Pre-1983 Washburn G-64 BANTAM guitar prototype.  No serial number, early version of logo, no brand markings on the gig bag.  Prototype to final build by two years and the bass guitar introduction in 1984 and guitar in 1985.  Set-in maple neck // figured rosewood fretboard // 24 fret C neck // Alder body.  Washburn's version of Super-70s Humbucker P-ups.  Flat black paint // black hardware.

Neck is straight and action is extremely low.  Sustain galore.  Gorgeous tone. 
Passive electronics work.  Some small dings in the body (shown in pictures: top and bottom of guitar lower bout and top of guitar upper bout). 

Would love to think a vintage guitar collector or guitar museum would take this. This is the rarest of rare Washburn guitars... 

"This looks like a Washburn Status guitar from the 1980's, but I’m afraid detailed production records from that era are not available.  Prototype instruments in particular are near impossible to identify, as they do not enter annual pricelists or selling histories because of their prototype nature."    - Washburn Customer Support


"The G-64 is the model of your guitar, by the way---or what it was finally named. You do indeed have a proto-type as the first ads for the Bantam headlesses came out for 1984 models... In the 1985 catalog is added the G-64 Bantam headless guitar and the GB-63 dbl neck (Guitar and bass). I can find nothing for 1984 to show the G-64 Bantam Guitar is out yet. If that holds up, your's is a proto-type by 2 years!! I keep looking for a 1984 complete price list or catalog to verify the first G-64 issuance--but it sure does not appear in any ads for '84.  Also in 1983 put out the proto-type B-60 (which DID come out in 1984). Here is a picture for you. As you see, the lettering on your guitar and this bass are capital letters, while once production commenced, the lettering was changed to be lower case, hollow letters!!"    - Mark Keller, Washburn instrument historian


"My brother was the representative for Washburn around that time.  We did sell off the earliest versions of these guitars at the store"    - Jerry Pastore, owner Pastore Music


[[[Don't have a video of me playing it, but you can see it just behind me on stage with a Police Crime Tape guitar strap.]]]

Listed11 years ago
ConditionExcellent (Used)
Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • BANTAM prototype
Finish
  • Flat Black
Categories
Year
  • 1982
Body Type
  • Solid Body

My Childhood Toys Shop

Totowa, NJ, United States
Sales:135
Joined Reverb:2013

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