Washburn WCG55CE-O Acoustic-Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Washburn WCG55CE-O is an acoustic-electric guitar with solid top construction and a jumbo body style. Made in China to Washburn's specifications, it delivers great bang for your buck if you're looking for an affordable yet quality acoustic-electric guitar.

The WCG55CE-O features a solid spruce top paired with mahogany back and sides. This tonewood combination produces balanced tone across the tonal spectrum, with good projection and warmth. The jumbo body style yields impressive volume and bass response. An ABS binding provides an attractive accent on the top, back, and fretboard.

With its flexible electronics system, the WCG55CE-O can be plugged directly into an amplifier or PA system for live performance. The 2-band EQ lets you shape your amplified tone. While not the most premium acoustic-electric guitar available, the WCG55CE-O punches above its weight class in terms of features and playability.

Physical Features

The Washburn WCG55CE-O Grand Auditorium acoustic-electric has a compact but well-balanced Grand Auditorium body shape. This gives it a comfortable feel and makes it a good choice for fingerstyle playing.

The guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top, which helps produce a bright, balanced tone with good articulation and volume projection. The back and sides are made from ovangkol, an exotic tonewood that offers warmth and complexity to the overall sound.

The WCG55CE-O comes in an attractive natural satin finish that showcases the wood grain patterns. The finish is very thin and helps the guitar resonate freely. There are no other finish options offered for this model currently.

The Grand Auditorium body combined with solid spruce top and ovangkol back/sides makes for a great sounding and playing instrument suitable for various musical styles. The thin satin finish allows the inherent tone of the woods to shine through.

If you're looking for another quality acoustic-electric guitar option, check out the Vangoa Premium VC-2. This model features a solid cedar top with mahogany back and sides, producing a warm, rich tone. It has a cutaway body style that provides easy upper fret access. Electronics include a built-in preamp and tuner for amplified performance. The Vangoa Premium VC-2 comes in a gloss finish available in multiple color choices. It's a versatile acoustic-electric that works well for various playing styles.

The Vangoa VC-2 is comparable to the Washburn WCG55CE-O in terms of build quality and sound. Both guitars utilize solid wood tops with quality tonewoods for the back and sides. This allows them to produce full, balanced acoustic tones. The cutaway body style of the VC-2 gives it an edge for electric players who need to reach higher frets. The WCG55CE-O's Grand Auditorium shape offers a comfortable feel and is well-suited for fingerstyle playing. The thin satin finish of the Washburn allows the natural wood resonance to come through clearly. The gloss options on the Vangoa give it some nice visual appeal. Overall both are quality acoustic-electric guitars suitable for practice, recording and live performance.

Neck and Fretboard

The Washburn WCG55CE-O features a mahogany neck and a rosewood fretboard. Mahogany is a popular guitar neck wood thanks to its rigidity and tonal properties. It offers a balanced sonic response, providing good lows, mids, and highs. The rosewood fretboard is known for its rich overtones and complex harmonics. It also has a nice smooth playing feel. The guitar has 20 frets for a good range up the neck, allowing for intricate solos and lead playing. The neck has a standard taper profile that is comfortable for most hand sizes. Overall the neck and fretboard allow for versatility in both rhythm and lead playing across various genres.

The mahogany neck is sturdy yet responsive, providing a great feel and balanced tone. When combined with the rosewood fretboard, it offers pleasing warmth and definition. The smooth neck profile allows for easy playability up and down the fretboard. With 20 frets, guitarists have ample room for leads and solos. The rosewood produces clear note articulation with each fret. This guitar is versatile for many music styles thanks to the classic neck and fretboard woods. Players can explore mellow jazz chords, intricate folk fingerpicking, crunchy rock riffs, and more.

This guitar's fretboard is constructed from rosewood, which is prized for its rich harmonic content. The complex overtones from rosewood add depth and character to each note played. It also has a smooth surface that feels comfortable under the fingers. The mahogany neck contributes to balanced tonal response across the frequency range. Together they provide a great playing experience with versatile sonic possibilities. The neck joint allows easy access to higher frets for soloing. With its comfortable profile and smooth rosewood fretboard, this guitar makes it easy for players to execute intricate solos, arpeggios, and lead lines.

Other acoustic-electric guitars like the Donner DST-100R also feature mahogany necks and rosewood fretboards. The combination is popular for good reason - it provides excellent playability, comfort, and balanced tone. Mahogany offers a responsive feel while rosewood provides complex harmonics and smooth feel. This traditional wood pairing works for many music styles. The Donner DST-100R uses this formula to deliver versatile acoustic-electric performance at an affordable price point. Players looking for comfortable playability and good acoustic tone would do well to consider mahogany/rosewood models like the Washburn WCG55CE-O and Donner DST-100R.

Electronics and Pickups

The Washburn WCG55CE-O features Fishman Sonitone electronics and pickups, providing excellent acoustic amplification and natural sound reproduction.

The guitar has a built-in preamp with volume and tone controls, allowing you to shape your amplified tone. The preamp includes a tuner for quick and accurate tuning on the fly.

