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WASHBURN The brand name Washburn was launched by the Chicago music merchandisers Lyon & Healy in 1888 and gained a reputation for affordable fretted instruments of good quality. The Washburn name became synonymous with the small body “parlor” guitars of the period. In 1928 the name and manufacturing facilities were sold by Lyon & Healy to the wholesalers Tonk Brothers who found it challenging to manage the quality and production demands of a large fretted instrument factory. By 1940 the name had lost its luster in the market place and by the end of World War II no longer existed. The Washburn name was resurrected by the Los Angeles company Beckmen Musical Instruments in 1972, who had Washburn instruments produced under contract in Japan. In 1977 the brand was sold again to Chicago based Fretted Instruments Incorporated. Ownership changed hands yet again in 1987 and was renamed Washburn International. By 1991 Washburn Inc. were producing higher quality and limited-edition instruments in the United States as well as their imported products.

GEORGE WASHBURN, CIRCA 1982

A DREADNOUGHT-FORM SOLID-BODY ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC GUITAR, SBF-26

Details

GEORGE WASHBURN, CIRCA 1982
A DREADNOUGHT-FORM SOLID-BODY ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC GUITAR, SBF-26
Labeled George Washburn / model no. SBF-26, Serial Number 821298 hand crafted in the Washburn tradition / of Chicago, applied Washburn at the headstock and stamped 821298 on the reverse, with original hardshell case bearing a label inscribed WASHBURN SPIRIT #8212981 and SERIAL NO. DG1118
Length of back 20 in. (50.8 cm.)

Special notice

Please note lots marked with a square will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) on the last day of the sale. Lots are not available for collection at Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services until after the third business day following the sale. All lots will be stored free of charge for 30 days from the auction date at Christie’s Rockefeller Center or Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn). Operation hours for collection from either location are from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday-Friday. After 30 days from the auction date property may be moved at Christie’s discretion. Please contact Post-Sale Services to confirm the location of your property prior to collection. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn). Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. Lots made of or including (regardless of the percentage) endangered and other protected species of wildlife are marked with the symbol ~ in the catalogue. This material includes, among other things, ivory, tortoiseshell, crocodile skin, rhinoceros horn, whalebone certain species of coral, and Brazilian rosewood. You should check the relevant customs laws and regulations before bidding on any lot containing wildlife material if you plan to import the lot into another country. Several countries refuse to allow you to import property containing these materials, and some other countries require a licence from the relevant regulatory agencies in the countries of exportation as well as importation. In some cases, the lot can only be shipped with an independent scientific confirmation of species and/or age, and you will need to obtain these at your own cost.

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Lot Essay

This guitar was supplied directly by Washburn in 1984 for use on the North American leg of David Gilmour’s About Face Tour from 9th May to 16th July 1984, in support of his second solo album About Face. Gilmour used the guitar for performances of Near the End, the final track on the album. Photographs by Paul Natkin show Gilmour playing the guitar at the UIC Pavilion, Chicago on 8th June 1984.

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