Washburn HB35

My HB35 was made circa 1980- it is one of the first batch made in Japan, and I bought it brand new. It has 22 frets, and has a laminated top with a solid block in the middle (like a 335). It has two stock coil tapped (accesed with volume pull pots) humbuckers, the make is unknown, and it is passive. i wouldn't like to comment on the woods used, with the finish it has I can't really tell. The finish is a gloss tobbaco sunburst, two tone. The finish on the neck is the darker shade. The body is bound front and back, as is the neck and head. The binding has aquired that lovely buttery patina that only comes with age.It is a visually passable copy of a 335. These models had a very unusual feature. in that they were strung through the body, like a tele. I had a Khaler locking tremelo unit fitted- a decision I've since regretted on and off, mainly because it changed the beautiful balance of the instrument. However, it didn't significantly change the tone. Nut to bridge measures 630mm, and I'd call the frets medium jumbo. It came with a case, which has been replaced due to wear and tear. The tuners have a Wasburn logo, but are probably from one of the regular manufacturers. I can't give it a 10 for features due to some very minor niggles:- The hard plastic finish has lifted a little in a couple of places, either due to water damage (I live in Durban, a very hot and humid place where sweating is common) or using lemon oil (so my repairman told me). If unused for a while, the fingerboard tends to mildew, and the frets tarnish. The dot inlays are not completely flush, and I can feel them when I play. The furules on the headstock have rusted.

I play mainly covers, due to my deplorable need to eat, but in a wide variety of styles. I worked as musician and musical director at a theatre for a number of years, as well as solo and band work. The thing is, any 335 style guitar is what it is. Not even the coil taps can make it sound like a Strat or a Tele, so I wouldn't use it for everything- but this is not a fault. I've used it for big band, rock, jazz, pop and a heck of a lot in-between. I have not as yet changed the pickups, but i've got my beady little eye on some Toneriders, in an attempt to get closer to a Larry Carlton sound ( as if anyone ever could). The sustain is absolutely killer. You could hold the long Parisienne Walkways note for a week- at a very modest level. The pickups are very quiet, comparable with most humbuckers. I've played it through quite a lot of amps and effects (well, you must know how much gear you can go through in nearly 30 years) and have managed a good tone through most of them. If anything, the pickups sound slightly thin, but when I've tried the Toneriders, I'll do an update. One thing I must say, everyone who has tried this guitar wants it. When I first tried this beast the music shop let me take it to try at the gig, mainly because I was irritating them by being unable to stop playing the thing. Whilst I was playing, it was singing to me----"Buy me, buy me, buy me........". When I took it to the gig that night, the band were yelling at me (it was a loud rock band) "Buy it, buy it". I once owned a +/- '68 335 (with a trapeze tailpiece!)which I sold to get back to South Africa from England. That guitar never talked to me like the Washburn does. Sure, it had a better finish and hardwear, but it was just another guitar. I've never had even the slightest urge to sell this guitar, and as long as nobody steals it, I'll keep it till I die.

This guitar was well set up from the factory- in fact the best set up from new I've ever had. I think they tried really hard to break into the market with their first Japanese models, and you could say they succeeded as Washburn is a big company now. Nearly all the session guitarists in Johannesburg bought one of these (before you think how useless can a 'Joburg musician be, Trevor Rabin was one. I don't know if he bought the Washburn, though). Apart from the minor issues allready raised, I'm more than satisfied with this guitar.

I've used this guitar for nearly 30 years without a backup, and the only problem I've had was a faulty pickup selector switch, which I had replaced. A tuning peg broke when a groupie pulled on the drummers tie, and his foot caught on the guitar, knocking it over (it was a tie kind of band). The guitar fell of the strap once while I was trying a trick, breaking 3 of the Khaler's tuners. Since then I've used strap locks on all my guitars. A quibble I have with most of the 335 type guitars is the jack socket on the front of the body. Someone stood on the Jack, damaging the finish. I managed to fix it with a large gold washer, and now I only use angled Jacks. I have had the frets dressed and a few setups. I'd say that 30 years of fairly constant use qualifies this instrument as reliable and durable!

I've never dealt with Washburn, so have no opinion. One thing I'd like to see is the discontinuation of the HB35 name. Only this model should have had it. They have changed drastically over the years, and the only similarity is a vague 335 heritage. After all, no matter the year, a Strat looks like a Strat, and a Les Paul looks like a Les Paul. The only major surgery my HB35 had was fitting the Khaler.

I've been playing since 1959. I've had 3 L series Strats. I know, you think I'm a fool for selling them. But back in the day The Beatles didn't use Fenders, so you could hardly give them away. Who knew? I also owned the aforesaid 335, and a completely gorgeous cherry red SG-the Les Paul model, which I foolishly traded in for an SG Custom- the worst guitar I ever owned. I had a rosewood Tele, similar to the one George Harrison used on the rooftop gig, and a yellow 70's Tele that I resprayed red myself. I found it a bit limited, and that's when I bought the HB35. I now own a 35th anniversary American Standard which is a work in progress. I replaced the pickups with Kinman Traditional Mk II's, a good move, but next is the tremolo assembly.

One thing I dislike about the 335 shape is that they are uncomfortable to play seated as the waist is too far off centre. If this guitar were stolen, I doubt I'd be able to replace it, but I would if I could. I have a friend with a dot neck 335, and I'd swap it for that (not that there's any chance) but otherwise I've never tried a 335 type guitar to compare. If ever you see one of these, buy it quick. No matter what you pay it'll be a bargain.

This is 2006 Wine Red model with all of the features listed on other reviews. I bought it on EBAY from a Wholesaler who purchased a number of these from Washburn because of a defect or blemish on them. Mine had an inlay that was slightly off kilter. They sawed off the top of the headstock taking off the Washburn name and took a marker to try to conceal the Washburn name on the label in the F-hole but you could still see it.

It supposed to come with the body and neck only but with mine all I needed were a bridge, tailpiece, and some Grover Rotomatics and it was ready to go.

I play Garage Rock and the guitar is very versatile. The neck pickup is average being a bit muddy but I have a digitech box and can get pretty much what I want out of it. The bridge pickup has a lot of treble but I it find better than average for lead playing. Very defined and can get harmonics relatively easy. I play it through a Mesa Boogie 50 Caliber head with a Marshall 1936 Cab.

I own a Gibson ES 325TDW with humbuckers and the Washburn is much brighter in sound. The pickups seem to be very hot for a guitar of this type but I believe these are used in many of their other models. Just doen't really cover the low end.

The Sycamore sides and top are beautiful. The neck profile is wide, thin and flat and fast. Very comfortable. Besides the one inlay (Barely noticable) the frets were dressed nicely and the rosewood fretboard has nice feel. Strings are set low with no buzzing.

A friend I play with has an Epiphone Sheraton II and I would put this guitar in that category for comparison as they are similar in build and price. The only edge I would give to the Sheraton is that it has Epi 57 humbuckers which are some of the best sounding pickups Epiphone makes.

Built like a rock. Would gig without a back up but will bring one if a string breaks or something like that so I don't have a delay. I'm not a gold hardware fan but it is holding up rather well. Funny thing is I bought chrome tuners, pickups, rings, tailpiece and bridge thinking I had to install all of that but when it came with most of ready to go I have half of it gold and half of it chrome!

Never dealt with Washburn

Currently own one comparable model-Gibson ES 325 and one previous- Dearmond Starfire and this holds up pretty well with those two. Bought it for next to nothing so I don't know if I'd buy another but is well made. Just have to decide if the pickups are right for you.

I currently play an Gibson ES-325TDW, Carvin DC400, Epiphone Les Paul Custom Silverburst, Epiphone Firebird VII, Epiphone Firebird 500, and a Rickenbacker 350 Liverpool.

Mine's a 2007 model, made in Indonesia. I bought it on eBay, allegedly used, but if it was, the guy was playing air guitar with it. I couldn't find a scratch on it anywhere. No modifications have been made to it as of this date. I've had it for two weeks. No case came with it.

I've been playing since 1966 and have owned Fenders, Guilds, Gretsches, along with some cheaper stuff.

