the BT/Maverick line

[Tony Raven]

The reason that I'm confused -- this one had caught my eye earlier:



Note the two knobs, & switch placement. Going through the Washburn pricelists, I noted that the 1996 version -- the last year as the "Billy T" line before becoming "Maverick" -- had only a single Vol knob, but this notation is lacking thereafter. FWIW, the only model to have the 621/623 pickup set was the BT-10.

(And I reiterate that this might be the only Washie line to ever have had three names: Bantam, Billy T, Maverick -- more if you add in the WM & JB as I've argued. )

[psp742]

Maverick BT has a nice offset shape that is quite comfy.. some other brands have almost the same outline. EV and EB brand comes close.
Because I have upgraded my BT6, I guess it is more than a capable versatile shredder.

[Tony Raven]

As they do, time-to-time, MGR has allowed the stupidest coders on staff to tweak the search protocols. For instance, you'd get ZERO hits if you search for Washburn HB or Washburn 35 or even Washburn HB-35... yet it happily pulls up a hit for Washburn HB35.



I mention this here because BT3 & BT-3 will get you different results, & nothing at all for BT.

Happy hunting... 

[Tony Raven]

Dude's asking $1,000, & he has no first clue what the model number is...



This is a bit more in my range, at $275... but my budget is zeroed for a month or three. Fortunately, the vinyl decal is easily removed, but maybe you dig Sammy more than me.

[Tony Raven]

Another take on the Washburn serial numbering system --
{dead link removed}

Though fully eight digits, it's on a BT-2, so 1996-2000. If the serial number has any date validity whatever, the guitar is 1998, a one-digit year code.
________________

I spotted this decal on a BT-4Q-LH --
{dead link}

This, of course, messes up some of my theorizing. I'd assumed that the guitars went from being "Billy T" to VERY briefly "Bantam"** until fetching up as "Maverick."

The model (the only lefty in the series) doesn't appear until the 1998 pricelist, while "Maverick" was applied fully a year earlier, so I'm puzzled.
________________

** -- intending to repurpose the "BT" prefix, but I think Grover Jackson balked as the name was already in play for the XB basses which had his name on every headstock. As a further guess, Jackson may have said "pay me" for the implied association, & Washburn moved along.

[Tony Raven]

For reference purposes...

The Peavey "Wolfgang"



The EVH (Fender) "Wolfgang Special"


The OLP "Axis"


The Ernie Ball/Music Man "Axis" & possibly other names

#3 is a Richie Castellano Axis, #4 an Axis, & #5 an Eddie Van Halen.

The Washburn "BT-10"


Greatest difference appears to be hang-point &/or horn length.
Peavey: fret 13
EVH: fret 13
OLP: fret 14.5
EBMM: fret 14
Washburn: fret 12

[Rushbo]

Hi all,

Be nice and help out a newbie from the UK, please...

I picked up a rather poorly BT9 recently - apparently it had been used in a video for a Metal band where unspeakable atrocities were committed unto it. It had also had a coat of rattle can white paint applied to it. That came off without too much of a struggle and I was left with a decent guitar. It needed a new volume pot and a little tweak of the wiring and it's sounding good. It's just lacking a couple of things...a tip for the pup selector (30 seconds on eBay should sort that out...) and a whammy/tremelo bar/arm. Now that's proving harder to find...It's the fulcrum type of trem fitting. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Washburn part, I just want one that works - any thoughts or places I can look to find one please folks?

[Tony Raven]

Nice catch!! Washburn has not made many maple-fretboard models in the past 40 years. If I were to go insane on the "EVH" thing, I'd considered swapping necks between a BT-10 & BT-9.

As it happens, I have a BT-3 within reach, & the vibrato arm I got on a BT-6 -- sure enough, it matches up just fine. I'm going to hazard a guess that your BT-9 would use the same size as well.

While I don't have any measuring devices handy, this arm is definitely more robust than one that fits a Squier Standard & a Mexico Fender. I'm therefore going to guess the latter is a 5 mm ("M5") size, & the former is 10/32" a.k.a. "USA" size.

