Seizing on the success of affordable import guitars in the '60s, Japanese manfacturers produced as many guitars as they could for the '70s and '80s USA guitar market. Much more than worn-out copies of the same old American-made guitars, MIJ designs, features, and various brands introduced new ideas, and the workmanship sincerely rivaled their USA-made counterparts. In today's vintage market, these intriguing—albeit slightly whacky—axes are great-sounding guitars that provide a different, somewhat off-beat inspiration.
Yamaki started building the Washburn-branded Wing Series in 1978, and the Falcon was part of the core lineup. Featuring a small double-cutaway body, the Falcon is most notable for its through-body neck design. This 1979 Washburn Falcon sports a gorgeous dark sunburst finish that shows nice grain and the many pieces of wood that came together into one seriously cool carved-top guitar. When you flip it over, the contoured neck heel provides a unique access into the upper register. At the time it was made, this carved-out heel would've been unlike anything else you would've seen at the guitar shop–certainly a strong selling point for the Washburn brand!
From there, this Washburn Falcon is equipped with two after-market Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro humbuckers. The original pickups on these were decent, but the Seymour Duncans are a sincere upgrade. Three-way switch, volume and tone controls for each pickup, and both can be coil-tapped for a single-coil sound. It's a string-through body, and the six saddle bridge has brass saddles. The original brass nut has been swapped out for a stagger nut that greatly improves the intonation. It has a fast-feeling neck and narrow taper than encourages you to step into the upper register where the unique heel carve makes it easy on you.
How many pieces of wood went into this guitar? The curly Maple "wings" on the top look nice with the dark finish, and the Ash on the underside is dense, providing sustain and richness. The design was probably intended to appeal to hard rock players, but interestingly the Falcon delivers more versatility than similar guitars from the late '70s.
This 1979 Washburn Falcon has been played and enjoyed, so it shows signs of use. The worst are some dings around the edges of the body, particularly on the back. There are also some gnarly bumps to the back edge of the headstock. But despite the wear, this Falcon is a player! The setup is excellent, the frets are in great shape, and the Seymour Duncans rip. It includes a period hardshell case.