• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is Washburn next?

ggvicviper

ggvicviper

The Barky One
Supporting Member
Jul 16, 2011
3,000
1,338
East Meadow, NY, USA
#1
A lot has been said about the demise of G&L in the last month. However, Washburn has been dead quiet for a while, particularly in terms of basses. I only just found out Nuno Bettencourt left Washburn (I love his work), and apparently this happened a month ago. That seemed to be the last bit of life the brand actually had.

Any thoughts on this? I remembered really digging the Taurus T25 15 years ago, and I liked the Bantam XB series from the 90's. I know a lot of folks are also keen on their Matsumoko stuff from the 80's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: scottm
#3
Last edited:
#6
I hope Washburn stats around.

What I think needs to be remembered is that NUno bettancourt no longer endorses Washburn. So he had a lot of signature models. Now all need to be redone.
 
#7
Dlew919 said:
I hope Washburn stats around.

What I think needs to be remembered is that NUno bettancourt no longer endorses Washburn. So he had a lot of signature models. Now all need to be redone.
Click to expand...
I think by the end, Nuno models were really the only ones they were selling in terms of electric guitars. With bass, the last endorsing artist I recall was Stu Hamm, and that was about 10 years ago. It evidently didn't last long and was not successful. They stopped producing the Taurus a while back, which was their last "mainline" bass, so to speak. I really haven't seen a new Washburn for sale in years.

ardgedee said:
If their website is current it looks like they're stepping back from solid body electric guitars and going all-in on folk instruments. The change might mean they're in trouble or it might mean they see the market for rock guitars as being oversaturated and they're pivoting.
Click to expand...
You might be right, because I see their acoustic guitars and mandolins are still sold on Sweetwater. The electric guitars seem to be mostly leftover Nunos and a few budget Strat copies. No basses, even acoustic ones.
 
#9
#11
Dincrest said:
Washburn, Dean, Hamer and a lot of "it" brands that seemed everywhere in the 90s seem to be in steep decline if not dead already. There's just so much competition.
Click to expand...
Washburn and Dean pushed through the 2000s with some success. Dean in particular was producing a ton of basses during the 2000s. Hamer is a different story, but they're tied up in the same boat with Washburn in US Music.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Heiwa
#14
Dincrest said:
Washburn, Dean, Hamer and a lot of "it" brands that seemed everywhere in the 90s seem to be in steep decline if not dead already. There's just so much competition.
Click to expand...
One of the downsides of being an "it" brand is that if you're too strongly associated with an era it can become hard to keep the business going when popular tastes have moved on to other things.

On looking up, Hamer is a subsidiary of KMC, which is probably going to be all right. Dean went through some executive shenanigans a couple years ago which set them back a bit regardless of how well sales had been going.
 
#16
I have a Washburn mandolin and banjo. Both are very fine instruments. They’re supposed to be entry level but I’ve played them professionally with no issues. The mandolin in particular punches above its weight. So if the OP is right and they’re pivoting to folk instruments they should be fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted member 341607
#20
Dincrest said:
Washburn, Dean, Hamer and a lot of "it" brands that seemed everywhere in the 90s seem to be in steep decline if not dead already. There's just so much competition.
Click to expand...
I might have considered Dean and Hamer to be "it" brands back in the late 70's and early 80's when they first came on the scene and were still being run by the founders. I've never thought of Washburn as an "it" brand. Not sure I'd really put any of them on par with G&L.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Crusher47 and pbass2

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back