Washburn d10qsb Broschüre

After the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago quickly became a national center for 
musical instrument manufacturing. Steeped in the tradition of fine instrument 
making, Washburn Guitar’s dynamic 125 year history began in Chicago in 1883. 
The original guitar factory was located just blocks away from Maxwell Street.

In the early 1920’s, 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 & 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 that 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

Washburn continues to be a consistent leader in combining design, innovation, 
and technology to deliver the rich, bold sounds for a vast musical landscape.

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