This is a goofy category to be rating. It's a semi hollowbody guitar, 335 style and has the features one would expect on this type guitar, so I guess that makes it a 10 in that respect. If it had come with four bedrooms, 3 baths and a jacuzi, I might be lobbying for a higher choice in ratings. It didn't.

The neck is a dream to play on. The binding is perfect on the instrument. The wood on the face of the guitar isn't bookmatched, so it's not a perfect instrument. It doesn't have a tremolo unit on it, which suits me fine. I don't use them anyway.

It's lighter weight than a Gibson 335 or even an Epi Dot 335, which I like. In my opinion, the build quality is extraordinary. Every bit as good as you see on a Gibson these days. I'm quite content with this aspect of the instrument.

I play 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's rock, old and new country and blues. Being in northeast Texas, a lot of that rock is swamp rock and southern rock styles.

I have a couple amps that I use mainly, both heavily changed from their original models. One is a Peavey Classic (series 100), which is a hybrid amp built back in the late 70's, 50 watts, solid state preamp, tube power amp. The other is a Kustom K200B-5 head (the tuck and roll variety from back in the 60's) running into a Kustom 3-15 cabinet (also tuck and roll) which originally was a bass cabinet, but I've replaced the speakers and modified it somewhat. It now has two 15's and two 8's in it. The bass is incredible off of it and the highs will cut glass. As far as effects, I use what's on the amps and have a Boss BD-2 distortion pedal and an original Vox Crybaby Wah. Are you getting the idea I'm into vintage stuff? LOL

The guitar is very quiet. As far as sound, I'm disappointed in the sound I'm getting from the stock pickups. The neck pickup is very muddy when used by itself. Too muddy without effects. Kick the distortion pedal on and it's horrible. I read another review on this guitar where the reviewer said he didn't like the sound of his HB35 running into a tube amp. I must agree here. My Peavey is a tube amp, my Kustom is solid state. The sound of this guitar is much muddier through the Peavey.

The Bridge pickup, on the other hand is twangy, almost shrill. And the volume is lower from that pickup than the neck pickup. I've set up my own guitars since back in the 60's and I know how to adjust pickups and I just can't get there with these stock pickups. I will be changing pickups very soon.

I will say this. This isn't my first rodeo, and I do know how to squeeze all there is to squeeze from an amp or a guitar. The sound of the two pickups together isn't bad. It's not what I'd call clean because there's a bit of mud still hanging around, but it's usable. I can kick some treble boost from the Boss pedal into the mix and clean it up a bit and ease up on my pick attack and get a definitely usable clean sound from the system. But I shouldn't have to do that, so I'll change the pickups on the unit. The rating I'm putting for this category is based on the stock pickups.

I love the neck. I'm one of those nuts who wants the strings laying on the neck. It'll take me probably a year of changes before I get this neck exactly where I want it, but I have no doubt I can get there. It's very playable as it is. I'll just make it more to my liking. And one can't hurry that. It takes time.

As far as the setup when I received the guitar, it was fine and what I expected. I stated earlier that the top was not bookmatched. I think I can live through this, somehow.

I owned a Guild Starfire many years ago. This guitar, in my opinion, is built as well as the Starfire was, so I fully expect it to withstand live playing. I'd use it on a gig without a backup. I already have, in fact. The only caveat about my rating here is that I haven't owned the guitar but 14 days, so this is merely a guess regarding reliability/durability. But I've got enough experience that I believe I'm right here.

I have no clue, but based on other reviews, I believe Washburn would be responsive, should I need support. I maintain and upgrade my own instruments, including electronics, neck modifications, repairs, etc., so I don't foresee me ever needing that support.

As I said earlier, I've been playing since 1966. I listed my amps earlier. I have two or three other guitars, nothing special. I'm building a custom Strat that I'll keep. The other guitars I own will probably get sold soon.

The only real downside I have with this guitar is the stock pickups. And that's an easy fix. Once that's done, I anticipate that the HB35 will be my main guitar. I owned that Guild Starfire for four years. I replaced it with a '69 Fender Tele that I owned for thirty four years. I replaced the Tele with a Gretsch DuoJet and kept it for a year. Just didn't like the neck on it, but I must say the craftsmanship and sound was just incredible. I do like the neck on the HB35, and that's before I get it dressed the way I like it, so I anticipate this being my main guitar for many years to come, barring something unfortunate happening.

It's a 9 because of the pickups and the non-bookmatched top. One will be fixed, the other I can live with. I think this is a great value on a semi-hollowbody guitar.

Semi-hollow tobacco sunburst washburn hb35(s).

Amazing sound, i play lead blues with it and the hollow body really sounds amazing for this type of music, this guitar truly has "soul".

The action is like a dream, as perfect as can be, with this guitar in my hands i become twice the better player.
Bending, fast licks but also chords and fingerpicking, everything plays and sounds extremely well on this guitar.

Don't know, it looks firm and reliable, but i haven't fully tested it yet to give an honest review.

Don't know.

Having owned about a dozen guitars over the years, and played at least double that amount, this guitar really sticks out being brilliant.
It performs, plays and sounds so good that i thought it was worthy of a good review here.

Mainly I would like to point out that this guitar has been through a number of incarnations. It started out being made in Japan, then moved to Korea, and now is sourced from China. I own two of the Korean models, which both have the Buzz Feiten setup. I have a real problem with Washburn concerning these changes. They keep dropping the retail price rather than changing the model # to reflect the differences. The Japanese versions are killer but rare, the Korean Buzz Feiten models are a great value, and the Chinese are a cheap 335 knock-off.

The pickups on my Korean models are OK. The neck works pretty well for some jazz but can be muddy. The bridge is good for rock and overdriven sounds but both pickups lack somewhat in terms of harmonics and complexity. The guitar does, however, sound good acoustically, which points to the pickups as the limiting factor. One thing you should be aware of; the pots from the factory are 250K. If you change them out to 500's the sound opens up quite a bit, becomes somewhat brighter and has more harmonics. If you upgrade to a better humbucker and can't figure out why you don't hear more improvement, try changing the pots.

Mine are really nicely done considering the price point. Actually they are brilliant when compared to much of the junk that comes out of Gibson. I decided to buy a CS-336 and went through six before I found an acceptable one. Everything from orange peel to a twisted neck. The hardware is marginal. Not unreasonable for the price but the guitar is good enough to justify upgrades. I put a bone nut on mine and changed to bridge to a Tone Pro. I also replaced the pots with 500K and upgraded the pickup switch. My only real complaint is a matter of preference. I wish the neck was a little beefier. In fairness, it is very similar to an early 60's 335.

For a semi-hollow body it seems very stout. The gold will wear off over time but that is pretty typical. The switches should be replaced if you plan to keep this a long time.

I contacted Washburn to check on the pots issue. They sent me an email which gave me an extremely detail spec sheet on the guitar. It helped me make decisions on what to upgrade.

I like semi-hollow guitars. I also have a Hamer Newport, a Heritage 555, a Yamaha SA-2200, and an Epiphone Elite. This is the least expensive but holds its own. Going back to Washburn's bizarre dumbing down of the model, my versions list price was $1200.00. I think they are around half of that now but it is NOT the same guitar.

Semi-acoustic double cutaway tobacco sunburst guitar, styled after the gibson ES 335 ofcours.

This guitar is one of the few semi-acoustic guitars under a 1000 that actually really sounds great, it really uses it's hollow body to get great tone.

I got it second-hand, but it was setup already perfect, no adjustments needed.
Finish looks amazing, so do the details, it looks and feels very solid and stylish.

But this is where it really rocks: the action and playability of this guitar; it's like no other i have ever felt, this guitar plays like a dream, bends like a dream, it feels like you have to do so little to play so well, it invites to be brilliant, i love this guitar.
And just for the record; i have tried over 20 or so similar guitars under a 1000 dollars, none of them i really liked , this washburn though immidiatly felt great and it still does.

As good as it gets.

Don't know.

I have nothing but great words for this guitar and i can't think of anything bad to say about it. I have played and owned a lot of guitars, this one is the first to be perfect.

