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Washburn WI-64V £449

When you walked into a guitar shop in the '50s, you had a straight choice between humbuckers and singlecoils, and that was that!

This Washburn comes with aged Gibson-ish fittings.

This Washburn comes with aged Gibson-ish fittings.

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During the shred explosion of the '80s, day-glo painted electric guitars offered big haired guitarists both formats (they called them 'superstrats').

Well, it's time to get your arse down there again to check out Washburn's WI-64V and its mind-bending VCC (Voice Contour Control) technology.

The WI-64V has been hewn from a slab of mahogany, and kicked about to make it look like it's been owned by a butter-fingered 60s session man.

Where most guitars let you choose between either a singlecoil or a humbucker tone, this axe lets you blend the sound in increments, unlocking a voice that's anywhere between the twang of the former and the warmth of the latter.

Washburn likens the concept to a dimmer switch - but it's much more exciting than that.

From the slim body to the manageable neck, the Idol's rocked since its launch in '99. The scuffing on this guitar is the icing on an already tasty cake.

Then there's the VCC system. There's a control dial for each pickup, so first TG turned both down to '1', bringing in a singlecoil snap that's perfect for biting riffs. Next, we rolled both up to '10', put both feet in the humbucker zone, and unlocked a thick roar.

Finally, we rolled both controls to '5' and started racking our brains for words to describe the warm-yet-cutting hybrid tone that spilled forth. You've literally never heard anything like it. The WI-64V is versatile, cool, and cheap. What's not to like?

Verdict

Where has this guitar been all our lives?

MusicRadar rating:

5 of 5 stars

Where to buy

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MusicRadar rating

5 of 5

Pros

Clever features backed with dues-paying build.
Cons

Nope, we can't think of anything.
Verdict

Where has this guitar been all our lives?
Review Policy

All MusicRadar's reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.

Where to buy

Specification

WI-64V

Price:
£449
Available Controls:
2 x Voice Contour Controls, 2 x Volume, 3-way Pickup Selector
Available Finish:
Blonde, Black
Fingerboard Material:
Rosewood
Guitar Body Material:
Mahogany
Hardware:
Aged finish Grover 18:1 tuners, Tune-o-matic bridge, Stop tailpiece
Inlays:
Dot
Neck Material:
Mahogany, set, one-piece
No. of Frets:
22
Pickup:
2x WB630 high output pickups

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