Washburn Apprentice Series

Washburn Guitars expand their entry level guitar offering with the new Apprentice Series acoustic-electric guitars.

The Apprentice Series starts off with two new models, the AG20CE and AF40CE, both feature a grand auditorium style body with cutaway, and both are stage ready with piezo pickup, preamp and related electronics built-into them.

Washburn’s ability to produce quality guitars at super affordable price points continues to propel the brand’s popularity. And as expected, they are pouring in their resources into creating affordable beginner friendly instruments, the latest result of which is the new Apprentice series.

Since they are both part of the same series, the two new models have mostly the same features, with the main difference being the type of wood used on the back and sides. As mentioned, the two guitars come in Grand Auditorium shape, which combines the big size of dreadnoughts with the comfortable shape of orchestra style guitars. Both also feature a cutaway for easier access to the upper frets. The specs of both guitars are similar, having the same 25.5″ scale length, and 43mm wide Graphtech Nubone nut.

Also featured on the new Apprentice line is the Barcus-Berry LX4 pickup system which comes with a built-in tuner. Compared to other entry level acoustic-electric models, this one comes with extended tone shaping capability, thanks to its 3-band EQ and presence controls. With this built-in electronic system, you can be sure that this beginner friendly guitar is up for the challenge in case you want to start performing on stage, or recording.

The Washburn AG20CE features has a spruce top paired with rosewood back and sides, and since they didn’t mention they were solid wood, I’d assume that they’re crafted from laminate, and it’s not surprising since it is supposed to be an entry level instrument. Other features include a mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard with offset dot inlays, chrome cast diecast tuners and rosewood capped headstock to match the guitar’s overall look.

The Washburn AG40CE features the same design and specs as the AG20CE, with the main difference being the use of flame maple for the back and sides. I once had an Ibanez acoustic electric with flame maple for the back and sides, and my experience tells me that this will be louder acoustically, and will have a bit more low end. The neck is also crafted from mahogany and topped by a rosewood fingerboard with offset dot inlays. To match the back and sides, the headstock of the AG40CE has a flame maple cap.

Pricing information will soon be available, you can see the complete specifications for the two new Apprentice Series guitars at Washburn.

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