Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Festival Series Washburn

The background of the Festival series from Washburn


A 1992 Washburn EA36 Marquee in vintage sunburst. Inset: The EA36 is equipped with an Equis II preamp and pickup system.
Hey Zach,
It’s hard to believe this instrument is nearly 20 years old now, but time flies when you’re playing guitar. I have a Washburn acoustic-electric, serial number S9201XXX, that I absolutely love to play. I’m wondering if you could tell me a little about it and what it’s worth. Also, the Equis electronics no longer work, and I’m hoping you have some advice on how to get it fixed. Thanks so much!

David
Bloomington, Illinois


Hey David,
Cool guitar—I actually have one just like it! This was my first acoustic, and it was a great guitar to learn on. It’s easy to play, sounds good, and the design is always a conversation starter.

Washburn History
The Washburn brand was introduced in the late 1880s by Lyon & Healy to produce quality stringed instruments for the ever-expanding distributor. Demand grew rapidly, and during the 1900s the company was producing up to 100 Washburn instruments per day. Lyon & Healy—along with Washburn— was eventually overtaken by the Tonk Bros. Company in the 1920s, and by the late 1940s the Washburn name was discontinued.

In 1974, the Washburn name was revived on a line of acoustic guitars, mandolins, and banjos imported from Japan. In the late 1970s, Washburn introduced new electrics and acoustic-electrics, including the revolutionary Festival Series, which is what your model is from. Washburn is actually something of a pioneer in electrified acoustics, and their Festival Series became popular stage instruments. They featured thin bodies, sharp Florentine cutaways, a transducer built into the bridge, and onboard electronics. Interest was high in these unusual guitars, and after a few years of tweaking, several models were listed in Washburn’s catalog. In the mid 1980s, Washburn moved production from Japan to Korea.

The Festival Series’ Background

Festival Series models all start with an ā€œEAā€ prefix, usually followed by a two-digit number. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the fancier the guitar’s features. The popularity of the Festival Series is evidenced by how many artists had signature ā€œEAā€ guitars, including Craig Chaquico, Nuno Bettencourt, and Gregg Allman, who had a black EA20 that he called Melissa. Several other artists played EA models as well, including John Jorgenson, Robert Plant, and even David Brooks (of the band Slammin’ Gladys) is pictured playing one in an early-1990s Washburn catalog.

Festival Series guitars were designed to sound good when amplified at high volumes. In this context, their laminated tops were preferable to the solid-wood tops found in more traditional flattops. Guitarists who performed with Festival Series Washburns did so because of the electric tones they produced.

Your Guitar

Based on the serial number, your guitar is a 1992 EA36 Marquee in vintage sunburst finish. It features bookmatched bird’s-eye maple top, back, and sides, a shallow body, rosewood fretboard and bridge, and Equis II electronics. What really sets the EA36 apart from other Festival Series guitars is that, instead of an oval soundhole, it has nine ā€œcomputer designedā€ sound channels (early models only had six) that run diagonally under the fretboard. Today, very few guitars or even components are not designed using computers, but in the early 1990s this was certainly cutting-edge technology. The EA36 came in natural, tobacco sunburst, and vintage sunburst, as well as a rare blue finish available as a special order.

While the Festival Series has been successful (these guitars are still produced today, and several models are in Washburn’s current catalog), the model name and numbers were changed, switched, and reused several times on many different instruments. Before 1992, your guitar was actually called the EA46, and, after 1996, Marquee was dropped from the name. The EA36 was discontinued in 1997, and the last retail price was $1000. Looking at pictures of your guitar, it appears to be in Low Excellent condition, with a few dings. Based on that, today it is worth between $450 and $550.

Weighing Your Equis Options

To my knowledge, Equis is no longer making electronics or pickups, and Washburn stopped using them in the early 2000s. A quick internet search provided very little information as far as replacement parts or schematics. From what I’ve seen, these systems are not terribly complicated, and if you bring it to your local guitar tech or repair shop, they should be able to diagnose the problem and hopefully fix it. If not, you can explore replacing the electronics with a newer preamp and pickup system, but keep in mind that altering the original configuration will ultimately change the value. Once you get the electronics working, this guitar will be a treasure for years to come!

Source: Washburn—Over One Hundred Years of Fine Stringed Instruments by John Teagle.


Zachary R. Fjestad

Zachary is the author of the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, Blue Book of Electric Guitars, and the Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers. For more info, visit bluebookinc.com or drop an email to guitars@bluebookinc.com. You can submit questions to:
Blue Book Publications
Attn: Guitar Trash or Treasure
8009 34th Ave. S. Ste #175
Minneapolis, MN 55425

Vox’s Valvenergy Tone Sculptor

Two new pedals from the Valvenergy series use a Nutube valve to generate unique dynamics and tone ranges that can be used to radical ends.

When tracking in a studio or DAW, you’re likely to use compression and EQ on most things. Many enduringly amazing and powerful records were made using little else. And though many musicians regard both effects as a bit unglamorous and utilitarian, EQs and comps are as capable of radical sounds as more overtly ā€œweirdā€ effects—particularly when they are used in tandem.

Read MoreShow less

Significantly smaller and lighter than original TAE. Easy to configure and operate. Great value. Streamlined control set.

Air Feel Level control takes the place of more surgical and realistic resonance controls. Seventy watts less power in onboard power amp. No Bluetooth connectivity with desktop app.

$699

Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core

boss.info

5
4.5
4.5
4.5

Boss streamlines the size, features, and price of the already excellent Waza Tube Expander with little sacrifice in functionality.

Many of our younger selves would struggle to understand the urge—indeed, the need—to play quieter. My first real confrontation with this ever-more-present reality arrived when Covid came to town. For many months, I could only sneak into my studio space late at night to jam or review anything loud. Ultimately, the thing that made it possible to create and do my job in my little apartment was a reactive load box (in this case, a Universal Audio OX). I set up a Bassman head next to my desk and, with the help of the OX, did the work of a gear editor as well as recorded several very cathartic heavy jams, with the Bassman up to 10, that left my neighbors none the wiser.

Read MoreShow less
- YouTube

Alongside Nicolas Jaar’s electronics, Harrington creates epic sagas of sound with a team of fine-tuned pedalboards.

Read MoreShow less

Well-designed pickups. Extremely comfortable contours. Smooth, playable neck.

Middle position could use a bit more mids. Price could scare off some.

$2,999

Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II

music-man.com

4.5
5
5
4

A surprise 6-string collaboration with Cory Wong moves effortlessly between ’70s George Benson and Blink-182 tones.


Read MoreShow less