1984 japanese hb35 tobacco burst.

i mainly play blues and blues rock and it is great for that. i use a gibson ga-5 reissue amp. with the stock pickups it literally booms. but i detect a bit of harshness in the sound and might swap the pickups for seymour duncan blues 59 set.

i bought the guitar on ebay and for a 22 year old guitar it was in pretty good condition - with a small paint chip on the head stock and small scratches all over the body - but the neck and fret board were without a blemish and fret wear was almost zero! i do have some concern with the tuners - but have to check them as times goes by to see if they have to be replaced.

guitar is built like a tank and is sure to outlast me!

never been in touch with washburn.

playing for around 5 years. own a gibson les paul studio lite. wanted a semihollow and after some research considered the hb35 as a very good alternative and value for money.

i've played gibson 335s in guitar center, manny's music etc in nyc and i think the hb35 is way above in playability. i love the way the hb35 rests on my body when strapped on - very comfortable. fantastic fret access. neck is eminently playable. i can't stop playing it and am sure my playing is going to jump a notch.

the great thing about my hb35 is that it is relatively light. 335 models are normally 8 lbs plus. japanese guitars especially weigh more than normal. but strangely mine weighs only around 7 lbs! i love it for that.

Submitted for your consideration is a 2005 CIC HB35 in natural finish. I bought it new with the Washboard er... umm... Washburn HSC and have owned it for one year. That is enough time to give it a thorough review. The hardware is gold plated and the flamey maple laminate body is truly a sight to behold. As an alternative to the Gibson 335, it is quite gorgeous and affordable. All the hardware details have already been covered. Since it has all the features of a 335, this category gets a perfect 10.

This guitar was purchased for blues, jazz and the occasional Allman Brothers Band song. It does sound best through a quality 100 watt solid state amp. I have tried it through a 1978 Fender Pro Reverb, Marshall 1/2 stack and many others ranging from a 10 watt 1X8 up to the aforementioned.

The sound is abysmal.

At first I thought it might be the wiring. I spent many hours rewiring the guitar with quality components but it did not help. Lastly I changed out the pickups with some alnico humbuckers that measure in the 8K ohm range and the guitar came to life. If you are reading this (and have done your research) you will note that Washburn does not say what magnet material the pickups are manufactured with. I suspect it is ceramic. What were you thinking, Washburn??

Mighty Mite gold humbuckers were installed which made the guitar come to life.

Action was very good out of the box. Over the last year, it did need a fret dressing two times to trim fret end sprout. I cannot ding Washburn for that as I live in the dry Mojave Desert.

The finish has several flaws and spots of obvious touch up and glue fill. About what you can expect on a guitar in this class. The back of the neck has a spot that looks like a dirty fingerprint under the finish but none of this is visible ten feet away. (Minus one point. There is a lot of filler around the neck inlays. (Minus one more point.)

The action is very nice and this it where the guitar kicks the Ibanez Artcore series of 335 style guitars to the curb. (Yes, I own an Ibanez AS73, too.) You cannot play the Ibanez above the 14th fret. The Washburn has excellent access all the way up the neck, much like my Gibson SG. The HB35 is a step up from the Artcores but both need pickups with alnico pickup upgrades unless you play hair metal music from the 1980s, in which case you would not play a 335 style guitar.

The guitar should last if well cared for but the gold is wearing off of the hardware in only one year of light use. The Grover tuners work well. Yes, I would play it without a backup as I have worked the guitar over for a year to set it up.

I have been playing guitar since 1963, and we have about 20 guitars in the house. If it were stolen, I might get another but I would be picky in my selection.

Wine red gorgeous wood grain. Standard tuners. This one did not come with a case, so I bought a generic one that fit, but was still a bit loose. Found the right case on ebay and bought it. This one is a Chinese made guitar.
Maple body and neck.
Semi-hollow body, gold hardware.
Standard pick up, Humbuckers I believe.
Tune-o-matic bridge,

Gorgeous sound, rich full and beautiful. Nice echo and warm feedback from the hollow body, but when you want it. Resonance is awesome. Good for nice jazz playing, or deep gutty Nugent rocking. Still experimenting with pedals and amps. Sounds awesome no matter what I put it through, and works as an acoustic as well.

This thing is the finest guitar I have ever played off a rack. Set up perfect, or anywhere else for that matter. No flaws that I can see. Everyone who sees it is in awe. Action is phenominal, not sure if I just got a special one or all HB35's are this smooth. Ended my desire for an ES 335.

Just got it, so can't say how it will hold up. I don't see any reason it would not though. Gold hardware will perform like gold hardware though. It will fade eventually, but man does it look awesome. I play in a Church band, so not a lot of traveling around, but I don't leave my instruments since my 2nd Les Paul got ripped off from the church.

Everything seems to be solid, though the jack nut was loose and came off. Replaced and tightened, no problem. Common problem.

Have never dealt with Washburn before. But everything I read and heard was good. Have no reason to take it to my normal set up guy. I can't imagine anything he could do better.

Been playing for over 30 years, but recently got serious and started taking lessons again with a master. Have had 3 Les Pauls, "The Paul" solid Walnut body, a 1978 "Custom" (both got stolen at different times)and have a Les Paul Pro now, but it will take a back seat to the HB35, even though it is an incredible Les Paul, over 28 years old, one of only 2 Les Paul Pros made in black.

I also have a Fender Squire youth model (bought for the kids, then stole it back), an Alvarez thin body electric acoustic. Always wanted an ES335, but never could justify the price tag. This stopped my search.
The action is incredible, sound is wonderful, love the high cut aways giving access way up the neck. Some complain about the weight, but for a Les Paul player it is light. The best playing guitar I have ever played, bar none. The only HB35 I ever played, so again I don't know if this is a fluke or what. A oot better than the HB30's and J-4's, etc. that they had.
If I lost this one for whatever reason, I would most certainly buy another ASAP. I almost bought another on EBAY for the heck of it.

When this music store opened about 2 years ago this was on the wall, and I fell in love with it. It hung there all that time and never sold, I played it every time I went in. Finally I talked them into a price I could not refuse. Even at the orginal price of 599 it was a bargain, but for the amount I played I could not justify buying another guitar.

1984 Washburn HB35--tobacco sunburst with 2 HB pickups. My 1984 guitar was made in Japan of sycamore. the newer models have the pickup switch on the upper bout, mine is down by the knobs. This guitar has a lot of binding and is a well-made guitar throughout. I'll rank it just above the middle...it doesn't have a lot of features, but you're not looking for bells and whistles when you buy a guitar like this.

This is a great sounding guitar, plugged in or unplugged. It has a warm, solid acoustic sound that is enhanced by the pickups. I have had microphonic feedback from the pickups on occasion, but it hasn't been enough of a problem to make me swap them out.

I play the HB35 through a Hot Rod Deluxe with a minimum amount of effects. I've used it in several bands--a classic rock/blues cover band, an all-original Beatlesque group, and a jazz trio. It has sounded sweet in all settings.

The guitar was set up very nicely when I got it. The previous owner had obviously cared for it well. The only blemish on the guitar is a small ding in the top from a percussion stand falling and striking the guitar while on a guitar stand.

The set in neck is a dream. I have only had to make minor adjustments in the 6 years I've owned this guitar, and those were due to seasonal climate changes (I live in Minnesota).

I owned this guitar for over 2 years before I gigged with it. When I finally took it out, it became my main performance guitar. I have gigged without a backup for the HB35 many times. I now cart multiple guitars for my current band, but if I had to rely on the HB35 alone, I wouldn't worry at all. It's a tank.

The only minus on this guitar is the gold hardware. It has worn off to the nickel on the pickup covers and tailpiece. This seems to be consistent with other HB35s from this period. Obviously, it doesn't affect the sound or the playability of the guitar.

I bought the guitar used, it was 17 years old when I got it (only one previous owner). I e-mailed Washburn with the serial number because the dealer who sold me the guitar wasn't sure how old it was. They responded the same day with the date of manufacture. The warranty no longer applies for the guitar, but I'll give them high marks for a quick response.

