Washburn Guitars
American guitar and string-instrument brand and importer with roots in late-nineteenth-century Chicago.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Washburn Guitars is an American string-instrument brand associated principally with acoustic and electric guitars, but also with basses, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, travel instruments, amplifiers, and accessories. The brand’s historical roots reach back to Lyon & Healy in Chicago. Lyon & Healy used George Washburn, a name derived from co-founder George W. Lyon’s given and middle names, for fretted and plucked instruments during the late nineteenth century. By the 1890s, Washburn-branded guitars, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, and related instruments formed a substantial part of the company’s catalog. The 1912 Lakeside Jumbo is often cited as an important early large-bodied guitar, bridging the smaller parlor instruments of the period and the later dreadnought and jumbo formats. The original business declined during the interwar period. Lyon & Healy sold its guitar business to Tonk Brothers in 1928, and subsequent factory and brand changes weakened Washburn’s market position. The historic brand had largely disappeared by the early 1940s. The modern Washburn business is therefore a revival rather than a simple uninterrupted continuation of the original manufacturing company. Beckmen Musical Instruments brought the name back to market in the 1970s, initially applying it to Japanese-made acoustic guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Fretted Industries acquired the Washburn name in 1977, returning the brand to Chicago and developing a model based on externally sourced production, selective domestic work, and controlled production runs. Under Rudy Schlacher, Washburn expanded beyond traditional acoustic instruments. Its late-1970s Wing Series electric guitars used features such as neck-through construction, brass appointments, and push-pull pickup controls. During the 1980s, the Festival Series established a particularly recognizable Washburn identity. These thin acoustic-electric guitars were designed to resist feedback on amplified stages, and later models used offset soundholes as part of that approach. The series became closely associated with televised and large-venue acoustic performance, including the broader cultural moment around MTV’s Unplugged programming. Washburn also developed or licensed features such as the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, Stephen’s Extended Cutaway, and Voice Contour Control. The company increasingly relied on specialized external factories. In the early 1990s, production shifted substantially to Korea, with additional manufacturing in Indonesia and later China. At the same time, Washburn maintained a United States custom shop for high-end, limited, prototype, and artist-related instruments. Some acoustic models were made in the United States by Tacoma Guitars and Bourgeois Guitars, and Washburn offered a small group of USA-made solid-wood dreadnoughts during the 2000s. In 2002, Washburn International completed its acquisition of U.S. Music Corp. and consolidated its assets through a reverse merger. U.S. Music was sold to Canadian music-industry group JAM Industries in 2009; JAM later became part of the broader Exertis organization. Washburn remains an active brand within the U.S. Music/Exertis | JAM portfolio. Its market positioning combines affordable imported instruments with selected premium, custom, artist-signature, and heritage-inspired designs. The brand is particularly associated with acoustic-electric guitars, performance-oriented electric guitars, and signature instruments tied to artists such as Nuno Bettencourt. Its modern identity is shaped by brand heritage, design experimentation, artist endorsements, and a manufacturing model that combines external production with limited domestic and custom work.
History
Washburn’s story begins with Lyon & Healy, a Chicago musical-instrument company founded in 1864 by George W. Lyon and Patrick J. Healy. Initially connected with sheet-music distribution, Lyon & Healy expanded into organs and small instruments before becoming independent and moving into fretted and plucked instruments. The company used the George Washburn name, drawn from Lyon’s names, for guitars, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, and zithers. By the late 1890s, its catalogs presented a broad range of Washburn guitars at different price levels, although the precise manufacturing history of individual instruments is difficult to establish because Lyon & Healy repaired, decorated, outsourced, and retailed instruments from multiple sources. Washburn’s early prominence grew under Patrick Healy after George Lyon’s retirement. Improved factory organization and mass-production methods helped Lyon & Healy become a major American instrument business. In 1912, Washburn introduced the Lakeside Jumbo, a large-bodied guitar that is frequently treated as an early precursor to the modern dreadnought and jumbo acoustic formats. During the 1920s, however, Lyon & Healy faced intensified competition and changing entertainment habits. The company sold its guitar business to wholesaler Tonk Brothers in 1928. Tonk Brothers’ arrangements with J. R. Stewart became unstable when Stewart entered bankruptcy in 1930. Regal Musical Instrument Company acquired relevant assets and reopened the factory, preserving the Washburn name but not its earlier market dominance. By the early 1940s, the historic brand had effectively faded from active prominence. The modern Washburn brand emerged during the 1970s. Beckmen Musical Instruments, founded in Los Angeles by Tom Beckmen and Judy Fink Beckmen, applied the name to imported Japanese instruments beginning in 1974. The initial range included a folk-style acoustic and several dreadnoughts, alongside mandolins and banjos. In 1977, Fritz Tasch, Rudy Schlacher, and Rick Johnstone, operating as Fretted