Washburn JB100 Midi

Having read an article about the JB-100 MIDI version, I ventured to get one right away - untried! I'm in Denmark, where the music shop Aage Jensen represents Washburn, so I figured they'd had one to try. Not so! The shop contacted Washburn that then responded 'OK, we'll build one for you'. After a long gestation period, it finally landed on my doorstep many months later

As I was asked 'which color do you want', I selected to have it in white (the other option was a kind of butterscotch color).

Background info: I started up on guitar as a precocious teenager in the 60s... by now, I'm sixty myself! I've been through a lot of gear and destroyed many guitars along the way. As I'm also playing keyboards and doing sequencing on a computer, I've been interested in MIDI guitar potential since it was invented. Having two Casio MG-510 guitars with built-in MIDI, I got interested in Washburn's Jennifer Batten guitar with MIDI.


I'm grateful for the help provided by the Aage Jensen shop here in Copenhagen and the final price for guitar, case and shipping was about 25,000 Danish Crowns - very expensive!

<a href="http://www.aage.dk">http://www.aage.dk</a>

Besides the MIDI functionality that is definitely tops, it is a fantastic guitar on its own as just a blasting electric sort of super-Strat. Its Buzz Feiten tuning takes a bit of time to get used to, but works well with MIDI and is an improvement over previous 'normal' guitars with added MIDI.

According to an email message I just got from a friend that wanted to buy one, Washburn doesn't make them anymore... He asked 'would you sell yours?' and my instant reply was 'no, never ever ever!'.

So Washburn, if you're reading this, are you kidding???? I know that the market for MIDIfied guitars is limited, but this is a disgrace! You've done along with Jennifer Batten the best-ever MIDI guitar. So please resume production of the MIDIfied JB-100!!!


Tops!!! It's very ergonomic in use, also when playing live gigs. MIDI guitars are notoriously fiddly and sort of studio-oriented, but this one delivers also when blasting out onstage. From that angle, it's very good at being plugged into all kinds of effect pedals. In use, onstage, you need to have some tap-dancing abilities... A floorboard of effects for guitar and another one for MIDI sounds.

Typically, the normal guitar stuff goes through an amplifier to be picked up by a microphone and further amplified through a P.A. system. The MIDI bits are then directly injected from sound source directly to a P.A. mixer, and from there to onstage monitor cabs - easy it isn't!


Unfortunately, it isn't any longer a guitar you can order in a music shop. That's a pity! When I bought it, I never imagined that it would qualify a precious vintage guitar that fast. I don't know how many were done, but I imagine that few were produced...

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this online from ProAudioMusic.com in Pennsylvania. I paid $1199.00 plus $159.00 for the case. Right after I bought it they raised the price to $1499.00 plus case. At the time I bought it they had the best price of anybody by far.

The Washburn JB100 midi guitar: I just bought this guitar about a month and a half ago. I needed a midi-synth ready guitar and I was very tired of that nasty stick-on GK-2A controller on my Gibson SG. I checked around for all the synth ready guitars and this one met all my needs. Upper neck accessability, built in GK-2A pickup with friendly controls, looks, playablity, and most important- a whammy bar! I looked at the Godin but no upper neck accessiblity. The Brian Moore doesn't come with a whammy! And I've never been that comfortable playing a Strat. Most of the synth ready Strats are crap, anyway! The JB100 midi was designed for Jennifer Batten. I saw her use hers playing with Jeff Beck and knew it must be pretty good. I've had a couple of Washburns before but this is far better than they were.

The tracking for the synth is really good. Much better than the other pickup I installed myself on my SG. I wasn't about to drill holes in that guitar. I've used this guitar on several lives gigs and in the studio. No problems.

The Seymore Duncan pickups are nice, too. The neck one being a JB Jr. Lots of tonal range.

The only problem I have found is getting used to the Buzz Feiten tuning system. It's hard to get it there sometimes, but once it's in tune it generally stays there. Basically, there is nothing I don't like about this guitar!

Right out of the shipping case it played like a dream. I didn't have adjust anything! (You may want to adjust the string height depending on your taste but it suited me). The factory did a great job of setting it up. With the original Floyd Rose and the Buzz Feiten tuning system it really stays in tune. The controls work great for the synth pickup. They are in a very convenient place and the patch change buttons work great. Everybody that has seen me use this guitar has fallen in love with it. It is built very well (hand- made). It is sturdy yet light. A real nice looking piece of work.


Overall, I got this guitar for a really good price because I shopped around. I probably couldn't have afforded it at the usual price, but if you can afford it, get one! It's SWEET! If you use a guitar synth or Roland VG8 or VG7 amp you need it!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com