This guitar was sitting in the music store for almost a week before I picked it up. A friend of mine had worked for a division of Washburn and had a very negative opinion of their products. I had also played some Washburn guitars that left me underwhelmed. But my eye kept getting drawn back to the HB35, and finally I tried it out. I played it for an hour, through different amps, trying different styles, etc. I was actively trying to find flaws in the instrument. I couldn't.

I had wanted a 335 style guitar for years, but thought a high-quality model was out of my price range. My HB35 has been in the hands of people who own Gibsons, Heritages, Hamers, and so on...everyone has been amazed at the quality of my $350 find.

Since buying the HB35, I have purchased two other Washburns, the J3 and the Oscar Schmidt OE-30. I'm happy with the OE-30, VERY happy with the J3, but the HB35 remains my workhorse and my precious baby.

I give this guitar the highest recommendation. It costs a little more than an Epiphone or an Ibanez Artcore, but it is well worth the difference. This is Gibson quality for a sixth of the price.

All features as previously posted.

Already have an Am Std Strat which I love. Wanted something to go up another level and growl like a scrap yard dog. This guitar does it big style!!!! It also does a very nice clean, but didnt buy it for that. Bought an Epi LP std but was very disappointed with it. Sold it on and bought the Washburn this week. I now have the guitar I want. Stock pups sound great. Playing through a Marshall AVT150 at the moment.

Beautiful looking guitar. Well set up by Richtone Music. No flaws at all. Plays like a dream

Dont play live anymore, but I am sure the guitar would stand up to it.
Finish seems very good.

Cant give a score on this as only got guitar today

Been playing on and off for thirty odd years, Just started again seriously a few years ago. Own an Am Std Strat, Takamine EG523SC12 (Awesome 12 string!!!!) and a Tanglewood TW55DLX. Bought Washburn after three weeks of trying every hollowbody I could find and reading every review. It seemed to be the best within my budget, and even blew away more expensive ones (Sheraton,Indie, Yamaha,Schecter and Peavey).If it were stolen or lost would get another. Really wanted a Sunburst one but not available till march 07, but am happy with the wine colour. Anyone thinking of a hollowbody less than ??400 with hard case. GET A WASHBURN HB35!!!!!!!

List Price: $799.90 Paid $320.00 on eBay
Case: GB30 included
Color: Wine Red
Maple body
Flamed maple top
Double cutaway semi-acoustic body
Gold hardware
Bound f holes
Multi laminate binding
Raised black/white pickguard
Rosewood fingerboard
Split block inlays
Tune-o-matic bridge
Stop bar tailpiece
621 neck pickup
623 bridge pickup
4 knob/3 way switch
Gold Grover?? 18:1 gear ratio tuners
Maple neck
Neck radius: 320mm
24.72" Scale
22 frets
Joined at the 19th fret.
Nut Width: 1 5/8" (43mm)

I have found this particular guitar to sound excellent. I believe that it rivals the Gibson ES-335, just with hotter pick-up's. I am mainly a rock/blues player, and it is well suited for those styles. It is a perfect rhythm guitar for any type of music. It has a well balanced sound that can be fine tuned to suit any musician.

I am currently playing through a Peavey Classic 50 410 and the guitar responds well, both clean and dirty. Sustain is amazing for a stock, factory assembled guitar. The pick-up's are stock and really have some punch when needed.

I had to set the guitar up to my specifications since it was used when I bought it. It set up without any problems, and plays like a dream. The neck is slim and consistant, which makes it very fast and easy to play. The fit and finish is impeccable for a factory guitar. Again, this guitar was pre-owned, but it is in excellent condition.

This guitar is a soild instrument that will no doubt hold up well to aggressive playing and many gigs. The hardware is sold and has an attractive gold plating that seems "deep" for factory hardware. I never play a show without a back-up, but would in a crunch with this guitar. I have more faith in this guitar than my Epiphone or Gibson for reliability and durability.

I have been playing for roughly 20 years. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would replace it asap. I love the overalll feel of the instrument, and the color is my personal favorite. I bought the guitar "sight unseen" based on a recommendation of a friend, and have no regrets. This guitar is much better overall than my Epiphone Dot, and really close to the Gibson ES-335 for about a third of the cash.

Natural flame maple top, cream binding. STUNNING!

Grover tuners are awesome. Bridge is OK, but I will be repacing it with a tonepros bridge for even more sustain.

The ONLY thing keeping this guitar from a 10 is the gold hardware. I hate it so much, but everything else was so great that I bought it anyway. I feel like a pimp or something when I play it, but not in a good way... This is strictly a matter of personal preference, of course. I hate gold anything, and gold guitar hardware looks bad after a few years.

Amazing guitar. Maybe the best I've ever seen for the money. The only area of weakmess, in my opinion (other than the gold hardware), were the stock pickups. That said, they're still pretty good. MUCH better than stock Epis or the like. I thought about keeping them in. But, when I switched them out with SD Phat Cats, this guitar really came to life. It's now a versatile tone machine, and I think it can hold its own for ANY style (even death metal, if that's your thing, though you may look a bit strange on stage). I play this guitar on overdrive as much as I do on clean, and it has the pefect amount of controllable feedback. Anyway, because of the stock pickups, this category gets a 7.

Holy crap. This was made in Korea??? Prettier than any 335 I've ever seen. Can't find a finish flaw anywhere. I've got a few Fenders, etc., but this is the guitar that lives on the display stand.

I bought this used, and the action was a bit high for me. That was adjusted in about 20 seconds. Now the action is very low (and I'm a tough critic, because when it comes to action, I'm a complete wuss). No buzz!

Fretboard radius is very flat, which took a little getting used to after years of playing Fenders, bit I like it. No problem.

Nut was installed well. It has the buzz tuning system, so I won't be swapping it out for a bone nut.

I'm not a professional, but I've been playing badly for many years... I don't know if it would stand up to gigging, but my guess is that it would. It's a substantial guitar, not light and delicate. I thind the guitar would last, but maybe not the finish. So, it gets a speculative 9.

Not applicable at this time.

I have owned dozens of guitars over the years, and this one may be my favorite. Along with one of my Dillion guitars (another very well made Korean brand that you should check out), this one gets the most playing time. A little neck-heavy, but bearable. As I've said, the sound is amazing, and the looks are unmatched, in my opinion.

If somthing happened, it woud be replaced immediately. I may go ahead and buy one in red just in case...

NOTE: this was made in KOREA. I know that some, if not all of the HB35s are now made in China. If you are looking at a Chinese model, check out those reviews specifically.

If this came stock with chrome hardware and duncan pickups, I'd say it would hang with any guitar at any price. Since it doesn't, it gets a 9.

Mine's a really really old model. I have no idea what year it is. The pup selector switch is below the bridge, unlike the newer ones which are les paul style above the neck pickup.

Purchased from ebay almost on a whim. When i got it i really really wanted to like it, even though i knew it wasn't great.
But i was wrong, having had it for a year now i absolutely adore this thing. It's incredibly versatile. I play ambient, blues and math-rock on it and it handles all very well.
My only gripe is that the humbuckers can sound a little raspy through my music man, but some clever EQing remedies that.

The action is quite high and I've been told that this isn't really fixable, but i can live with that.
It feels nice to wear and to play. It's a good weight.

I need to get some new machineheads on this as the g string goes out of tune everytime i bend. The tone pot for the bridge is broken but i dont really care right now.
The 'gold' hardware is showing signs of age but i prefer the chrome underneath so i'm not gonna grumble.

I've never played another, so I can only speak for mine but it seems to me like a touch of serendipidy how such a cheaply made guitar can sound so 'alive', is the only word i can use to describe it.
I love it.

Not sure of the year but I beleive it mid 90s. Hollowbody electric, duel humbucker, two volume & two tone knobs, three way switch low below the pickguard. Guitar is midnight black, solid pearl band inlay in the neck. All gold hardware. Guitar is not too heavy and looks very cool in the balck as opposed to the newer red models.

Play mostly Blues and Jazz. Run it through a Dunlop Cry Baby pedal into a Fender Deluxe Amp. Had it setup with low action and #10 ribbon wound D'Arradio strings. No noise, deep rich sound on the neck pickup, nice growl when on both pickups, not to trebly on the back pickup.

