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Understated and classy, the WI26 is a breath of fresh air as far as signatures go

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You could accuse Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman of being a bit, well, boring. We've played a few Washburn Idols now and, at a glance, this one isn't much different.

No Monkey Grips or fluorescent finishes here. It all looks very… normal. Most guitarists use signature models to express their uniqueness. What was Joe thinking?

Hands on

Digging a little deeper, it seems that Trohman and Washburn have been a bit clever.

They've added some features that matter to gigging guitarists, without wasting time on expensive gimmicks.

"I've always liked a bare-boned guitar," says Joe. "You've got two pickups, two volumes, two tones, a pickup selector and that's it."

For less than £400 you get pro features like the Buzz Feiten tuning system and Grover tuners, making this an unpretentious guitar designed to play well, sound good and stay in tune.

In use

Let's say it first: this guitar is outrageously playable. Guitar necks are about personal preference, but string bending is a breeze on this model.

Live, Joe mostly uses a bridge humbucker, but we're glad he added a neck pickup and tone controls, because they make it much more versatile.

Not a Fall Out Boy fan? Not an issue. The squiggle on the headstock and the keyhole inlays are the only clues that you're playing a signature axe, and it's no reason to miss out on this six string.

As a typical mahogany-bodied guitar with two humbuckers, the WI26 is good at a variety of disciplines – blues, classic rock, jazz and metal.

And by choosing a classic design, Joe's made a bargain axe that should be bulletproof against changes in fashion.