This just now strikes me as odd. I know of the two major applicaions of the 10/32 thread: California-made Fenders, & Gotoh bridge assemblies. Does this mean the Mavericks have Gotoh bridges...?

[Rushbo]

Thanks Tony - I've ordered a 10/32 with crossed fingers...

[Steve B.]

Guys, that's my guitar... i bought it second hand many years ago and it was already "modified/customized"... I never really understood which is the model (well, it's a Billy T., but i can find enything else). It has HSS and a Floyd Rose bridge. The serial number is "6112473".
Could you help me to know something more? Thank you!!

[Tony Raven]

The BT-9 was the only BT with maple fretboard. The BT models with Rose system were BT-6 (hss), BT-10 (hh), & BT-20 (hh). Is there any indication the bridge is a later addition?

At a wild guess, I'd say you have a short-lived "transitional" guitar (or a short-run "demo"model) as the line went from "BillyT" to "BT" naming. It certainly has the BT-9 style pickguard (which only the BT-9 & BT-3 had). The only BT that had the sunburst were BT-4 & BT-20.

As the BT-9 were only around 1996-1999, that'd put yours at the early end. As I showed previously, these appear to have used only the first digit for year, which does appear to make yours a 1996.

[Tony Raven]

I found a random 2006 comment from Customer Service about Mavericks, so figured I'd put it here.

https://www.sputnikmusic.com/forums/showpost.php?s=280f214df5285523d35610beac56d0b0&p=13015323&postcount=21

DEAR WES JETT,

YOUR GUITAR IS A MODEL# BT4B. IT WAS PART OF OUR "MAVERICK SERIES".
THE LETTER "B" AT THE END OF "BT4B" REPRESENTS THE BLACK PAINT COLOR.
YOU APPEAR TO HAVE THE BLACK VERSION.
IT WAS BUILT UNDER CONTRACT IN 2001 BY THE SAMICK GUITAR COMPANY FOR WASHBURN.
IT IS CURRENTLY DISCONTINUED FOR THE USA MARKET, BUT IS STILL AVAILABLE
IN SOME OVERSEAS MARKETS. THIS MODEL WAS KNOWN FOR ITS COMFORTABLE
ERGONOMIC DESIGN, EXCELLENT CONSTRUCTION, CUSTOM-VOICED WASHBURN
PICKUPS, HIGH QUALITY COMPONENTS, AND PLAYING EASE. THE BODY DESIGN
WAS A VARIANCE ON THE USA-BUILT JENNIFER BATTEN ARTIST MODELS.
YOU HAVE A GREAT GUITAR IN HAND. I HAVE ATTACHED A PDF FILE
CONTAINING A PORTION OF THE 2001 THAT PICTURES YOUR GUITAR.
PLEASE ENJOY YOUR GUITAR, YOU GOT A GOOD ONE.

THANKS,
Scott Rickett

Valuable for confirming that BTs (the later ones, at least) were indeed Samick.

[Tony Raven]

Wow, how the heck did I overlook this --

THE BODY DESIGN
WAS A VARIANCE ON THE USA-BUILT JENNIFER BATTEN ARTIST MODELS.

Mmmm... nope. 

The JB models were offered 2000-2004.

The Mavericks were around 1995-2002.

[Tony Raven]

Nope, not done yet with my fandom.

Though presently asking $325, this is somewhat tempting. Oh, heck, I'll describe it first: a pre-Maverick "Billy T" (with BOTH series markings, yet) that looks a whole lot like a BT-2, & was Korea-made, & has original Grovers (unlike some of the pre-Mavs)

...but with gold hardware AND minibuckers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1994-1996-Early-Washburn-Billy-T-guitar-RARE-GOLD-HUMBUCKER-PICKUPS-GRAB-IT-NICE/282966812370?hash=item41e222e6d2:g:Lk0AAOSwjJtaqxq9









The seller says its s/n begins with a 4, guessing it at 1994; he seems to know a little something about the model at least.

But what has me swaying is that the fretboard (which seller does say he oiled) sure looks a bit like ebony... 

[netdomon]

this one it beutiful