Comme les blocs erratiques poussés par les glaciers, ce blog se laisse porter par le courant de la vie: en abordant l'actualité, l'humour, le cinéma, la BD, la photo, la littérature, la musique,...etc...sans ce prendre le choux.
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je joue / I play a:

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Steeped in the tradition of fine instrument making, Washburn Guitar’s dynamic 120-history began in Chicago in 1883. The original guitar factory was located just blocks away from Maxwell Street.
In the early 1920s, Maxwell Street itself would emerge as the epicenter of a musical movement. Often considered the first entry point for thousands of African-Americans arriving from the Mississippi Delta, Maxwell Street became a hotbed for Delta Blues in its most raw and dramatic form. Newcomers and established musicians alike would listen and jam with one another in an atmosphere void of commercial influence. Once recorded, this powerful, emotional style of music would not only become the dominant form of blues but would radically change the emerging sound of rock and roll.
There, on Maxwell Street, as well as in alleyways, city sidewalks, bars, and honky-tonks around the country, Washburn guitars were embraced as the very embodiment and reflective spirit of the hard-working musicians who played them as well as the employees who designed and crafted them. It is the same spirit that guides Washburn to this day.
The history of Washburn Guitars is the history of a wide range of musicians. From blues players who shaped rock ‘n roll to multi-platinum recording artists to emerging guitar virtuosos. It is a history that can be heard and experienced every time you turn on the radio or listen to a live performance. It is a history built by skilled craftsmen and musicians who share one common love–a passion for the guitar.
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I wanted to correct some misinformation you have published in your "Washburn" page of the web site (http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/washburn.html) concerning Washburn Guitars. As the proud owner of a turn of the century Washburn, I have done quite a bit of research on the company.
Your page states:
"George Washburn started making guitars in 1864 .. the company has changed hands many times since then ..Washburn guitars had a fire sometime in the 1920's that destroyed everything, including all records and paperwork that they had prior to the day of the fire ... then the same thing happened again in the 1950's !!"
First of all "George Washburn" was George Washburn Lyon - Washburn was his middle name. He was not a guitar maker - he was a businessman. His partner, P.J. Healy, was the guitar maker. The Lyon & Healy Company was the Chicago branch of the Oliver Ditson Company - a very large sheet music distributing company. They did found the L&H company in 1864, but the company didn't start manufacturing guitars until 1888.
L&H started as a music publisher in 1864. They later marketed several brands of instruments - Lyon leant his middle name to the fretted variety. Healy supervised the factory, which during their peak production years, turned out as many as 100 guitars per day! They were the main supplier of stringed instruments for the various mail order catalogs, such as Montgomery Ward and Sears, until Harmony and Kay assumed that distinction with lines of considerably lower quality instruments in the late 1920s.
The Washburn brand was sold to the Tonk Brothers - who also owned the Regal brand, in 1928 or 29. Regal made guitars under the Washburn label for a few years after that, then the brand was discarded. As far as I can determine, early Washburn serial numbers were pretty haphazard and never gave any indication of date of manufacture.
By the way - my research indicates that the fire happened before the turn of the century (in the1880's). The original Washburn brand disappeared in the 1930's. There was no fire in the 1950's because there was no Washburn Company then. In fact, there never was a Washburn Company until the brand name was revived in 1964. There is no connection whatsoever between the current Washburn brand guitars and the Washburns of the 19th and early 20th century.
Thanks for listening.
Regards,
Earl Oliver