Brand: Washburn
Instrument Categories: Electric, Guitars, SOLD, Solidbody
Here is a rarity – a neck-through Washburn Falcon Wing with Indian Rosewood top, built in Japan during 1980. The ‘Wing’ series was introduced in 1978 as Washburn’s entry into electric guitars, and this model was built until 1982. This example appears to be in good, largely original condition. The actual builder was likely Yamaki in Suwa, Nagoya.
The Washburn Falcon Wing uses a double cutaway, arched top neck-through construction, with the center section built up of Maple and Indian Rosewood, including Rosewood for the bound fingerboard and head plate. The ring-style position markers appear to be a lighter wood, darkened with age. The ‘wings’ are Ash, with an Indian Rosewood cap. The rear of the body is deeply contoured at the heel to provide excellent access to higher frets.
Hardware includes sealed ‘George Washburn’ tuners, a brass nut, and a string-through-body six-saddle bridge. The saddles sit in a fairly thick ‘tray’, and a pair of setscrews in the tray sides allow for locking the brass saddles in place. Washburn referred to this as the ‘Harmonic Lock’ bridge. Schaller strap-locks have been added.
Washburn Falcon Wing electronics start with a pair of uncovered hum-cancelling pickups on a tripod mount, run through individual volume and tone controls, a three way selector switch, and a side-mounted output jack. The two volume pots are push-pull types, offering coil splits. All four pots are mounted on a small circuit board and covered by a metal shielding can. It is possible that the pickup selector switch was replaced some years ago.
Overall this unusual guitar is in good condition with expected wear to the finish.
Sold with its original hard shell case.
This post contains very helpful material from an older, excellent site focusing on details of the Washburn Wing series and it can be read here.
- Model: Falcon Wing
- Year: 1980
- Finish Gloss
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: 802622, built during 1980 in Suwa, Nagano, Japan
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 11/10/2023
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 9.372lbs 4.26kg
- Scale Length: 24.8in 630mm
- Nut Width: 1.703in 43.27mm