Bought it used and action was a little high and strings hard to bend with #12 ribbon wound. Front pickup need to be raised a little and intonatin was off slightly. Had the guitar set up by professional with #10 ribbon wound and guitar is now amazing. Guitar is perfect shape.

Very solid guitar, I don't gig but I would have no fear of it giving up on me. Hardware seems decent and will last. FInish seems good, strap buttons secure. I would fully depend on it

Bought used so no warrenty. Never had to deal with Washburn yet.

Playing 20 years with Gibson SG and acoustics and always wanted a Hollowbody electric. I wouldn't go so far as to say it gives the Gibsons a run for thier money but it is darn close. Love the look and feel, especially with the ribbon wound strings. Great, great Jazz guitar. Everyone who has played this guitar since I got it love it and I would definately try to replace it if lost. Tried many hollowbody electrics before buying this one...started with the Epiphone (felt cheap compared to this) and other but the HB-35B kicked butt.

2005 model. Made in China. Semi-hollow body. Patterned after the Gibson ES335. Natural flamed maple laminated body and top. Maple neck. Rosewood fretboard. Washburn bridge and neck humbuckers. Tune-O-Matic bridge. Stop tailpiece. 18:1 Grover tuners. Medium frets. Pearl block inlays on neck and headstock. Gold plated hardware. Washburn GC71 case included.

I play country, blues and jazz. The sound suits me fine but probably could be improved with a pair of Seymore Duncan or Gibson pickups. I might change them later, but for now I'm satisfied with the sound. I've tried it through several different amps and liked most of them. It's best through my tube amp for both clean and distortion, but for clean it sounds great even through my Crate acoustic amp. I'm only giving it a 9 because I think it could be even better with a pickup change.

This is where this axe really shines. This is the most beautiful instrument I have ever seen in my 60 years of guitar playing. The workmanship is absolutely flawless. The setup from Pulse Music was perfect. I put heavier strings on it to accomodate my style, but there was nothing wrong with the original strings. This axe rates something better than a 10, but that's all I can give it.

The guitar is very well made and appears to be very strong, but is is a semi-hollow and can be damaged. The finish seems very durable. I might change the strap buttons, although they are very solid. I'm sure I can depend on it, although I wouldn't go without a backup guitar and backup amp

I haven't had occasion to use them with this guitar, but I have had issues with other Washburn guitars, some as recently as last year, and they were always very quick to respond and correct any problems

I have played for 60 years. I own or have owned Gretch, National, Martin, Gibson, Sigma, Ibanez, Taylor, Washburn, Fender, and a large number of forgotten brands of guitars, plus Gibson and Stelling banjos and Gibson mandolins. I love the sound and the ease of playing. I am overwhelmed by its great looks. I wish the switch was in a different location. If it were lost I'd buy another. maybe two more. I think that If one absolutely had to have a Gibson ES335, it would be much better to get an HB-35 and change all the hardware to Gibson. The result would be a guitar that would far outshine a custom shop Gibson ES335.

This is a new guitar...Humbuckers sounds just fine for my needs..
Wine Red color looks gorgeous..
Gold hardware adds to the beauty..
Grover tuners are a solid feel..
Split block frets look cool.
I like where pick up switch is..

I'm not a lead guitarist so my needs are not the same..For my listening pleasure it's great..
Bright when you want it and warm when you need it..
Not noisy at all.
Great variety..
I play through a Carvin tube amp..
It has such great contrasting sound and feel to my Fender Custom Telecaster....

Came set up. No buzzing..Nice feel and action..

Top bookmatch could have been better but I can live with it..

No real flaws..
Gold hardware has a nice rich look...

Easily could be gigged..It is a semi hollw body so some care is needed..

A backup is always nice but not needed...This ax seems like it would be very reliable..

Never had to contact them...Only had this ax for a short time..

Playing off and on for more than 4

You've read about the components and materials already, I'm sure. This is a beautiful guitar, purchased from gigmaker, on eBay. I can tell you enough how great this guitar looks and handles. The inlays are pure art, and the gold hardware is a huge plus in the looks dept. The neck is silky smooth and feels a like a medium C. The tuners are Grover. The pickups are stock and sound very good for factory pups. I might replace at some point, with voodoo pups from Peter Florence, but for now, I'm very happy with the sound in all three positions. Came with very nice sounding strings. I've checked every inch, and I can't find a flaw anywhere. Here's the big kicker folks, it looks like the new HB35's are made in China. Well let me tell you, they certainly know what they are doing. THis is as fine a guitar as I've ever seen, in the 335 style, and I used to own a '64 that I was stupid enough to sell for much less than it was worth, many years ago. THis is my 5th axe. I also have a Tele Thinline, LP, Samick LP-Tele Hybrid (AV 4), and an acoustic. I have a Parker on the why to fulfill my strat style needs. Maybe a real strat later. Oh yeah... 3 ply binding all over, very nice touch. Came with a great Washburn hard shell case.

THe sound is warm, and sweet as heck. Very good variation from the 3 way switch. Clean and bright on the bridge, warm and strong on the neck and a very clean/warm combo. Great sustane and resonance. Absolutely no pup hum at all, even two feet away from my 120 watt Behringer amp. Great vibe.

As I said... no flaws anywhere. Perfect fit and finish. Just beautiful to look at. Perfectly straight neck. Everything works as expected and feels professional. THe color and coating is fantastic.Shines like a jewl. Great book matching on the flame top.

Feels built to last and the reviews I've read bear this out. Very sturdy instrument. I would gig with it for sure.

haven't used it yet. Probably never will according to reviews of this instrument.

I've been playing since 1964 and have played many models and brands. THis is a fantastic guitar and as good as many in the over $1000 range. I don't feel I need to buy another Gibson 335 now. This one does it's job just as well. Kudos to Washburn for a great design job on a superb product.

Bought this new for $450.00 w/case has cocky translucent red flame top and gold hardware this guitar is absolutely gorgeous the inlays are very similar to that of a Gibson custom and that guitar retals for around $3299.00. It has Stock pickups and does an even better job than Epiphone of capturing that 335 vibe

This Guitar sounds beautiful I run it through a Peavey tube amp Vtm 120 and the tone is just amazing not much tonal variety it has the same set up as a 335 2 humbuckers that totally rock I am a blues guitarist and this guitar is absolutly perfect I eas gonna change the pickups after I got this axe to some duncans but I like the sound the way it is

Like I said earlier this guitar is absolutley gorgeuous it was set up perfect I had to do nothing to this and the hardware and finish was absolutley 100% perfect

This guitar is built to take it lots of time tested parts from grover tuners to tuneomatic bridge and tailpiece the finish is great and will stand the test of time replaced the strap buttons the day I brought it home w/ straplocks but they seemed durable this is now my main axe replacing a mexican strat a carvin dc127 and oldreliable a 1980 washburn a 20 v but I would nevere play anywhere witout a backup guitar that just aint smart

Limited lifetime warranty that covers manufacture defects I did contact their support regarding a different guitar the a 20 v and the response was very timlely done through email

Been playing for 18 years and like I said I have several other guitars that this guitar has replaced. I did extensive researh and comparison shopping before making this purchase and after playing everybodies version of this guitar form Gibson ro Bc rich's dagger I chose this for value looks and overall sound it is so close to the gibson it is unbelievable. I am purchasing the hb 32 wihich is the dot version of this guitar for my father for christmas and I would recomend this over any other 335 model on the market

Korean model, purcahsed new in 2003
Others have covered the specs on this model already-mine is the natural blonde finish. Came with washburn humbuckers. This model also has the Buzz Feiten tuning system. The neck has a slimmer profile than some of my guitars, but is comfortable and easy to play.

I compared this guitar side by side to late seventies ES-335 owned by a friend of mine, and it generally held its own sound wise. However, the pickups seemed to lack character, and I found myself playing other guitars instead. I decided to replace the pickups, and aftr some consultation went with Seymour Duncan Phat Cat single coil pickups, which were available in gold finish that matched the rest of the hardware. The sound of this guitar after these pickups were installed is amazing. It still has the the Gibson semi-hollow vibe, but with much better string definition and clarity. It sounds great clean and distorted with tremendous sustain, and is terrific for blues and classic rock.

