The History of Washburn Guitars

Washburn Guitars has been making instruments for over 120 years. They started in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois, the site of their very first factory near Maxwell Street. Years later, Maxwell Street will become known as a hub for music so the Washburn Guitars factory was in a great location.

Maxwell Street is notable because it became a hub for what is known as Delta Blues. This is an area where African-Americans from the Mississippi Delta congregated and began created music together. Here, musicians of all skill levels and experience would jam and play music. Together, they created this rich and cultural style of music. At the time, Maxwell Street was simply a place to play. No one worried about the popular music styles of the day.

Washburn’s history, popularity, and success are directly tied into the heritage of Maxwell Street. People started to link them together with this street and with Delta Blues itself. As a result of this, guitar players all over the country started to embrace Washburn’s guitars.

As a company, they are credited with bringing many innovations to the guitar community. These innovations include the Buzz Feiten Tuning system, which helps enhance the tuning of the guitar, and Stephen’s Extended Cutaway, which is a modification of the standard bolt neck construction.

Washburn electric guitar models appeal to all different types of guitarists from blues and jazz players to rock and country players. Models include the Hollowbodies, the Ian Series, the Idol Series, the Paul Stanley Series, and the Anarchy Graphics Series. For more information on the types of models available, check out the Washburn Guitars website at Guitar Warehouse.

Washburn also boasts an extensive list of guitarists who love their instruments. These include Aaron Fink of Breaking Benjamin, Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mud, Sonny Mayo of Sevendust, Ryan Pierce of Neal McCoy, Paul Stanley of KISS, Paul Crook of Meatloaf, and Rick Savage of Def Leppard. For more information on the artists who play Washburns, check out their website.

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