2017 Washburn RSG200 Small Jumbo Guitar

May 01, 2023

2017 Washburn RSG200 Small Jumbo Guitar

This guitar has the unfortunate model name of RSG200SWEVSK. I have no idea why manufacturers decide to fill our brains with letter-jumbles but that's the way it is these days!

Fortunately, the guitar itself is not disappointing like its model name and it plays and sounds just dandy. It's got a J-185-ish body shape, long scale length, and crisp, clean tone that reminds me of '40s or '50s guitars more than modern ones. It's styled like an old '30s Gibson box, though with a touch more of the Kalamazoo and Regal look from the time.

The top (sitka spruce) and braces are torrefied which always helps a bit to open-up a new guitar's sound. It's quite clean and has a pickup (with preamp controls at the soundhole) installed. The sunburst spray job is classy.

It also features "ratio" tuners at the headstock -- an apparently-original feature and a nice upgrade if you're used to normal tuners. They're geared so that each string has an individual ratio that allows it to tune up/down at roughly the same speed as all the other strings.

Repairs included: a quick setup.

Top wood: solid torrefied sitka spruce

Back & sides wood: solid rosewood

Bracing type: x

Bridge: ebony

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: slim-medium C

Board radius: 12"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium