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Washburn Monterey Festival Series Reviews 5 / 5 based on 1 reviewsBought from Frontier Music in Orange, CA in 1982. Paid $400 This was the first of the AE-20 line. It has a solid cedar top, Ebony fingerboard. rosewood back and sides. Thin line guitar with very pronounced arched back.
This has got to be the best sounding axe I have ever owned. It was set up very well by the dealer and plays like a wet dream. It has older electronics made by barcus berry. The bridge and nut are bone. The oval sound hole seems to make up for the volume lost to the thin body. Unfortunately a few years ago it was subjected to mishandling by a gorilla at un-named airline. upon arriviving at my destination I opened the case to find the headstock broken. I have since learned to lossen all strings before traveling. The headstock was repaired by a very talented luthier. It plays and sound like nothing ever happened.
The only thing I don't like about this instrument is that it was made long before the advanced electronis available today. It has a peizo pick up under the bridge but there is no EQ or peamp only volume and tone knobs.
Is is a beautifal piece of art. the rose wood back is arched all bindings and inlays are perfect. The finish is as shinny as the day it was purchased. The washburn custom tunners are very precession and allow it to be perfectly in tune. It holds it tune until time to change strings. The neck is as straight as an arrow and has never required adjusting. Even the inside of the guitar is beautiful.
This guitar was made at a time that acoustic electric with cut awy bodies were just starting to emerge. I also own a Washburn EA-20 but that guitar does not even compare to my Monterey. When the headstock was broken, so was my heart. There was never any thought of not repairing it. I often tell my wife that this guitar was my first girlfriend If lost or stolen I would just die because it is not replaceable. I know because I have looked for another one. Paul V. rated this unit on 2004-10-28.
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