Washburn BT-2

The Washburn BT-2 was the first guitar I ever owned.  It has two humbuckers with a three position pickup switch, and a single volume and tone control.  It is pretty basic.  The neck is a two piece bolt-on affair, and is thin and fast.  There are 22 medium frets, meaning that chording is very easy.  The neck is very flat and thin, so arpeggios and solos are a breeze.  Bending on higher frets can be difficult due the size of the frets, but it is by no means impossible.  The stock pickups are shockingly good for a guitar in this price range.  They are loud, hot and clear.  They get all of the subtleties of your playing and have very high output without being muddy.  When you switch on the distortion, this guitar really shines.  Distortion really brings out the character of the guitar, whether it is light bluesy distortion or heavy metal distortion.  It is smooth and clear while being thick and very full.  In the studio, I can use this guitar to lay down a track without doubling and it sounds fantastic.  Doubling the track only makes it better.  My BT-2 currently has hybrid .09-.46 strings.  The light strings are a perfect match to the guitar.  I've been playing this guitar for more than 12 years, and it really is a great piece of gear.  Sadly this guitar is no longer produced.  There are, however, several excellent Washburn guitars still available.  I don't think there are any true entry level guitars from Washburn anymore, but they still make excellent guitars.  If you can find one, this guitar is highly recommended for beginners and experts, fans of simplicity, and fans of light, thin, fast necks.