Industries, acquired the Washburn name. With assistance from Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, the company developed relationships with Japanese factories capable of producing instruments to its specifications. Schlacher later bought out Johnstone and renamed the company Washburn International in 1987. The revived company emphasized controlled production and design differentiation. Rather than maintaining large continuous inventories, many models were produced in relatively small batches and repeated only when demand justified another run. This reduced overproduction but also made particular models difficult to obtain between production cycles. Washburn expanded into electric guitars with the Wing Series, offered from 1978 through 1984, and developed performance-oriented designs such as the Festival Series acoustic-electric guitars. The Festival instruments used slim bodies and, on later versions, sound slots to reduce feedback when amplified. Their visibility among professional performers and on televised acoustic programs became a major part of Washburn’s brand recognition. During the 1990s, manufacturing shifted substantially to Korea, especially through Samick, and later included Samick’s Indonesian operations. Washburn nevertheless maintained a domestic custom operation in Chicago. From 1992 to 2000, the USA Custom Shop produced higher-end, short-run, prototype, and one-off instruments. Ten acoustic models were made in the United States for Washburn between 1994 and 2001 by Tacoma Guitars and Bourgeois Guitars. Washburn also introduced four USA-made solid-wood dreadnoughts, designated D-78SW, D-80SW, D-82SW, and D-84SW, during the 2002–2008 period. The corporate structure changed significantly in the early 2000s. Washburn International completed its acquisition of U.S. Music Corp. in 2002 and folded its assets into the combined organization. U.S. Music was sold to JAM Industries in 2009. In 2012, the Mundelein facility closed after the lease was not renewed, ending that principal luthiery operation and affecting approximately 180 jobs. A planned move to a smaller Buffalo Grove site did not occur, although a limited number of Washburn models, notably versions of the N4, have been associated with domestic production elsewhere. By the late 2010s, most Washburn production had moved from Korea toward Indonesia and China, while the brand continued to offer guitars and other string instruments through international distribution. Its catalog has included acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, mandolins, banjos, ukuleles, travel instruments, amplifiers, cases, and accessories. The brand’s continuing identity rests on its Chicago heritage, revived twentieth-century history, artist relationships, feedback-resistant acoustic-electric designs, signature electric guitars, and a combination of outsourced manufacturing and selective premium production.
- 2012
Mundelein luthiery closes
[1]The principal Washburn luthiery closed after the facility lease was not renewed.
- 2009
U.S. Music joins JAM Industries
[1]U.S. Music was sold to JAM Industries, which became Washburn’s controlling corporate group.
- 2002
U.S. Music acquisition completed
[1]Washburn International completed its acquisition of U.S. Music Corp. through a reverse-merger structure.
- 1991
United States custom operation opened
[1]Washburn opened a domestic operation for higher-end short runs, prototypes, and one-off instruments.
- 1987
Company renamed Washburn International
[1]Rudy Schlacher bought out a partner and changed the corporate name to Washburn International.
- 1978
Wing Series electric guitars launched
[1]Washburn introduced the Wing Series, featuring construction and electronics innovations for the period.
- 1977
Fretted Industries acquires the name
[1]Fretted Industries acquired the Washburn name and built the modern brand from Chicago.
- 1974
Modern Washburn revival begins
[1]Beckmen Musical Instruments began selling Japanese-made guitars and other string instruments under the Washburn name.
- 1940
Historic Washburn presence declines
[1]After a succession of ownership and factory changes, the original Washburn brand had largely disappeared from the market by the early 1940s.
- 1928
Guitar business sold to Tonk Brothers
[1]Lyon & Healy transferred its guitar business to wholesaler Tonk Brothers as the company refocused on other instrument categories.
Products and positioning
A heritage American string-instrument brand combining broadly distributed imported instruments with premium, custom, performance-focused, and artist-signature models.
Acoustic-electric guitars · 1980
Festival Series
Thin-bodied acoustic-electric guitars designed for amplified stage use. Their reduced body depth and later sound-slot designs helped limit feedback, making the series especially visible in large-venue performance and televised acoustic music. The line became one of Washburn’s most recognizable design contributions and also informed related acoustic-bass applications.
Electric guitar
N4
A premium Nuno Bettencourt signature super-Strat associated with a reverse headstock, Stephen’s Extended Cutaway neck joint, high-fret access, performance-oriented pickups, and a licensed Floyd Rose-style tremolo. The model represents Washburn’s artist-signature and high-performance electric-guitar positioning.
Acoustic guitars
Woodline
A family of acoustic guitars using model codes that identify body shapes, construction materials, electronics, cutaways, finishes, and included accessories. The range has included solid-wood and acoustic-electric configurations intended to cover intermediate through premium segments.
Custom and premium instruments · 1991
USA Custom Shop
Washburn’s domestic custom operation produced higher-end short runs, prototypes, one-off instruments, and selected artist-related models. The facility operated in the Chicago area and served as a source of premium instruments even while much of the standard catalog was made by overseas partners.
