Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Sept 1, 2018 17:28:15 GMT -6
I'll speak primarily of the XB-400 -- of which there are two versions, but that's another story -- but most applies as well to the five-string (XB-500) and six-string (XB-600), though not so much to the lower (e.g. XB-200) or higher (XB-900) models.
The 400 was made 1994-1999, with a final MSRP of $849. In VG shape, it's got a value of $300-$400. However, the upper-end XB instruments aren't properly appreciated, so in reality the 400 can be spotted for under $200. This is MUCH less true than 2010, when I went on a spree and bought a few for under $150 each (which included cases for two).
The ones I've owned all have the big passive pickups running through a two-band active (boost/cut) EQ, with a "blend" knob rather than a switch. As a result, it's a snap to quickly dial in a desired tone without missing a note. As a bonus, the system is excellent at rejecting EMI and mains hum, a constant problem with small crowded stages.
You may note the VERY distinctive shape of the neck heel and pocket. It gives amazingly solid neck/body contact, probably comparable to a set-neck but MUCH easier to build (and repair). This is a legacy of the years that Grover Jackson (yes, as in the Jackson and Charvel companies) was working for Washburn; all but the late basses will clearly say "Designed by Grover Jackson" on the headstock decal. All but the Naturals have the heel face painted matte black. I consider the lower-number Bantam models inferior for lacking this join.
I liked my natural-finish 400 so much that, soon enough, I bought another. What can I say? After the 2010 revision/shutdown of Washburn, they kept showing up for cheap...
Yeah, a previous owner yanked some frets out. I eventually traded that one (with cracked PVC hard case) for a beat-up mid-‘60s Framus, and we both made a good deal.
Per my comments in another forum, the thin natural clearcoat seems to be much more forgiving than the VERY pretty color options (which chip something fierce), minimizing many gouges, looking cool and workmanlike, and will be a whole lot easier to refinish if I go that route:
Two more siblings:
The 500 (right) sits in front of the blowmold OHSC. Like their blonde brothers, they play really sweet, and cost me each less than $150 delivered. Both have a few large chips along the edge showing wood, but the photos don't do justice to the richness of the colors (the tinted clearcoat is almost 2 mm thick) or the lively graining of the veneer, particularly on the bluegreen 500. Both of 'em look GREAT onstage under harsh lights.
You can see where they're tagged for repairs, and I need to give some potentially bad news: some frozen/broken pots. It appears that the cheap component froze up due to accumulated sweat and crud, and the player eventually twisted one off, then dumped it for cheap on some trusting sucker -- that'd be me -- but I bid accordingly, and am darned handy with a soldering iron. However, I've never encountered another model of guitar that's so readily got this problem, and I suspect that substandard components in China may have hastened the demise of the model.
The 400 was made 1994-1999, with a final MSRP of $849. In VG shape, it's got a value of $300-$400. However, the upper-end XB instruments aren't properly appreciated, so in reality the 400 can be spotted for under $200. This is MUCH less true than 2010, when I went on a spree and bought a few for under $150 each (which included cases for two).
The ones I've owned all have the big passive pickups running through a two-band active (boost/cut) EQ, with a "blend" knob rather than a switch. As a result, it's a snap to quickly dial in a desired tone without missing a note. As a bonus, the system is excellent at rejecting EMI and mains hum, a constant problem with small crowded stages.
You may note the VERY distinctive shape of the neck heel and pocket. It gives amazingly solid neck/body contact, probably comparable to a set-neck but MUCH easier to build (and repair). This is a legacy of the years that Grover Jackson (yes, as in the Jackson and Charvel companies) was working for Washburn; all but the late basses will clearly say "Designed by Grover Jackson" on the headstock decal. All but the Naturals have the heel face painted matte black. I consider the lower-number Bantam models inferior for lacking this join.
I liked my natural-finish 400 so much that, soon enough, I bought another. What can I say? After the 2010 revision/shutdown of Washburn, they kept showing up for cheap...
Yeah, a previous owner yanked some frets out. I eventually traded that one (with cracked PVC hard case) for a beat-up mid-‘60s Framus, and we both made a good deal.
Per my comments in another forum, the thin natural clearcoat seems to be much more forgiving than the VERY pretty color options (which chip something fierce), minimizing many gouges, looking cool and workmanlike, and will be a whole lot easier to refinish if I go that route:
Two more siblings:
The 500 (right) sits in front of the blowmold OHSC. Like their blonde brothers, they play really sweet, and cost me each less than $150 delivered. Both have a few large chips along the edge showing wood, but the photos don't do justice to the richness of the colors (the tinted clearcoat is almost 2 mm thick) or the lively graining of the veneer, particularly on the bluegreen 500. Both of 'em look GREAT onstage under harsh lights.
You can see where they're tagged for repairs, and I need to give some potentially bad news: some frozen/broken pots. It appears that the cheap component froze up due to accumulated sweat and crud, and the player eventually twisted one off, then dumped it for cheap on some trusting sucker -- that'd be me -- but I bid accordingly, and am darned handy with a soldering iron. However, I've never encountered another model of guitar that's so readily got this problem, and I suspect that substandard components in China may have hastened the demise of the model.
