Yesterday, I came across a very awesome guitar, totally by accident. It was a Washburn WI66PROG with a gold sparkle finish and what looked like two imitation P-90's. It had incredibly low action, a very light body, so I asked to try it out. The amp I ran it through was an in-store Peavy Classic 50/410, set for maximum crunch.

The thing just SHRIEKED in my hands. Very fast, thin neck, but not super thin, incredible pick squeals, fantastic tone. The tone pots were push/pull ones that were labeled "Coil Tap". Seeing as how they looked like p-90's it was believable at the time. The price was very, very reasonable too, and I may come back for it later once my financial situation is a bit better off.

Upon getting home, I did a little research. Apparently, the pickups are actually stacked humbuckers designed to look like soapbar p-90's, and that its "coil tap" is probably just a coil split. I was skeptical from the beginning, but this is not the first time I've encountered humbuckers masquerading as single coils (see: my bandmate's Gibson ES-135 with P-100's).

The last time I played a Washburn was in high school, and back then, the one I played was a buddy's strat knockoff with floyd rose. Didn't appeal to me then because it was too metal for me at the time (I'm more of a blues/classic rock guy), but this one was completely different, had amazing tone and feel, and very nice cosmetic appeal (sparkly!). I'm a bit divided on my opinion of the pickups, with one half of me thinking it's false advertising and deceptive, but the other half of me knowing that it made some incredible noise in my hands.

Would appreciate some feedback, especially from any Washburn owners, or people with these kind of pickups. Thanks.

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'09 Gibson Raw Power SG Special "Plain Jane"
'01 Squier/Warmoth Strat "Saskatchocaster"

Boss CS-3
ISP Decimator
Dunlop CFH Dime Wah
Boss DS-2
Ernie Ball VPJR
Boss FBM-1
DigiTech RP-300

Roland Jazz Chorus-90

No Washburn owners on here? Really?

In any case, I've had my eye on this guitar for a few months now, and have played it at least one more time in store since I posted the above. It's very nice, and with the gold sparkle finish & stacked P-90's, it really looks a lot like a '54 LP. The only thing it's missing to complete the look is a pickguard.

I also tried out another, similar Washburn at a different store. This one was a WI64 model. Same body shape, but without an arched top. Dot inlays, no fingerboard binding, regular humbuckers with VCC (Voice Control Contour), "TV cream" finish, and the same Buzz Feiten system as the WI66PROG. This one was a bit different. Not as flashy, for sure, and a different headstock inlay, but still sounded pretty nice. Had a bit of trouble reaching the highest frets with its cutaway.

I'm going to attempt to trade my Dobro for this goldtop on Thursday. If that store won't take it, then the store with the WI64 already told me they'd take the Dobro in trade for it.

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'09 Gibson Raw Power SG Special "Plain Jane"
'01 Squier/Warmoth Strat "Saskatchocaster"

Boss CS-3
ISP Decimator
Dunlop CFH Dime Wah
Boss DS-2
Ernie Ball VPJR
Boss FBM-1
DigiTech RP-300

Roland Jazz Chorus-90

My go to acoustic is an old Washburn V neck dreadnaught that is at least 35 years old. I paid $45 for it 25 years ago. Just because a guitar is inexpensive does not make it bad. I had an old Victoria (they didn't come much cheaper at the time) for slide for years until it was stolen. I've seen some really great Hondos and modern Washburns. Sometimes you get a good piece of wood and it's just put together right.

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Stage Guitars: '80s Thin line LP Custom, '70 LP Standard, '83 Squier Black Headstock Strat w/ Dan Torres pickups, '59 Black Danelectro DC, sometimes others.

Pedal Board: Nady UHF 10 -> TU2 -> Rocktron Big Crush -> 70s MXR Phase 100 -> Cry Baby -> Bad Monkey -> Early '80s Rat -> Early '80s Ibanez CS 9 -> Ibanez DE 7 -> Behringer Dr 100 Stereo Reverb

Stage amps: '63 Blonde Tremolux w/ two original 2X10 cabinets with a '60 Ampeg Rocket/18 watt VTB Marshall clone/ Epi VJ into a Mashall 1965A

I've played some good Washburns...... Some for as much as my Les Paul..... They're a lesser known brand but quite respectable!!! Make awesome guitars, nothing I've looked to far into, but well, crazy awesome, if I wanted a 3000 dollar guitar for the price of less then a grand to beat, and still keeps going!

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ESP Eclipse Limited (3/100) or Gibson Les Paul Standard (97) - Fulltone OCD - Laney GH50L - 80's Ibanez AD-9 (in loop) - Randall XL 4x12
Tortex "The wedge" picks, Blue Steel strings, Line 6 Moble In, Charvel Model 6 modded to a Model 5FX.... Probly other stuff as well