it inherintly likely that a strap will pull off. Strap-locks of some kind are essential on neck heel strap buttons. I would gig without a backup, but since I need two guitars on a gig anyway, I always have one.

I have no idea.

I have been playing for 30 years, with substantial stage and studio experience. In addition to a custom, luthier- built acoustic and a Taylor K20-c, I have my Anderson and McInturff electrics. I have owned a vintage 1959 Epi Sheraton (previously owend by Amos Garrett and Martin Mull), several Andersons, a PRS, Hamers, a Baker and various vintage 70's Ibanez guitars. I have been playing Mesa Boogie amps exclusively for 20 years.

When I went looking for a 335, I realized that there were Gibson and Hamer versions costing in the $2,000+ range. Some low end Epi's and others that had sketchy reputations, but not many in the $750-$1,000 range at all, let alone with good reviews. Ibanez and other Japanese models were available in that price range but didn't seem to have the quality of the vintage models. I thought about finding another original Ibanez AS-200, but even they were in the $1100 range, and I just didn't feel like spending that much. Even the Gibsons, at their inflated prices, are not known for their quality. Everything I read about the HB-35 was that it was well built for its price and a great guitar, especially at its price point. I wholeheartedly agree!

If you want a 335-style guitar, this is a fantastic guitar. Its quality and construction would be justified even at double the price. I have seen these new on the internet for about $690, which is a fantastic bargain. I have even thought about selling the McInturff, buying a second one of these, and pocketing the extra money. I can't believe this guitar is as good as it is at its price. However, don't forget to add in the cost of pickups upgrades. This baby rocks!

First; i think that this is a very well maked guitar
it's well selected wood make this guitar really a strong
one, and the tune o matic bridge have a good finish
that make a good afination system, i'm not sure since
when was made my guitar, it's from korea. something
really to admire is the weight; really light in comparison
to the HB30, and have beautiful mother pearl finish on the
frets.

Ooohh this is the best of the HB35!!!! it's sound is
to sweet and have a beautiful resonance that remaind
me to BB KING, when i tested this guitar i falled in
love, i can't explain it, by the way the acoustic make
a good job for practice. and really i recomend it! for
play blues and Jazz is your best choice.

This guitar have a very good taste, the finish is amazing!
the pickups are very well set. all the hardware is gold
and the pegs help for have a good afination! is impressive
the quality of everything on the guitar.

I have just to years with the guitar but seem to be
very strong and resistent, i thing that with the appropiate
care this can last a long long time.

I have been playing for 4 years and never played with
a guitar like this before! is the best buy i had made
and combine everything for the price! please keep this
serie alive! GET OUT AND BUY ONE RIGHT NOW!!!