The guitar utilizes a Fishman Sonicore pickup system, with an undersaddle transducer and soundhole mounted microphone. This combination captures the guitar's natural acoustic sound as well as amplifying the vibration of the strings and body.

The pickup configuration provides great balance between acoustic resonance and amplified tone. It's flexible for playing plugged-in live or recording in the studio. The EQ gives you control over tonal shaping while maintaining the Washburn's authentic, organic voice.

Hardware

The WCG55CE-O comes equipped with quality hardware designed for both longevity and great sound. The bridge and saddle are made from rosewood, a dense tropical wood known for its rich, warm tones that nicely complement the guitar's solid spruce top. The rosewood bridge transfers vibrations efficiently from the strings down through the body for excellent resonance and sustain.

The tuning machines are sealed die-cast chrome, providing smooth and precise tuning stability. The chrome pegs look great against the natural gloss finish. Each string is anchored by an individual chrome tuning machine, enabling easy and accurate tuning adjustments.

Sound and Tone

The Washburn WCG55CE-O produces a balanced tone across the frequency spectrum, with crisp articulate highs, rich warm mids, and full low end. The spruce top is lightweight and responsive, allowing the guitar to project well acoustically.

When plugged in, the guitar maintains its balanced tone thanks to the 2-band EQ and preamp system. The treble and bass controls allow you to shape the amplified tone to your liking, whether dialing in sweet singing highs or boosting the lows for more punch and depth. The proprietary Washburn preamp provides plenty of volume while retaining the WCG55CE-O's natural acoustic resonance and warmth. This makes the guitar very versatile for both acoustic and plugged-in applications, from coffee shop gigs to larger amplified shows. Overall, the guitar's well-rounded tonal character transitions seamlessly from unplugged to amplified playing.

Playability

The Washburn WCG55CE-O has excellent playability that makes it comfortable for both beginners and more advanced players. The action on the guitar is set low and smooth right out of the box, so there's no fret buzz or difficult bending of the strings. The neck has a comfortable C-shaped profile that fits nicely in the hand, with a 25.5" scale length that will feel familiar to most players. The fingerboard radius is a modern 12" which allows for easy bending without causing the strings to choke out.

The neck is finished with a smooth satin coating that allows your hand to glide up and down easily. The fretwork from Washburn is very well done, with nicely finished medium jumbo frets that don't have any sharp edges to irritate your hands during long practice sessions. All of these elements together make this an acoustic-electric that feels great to play for chord strumming, fingerpicking patterns, or soloing up and down the neck. It has a playable feel comparable to more expensive instruments.

Pros

Washburn's WCG55CE-O acoustic-electric guitar has several pros worth considering:

• Quality Materials - The WCG55CE-O features a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck. These tonewoods are known for their balanced sound across the tonal spectrum, providing excellent resonance and projection. The use of all solid wood construction results in a lush, full-bodied acoustic tone.

• Balanced Acoustic and Electric Tones - In both its unplugged acoustic sound and amplified tone, the WCG55CE-O delivers a balanced voicing. Players praise its rich lows, sweet mids, and crisp treble tones. The 2-band EQ provides ample tonal shaping capabilities as well. Whether playing acoustically or plugging into an amp or PA, this guitar's versatile sonic palette will appeal to many players.

Cons

The WCG55CE-O has a few drawbacks to consider. The electronics and pickups, while decent, don't stand out as anything special. The guitar produces adequate plugged-in sound, but it's not going to blow you away. It gets the job done, but the pickups and preamp are a bit basic.

The WCG55CE-O also isn't as loud when unplugged compared to similar guitars. While it's decently loud acoustically, some other acoustic-electrics in this price range put out more volume unplugged. So if you plan to play a lot without an amp, you may want to look into other options. The WCG55CE-O works fine for practice and jamming unplugged, but it lacks the projection to keep up with a drummer if you aren't using an amp or PA system.

Conclusion

The Washburn WCG55CE-O acoustic-electric guitar is a solid option for those looking for a quality instrument at an affordable price point. It offers a number of features found on more expensive models, making it a great choice for aspiring and intermediate players.

The solid cedar top and mahogany back and sides produce a balanced, well-rounded tone that works for various musical styles. The neck feels comfortable and smooth, allowing for easy playability up and down the fretboard. The onboard preamp and EQ provide versatility when plugging into an amplifier or PA system.

While it may lack some of the premium appointments and finely tuned sound of pricier guitars, the WCG55CE-O punches above its weight given the sub-$500 price range. The quality of construction and hardware make this a guitar that can be enjoyed for years of playing.

Overall, the Washburn WCG55CE-O offers beginners and hobbyists an excellent bang for their buck. While not perfect, it provides a great platform to grow into as a player. For those looking to dip their toes into acoustic-electric instruments without breaking the bank, the WCG55CE-O is easy to recommend. It delivers on tone, playability and flexibility - everything you need to hone your craft and simply enjoy making music.