The guitar was set up very well, and is easily the nicest looking guitar I own. The sycamore top has very nice flame, and is matched well. I replaced the pickup selector switch, and the output jackplate required tightening.

I have not had the chance to play live with this guitar yet, but I am sure it can hold, although strap locks would probably be a good idea.
I always have other guitars on hand when I play live, but there is no doubt that this would be my main stage guitar.

I have not dealt with the factory direct, but the shop I bought it from is a licensed Washburn dealer, and is great to work with.

I have been playing off and on for twenty five years, and also own a Dean EVO, Hamer Archtop with P-90s, Fender Stratocaster, and Squier 51. I play these through a Crate V50 and V58 amps. This guitar sounds great through both, but sounds especially good through the V50 with the gain channel up about halfway.
The only guitar I would think about replacing it with would be a Hamer Newport, which also has the Phat Cat pickups.

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!!!

1983 HB35 TS made in "Japan"...not Korea, not China. Verified by Washburn. The Japanese quiality is very apparent when compared side by side to the Korean models. Bought used over internet from a obscure music store for $395 including shipping and hardshell case. If you guys loved the Korean models for the price, you would cream over the early Japanese models.

10 for sound. I once owned a 1962 Gison ES-330 with p-90s and this was every bit as sweet even with the humbuckers. I mean every bit. Feed back is much less of a problem than with the Gibson.

I have no idea how the factory setup was. It was almost 20 years old when I got it. Dropped it off at local shop for setup and had 10's strung and when I picked it up, Wooowww!

The action is unbelievable for the price.

I don't play professionaly but I'm sure this guitar would not have a problem with performance. The hardware is very good except for the gold fading in places on the bridge. The finish of the guitar is wonderful and should hold up as any other guitar with proper care.

Sent and email to Washburn inquiring about the serial number. To my surprise, I got a reply about a week later. No other dealings but I give a 9 simply because they did not blow me off like reported by others.

I have been playing off and on, mostly off for 35 years. I currently have a 1997 Fender American Standard Strat and a 1976-77 Aria PRO II Matsumoku setneck Les Paul. The Fender and Aria are very very good but the Washburn edges both out IMHO.

I played the current year model of the HB35 and was very impressed. That is why I decided on taking a chance and buying this guitar sight unseen except photos. I'm glad I did because I got an instrument that was measurably better than the new Washburns I played.

If it were stolen or lost, I wowuld try to find a like replacement. I'm pretty sure I could not replace it tick for tack with the Korean made instrument.

Built in 2002 with a laminated flamed tigerstripe top and back. With it's V-shaped neck it feels like a fifties guitar and sounds like a dream. This guitar has looks, electronics, sounds and details which are all great.

I play rock, blues and jazz and this guitar will fit into all these styles. With the use of a tube amp you'll get a very nice mellow tone. With the use of 0.11 or even 0.12 strings jazz is in your reach as well. The neck pick up sounds a bit boincky at higher volumes.

I didn't chance the set-up one bit, so the set-up was really great. But this might be done by my dealer. All details are great so 5 stars all the way.

After playing one year, this guitar sohws to be very reliable. I didn't even break one string yet.

I contacted Washburn one once, and they reacted by email within two days.

Whoa! What a great buy! I could not have wished for a better guitar below one thousand dollars. Look no further and get yourself one. You will get the hang of it within one week and pick it up time after time. I have compared it with a Ibanez AS-120 with sloppy details (topnut was worthless, bridge was not placed straid) and a Epiphone Sheraton II which sounded very cheap.

Mine is a 1991 korean made Washburn HB-35 in wine-red. This model is almost a copy of the Gibson 335. The body is semiacoustic with 2 f-holes a sustain block, made from sycamore and maple top. A light brown rosewood fretboard with 22 frets. It comes with the usual two humbuckers, two vol and tone controls and a three-way toggle switch. The color is somehow transparent and you can see the wood through. Everything is in original condition (tuners,pickups).Theres no switch or push-pull pot to change the humbuckers from serial to parallel.

This is a real good jazz and blues guitar. I used it over two little combos and it sounded great in all settings. Clear and distorted. Its not twangy at all but if you like a fat round sound its perfect.

I had to set up this one since there was fret buzz above the 14th fret on A and E string. Once the action was raised to 5 mm it was a breeze. The guitar sounded much better then. Other than that I could not find any faults.

Looks reliable. I havent had it for such a long time that I could really judge that. But from what I see it should hold on some time.

I have tried once to contact washburn and wasnt very succesful. I give them a 5 here.

I play since 30 years and this guitar is good value. Nice made and a defined sound make it a very good instrument for a reasonable price.

Made in late 02 or early 03, in Korea, 22 fret Washburn's version of the ES335. Flamed maple body, Flamed maple top
Double cutaway semi-acoustic body, center block
Gold hardware,Bound f holes,Multi lam binding
Raised black/white pickguard, Rosewood fingerboard
Split block inlays, binding on the neck, Tune-o-matic bridge
Stop bar tailpiece
2 Humbucker pickups
dual volume and tone knobs/3 way switch, Grover 18:1 gear ratio tuners
Buzz Feiten Tuning System
Came with nice fitted case, and a guitar cord
Buzz Feiten system and 18:1 Grovers, it has more features than a 3 grand Gibson!

I play Classic rock a little hard rock,(UFO, Scorpions, 80's stuff) and blues. I run this through a boss PW10 wha pedal set up for the Vox wha or univibe( a very cool pedal)into a whirlwind A B Y box (excellent box see reviews)into a Behringer AC112 vintager and Mashall 2000 AVT 50. the Marshall w/ the onboard reverb only, the Behringer has just about every effect you can imagine on board, both amps are hybride amps with 12ax7 valve preamps.
1st let me say this about the guitar, unplugged it has a sweet tone! This is a versatile guitar that can take u just about anywhere you want to go except maybe heavy metal, but hey the Nuge and Malcom Young have been getting heavy sounds out of hollow and semi-hollow bodies for years. Beautiful clean sounds for rhythm, loads of sustain as you'ld expect from a semi-hollow.
The Stock pickups are fine but I have a set of Dimarzio Virtual PAFs that I 'm gonna put in. I have always changed the pickups in all my guitars except my Gibson SG classic with P90s.

Washburn sets these up when they arrive in the US. Mine was on back order and came directly from them and it was set up perfectly. It comes with a set of 11s with a wound G, I usually play lights with a 10 on the high E, I have no problems bending on this neck with the 11s and I'm gonna keep it that wayThe action was low but no fret buzz, only the second out of dozens that I ever purchased that didn't need a set up right away! My only complaint is that the bookmatched top could have been matched a tad better, but damn this is one beautiful guitar if it wasn't so much fun to play I'd just hang it on the wall as a piece of art work. I give it a 9.5 only because of the bookmatched flamed top could have been better, so round it up.

Oh yeah its gig worthy, you know the gold hardware is going to wear but thats all it comes in, I have had Washburns in the past and the finish on the wood holds up well, this one has solid strap buttons and I use a planet wave locking strap any way, it is a bit neck heavy where they have buttons but not too bad. Gig without a back up, for reliability sure but who gigs without a back up?

Never dealt with em.

Been Playing 25+ years, now just recreationally, besides the above mentioned gear I have a Jimmy Vaugh signature strat with Dimarzio virtual vintage pickups, a Brawley Strat Bodied dual humbucker job with Dimarzio Evolution and PAF pickups and A Gibson SG Classic with P90s.
I would definitely purchase another!!!!!
I always wanted a ES335 but who knew the price would rocket up the way they have! I compared this to the Ibanez AS80 and the ES333. This is a beautifully crafted great sounding guitar with loads of extras thats half the price that Gibson charges for that stripped down 335 they call a 333 (does any one really like that faded paint job?) even if you change the pickups you're still 4 0r 500 better off than the 333 with a much better guitar, I don't care where its made. (I am not anti-Gibson I love the SG I own, but their prices are brutal)Thsi guitar has a bit wider cutaways and the neck is very nice! The Buzz Feiten tuning system takes a bit of getting used to but when the guitar is tuned it does sound sweet all up and down the neck. (yo Buzz quit trying to shroud your system in mystery, you can find the proper settings all over the internet including, I believe here on Harmony Central, patents are accessable to the public you know!)
Bottom Line If you jones for a Semi-hollow body you can't do better than this guitar, just don't pay list!!!!!!!!!!!

