Hey fellow guitar enthusiasts! Today, I’m diving deep into the story and my personal experiences with my first electric guitar: a Lyon by Washburn Strat-style. If you’re just starting your guitar journey or curious about budget-friendly options, especially the Lyon By Washburn Electric Guitar, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s plug in and explore this instrument together.
Lyon by Washburn Strat style electric guitar in player's lap, showcasing its sunburst finish and classic body shape
My Guitar’s Backstory
If you’ve peeked at my welcome post, you might remember me mentioning a guitar gifted by my parents back in high school. Well, this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar is that very instrument.
Over a decade ago, fueled by teenage aspirations of impressing others, I decided to learn guitar. Sure, a love for music was in there somewhere, but let’s be honest, the initial drive was purely to gain some cool points. Guitar Hero was all the rage then, and seeing classmates get attention for their gaming skills sparked an idea. While I enjoyed Guitar Hero, mastering the real guitar proved to be a different beast entirely.
Thinking my Guitar Hero prowess would translate to real strings, I eagerly received this Strat-style Lyon by Washburn. Reality quickly struck – playing a real guitar was a whole new challenge. Without formal lessons, my initial enthusiasm waned, and the guitar ended up in my closet. Yet, I never quite let it go. Through seven moves across different homes, it remained with me, safely tucked away in its gig bag.
Fast forward to 2021, I decided to dust off the Lyon by Washburn electric guitar and give it another shot. Still avoiding formal lessons, I took a different approach: learning guitar setup and maintenance. This guitar became my workshop.
I dove into understanding the truss rod, mastering restringing, and even attempting intonation adjustments. Action height became a familiar term as I learned to raise and lower the strings. Through this hands-on tinkering, I began to appreciate how a well-setup guitar should feel. It dawned on me that for years, my Lyon by Washburn wasn’t playing to its potential. With each adjustment, things started to click, and my passion for playing rekindled.
While I’m still on my learning journey, currently navigating Justin Guitar, this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar is the reason I rediscovered my musical interest. It might not be the highest-end instrument, but I’m not planning on parting ways with it anytime soon. Perhaps when my skills grow to a point where the guitar’s limitations become apparent, I might consider an upgrade. But for now, it’s my trusty companion.
In-Depth Lyon by Washburn Electric Guitar Review
Keep in mind, this review is coming from someone playing a well-aged, and previously neglected, instrument. I’m also far from a guitar expert; consider this an amateur’s perspective, especially for those new to guitars. My aim is to offer insights for fellow beginners and to document my thoughts for future reflection.
The Headstock: Tuners and Nut
Let’s start at the top – the headstock. Functionally, it does its job. The Strat-style shape is classic and visually appealing, no complaints there.
However, the tuners are a bit of a weak point. They feel somewhat loose, which might be adjustable, but tuning stability is an issue. I find myself frequently retuning this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar, and I suspect the tuners are the primary culprit.
The nut appears to be plastic, and string slippage isn’t a major problem. It seems adequate, but without experience with higher-quality nuts, it’s hard to give a definitive judgment. It gets the job done for now.
Neck and Frets: Playability Considerations
The neck and frets are where the age and budget nature of this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar become more noticeable. The frets are reasonably spaced, but their height consistency is questionable. At medium action, it’s playable, but lowering the action reveals more fret buzz than I’d expect. This suggests uneven frets, a common characteristic of more affordable instruments.
On the plus side, the fret edges are nicely rounded, preventing any discomfort or hand scratching during playing.
The neck profile is also quite rounded. While generally comfortable, the low-E string tends to slip off the fretboard edge, especially during bends. This is a recurring annoyance I don’t experience with other guitars, potentially indicating a wider neck or fretboard edge issue.
Otherwise, the neck has an attractive tint and a smooth finish. It’s comfortable for hand movement, neither sticky nor overly slick. No splinters here!
Body and Electronics: Stratocaster Staples
A Strat-style body is always a win in my book. The iconic shape is comfortable both sitting and standing. The inclusion of a 5-way pickup selector switch is a fantastic feature, offering a wide range of tonal possibilities. This is a standard and versatile setup found in many Stratocaster style guitars, including the Lyon by Washburn electric guitar.
The floating bridge, designed for a whammy bar, is less essential for my playing style. Truthfully, I’m not even sure where the whammy bar is! I suspect the floating bridge might contribute to the guitar’s tuning instability, but it functions as intended.
Regarding pickups, this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar features single-coil pickups, typical for Stratocaster designs. The 5-way switch allows for neck, neck & middle, middle, middle & bridge, and bridge pickup selections. This provides significant tonal versatility. However, beyond pickup type and switching, my expertise is limited. Subjectively, the pickups on my Squier Telecaster sound noticeably better to my ears – a comparison I plan to explore in a future review.
Final Verdict: A Decent Beginner Option
Overall, this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar served its purpose well as a beginner instrument, especially considering its age and past neglect. While I wouldn’t recommend it to someone seeking a high-performance guitar or already knowing their preferences, it’s been invaluable for learning the ropes. It’s been instrumental in both my guitar playing journey and in understanding guitar maintenance and basic modifications.
Would I buy this exact model again? Probably not, now that I have more experience. But I’m definitely keeping this Lyon by Washburn electric guitar. Perhaps it will become a future instrument for my child if they develop an interest in music. Time will tell!
Thanks for reading about my Lyon by Washburn Strat-Style guitar journey. If you have any questions or your own experiences with beginner guitars, feel free to share in the comments below!
