1937 Washburn 5246

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1937 Washburn 5246

Serial # 3243. This rare Washburn model 5246 is one of a small number of Rosewood Dreadnoughts built by Chicago's Lyon & Healy in the days of Tonk Bros. Distributorship. Dreadnought-sized guitars were a new thing in the mid 1930's, with Gibson and Martin each offering a few models in this body size. The Washburn pictured here is dimensionally similar to a Gibson Jumbo, with its deep and non-tapering body and small soundhole. The back and sides are Rosewood, however, and the neck's scale measures 25.4". The guitar features a double-X braced top, big V-shaped neck, and jumbo frets. Neck reset and aged reproduction bridge by our shop, 1940's tuners; otherwise completely original and unrepaired.

A big sounding guitar to go with its big size, the 5246 has a very strong and pronounced fundamental and a whole lot of headroom. It's a powerful flatpicker, and pretty dry all around. Mid and treble range response is strong, especially considering the guitar's size, and bass runs have a succinct and well punctuated affect. You'll want to be a fan of big necked guitars to play this one -- the nut measures 1-13/16" and the thickness of the neck behind the first fret is a bit more than an inch!

This instrument is featured in Issue 22 of The Fretboard Journal, alongside two of its adjacently serial numbered kin. We'll include a copy of the Journal with the guitar.

With hardshell case
1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246
  • 1937 Washburn 5246

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