Came with the washburn case made for it.

This guitar has great sound. There is a little rattle in mine on the low E.

I got a deal on a great Vintage Greenburst with the pearl inlays and gold hardware

It is a great guitar to pick up and play during gigs but it is heavy and makes my shoulder a little tired.

This is a great guitar i would recomend anyone who is interested in buying a semihollowbody and not willing to pay the money for a Gibson to look at one of these.

This HB35 is from the early 1990's. Has Grover styled tuners. All the hardware is gold. Nice mother-of-pearl inlaids. Two humbuckers.
Natural finish, real sharp looking guitar.

The only reason I didn't rate it a 10 in this category is because the gold plating is not very thick on the hardware and there is a lot of nickle color showing through the bridge and pickup covers. Not a big deal though.

I play primarily classic rock, a little jazz and a little blues. Seems to fill the bill for all. I play it through a 1967 Fender Princeton Reverb amp. Its the only guitar I own where I make good use of the tone controls, they actually work pretty well. But when I occassionally play some heavier rock, I have to run it through my Digitech RP2000, with my own tampering to get the sound I want.

Bought the guitar used and had to have it set up because the original guy had super thin strings on it and when I put on a little heavier gauge had some fret buzz. After the setup, its perfect, set up nice and low with no buzz.

The finish is really nice on pretty durable. They must use a fairly hard clear on these guitars.

I have had many many guitars and I love the feel of this one. Its well balanced. In fact, its a Gibson 335 copy and I like this one better.

Have had no problem with it. Stays in tune nicely.

Have no idea.

I've been playing over 20 years and like I said before, have had many different guitars, this one is great. Still keep a strat for the crazier stuff.
Kind of hesitated before I bought this guitar, never had much experience with Washburns, glad I went ahead and bought this. I seem to be playing a lot more.

My HB35 was built in 1994 probably in Korea. Thank God since it's a blues guitar it doesn't have a floyd rose. Hollow-body, nice finish, mine is sun burst, 22 frets.

PERFECT!!I play from Blues to Grunge and HB35 does it all. I play in a Peavey Rage 158(some love it, some hate it...) And with some distortion the sound goes really "Grungish", change the pickup and out comes the blues!!Very responsive guitar too, so tapping isn't a problem if that is your intention.

I'm not really a luthier expert but the guitar sure looks fine to me. The only problem I see it that the micro-tune system needs a lot of adjusting to make it perfect...and its awfully tough to do so...and that sucks

I wouldn't gig without a backup even if Jesus had made the guitar...I bought my guitar from my teacher and he hadn't used it for 2 years because of LER and yet the harware was only slightly rusty...amusing

American made Washburn HB-35 it has no serial number but seems to have been made in the sixties. Probably around 1965, so it's one of the first HB-35's. 22 fret arched top guitar with a red finish. Two humbucker pickups. This guitar looks very nice.

Usually I like to play with a deep distortion and when I play this guitar over my Fender Bandmaster it sounds wonderfully heavy. Turn up the volume and you can do almost anything with it!

Don't know how the guitar was set up at the factory, it is very old and the guy I bought it from had two left hands. He managed to fuck it up nicely. Fortunately I know a very well guitar tech who adjusted it like it should be. I am sure though that the guitar was GREAT when it left the factory.

Though the guitar looks 'vulnerable' this guitar can handle a lot. I would use it on stage, but I don't think there is ANY guitar in the world that I would use on a gig without a backup. Who thought up these questions?

I contacted Washburn to ask if they could age it, but never heard from them again.

I had this one for about a year, along with a Fender Stratocaster, A Gibson Marauder and several other guitars. Couldn't miss this one though, the other guitars really don't sound like it. This guitar completes my collection

HB-35 Can't remember year early 90's.Maple Body 3way sel, 2 std hum pickups, vol and tone, maple neck, natural maple finish, thin neck, hard case, Use w/Fender Bassman 1971 Tube w/Sunn 2-12. Purchased new for approx 500.00 @ HOG in Roch.NY.

I'm not a real good player - self taught. Recreation mostly. Sound is a little dead compared to an Ibanez Blazer I once had. The pickups could stand to be upgraded to SD's or similar. Depending upon pickup settings I can get a good rockabilly twang out of it ala Brian Setzer. I play chords mostly so feedback is not something I strive for. I mostly run straight thru the Fender w/the bright switch ON. Great sound if you want to blow your ears out.

Great action and finish. I love to work w/wood and the finish is what sold me on the product. Any guitar with that quality construction couldn't play that bad! Machine heads are not the best quality - also the pickups. I break strings a bit so I think some work on the bridge is needed. Gold plating on hardware is rubbing off although who cares? Hold intonation well.

No problems - I take care of my guitar and don't beat it. Great durable finish. Will probaably replace pickups and machine heads if I keep it long enough. Frets are wearing a little also. Age and amount of playing.

E-mailed Washburn - no response.

My only guitar - have owned Harmony (great) Ibanez (Good) and This Washburn (great+)

look the others, maybe from korea

very jazzy, and its fat full sound, im playing trough a fender pro junior and it sounds terific!!

when i bought it, the neck was brocken, and the guitar dont worked, but i spent about 150$, well, now it works very fine(but the neck look unfortunately terrible)

this is my only jazzguitar, and it plays, sounds like no other!

bravo!

My HB-35 was purchased new in 1997. I believe it was made in Korea... but I'm not sure of that. I has the standard feature set of any of the HB-35s (no need to repeat what the other reviewers have already entered...) It has all the features I would expect from a fine insturment, namely independent control for each pickup as well as pickup selection. I replaced the stock sadles with some of the graph-tech teflon models and what a difference that made! I break a lot fewer strings than before and I actually gained some sustain. I'm considering replacing the nut as well, but other than that this guitar comes with all you need.

I play a mix of jazz, funk rock and experimental stuff. This guitar suites all these styles exceptionally. I mess around with playing metal sometimes and it is really no good at that, but if you want a metal guitar you'd be looking at the #insert favortie thrasher guitar company# reviews ;-) The sound is very full (I get lots of complements from other players about that) - ultimately it is a jazz guitar and sounds as such, but it is quite adaptable.

I pretty much had to replace the sadles, because I was going though several strings a night - but other than that the workmanship is excelent. There are a few imperfections in the fretboard inlays, but that gives e guitar a bit of visual character, and you can't even see it from more than about two feet away.

I've been using this beauty fairly intensly for practice, gigging and a variety of jamming settings for over three years and with e the exception of some of the laquer coming off of the bridge where I rest my right hand she still looks and plays like new. I still have an old electric as a backup, but I have not need to use it since I replaced the sadles.

I've only contacted Washburn once to find out specifics of the model number and the response came within 30 minutes (via email.) Nothing has needed repair since I've owned it (more points for reliability :-)

I've been playing for about 12 years and this is my second electric (other is an Ibanez.) Even with it's imperfections (really the sadles are the only problem, but your probably tired of hear about that :-P ) I love this guitar, and would replace it with the same model in a heartbeat if anything happened to it. It sounds great playing through anything (even direct to the PA!) Now all Washburn needs to do is come out with a seven string version and I'd be set.

Washburns take on the 335 theme. Built around '92/3. According to factory spec. it has a sycamore body, glued in maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. The body has a solid core, however, that is clearly not sycamore (think maple) but more like mahogany or merbau. Top and back are laminated, arched sycamore. Black finish (out of prod.), gold hardware, 5-ply binding around top and fingerboard, 1-ply around back and f-holes. Abalone block markers. 2x stock humbuckers, 3-way switching, 2x vol, 2x tone configuration. Tunomatic bridge and stop-tailpiece. Tuners are unbranded, die-cast types that look a heck of a lot like Shallers. 22 frets, short scale (never measured this, but guess it 'll be 24.75") Very smooth and comfortable neckshape. Not thin, not chunky, just right. Nice balance seated, maybe a bit neckheavy strapped, but not too much. Beautiful guitar.