Acoustic guitars · 2002
USA-made Dreadnoughts
A group of solid-wood American-made dreadnought models identified as D-78SW, D-80SW, D-82SW, and D-84SW. They were offered during the 2000s as part of Washburn’s selective domestic premium production.
Electric guitars · 1978
Wing Series
Electric guitars produced from 1978 to 1984 and noted for features including neck-through construction, brass hardware and inlays, and push-pull split humbuckers. The series helped establish Washburn as a more design-focused electric-guitar brand during its modern revival.
Fretted string instruments
Mandolins and banjos
Mandolins and banjos have been part of both the historic and revived Washburn catalogs. These instruments broaden the brand beyond guitars and connect the modern business with the range of plucked instruments associated with the original Chicago Washburn identity.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990Artist endorsement program
United States · International
Washburn expanded the use of artist endorsements and signature instruments, supplying customized or signature models to performers who promoted the brand through public use.
Outcome. The program supported Washburn’s visibility in professional electric, acoustic, and amplified performance markets.
- 1980Festival Series stage-performance positioning
United States · International
Washburn promoted the Festival Series as a practical amplified acoustic instrument for performers who needed reduced feedback and a slim stage-friendly body.
Outcome. The series became strongly associated with professional stage use and later with televised acoustic performance.
Brand decisions
2012
Close the Mundelein luthieryStrategyBackground
The lease on Washburn’s Mundelein facility was not renewed, amid a business model that depended heavily on external factories for standard production.
Action taken
The company closed the facility and considered, but did not complete, a move to a smaller Buffalo Grove site.
Aftermath
Washburn’s domestic manufacturing footprint contracted, while most standard production continued through overseas suppliers.
2009
Sell U.S. Music to JAM IndustriesM&ABackground
Washburn’s owner sought a strategic music-industry partner with established distribution and a long commercial relationship with U.S. Music.
Action taken
U.S. Music was sold to JAM Industries, with Rudy Schlacher stepping away after the transaction.
Aftermath
Washburn became part of the JAM portfolio, later associated with the Exertis | JAM corporate group.
2002
Combine Washburn International with U.S. MusicM&ABackground
Washburn International and U.S. Music operated in overlapping musical-instrument markets and could consolidate their assets and distribution.
Action taken
Washburn International completed the acquisition of U.S. Music Corp. and placed the assets into the combined organization through a reverse merger.
Aftermath
U.S. Music became the principal corporate vehicle associated with Washburn and its related instrument brands.
1991
Add a domestic custom and development operationStrategyBackground
Washburn relied heavily on overseas production but sought greater control over premium, experimental, and short-run instruments.
Action taken
The company opened a United States operation for custom instruments, prototypes, and limited production.
Aftermath
The domestic facility supported premium models and artist instruments for roughly two decades before its Mundelein operation closed.
1977
Fretted Industries acquires WashburnM&ABackground
The revived brand required a dedicated owner capable of coordinating product development, overseas sourcing, and distribution.
Action taken
Fretted Industries acquired the Washburn name and returned its corporate base to Chicago.
Aftermath
The company expanded the catalog and established the modern corporate lineage of Washburn International.
Acquisition price. $13,000 (1977)
1974
Rebuild the brand through imported productionStrategyBackground
The historic Washburn name had lost its former market position, while quality Asian production offered a way to relaunch a broad instrument range at accessible prices.
Action taken
Beckmen Musical Instruments applied the Washburn name to Japanese-made acoustic guitars, mandolins, and banjos.
Aftermath
The approach established the modern Washburn brand and created the basis for later international expansion.
Recent events
- 2012
Mundelein Washburn luthiery closes after lease decision[1]
Leadership change
After JAM Industries declined to renew the lease on the Mundelein facility, the Washburn luthiery closed. A proposed smaller Buffalo Grove facility did not materialize.
- 2009
U.S. Music sold to JAM Industries[1]
M&A · Leadership change
Rudy Schlacher announced the sale of U.S. Music to Canadian music-industry group JAM Industries and his departure from the company after approximately four decades.
- 2002
Washburn International completes U.S. Music acquisition[1]
M&A
Washburn International announced the completion of its acquisition of U.S. Music Corp., combining the businesses through a reverse merger.
- 1977
Fretted Industries acquires Washburn name[1]
M&A
Fretted Industries acquired the Washburn name and developed the modern Chicago-based Washburn business.
- 1974
Washburn name revived through imported instruments[1]
Product launch · Other
Beckmen Musical Instruments reintroduced Washburn-branded acoustic guitars, mandolins, and banjos, with initial guitar production sourced from Japan.
Sources4 sources
- 1Washburn Guitarsen.wikipedia.org
- 2Washburn Guitars official websitewashburn.com
- 3NAMM 2020: Washburn unveils the striking new Michael Sweet signature acoustic guitarguitarworld.com
- 4Whoa, Nele: Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt collaborates with Washburn on signature T-style with six-way pickup switchingguitarworld.com
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