Metropoulos Forum

Posted: **Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:43 pm**

Spotted this little beauty on the Bay, I was not aware of special order SS 80's with quilt maple tops and birdseye maple necks, this is killer, the color I am not the craziest over but it is awesome looking and has the great double adjustable truss rod (rare).
These guitars have necks that are superb, even the cheaper Korean made SS 40's have an awesome neck, albiet a regular truss rod!
Me likee, rather have this over a PC-1 any day.
And the necks are killer, just as awesome as a Pre-Pro Charvel, imho!
http://cgi.ebay.com/1993-Washburn-Steve ... 240%3A1318" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

yngwie308

Posted: **Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:21 am**

That's a nice-looking guitar. I didn't know that Washburn did those with the nice tops and fancy woods. I think I've only seen black ones.

Posted: **Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:50 am**

I did it, I am the proud new owner of the amazing quilt top SS100!!! GAS to the X factor baby..

Here is an album of some shots of this beauty, in mega size and the amazing Barbarella guitar with built in ray gun effects, flashing LED's, one of a kind, also from Rudy of Washburn's collection.
I have garnered many cool stories of the old Washburn Chicago days and hope to put together some sort of article on the history of these Washburn's as they are a particular love of mine. Aunique fusion of old school Charvel/Jackson/Hamer, with their own twist and unique vibe. My SS80 in particular is really 'built' and as it was intended for the artist to his exact spec, I feel I have one of Steve's own guitars, that's why I have always raved about this guitar, it really is a incredible playing and voiced instrument, easily my favorite SuperStrat type guitar!!

http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... n%20SS100/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
yngwie308

Posted: **Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:15 pm**

The Barbarella guitar was painted by Jim O'Connor, how cool is that. I wonder how much original artwork for Barabarella would go for at an art gallery. I think $12K for a beautifully painted interpretation of the movie poster artwork, by the original artist, is incredible. Kudos to Steve for doing it right and having the awesome ray gun effects built in!
http://www.hollywoodcomics.com/forest.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
yngwie308

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:59 am**

That Barbarella guitar sure is a great-looking piece of art. The built-in ray gun is quite the appropriate touch, too, as it ties in both the movie and SS.

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:26 pm**

Nice score, Dave. Good for you, man!

What's the knob behind the bridge on the Barbarella guitar? Townsend has a similar set up for vol for the piezo bridge pickups so he can get acoustic tones.

Posted: **Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:27 pm**

That controls the speed of the ray gun effect, thanks for your reply Chief, it's good to have friends here, at times I feel like I have been wearing the scarlet letter here..

Here are some pics I took today of my beloved SS80.. they of course are greater than 800 pixels, but not monsterous..

http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... 0%20album/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here are some very rare magazine scans of Washburn and Hamer Steve Stevens related things, I have had these since new, I have been into these guitars since 1993..
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... d%20Hamer/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
yngwie308

Posted: **Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:39 pm**

I am attempting to sell my 2004 YJM to help buy this baby..$1050, it's yours!!
yngwie308

Posted: **Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:48 pm**

Sold awhile back only $1100 to go at the moment..!
yngwie308

Posted: **Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:29 pm**

Just found these pictures on the net of an SS100 glow Frankenstein, very cool!!
Btw if anyone knows someone with one of these or an SS80, please let me know!!
yngwie308

Posted: **Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:05 am**

HOORAY!!!! JUST PAID OFF MY GUITAR...BEING SHIPPED MONDAY ARRIVES WEDNESDAY...HOORAY!!!
yngwie308

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 1:15 am**

Here is an album of some quick snaps, don't tell my wife I included snaps of our dog pee stained rug which I am cleaning tommorow with the carpet cleaner, been working so much to pay for this baby.
In a word,.....stunning and the sound of this guitar is equally breathtaking, the maple cap on the body adds some spank to the EQ and the maple cap neck is really museum grade birdseye maple, 3D as much as the maple quilt!!
So more proper pics soon..this guitar was built for delivery to Steve Stevens himself it is definitely confirmed by Washburn, my black SS80, I know was built for Steve, so I am one lucky SS fan..
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... ed%20SS80/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... 0063-1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... S80041.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... S80078.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/ ... S80066.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just an awesome guitar!
yngwie308

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2009 1:58 pm**

Congrats, Dave! And, enjoy!