Used mostly with a KittyHawk M1 All-valve amp. Hardly use effects. Styles vary from blues, rock to jazz to whatever. This guitar sounds very, very warm, with a hint of acoustic hollowness. Less focused than my friends (Epi) LesPaul, very ballsy yet gentle (...) This guitar inspires more subtle playing than my Strat (which sees some real abuse evry now and then). The neck pu is round and fat, but not muddy. Roll off a bit of tone; nice Jazz sound. Dial in a bit more gain and you've got a rather nice blues sound, from smooth to dark and threatening, depending on amp settings. More gain enters rock-realm, with fat, round rock sounds and smooth sutaining solo notes. The Bridge pu I'm not too happy with. It sounds a bit whimpy, less acoustic and plunky to my ears. On high gain settings this pu does work well for solo's however. Bit of a Slash sound. This pu is very susceptible to squealing feedback! The pu mix is my favourite; the neck pu is dominant, but with a bit more twang from the bridge pu, and a pleasant hollowness that emphasizes the acoustic character.
This is definitely a guitar that covers a lot of bases; good jazz, great blues, but this to me is definitely is a (blues-)Rock guitar. There is terrific sustain, which can be enhanced by feedback. The hollowbody is pretty stable on high volumes. Feedback is nicely controllable. My only gripe is the weak and squealy bridge pu.

This guitar was bought second hand, but unchanged (and practically unplayed) by the previous owner. I suspect something happened to it before the original purchase, because; -the stupendously low price -a badly cut plastic nut that did not look original at all -a chip in the laquer on the back of the headstock -something that almost looked like a burnt/melted spot on the side of the headstock -a slightly damaged tuner -The potting (wax)of the pu's looked like it had more or less run out of the casing. The pickups are stuck to the cover, and the cover was fixed to the pu. ring, instead of the other way around. The bridge pu. is loose in it's case, and gets a bit microphonic every now and then. Needs to be repotted. The rest of the guitar was in perfect shape. I bought it with .009's, which I immediately replaced with .11's. The action rised just a bit, but not too much. It was too low as it was, after a month with .11's it was perfect for me. Apart from the nut (sloppy slots, all the same size, gripping the strings now and then) the setup was great. Frets were even, and well polished. As I said, this guitar had hardly been played. Intonation was spot on with the new strings, so I guess the guitar originally came with these. The inside looks neat and tidy. Nicely regular woods, too. Only a few tiny flaws in the edge and f-hole bindings - some spots aren't cleanly scraped. That's all. Nice laquer job. Hardly any filler around the fretboard markers, though they are (now I'm being picky) not quite parallel to the frets. I do feel the nut is positioned to far back ever so slightly, causing low position notes to go a bit sharp. I plan on correcting this when I'm installing a new nut.

It's surprisingly rugged (and heavy) for a semi-solid. The pu's are vulnerable as is, but they'll live. All hardware looks/feels positive and solid. Tuners are fine. This guitar cannot take a beating like a Strat or Tele, but somehow it inspires to treat it more sensitively. I would always use a backup guitar (or this one as a backup) because of strings breaking, not because I didn't trust a guitar. I trust this one. BUT I would not take it on an extensive tour with these pickups, nor without a decent case. (fortunately, I don't have any prospects of an extensive tour... ;-p)

Only seen their website, which is nice.

I've been playing for well over a decade, own several other guitars, played a lot of different ones I don't own, and this is definitely one of the best I ever touched. I guess the guy I bought it from got it cheap himself (probably 'cause she had had a little accident), and he absolutely hated it himself. With the nut uncorrected, .009's and a preference for singlecoils I can imagine this. But I love this guitar (and the price was ludicrous). I would buy it again, though I'm not sure if all these Washburns sound alike (i know Epi's don't). The recommended retail price is a bit high (something like a grand I beleive), but I think this guitar is worth it. I still feel guilty for getting it this cheap... I would consider replacing the bridge pickup. This is my favourite guitar to date, even with the tuning problem and weak br. pu.

1991 Washburn HB 35. This is Washburn's 335 style guitar. It has 22 frets, the body is Sycamore, the neck is Maple and the fretboard is rosewood. It's a hollowbody with 2 f holes. Two humbuckers, three way selector with the two volume, two tone combination. It has a tunomatic bridge and a stop tailpiece.
I bought this guitar used, after seeing an add on this service. The gentleman said that he had changed the pick-ups to SD 59's and replaced all the hardware. He gave me a screamin' good deal and shipped it. It arrived in a nice hard shell case and, with some trepidation, I opened it revealing the MOST BEAUTIFUL GUITAR I'd ever seen. Tobacco Sunburst, seven years old and not a scratch. The hardware WAS brand new and gorgeous. I changed strings immediately, and opened the pickups to verify that they were the SD's -- Sure enough, it was like he said.

Boy is this a neat guitar. Totally different than my strat (see Deluxe Powerhouse Strat review). I have played it now for over a month to make sure I have a good handle on the sound before I reviewed it.
Before I go into the sound, let me backtrack. When I was originally thinking about a 335 style guitar, I was looking at the Sheraton II from Epiphone, which has had some nice reviews. I make a habit of trying and retring any guitar I think of buying, so I have a decent idea and am not rushing a purchase. So, I was at this guitar store, as usual, but this time my wife was with me. I was trying the Sheraton and she says "I don't like it. Try this one." Low and behold, she hands me the Washburn. I plug in, and it sounds better, stronger, more body than the Sheraton. It also has a faster neck, which I like. Then I look at the tag and say "Can't afford it."
So, I'm reading the for guitar reviews, and everyone who pruchases the Epiphone hollow body's rave about upgrading pickup's to SD 59's.
Then I see this Washburn, with SD 59's, and the guy gives me a great price. I jumped, sight unseen. Risky, but worth it.
This guitar has a very rich, warm sound. It is a blues monster. I play it through a solid state Peavey Studio-Pro 112. I have to spend more time adjusting the sound from the guitar to suit my desires than I spend with my Strat, but it's worth it. Play around a little and it smokes. I REALLY want a good distorion pedal for this guitar (The Peavey amp has distortion, but it's not the greatest...) For blues, for the price, for the features, this guitar is a clear TEN!

As I said, I bought used. The action is great, I love the pickups. It is a beautiful guitar. I have compared it to the other moderately priced hollow body's in it's class, and I would not purchase them, period. This guitar rocks, when it comes to how well it is built.

This is a delicate guitar, one that I would not want to subject to a lot of abuse, because it so pretty. It is also VERY HEAVY compared to your strat style guitar. If I were a gigging musician, I would employ the same philosophy I have about all beautiful instruments: If it's meant to do something, then use it. Don't cry when it goes from pristine to less than pristine condition, just enjoy it. It would definitely hold up to gigs, but its beauty would suffer.

NA

I LOVE THIS GUITAR. It balances my strat SOOOOOO well. Totally different sound, totally different feel. What I really love about this guitar is that you feel like you are playing a vintage musical instrument. It has that romantic quality about it. It really is a piece of art. Now, would I buy one stock. No, not for the price. I think the stock pick-ups are weak. With the SD 59's, this guitar shines. Very warm, very bluesy. Not a rock monster, by any stretch. You could swing some jazz with it. Unlike my strat, you need to PLAY this guitar right on the frets. With my strat, I can play here and there and my tech. can really suffer without the sound suffering too much. With the Washburn, YOU MUST PLAY WITH GOOD TECH. If you are off just a little, the sound suffers. But when you pay attention to what you are doing, the sound is really magnificent. Just unbelievably warm, fat, etc. You can really add your own tone to this machine. Just a fun, fun guitar to play, and your technique improves because you are also forcing yourself not to slack. Good for someone like me who's new (1 year) and working daily to become better. However, stock for the price I would only give it a 6. With the SD's , and the price/condition, a total 10!