Washburn D10STS

[gaylewebber00]

Hey, i found very affordable Washburn D10STS on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/181603381864?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

What do you think?

Thanks 

[YerDugliness]

The model number D10STS shows it is pretty much a brand new Washburn D10S (meaning it has a solid wood soundboard) dreadnought size guitar in Tobacco Sunburst (TS) finish.

As for the price, I'm not sure if it's a great deal or not, others may be able to give you more information about that issue.

The issue I would encourage you to investigate is whether or not the seller is an AUTHORIZED Washburn dealer. That's important for warranty purposes, only Washburns bought from one of the company's authorized dealers are eligible to be registered for warranty purposes. If the seller isn't an authorized Washburn dealer, you're on your own if something goes wrong on it.

A call to Washburn Customer Service (or an email) should be a good start on finding out whether or not the seller is authorized. I wouldn't just trust the seller's word on this...once you've sent them your money it's yours whether they are an authorized seller or not.

Cheers!

Dugly

[philpm]

If that picture is accurate, that would be a NOS (new old stock) D10.  That is an older headstock design not currently in use to my knowledge.  The one thing that worries me is that the listing says its from a vendor in Korea, which could mean it could be leftover stock from a Korean factory, or it is grey market merchandise or completely fake.  The price also seems a bit steep based on what I normally see D10's go for, even with a case, plus you'd have $52 for shipping if you are in the US.  I think I would steer clear of this one.

[YerDugliness]

Good catch on the headstock, Phil! That V-head hasn't been used in quite a while...I think perhaps the past 4 or 5 years at least. I do remember that Shiner's D10S and Pappy's D10S models had the V-head in 2007, but when Washburn was sold to (what was it, Jam Industries???) they abandoned the V-head design and are back to a sort of crown design headstock.

I agree...NOS at best and questionable as to the factory authorization of the seller.  D10S models are highly respected around here for their value at their price point, but that price point would be a decent street price if the model were current, which it isn't. Those older D10S models benefited greatly with a replacement bone saddle, so there's a bit more $$ to get it to sound as good as it can (which is very good, as I recall).

Now for the good news...we don't see many TS finishes on the D10S models...most are simply finished spruce. That's a plus...and many of us (me included) believe the older D10S models are much better than the newer designs. The newer D10S models are much lighter and some of us think that's a negative thing...although they do come from the factory with bone saddle and nut, so there's that little bit of upgrade that's not necessary on the newer models.

Lots of reasons to steer clear, as Phil says. There were MANY D10S models out there...if you eBay, run a search and see what they are going for. Send your $$ overseas and try to get it back if you get the item and it has a broken back or the neck joint is loose...that sort of thing.

Cheers!

Dugly

[Tony Raven]

The D10 was of course superseded by the current WD10. It never occurred to me that the headstock had changed!! (I've always kinda liked the tapered "snakehead" not just for looks but for a near-lineal pull over the nut.)

The finish is spiffy, & solid top a +, but $290 strikes me as iffy, given the long trip & no clear promise of being under warranty. Per my notes, I recently spotted a D24S ($250), D13S ($150), & D21S ($130) -- all of 'em natural finish, sure, so maybe the -TS is worth that much...?
________________

Being as the D10/WD10 is so popular, & has SUCH a wide range of build options over the years, let me put in a good word for the little-brother dreads from Oscar Schmidt. I was fortunate to have some hands-on at a nearby shop (well, up here 45 miles is "next door," but that's another story).

The OD6S has solid spruce top with rosewood back/sides, though the OD3 (spruce lam top + mahogany back/sides) isn't bad. And the "beginner" OG2 series is surprisingly good (whether we're talking tone, volume, OOB playability, or looks), generally going out used $100-$150 -- the same price-point as a used lamtop D10.

I'd still recommend hands-on before purchase, as mail-order is a pig-in-a-poke situation. Even when I had eight new OG2 in various finishes, the tone varied from Good to Amazing -- might as well get the best for your dollars.