Posted: **Sat May 02, 2009 9:43 am**

Thanks Mike!! Yes she's a beauty, a one in a million girl!! I have to give thanks to my lovely wife, for giving me the green light on this buy.
So lots of bills to pay and she is next for a diamond ring!!
The tone of this new guitar compared to the straight poplar bodied black SS80 I have, is more midrangey and has more top or slice to it, if yahnowharimean!

The finish and detail on my black SS was already awesome, this purple quilted one is just incredible. I know Steve loves the color purple (no not the one with Oprah..

),he has his recording studio all decked out in purple. I don't feel guilty at all though as Steve told me that chapter was closed back in 1993 an he has not picked up a Washburn..or a Hamer I might add since then. I believe things happen for a reason in life and there are no accidents.
So even the seller told me he was glad that I was the one to get the guitar, besides being a mega SS fan, I personally love these guitars over any other of it's style and to me it is the world's best Dinky/Strathead style guitar. I have heard it said a few times that currently Washburns Custom Shop, run by the amazing Terry Atkins, is among the top shops in the USA, rivalling both Gibson, Fender/Jackson-Charvel..ect!!
I am planning on interviewing Mr. Atkins in the near future and in my humble opinion, he is an incredible designer and hands on builder, evidenced by his past work with Hamer, he left there to go to Washburn in 1991, and his current work on the major quality guitars they are building now, the N4, N6, the Idol, PS, and many other acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars.
Us Washburn aficionados had hoped some plans for an X-80 type of reissue in the future, but right now the shop is busy building the Moog guitars.
One of Washburns current guitars has a Parker fingerboard on it and is a rocket ship metal guitar with some SD Blackouts!!
It is not know exactly how many USA built Steve Stevens signature model Washburns were made in the 1993-4 period, but there aren't that many, perhaps even as low as 75-100 and that is including the X80, which is the unofficial designation of the SS spec guitars existing after he left Washburn in late 1993. These guitars had the head stocks sanded down and were unfinished with the script Washburn logo only. All reference to Steve Stevens was removed. These are not the same as the spec of my black SS80 which has a March serial number from '93, my SS80 Purple Rain I'll call it, has a July 07 number. My guitar is a Steve Stevens artists spec guitar, hence the natural finished headstock, the silhouette Washburn logo, the position of that logo along with the SS signature, denoting the guitar as one of Steve's!!
I have never seen an SS80 like my black one as it is the most early spec and I am 100% sure was built for Steve. Steve told me it wasn't one of his..which I know, but said it is similar to his!!(I am fairly sure he meant it didn't actually physically belong to him)

.
My co-project which ties in with the Hamer/Washburn SS history is interviewing Jim O'Connor, the incredible graphic artist, responsible for many, many guitars, including my rattlesnake '87 Hamer Chapparal and the incredible Washburn SS80 Barbarella and the Famous Monsters SS80.
Plus many Jackson/Charvel guitars of major rock stars of that era. Jim lives in Maui now, and the wife has put the kabosh on me travelling there for the interview.
I am planning on using one of these small, full-service publishers, that help you assemble the book, print it for you only when you have orders placed, saving the otherwise enormous costs involved with a specialty, niche style subject. Jim really deserves a mega-hugely illustrated coffee table book on art grade paper to do justice to his work, but I am concentrating on his story and the human side of the artist, as well as the reproductions of his work!!
I am finding it hard to find time for all these projects, but they are labors of love!!

yngwie308

Posted: **Mon May 04, 2009 5:11 pm**

Those are really cool-looking guitars, YJM308. Maybe we should start calling you "SS80"?

A friend of mine was a Washburn dealer in the '90's and I can remember him having a black SS80 on the wall. Nowadays, I wish I'd bought it from him but hindsight is 20/20. I can remember that guitar just hanging at the shop for a long time as the grunge thing was heating up and no one wanted a strat-style guitar with a locking trem.

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