Looking for d48 Comanche

[Ryanhunt]

I recently purchased a 97 d48 Comanche for $100  the guitar was in rough shape with a few cracks on the top and I've had to repair them and unfortunately had to do some refinishing:(. I would normally never touch the finish on something like this but it was bad enough if left alone the guitar would end up needing a soundboard in the next year or so. Anyways it was severely dehydrated and not only did the top have two large cracks in it but it was also badly bowed in. I was given the sound hole label all tattered in a bag along with the bridge that had come off, the dream catcher decal is missing off the headstock. It has the right shape but wrong color pickguard on it, it has on of the cheapo black replacement ones on it. It also appears that it has the right shape but wrong color headstock on it like maybe it was damaged and replaced at on point or who knows it may have came that way since the wood on the neck and the fretboard and binding are correct. Looking at the tag, body, neck and the TC stamp on the inside of the guitar where the neck is attached tells me it is definitely a D48 Comanche that may or may not have been pieced with another guitar. Despite all the damage and the work that had to be done this thing is loud clear and sounds absolutely amazing and is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever heard.. I have contacted Washburn and they said they don't have any parts for this thing. I would love to find one in good condition that has all it's correct parts but have been searching to no avail if anyone has one that they would like to sell I am definitely interested, please let me know. Thanks

[ship of fools]

I do believe that these were only made in 1996 and yep great guitar blue book says around 450-525 in excellent shape and your are right about the pickguard should be tortoise it should have a crown logo if memory serves me.These were made by Tacoma and are very playable guitars with great sound.

[Ryanhunt]

I have heard a few people say they were only made in 96, but I have also read elsewhere that in 97 they made still made the Comanche and in some of them they added more bracing in them but they were more costly for those versions, also the tag that I have says d48 Comanche on it, and yes you are correct it is a square tanish colored label with a Washburn crown and a ribbon on top of the crown that say crafted in the USA also the serial is as follows 97-6-XXXX which leads me to believe it's a 97 but I could be wrong I'm not 100% sure with all the mixed information I've seen

[ship of fools]

No I am sure that it could very well be made in 97 if they had some that were not finished in 1996 its like some of John Stover USA made guitars were finished after he had left the custom acoustic shop and the only way to tell if John had put them together was he signed the top of his made guitars as for the extra bracing well some say that that was an old wives tale, as far as I have seen and been told they were always the same price with dealer fluctuations of course, finding ANOTHER may prove difficult when I was able to play I was searching for all of the Dana and Tacoma made Washburns and had difficulty purchasing any ( mostly because those that owned them would only part with them for the right amount of money ) but the hunt can be fun. ship

[Tony Raven]

The "date problem" arises from mistakenly comparing an overseas industrial assembly line with a small Washington luthiery stepping up to production.

Here's my educated guess. The Wikipedia article says in the early days (~1992) Tacoma Guitars "produced about 100 guitars a month for another guitar brand," so we have a rough guess at their maximal production capacity (I'd say 200 units absolute max).

They released their distinctive Chief & Papoose models about February 1997 at the winter NAMM. That means these were likely still in final development late 1996.

Jim Smith said Tacoma built a few Washburns: D-43 (2nd version, 1994-1997), D-46 (1996), D-47, D-48 (1996), R-310 (1996-1998). With so much on the table, & their own brand starting to get commercial traction, Tacoma likely wasn't interested in being "Washburn USA" for acoustics. In 1996, they declined the contracts for D-size guitars, but agreed to build out the initial orders.

That's probably why some "1996 only" guitars would be stamped with a 1997 serial number. (Only a guess, but I think that's also why Smith says the D-43 went into 1997.)