Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Mar 7, 2023 0:08:42 GMT -6
Gibson has Epiphone, and far below them Baldwin. Fender has Squier, and far below them Baldwin. And while the bracketing tiers are not that crazily separate, Washburn has Lyon and Oscar Schmidt.
The two sub-brands are most generally used across Canada in big-box retailers. And like the subs from Fender and Gibson, quality can vary wildly. Once in a while, the subs produce a model that is quite original and not a mere copy of a design the parent brand controls.
Washburn has some interesting takes. For instance, they took their Idol Series WI-14 and spun off the LI-14 (Lyon Idol) and OI-14 (Oscar Idol). The WI-14 being pretty much lowest of the series, it was no big thing to have the factory put on a different headstock decal, and though I haven't done a side-by-side, my educated guess is that the 14s are interchangeable. (Washburn has done much the same with other models, but further detail is a matter for another thread.)
A few years ago, I happened to acquire a Lyon that I enjoy, so I sometimes browse the brand online. And so last week, after more than a decade of (accidentally) making myself the Maverick expert, I found a complete surprise.
Clearly, this is a BT-4 in CSB - and it's Washburn right down to the Bantam-type trussrod cover. As well, note that it's got a skunk-stripe neck
which (I believe, anyway) is unique among the BT family.
Too pricey at $192 (let alone $70 s/h), but interesting to look at.
The two sub-brands are most generally used across Canada in big-box retailers. And like the subs from Fender and Gibson, quality can vary wildly. Once in a while, the subs produce a model that is quite original and not a mere copy of a design the parent brand controls.
Washburn has some interesting takes. For instance, they took their Idol Series WI-14 and spun off the LI-14 (Lyon Idol) and OI-14 (Oscar Idol). The WI-14 being pretty much lowest of the series, it was no big thing to have the factory put on a different headstock decal, and though I haven't done a side-by-side, my educated guess is that the 14s are interchangeable. (Washburn has done much the same with other models, but further detail is a matter for another thread.)
A few years ago, I happened to acquire a Lyon that I enjoy, so I sometimes browse the brand online. And so last week, after more than a decade of (accidentally) making myself the Maverick expert, I found a complete surprise.
Clearly, this is a BT-4 in CSB - and it's Washburn right down to the Bantam-type trussrod cover. As well, note that it's got a skunk-stripe neck
which (I believe, anyway) is unique among the BT family.Too pricey at $192 (let alone $70 s/h), but interesting to look at.
